Los Angeles herald., 1906-08-06
.STAFFORD'S BODY
IS LAID TO REST
MANY PAY TRIBUTE TO LATE
CITY ENGINEER
In the Presence Of Throng of Mourn.
ing Friends Final Farewell Is
Spoken in Little Cemetery
at Santa Ana

In the beautiful little cemetery at
Santa Ana the body Of Harry f. Staf-
ford was laid to rest yesterday.
The crowds that assembled at either
end Of the Journey and the many ex-
pressions of sorrow uttered for the loss
of the dead man, gave evidence of the
sincere appreciation of the sterling
qualities of the city's late chief en-
gineer.
The body was first taken to Bresee
Bros chapel on South Figueroa street.
The sut dued light of the chapel dis
closed dozens Of magnificent floral
pieces and thousands of roses, violets
and carnations made the air heavy
with their sweet 7,-fumes. The
choicest blooms of the florist were
gathered to do honor to the dead en-
gineer.
A great sheaf Of white roseB and
pillar of white carnations wound with
a rope of pink roses, expressed the sor-
row of the men in his Office at the loss
of their chief.
The city council sent "gates ajar''
of violets, surrounded by white roses
and surmounted by dove. Pillows,
wreathS, bouquets, a broken wheel-all
kinds of beautiful floral pieces showed
the bereaved wife that her husbands
friends had remembered her loss.
Bid Farewell Forever
Mayor McAleer, the police commits
n 70
fire commission, court Occidental No.
467, I. o. F., Fremont No. 466 W. o.
W., Ramona parlor, Native Sons, and
countless private individuals paid
floral tributes to the memory of their
dead friend and comrade.
At IL o'clock East Gate lodge No.
290, A. F. &c A. M, marched down the
aisle of the chapel, and Grand Master
Thorn began the reading OF the beauti-
full and solemn Masonic burial service
AS he read "The silver cord is loosed
the golden bowl is broken, the wheel is
brokei at the cistern," tears filled the
eyes Of many.
And when at the close of the service
| the order repeated the impressive
words, "the will of God is accom-
! plished. SO let it be- strong men broke
down and wept like children. The wife
had lost a true husband, the lodge a
want, the world a noble man.
Last Fond Look
When the friends were invited to
come forward to take a last look at
the body it was evident that the entire
municipal administration was in
mourning. From the mayor of the city
to the clerks in his office his former
associates turned out to pay their last
Tn hn
SO much in the city's life.
Mayor McAleer walked up the aisle
of the chapel, followed By the entire
city council. The members of the board
of public works, the police and fire
commissioners various other city Off
cials and many prominent private citi-
zens were there to bid a last sad fare
we'll to the man whose life had for
twenty years been so bright an example
of civic probity and virtue.
Ramona parlor, with Herman Lich-
tenberg in charge, attended sixty-fve
strong. The city board of engineers to
the number of eighty-odd turned out.
Body Lies In State
Following the services at the chapel,
pail bearers from Mr.. Stafford's Office
Messrs. Taylor, Osbourn, Johnson.
Knowlton, Tuttle and Parker-bore the
body to the waiting hearse. Escorted
by the Masonic lodge and the Native
Sons, the cortege passed down to Sixth
street, where special cars were board
ed for Santa Ana. Mr.. Stafford's old
home.
When, the train reached Santa Ana
the body was laid in state in the under
taking parlors Of S. w. Smith. Here
Mr.. Stafford's old friends had chance
to bid good-bY to their former towns
man. Gray-haired old people and young
children crowded the rooms to say their
farewells, after which the funeral party
proceeded in buses to the cemetery,
about three miles from the city.
At Rest in the Grave
The services at the grave were ex-
tremely short and simple. The Native
Sons formed a double line from the
road to the grave, between which the
coffin was borne to it's resting place.
Amid a gloomy silence the coffin
was slowly let down into the grave
through the evergreen that fringed its
edge.
When the body had reached the bot
tom, DIR. Stevenson of the First Pres
byterian church. dean of Occidental
college, took charge of the services.
He said: II will read for our lession
those words that have been a source
of unfailing comfort for many years"
and then followed the beautiful e3d
Pslam.
AS the closing words, "And I will
dwell in the house of the Lord forever"
sounded through the assemblage, a
choir consisting of Mr.. and Mrs. Rob-
erts, Mrs. Fife and Mr.. Olney, sang
Lead, Kindly Light"
A brief prayer followed and the SER
vice was ended,