Evening journal., 1911-07-01
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
hn Incident Of the Garfield
Funeral
By @HoIIand..


President Garfield died on the night
of the nineteenth Of September. 1881,
in the Elberon cottage at Long Branch,
from whose windows he had looked
yearnlngiy out upon the sea for sew
erai days. Within ten minutes after
the death Of the President a telegram
was sent to the vice president. Cen
eral Arthur, who at that time was a
guest at q summer hotel on the shores
OF Long Island, near Babylon At mid
night the president took the oath
OF President, and the first communi-
cation he sent TO Gariield's cabinet at
Long Branch after taking the oath
asked for information respecting ar
rangements for the funeral, which, Of
course the new President would at
tend
On the morning Of the following day
] WAS told by a member of General
Garfeld's cabinet that arrangements
had been made to hold the funeral the
next day and that General Grant, who
was in New York. would come down
by train from New York with Presi-
dent Arthur and be met at the Elberon
station by a carriage containing
II suppose that the Secretary Of
State. Mr.. Blaine, will be the member
Of the cabinet to meet President Ar
thur and ex-President Grant" / said
| observed a queer expression come
upon the countenance Of the cabinet
member
Yes" he said, speaking slowly,
that Will be Blaines part. But II 1t
had been possible for him to avoid IL
some one else would meet General
Arthur and the ex-President.
When / expressed my surprise al
this statement / was told.
You may not know n, but It is a
fact that Blaine and Grant have not
met for years, have exchanged no
communication and are perfect strang-
ers 70 each other so far as any inter
course Is concerned. AS Secretary of
State, however, It is Blaine's duty at
this time to meet the present chief
executive and the ex-President"
When the train bearing President
Arthur and General Grant arrived at
the Elberon station Blaine greeted the
President with official politeness, but
not for an instant did he turn his eyes
toward General Grant President Ar
thur and eX-President Grant were seat
ed upon the rear seat Of the carriage
awaiting them, General Grant on
Arthur's left hand Then Mr.. Blaine
entered the carriage and took the seat
facing them.
President Arthur said few words
10 Mr. Blaine and then conversation
completely ceased Neither Grant nor
Blaine seemed at all embarrassed
Those who saw them driving from the
station 10 the Garfield cottage were
impressed by the grave solemnity of
their manner, and presumed that the
silence which characterized them was
due to the seriousness of the occasion
Yet just before the carriage reached
the house OF mourning General Ar
thur and General Grant held a brief
conversation. Blaine looking steadily
away over the heads of each Of those
distinguished men.
Arrived at the cottage, Blaine took
General Arthur. who was his official
chief by the arm General Grant fol- |
lowed unostentatiously. and Of all the |
large gathering in Long Branch to at !
tend the Garfield funeral none, except |
ing the members Of General Garfeld's |
cabinet. knew that the Secretary of |
State and the ex-President absolutely |
ignored each other, having no inter
course of any kind. before. during or
after the funeral. And not until this |
publication has any one not a mem
ber of Garfeld's cabinet known this |
fact, excepting two or three of the |
friends of cabinet members, to whom |
it was confdentially told at the time of
the funeral.
Copyright, 1911. by r. J. Edwards. All |
rights reserved.)
On Monday Mr.. Edwards will tell Of |
"One Woman That Great Wealth Did
Not Spoil"
Ice Cream for the Fourth, Coxe's,