Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1921-04-03
X
Pay Tribute to
John Burroughs
Men of National Prominence
Mingle With Boy Scouts
At Funeral of Noted
s Naturalist.

Westparh, n. Y., April lin a
rustic house, the retreat OF John
Burrougs for nearly half century,
$50 representatives of the thou
sands OF nature lovers who admired
his outdoor life and writings gath
cred today 1t his funeral. The cere-
monies were short. of great SIM
plicity and reminiscent OF the career
which the great naturalist pursued
among the hills and streams and
flowers or beside his rugged stone
hearth, with volumes of Emerson,
Whittier and Wordsworth.
BY train and by automobile the
little groups arrived throughout the
fcreiioon at Riverby, the naturalist's
home, situated among the pines and
naples where the Shawangunk
mountains meet the waters of the
Hudson.
Scientists and manufacturers OF
wide prominence mingled III sorrow
with Boy Scouts and the neighbor-
hood children. Publishers and hor-
ticulturists bowed with, religious
men from the Holy Cross mon
astery. The mouners came from
among the rocks and rills OF n
England, the banks of the Poto-
mac, the shores of Lake Michigan.
the SHOWS of Canada, the great
buildings of New York, to look for
the last time on the patriarchal couu
tcnance of the venerable naturalist.
Childhood Chum Prcser-.
Amor g them were Thomas A. Ed
ison Henry Ford and Harvey s.
:tircstor e, who, for sc-c:ai ve,,s
have spent their vacations outdoors
with hir. Burroughs Next 70 Mr..
Edison stood an aged and gray
haired man who had pedalled his
bicycle from Binghampton, more
than 800 miles away, to witness
the final ceremony. This man was
I. 1. Branhall, an acquaintance OF
the naturalist since childhood
The sun was shining brilliantly
and the pines at Riverby murmured
sadly in the breezes from the Cat
skills when the funeral service be-
gan. From muffled phonograph
came the soft violin strains of Pin
suits Remembrance" The Lords
prayer was said and then slowly a
reader spoke some lines written by
Earl w. Williams, which Mr.. Bus
roughs felt characteristic of his own
self. ---.-
The forest mods in fellowship"
they read, "the winds, my playmates
the; the waters lisp the sign CT
brotherhood. and in the thunders
voice, | hear a tongue which is not
wholly strange. The stars are kind
ly counsellors to me; | claim kin
skip with the worm that crawl, and
with the clay wherein the simple
tale of its dim life is written"
Old Friend Leads Prayer.
Rev. F. D. Elmer. pastor of the
Collegiate Baptist church at Col
gate university, likewise an old
friend, led the prayers and made =
few remarks.
"There are here to pay him
tribute" he said, those who have
come FROM the woodland and the
field. the shop and school. the church
and Offices of state. the mart and the
oceans shore. This man, 0 Lord,
has taught us the beauty Of your
creations, of the rivers, the sky, the
valley, birds and beasts"
When he had finished the soft
flute and violin notes OF cradle
song were heard, Then the mourners
fled by the bier for last look at
Mr.. Burroughs. Some picked wild
violcts fro mthe coffin to keep as a
remembrance. There were MANY
floral offerings. but they were wild
flowers. gathered from the fields and
hilisidcs