Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-05-21
FRANKLIN LANES ASHES TO
BE SCATTERED TO WINDS

Franklin K. Lane, former secretary
of the interior, who died in Roches-
ter, Mimi, yesterday was cremated
here today and the ashes will be
taken to the top of Ell Captain peak,
in the Yosemite Valley, CAL, and scat
tered to the winds, in compliance
with a request made by Mr.. Lane,
prior to his death.
Relatives of Mr.. Lane explained
the unusual request by saying that
he had spent much Of his life in
the Yosemite region and had grown
to love i: so much that he wished
his ashes to be taken there when he
died.
The body arrived here this morn
ing from Rochester and was 1mme-
diately taken to Graceland cemetery
for cremation. There were no fu-
neral services-another request OF
Mr.. Lane's-and only the immediate
family attended the cremation. the
ashes will be taken west immaculate
ly, it was said.
To some of the former secretary's
most intimate friends in Washing
ton there had come before his death
a remarkable message dictated by
him in the hospital at Rochester,
Mimi, after the operation Whlch
preceded his death by only few
days. The message showed that the
former secretary had undergone the
operation with full consciousness
and acceptance of the TACT that ne
might not survive. 1t told IN oe-
tail of his sensations before, during
and after the operation, of which he
was fully c-nscious as the CONDITION
of his heart would not permit the
use of a general anesthetic. The
message follows in part:
Text of Letter
1T is Wedn' day afternoon and L
am 4. sit ng up in bed taking TO
my good friend Cotter. Until yes
terday I did not clearly visualize
any one thing in this room and dlo
not k that it had a window ex-
cept that there was place that
noise came through but 1 did know
that it had yellow oak door that
stared at me with its great bis
eye all day and al night. Last Fri
day, you see about ten in the morn,
ing, I took the step that should
have taken months, yes, years ago:
!. Today. most tentatively, l
crawled into chair and ate my first
mouthful of food. But four days ago
7 managed to shave myself and am
regarded as pretty spry.
az have seen death to come to
men in various ways, some rather
novel and western. I once saw
man hanged. And have seen sew
eral men shot, and came very near
going out that way myself two or
three times, but always the other
fellow aimed poorly. I was being
shot at because 1 was newspaper
man, and I should have be- shot at.
There must be public concern in
what is printed, as well as its truth,
to justify it. That is something
that newspapers Sho4 4tdr get ct TO e anfw
quake in San Francisco I saw walls
toppled out upon man. And 1
have had more intimate glimpses
still of the picturesque and prostrat-
ic ways by which men come to thelf
taking off.
BUT never before have been
called upor to deliberately walk into
the valley of the shadow, and say
what you will, it is a great act. Il
endless examination. that man
with little curiosity and little hui
NOR and a little money, who was
not in too great a pain, could en-.
Joy himself studying the ways OF
doctors and nurses as he Journeyeo
made a flowery path for me, as
much as any path could be in which
a man suffered more humlllat non
Illustration, on the whole. than he
But there was a path, the end
Of which I could not see. was
not compelled to take it. Ny very
latest doctor advised me against tax
Ing it. could live s some b bime ON wl the
high card with a chance to WIN
and L took it,"
At this point occur details regard
ing the preparations for the opera
ton, with a note of the fact that
general anaesthetic could not be
applied on account Of the patients
heart (which had been cutting up
some didoes." The statement con-
tinues:
For two days I had had knowl-
take place at this time and my
nerves had o not b been Just lust as 1909 gooe
men who sleep twelve hours per-
fectly before being electrocuted have
evidently led more tranquil lives
than 1 have, or have less concern
as to the future. All, now l was
to know the great secret. For 40
years, 1 had been wondering, Won
dering Often I had said to myself
that should summon to my mind
when this moment came, some words
of my philosophy. Socrates said to
those who stood by after he had
drunk the hernlock, no evil can be-
fall good man, whether he be
Rl1Ve or Qeau. QOn KNOW now ldr
from that we have gone III these
2,400 years.
The apothegm, however, was not
opposite to me, because it involved a
declaration that I was a good man.
and L don't know anyone who has
the right to so appreciate himself
And L had come to the conclusion
that perhaps the best statement my
creed could be fitted into the words
Il accept which to me meant that
If in the law of nature my indi-
vidual spirit was to go back into
the great spirit of oceans, my one
duty was to conform. Lead kindly