Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1922-10-12
Ten thousand Attend
The Watson Funeral
Beneath a Clear Sky and Blazing
Sun Body Is Consigned To Its
. Native Soil - -.
MANY SAD, TOUCHING SCENES
Funeral Cortege Passes Through Liv-
ing Lanes of Sorrowing People. All
Business Halted and Throngs From
Every Walk of Life Pay Tribute.

THOMSON, Ga.,-Beneath a clear
sky and blazing sun the body of Unit
ed States Senator Thomas E Watson
came home today and was laid to
rest in the soil of McDuffie County as
thousands of countrymen from Geor-
gas backwoods united with prominent
leaders in the official and business
worlds in paying a last tribute to his
memory.
Brief and simple were the funeral
services at Hickory Hill', the Watson
home, but every honor within the
province of the town was paid the
departed senator. Rev. E. J. Forester
of Sparta, formerly pastor of the
Thomson Baptist Church and a close
friend of the lac senator, officiated.
He was assisted by Rev. J. T. Fakes
of the Thomson Methodist church.
Several thousand people were at the
station when the congressional escort
train, comprising two private cars
reached Thomson. The car in which
the Georgian's body lay was the one
used by the president and ex-presi-
dent of the United States.
The tremendous gathering, 10000 Or
more that awaited the return of Nc
DUTIES most illustrious son testified
more emphatically than any other
possible demonstration, the love and
esteem in which he was held not only
by those who claimed his personal
friendship and espoused devotedly the
principles for which he stood, but also
by those whom political events ar
rayed against him. Thomson was the
mecca of those who followed the
senator thruout his stormy career.
Roads from every direction were taken
up with one-way traffic one of the
greatest known in McDuffie County,
and after the body had been removed
to the Georgian's palatial home thor
oughfares leading there were lined up
with automobiles, mile in length.
Not all came in automobiles. There
ere vehicles of all description, horse
draw and oxen some walked, being
unable to travel otherwise. People
were present from every section of
Georgia, many from neighboring states
and some from across the Mason
Dixon line
Superb Floral Offerings
Floral offerings, the like of which
has seldom been seen, transformed
his bier into a bower of beauty. Lit
orally hundreds of wreaths, emblems
and bouquets of beautiful blossoms
came from men and women in all
walks of life. His colleagues in the
national Legislative halls sent wonder
full floral tributes, while state officials
and men in other places of authority
rendered this, their last token of love
and esteem. From the humblest of his
followers came the offering of bios
SONS to adorn the bier of the chief
tain whom they loved and revered.
1t is most remarkable and impress
sive demonstration of Mr.. Watson's
hold upon the hearts of the people.
In sharp contrast to the marvellous
beauty of President Hardings floral
tribute some brought wild flowers,
picked by the wayside. But behind
their meager offerings was an esteem
second only to idolatry. Had they
been able to command thousands the
i sentiment could not have been greater.
Hundreds Shed Tears
| Horny-handed sons of toll. men who
had known the Georgia statesman on
ly as Tom Watson for whom they
cast their first and every ballot, dur
ing his political career, were in large
representation on their faces was a
look of bitter detection. They wept at
the station when the escort first ar
rived! at Hickory Hill they shed
profuse tears when his face was seen
"a face remarkably like its natural
self, but more composed than when
in action in the numerous parliament
tary wrangles of the senate) the grave
scene provoked a. repetition of senti-
mcnt. And even after most of the
throng had disappeared there assem-
bled in scattering groups, admirers
who were moved easily to tears at
some intimate reflection or observa-
ton among them.
Examples of Esteem
An example OF esteem in which the
Georgian was held by individuals oc-
cured on the congressional special at
3 o'clock early Thursday morning,
When the train changed engines at
Florence, S. C., District Passenger
Agent, Howard G. Rambo of Wash
ington, who was the Atlantic Coast
Lines personal escort on the trip,
brought back to the funeral car engi-
neer Ray, staunch follower of the
senator for Syears. He had driven the
train from Rockmount, N. c. to that
station, and had made many similar
trips with the Georgia passenger, he
said. At the sight of the dead chief
tain, the engineer, clad in his worn
working clothes, broke into tears.
Many scenes of pathos were found