Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-12-03
GREAT MEN DO HONOR
Obsequies of President Spen-
 Ger at Washington.
SOUTHERN HALTSI1SWHOLE SYSTEN
While Soft Notes of Funeral March Sounded Through Church Every Wheel Ceased to Turn, Every
 Workman Paid Respect.

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-All that is
 mortal of Samuel Spencer, late presi- dent of the Southern railway, whose tragic death on his own railroad on
 the morning of Thanksgiving day
 shocked the people of two hemisphefes,
 was laid to rest yesterday afternoon in
 Oak Hill cemetery.
 A notable tribute was paid to the
 memory of the distinguished railroad
 magnate by his associates. by states
 men and by men eminent in all the
 walks of public life. The funeral ob-
 sequies, held in historic St. Johns
 Protestant Episcopal church, were at
 tended by railroad officials, f1nanciers
 and public men from all parts of the
 country. Many of them were lifelong
 associates. Hundreds of friends came
 from the south.
 Among the distinguished people who
 attended the church services were Vice
 President Fairbanks. Justice White of
 the supreme court of the United States,
 Senator and Mrs. Foraker of Ohio,
 Senator Bacon of Georgia, Governor
 Swanson and Senator Martin of yir- ginia, Senator Kean of New Jersey,
 Secretary of the Interior Hitchcock, Senator Wetmore of Rhode Island and
 former Senator Henry G. Davis of West Virginia.
 Just as the soft strains of Chopin's beautiful funeral march pealed through the church from the organ at p. m. throughout the whole system of rall- roads lately presided over by Mir Spencer every train came to dead stop, every wheel ceased to turn, ev- cry employee put aside his work. For five minutes over the thousands of miles of railway every employee paid silent respect to the dead president.
 To the strains of the funeral march the surpliced choir of forty male voices silently entered the church and ranged itself on each side of the altar. The choir was followed by the Right Rev. Henry '. Satterlee, bishop of Washington; Rev. Dr. Roland Cotton Smith. rector of St. Johns, and the as. sistant rector of the church.
 Immediately afterward J. Pierpont Morgan of New York, lifelong friend and business associate of President Spencer: Charles Sterling of New York, First Vice President Andrews and Second Vice President Finley of the Southern railway entered the church and were followed by the funeral par ty. the great concourse of people pres ent rising and remaining standing as i the casket bearing the remains was placed in front of the altar and the ! members of the family were ushered | to their seats. It was peculiarly ap- ] propriate that the body bearers should have been selected from among the | colored porters of the Southern rail- way. All of them have been in the | service of the company for many years. several of them nearly a life i time, and all of them were known per sonally to President Spencer.
 Following the body came the hon. orary pallbearers. all of them personal official friends of MT. Spencer. They were principally presidents or high of icials of the railroads of America, and t was noted that, either personally or by proxy, they represented quite one lhird of the vast wealth of the United States. E. II. Hartman. a lifetime friend, was one of the last to arrive at he church.
 The funeral service was strictly in accordance with the ritual of the Prot. ,stant Episcopal church. It was con- lucted by Bishop Satterlee. assisted by Rev. Dr. Smith. A special musical pro- ,ramme was rendered, Mrs. Spencer ,aving selected her favorite hymns. These were:
 Lead. Kindly Light" For All the saints Who From Their Labors Rest" Abide With Me" and Fast Falls the ,ventide."
 At the conclusion of the ritualistic eryice the remains were borne from he church during the singing of Abide With Me"
 No such wonderful profusion of ex- uisite floral offerings has been seen n Washington since the obsequies of he late President Mckinley as filled he Massachusetts avenue residence of resident Spencer and the chancel at t. Johns church. These tributes came rom all parts of the country. There rere carloads of beautiful emblems