The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-10
WATTS
THROUGH
NIGHT
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hats came off and their eyes grew
moist. She 10 alone, and battling
bravely against q supreme bereave
ment. He is resting from life's
labors. NJ ~
All the forenoon It was the sam,
Mght-a seemingly endless stream
Of friends and neighbors. It wal
the same last night. Twenty thou
by when the heavy lid of the cas-
ket was lowered at midnight. There
were apparently just as many more
waiting today.
Crowds StiIl Arriving.
The population Of Marion is but
thirty thousand. but the line Of
mourning people today came from
many places. Some Of them mo
tored all night from distant points
throughout Ohio. Others came or
the two score special trains that
puffed in and out of Marion dur
ing the morning. Still others
walked, and bore the evidences OF
country roads on their shoes. Few
men. none perhaps. had o wider
acquaintance in Ohio than the man
who lay dead In the casket. He
had served his State many years
before he served his nation.
It was a strange, sad day n
Marion, and a curious one. Since
that long-remembered day IN Chi
cago when word flashed to Marion
that one of its citizens had been
nominated to the highest place
within the gift of the people, Mar
ion has entertained many crowds
but never one like this.
In other years, it was bolster
Gus. confident crowds that came to
Marion. with bands and speeches,
to find the town astream with n9gs
and bunting undimmed by any fu-
neral or solemn note. They came
for speeches, for play, for politics.
But today there was no noise. nc
thousands, and the flags that
everywhere flew were at half mast
their brightness dimmed by the
heavy black that denotes the dead
There were the same pictures in
the windows that were there three
years ago, but today the frames
were Of heavy black and beneath
the smiling face were the signifi'
cant numerals. ''1s65-1923."
A Strange, Saddened Town.
The hotels were crowded as oi
old, with high hats and frock coats
but the speeches have sunk to whis
perings, and over all there is that
silent air Of constraint that be.
tokens a funeral.
The sun that struggled UP through
Q mass of gray, low hanging clouds
in the east looked upon a strange
and saddened Marion. On the
lawns about the home Of DR.. George
I. Harding slept scores Of soldiers
They rolled in their blankets and
slept on the grass. Quiet Center
street had become, over night, the
bivouac Of hundreds of sleeping
men sent to Marion by the State
authorities in Columbus to make
certain that the thousands who
came to Marion today were kept
orderly and In their proper place.
On the whole, the job Of the sol.
diers was a light one, for in those
thousands OF visitors today there
appeared to be nothing but silent
reverence for the man who slept so
peacefully in the little room at his
fathers house.
They obeyed quietly and without
questioning the low-Voiced COM
mands Of the sentries who patrolled
the streets, directing traffic, bearing
messages, and carrying on the ina,
mense amount Of detail work Incl
dent to the burial of a President of
the United States. necessary even
though he is being buried as q
private citizen.
1t was into this strange and I'M
real atmosphere today that the Gov
eminent Of the United States came
from Washington to Marion-in the
person Of the new President. Calvin
Coolidge. members of the Senate and
House, and Federal dignitaries of all
kinds. Members of the Cabinet
were already here. They came, grave
faced and sorrowful, on the train
that brought the remains and the
widow.
Interested In Coolidge.
Heretofore, Marion had not given
much thought to Calvin Coolidge.
He was here in 1920; he was seen
not infrequently around the famous
front porch on Mt. Vernon avenue,
but the eyes of Marionites and the
visiting thousands at that time were
all on the great figure of the man
who slept in the casket today.
Now by the within OF destiny he
mas risen to the heights so lately oc-
cupied by Marion's well.loved son.
ana Marion was interested today,