Evening star., 1901-09-23
IN A COUNTRY VILLAGE
MEMORIAL SERVICES TO THE DEAD
PRESIDENTS MEMORY.
Clergymen Of All Denominations Pait
Tribute to Mr.. McKinley's Life
and Character.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

| TARIFFrVILLE, Conn.,, Sept q, 1901.
On the banks of the Pennington river
| the little village of Tariffville Thursday
| demonstrated it's grief at the death OF
President William Mckinley. True, the
| village had never been honored by a visi,
| from the late President, but the people
knew him by his deeds and they loved him
Perhaps it is in these country towns
| where the true worth of national officer
| is best felt. Outside the government Of
ficials here not dozen people have ever
| visited the national capital or seen any OF
its Presidents; and yet they know these
Presidents and they love them, and they
mourn for their dead chief.
The houses and stores are still draped in
black, with flags and President Mckinley S
fpicture added to the decorations. The Of
flee of Mr. Floyd, the tobacco expert of the
United States Department of Agriculture,
shows its honor to the dead by a large pic
ture of Mr.. Mckinley, around which is
| draped black bunting and red, white and
blue streamers. Over the picture ''old
glory" hangs triumphantly as though pro-
tecting the man who loved it so well.
Thursday afternoon everything was closed
and the village seemed almost deserted.
The chief sounds heard were the rustic of
the trees and the roar of the water over
the mill dam.
At 3 o'clock the memorial services at the
Lunxis House called all the people together
in order that they might pay tribute to the
memory of President Mckinley. The
church bells announced the service. The
attendance was large, giving evidence of
the heartfelt sympathies OF the people. The
decorations were simple. A crepe-draped
flag adorned the piano. while black ribbon
and small flags were mingled in the golden
rod. At either side of the stage large
vases held the field flowers Of the season.
On the stage were seated the speakers and
the singers Clergymen of all denomina-
ttons were the speakers and double quar-
tet furnished the music.
All the speakers were listened to with
great interest. aad each touched upon a
different phase of the dead President s
the act which ended his life, and Father
Carroll spoke chiefly of Mrs. Mckinley s
great sorrow and the deep sympathy of the
people with her. The music was exception
ally good, and the solos were appropriate
and effective, particularly that Of Mrs.
Reed, who has an unusually sympathetic
and Well-trained voice.
Thursday morning 1 went to Hartford,
and that usually busy city was almost as
silent as the grave. The public Offices were
closed, the hum Of factories had ceased,
the stores had suspended business, and
everywhere mourning for the dead was
manifested.
The large stores seemed to vie with each
other in demonstrating their grief to the
public. Some Of them had taken the bright
and brilliant fabrics from the show cases.
white. A large carpet factory displayed it's
grief by a large white broken column, on
which was placed an evergreen wreath five
feet high, and on the base the word NC
Kinley." To the left Of this shaft was a large
picture Of the dead President and around
the window were flags and decorations of
crepe. One OF the large department stores
had one Of it's windows devoted to a scene
entitled Lead. Kindly Light and an
other, Nearer, My God, to Thee" The
former represented child in white around
whose shoulders was thrown q black scarf
crowning Mr.. Mckinley with her right
hand and resting her left hand on a table
on which was white taper in a black can
die stick.
In the second scene a child in white was
kneeling at the base Of an easel. with her
clasped hands resting on the frame Of the
picture Of the dead President and her
face lifted toward heaven. The last words
of the President. ut is Gods way; His will
be-. be done mo not ours, 8grs and and. I'VE mourn our
Ny God. To Thee" were the notices used
in the decorations. Another department
store had its windows and doors entirely
covered with black, as II to inform the
public that It's grief was SO deep that no
space should be left unshrouded. Wreaths
Of black tied with purple ribbon and pic
lures Of Mr.. Mckinley framed in black
bunting formed the chief ornamentations.
In the center OF this somber decoration
were the words I'm memoriam"
Throughout the entire day memorial
services were held in the various churches
and halls. Songs and addresses appropri-
ate to the occasion comprised the program
at St. Joseph's Cathedral at o. clock for
the welfare of the nation. The church was
well filled and q full choir rendered beauti-
full music.