Evening star., 1918-05-26
MRS. SELFR|DGE BURIED
MID BLOOMS SHE LOVED
Magnificent Floral Offerings at
Former Chicago woman's Flu.
neral-Ardent War Worker.
BY EDWARD PRICE BELL.
of The Sunday Star
and Chicago Daily News.

LONDON. May 16.-Mrs. Harry Cor
don Selfridge was buried yesterday
afternoon in the beautiful old world
dred yards away from the castle
where she died last Sunday. She was
laid at rest under the sunniest of
English maytime skies amid the
AROMA o: blossoming trees and fra
grant foliage. of which she was so
passionately fond. Having died in
the service of American soldiers. for
camp adjacent to the castle. they So
licited the privilege of carrying her
to the grave. Eight of them acted
as pallbearers and two others car
ried a splendid cushion of blooms
representing the Stars and Stripes.
to which were attached red. white
and blue streamers. one each for the
twenty-four men in the camp
England Is glorious with floral
beauty just now. and Mrs. Selfridge's
funeral was made lovely beyond
words by the wealth of flowers sent
by her legion of friends and ad-
mirers. Many of the wreaths bore
the cards of Chicagoans. who had or
dered them by cable.
Enormous Pail Of Roses.
Perhaps the most beautiful tribute
of all was an enormous pail of
thousand red roses from the woman
members of the staff in the Selfridge
store. The roses were sewn to
silk sheet by the women themselves.
and 1t draped the coffin SO completely
that the effect was that of giant
bed of American beauties set bud
upon bud. There was also hand
some wreath of orchids from the
Selfridge staff. toward which all had
contributed without distinction. from
the youngest cash boy to the general
manager, the uniform sum OF cents.
Mrs. Selfridge was personally
known and beloved by every one OF
her husbands 1000 employees. and
in their welfare. The remains were
borne from the castle a few. minutes
before 4 o'clock. In the coach i'm
mediately behind the coffin rode
Nine. Selfridge. the aged mother Of
Harry G. Selfridge. and his three
Were headed by Mr.. Selfridge and his
son. who is stationed at the Ameri-
can auartermaster's headquarters in
London.
Victim of War Work.
"She sacrificed herself in the great
war; is the comment one hears every
where on the death of that most low
able and helpful member OF the
American community in London. Mrs.
Harry Gordon Selfridge. who died at
Highcliffe castle, near Bournemouth.
Sunday evening. after brief illness
from acute pneumonia. contracted
while attending a concert at camp.
Ever since she came to England. ten
or a dozen years ago, Mrs. Selfridge's
intellectual and social gifts have en-
deared hev to a widening circle of
British and American friends.
Even before the war she had dis
tinguished herself as a woman, brill
liant in initiative and untfring in
work in matters Of public welfare.
Since the outbreak of Armageddon
she and her charming daughters have
applied their talents to war work
with an energy impossible to surpass.
Mrs. Selfridge's private hospital at
Highcliffe castle is known throughout
the country. 1t was her hospital abb
solutely She paid for everything
doctors nur>es, medical and hospital
supplies and food. She also gave her
sympathetic personal supervision to
everything. There were thirty pa
tients regularly in this hospital. main
ly American soldiers. 1t would be
impossible to imagine resort for
wounded men more healthful, COM
Portable or beautiful.