Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1901-09-21

White House by some little time. nr.
RiNry was the first To alight. and then
Mr., Mckinley. lnry assisted Mrs. Me
kinlcy to the steps. With her right
arm resting heavily and wcarily upon
the shoulder of her brother in-law. ana
supported on the other side by Dr.
RiNey, she wal!lrd slowly into the house.
She was closely ycilcd, but her feeble
steps told the story of her great Suffer-
ing. She was assisted ut once to her
old room and soon retired
DR.. RiXcy and Mr.. Cortrlyou later
said that she had stood the journey very
well, and they had confidently cx-
pcctcd that she would complete the
sad journey to her old home without
difficulty. Among those " ho know her
best, ii is doubted whether she yet fully
realizes the calamity that has bcfalrn
her, and ii is with some apprehension
that they look forward to ;hr first days
alone in Canton. "'rhc MA iur," aS she
|always called her husband. is still with
her, but when she finds herself really all
alone, the awakening may try her
strength even beyond the point vet
reached. The result cannot be forctuld.
When the cortcgr arrived at the White
House the body bearers took the coffin
upon their shoulders and waited until
President Roosevelt and the members
of the cabinet had nlightrd from their
carriages, and then followed them
through the wide open doors into the
cast room. Just in tie center of the
room they deposited their burden and
stood ut salute, while the new chief cX,
cculve and the cabinet members passed
by.
Piled about the caS>cr were a half
hundred floral cmblcmS of except ional
beauty and as many more were placed
in the inside corridor until today. TWO
marines. Il soldier and sailor stood
guard one at each corner of the cnSkrt
while seated on either side were two
members of the Grand Army and two
members of the Loyal Legion. These
will hr relieved at intervals of two hours
during the night.
Before midnight the household had re-
tired to rest, and the only lights to bc
seen We're those in the room where his
comrades kept watch over their dead
chief.
The whole country seemed to have
drained its population to the sides of
the track over which the funeral train
passed. The thin lines through the
mountains and Spnrsrly settled districts
tlIickrncd ut the little hamlrtS covered
.l,,p n t,,> MT
tudrS in the larger cities. Work was
suspended in field. workshop. mine and
factory. The schools were dismissed.
and everywhere appeared the tlnppinys
and tokens Of woe.
There was no other bit of color to
catch the eye on this train of death
The locomotive was covered with black.
the curtains of the ears in which sat the
widow. the relatives of the president.
cabinet members ana others We're
drawn. The whole black train was like
Il suffered house save only for that
hindmost car where the body lay guard
ed by n soldier Of the army and Il sailor
of the navy.
Mrs Mckinley stood the trip bravrly.
III llt llolllluS. StDll dlltE leaving 1IUI-
falo. she pleaded so earnestly to be al
lowed to go into the car where her dear
one lay that reluctant assrn: was given
and sine spent half an hour beside the
coffin.
All the way the train was preceded,
about Il minutes. by pilot engine,
sent ahead to test the bridges and
switches and prevent the possibility of
accident to the precious burden it car
ricd The train had the right of way
over everything. Not n whcri moved
on the Pennsylvania railroad system
80 minutes before the pilot engine was
due. or for the same length of time af-
ter the train had passed. General Sll-
Hutchinson had sent out
explicit instructions covering every de
tail The order concluded: Every
must he taken by all EN-.
ploycs to make this movement absolute
~ safe"
George w. Boyd. assistant general
passenger agent, had personal charge of
the train. The train left Buffalo at
$40 in the morning. and arrived at
Washington at S:3S last night.