The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-12-03
Over One- Third of Wealth of the United States RsprG-x1
 scented At fuReral .y
MRS, SPENCER SEh.s ALL FLOWERS TO HOSPITALS
Every Wheel On Nearly 5000 Miles of Railways Stops For Five Minutes As Mark of Respect to Late
 President.

1 Washington, December 2.-Al that Is mortal of Samuel Spencer, late president of the Southern railway whose tragic death on fis own road on the morning of Thanksgiving day, shocked the people of two hemispheres, was laid to rest this | afternoon in the receiving vault of Oak Hill cemetery, there to await final dls- 1 position.
 l A notable tribute was paid to the inem- ory of the distinguished railroad mag nate by statesmen and by men emiaent in all the walks of public life The final obsequles were held in historic st, John s Protestant Episcopal church and were at tended by railroad officials financiers and public men from all parts of the coun- l try. Many of them were lifelong asso- ciates. Hundreds of friends came from the Southern long before the hour an nounced for the funeral e o'clocl, ad- mission to the church had to be denied | to all but the closest personal and of ficial friends of MT. Spencer. Hundreds of people stood outside the edfce in the crisp December air throughout the ser vices paying solemnly and silently tkeir | respects.
 I Shortly before 1:S0 D. m, the officers and employees of the Southern railway, 319 in number, assembled at the general office of the company, and proceeded in a body 10 St. Johns church. They were 1 headed by the four general superntend- ents of the company, Foraller, Loyal, I Richey and Coapman--and included Gen eral Passenger Traffic Manager Hardwi3k, General Passenger Agent Tayloe and As sistant General Passenger Agent Carey. Practically all officers throughout the system of nearly 5000 miles were ia at l tendance.
 Other Railroad Men Present. ] Joining their friends of the Southern railway in paying respect to President | Spencer were representatives of the Mo- bile and Ohio, Georgia, Southern and Flor ida. the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific, the New Orleans and Northeastern, the Central of Georgia, the Atlantic Coast Line, the Seaboard Ar Line, the Chesapeake and Ohio, the Penn sylvania and the Norfolk and Western. 1 Among the distinguished people who at l tended the church services were Vice l President Fairbanks, Justice White Of the supreme court of the United States, Senator and Mrs. Foraker of oho sena- l tor Bacon of Georgia Governor Swan son and Senator Martin of Virginia, Sec retary of the Interior Hitchcock and for mer Senator Henry G. Davis of West | Virginia.
 Just at ? o'clock the soft strains of l Chopin's funeral march peaed through | the church from the organ. At the same | instant, throughout the system of rail- roads lately presided over by Mir. spen- cer, every train came to a dead stop. ev- cry wheel ceased to turn, every employe put aside his work. For five minutes over thousands of miles of railway every eni- ploye paid silent respect to the dead pres | ident. To the funeral march the surpiccd choir of forty male voices silently en- tered the church and ranged itself on | each side of the altar.
 The choir was followed by the Right Rev. Henry V. Satterlee, bishop of Wash ington; Rev. pr. Roland Cotton Smith,
 
 rector of the church.
 Funeral Party Enters.
 Directly after J. Pierpont Morgan of New York, lifelong friend and business associate of Mir. Spencer; First Vice Presi- dent Andrews and Second Vice President | Finley of the Southern railway entered the pew reserved for them They were followed by the funeral party, the great aas of n n Ay standing as the easket bearing the re- mains was placed in front of the altar and the members of the family were ush- cred to their seats.
 It was particularly appropriate thal the body bearers should have been selected from among the colored porters of the Southern railway. All of them have been in the employ of the company for many years, several of them nearly life time, and all of them were known personally to President Spencer
 Represented Enormous Wealth.
 Following the body came the honorary pail bearers, all of them personal and of- ficial friends of MT. Spencer. They were personally presidents or high officials, of the railroads of America, and it was noted. either personally or by proxy, they represented quite one-third of the vast
  rman, a life time friend. was one of the last to arrive at the church. The funeral service was strictly in accordance with the ritual of the Protestant Episcopal church. A special musical programme was rendered. Mrs. Spencer having selected her favorite hymns. These were. Lead Kindly Light" For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest" Abide With Me"
 No such wonderful profusion of exquisite floral offerings has been seen in Washing ton since the obsequies of the late Pres- dent Mckinley as today filled the Massa- chusetts avenue residence of President Spencer and the chancel at St. John s church. These came from all parts of the country Among them was a wreath of orchards and white roses tied with white satin ribbons from President and Mrs. Roosevelt. Vice President and Mrs. Fair- banks sent a huge bunch of chrysanthe- nuns.
 By special direction of Mrs, Spencer all of the floral offerings weree distributed later among the various hospitals and charitable institutions of Washingtaa-