Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-08-06
TRIBUTES ALONG ROUTE

On Board Funeral Train. Laramie,
Wyo., Aug Shy A. P)-The fu-
neral train Of President Harding ar
rived here at 11.35 o'clock today,
stopped few minutes and then con-
tinued eastward. Mrs. Harding still
was bearing up well.
The second days run of the special
train bearing the body of Warren G.
Harding from San Francisco to the
nations capitol for the formal SER
vices there Wednesday was little diff
ferent from that of the first, from the
Golden Gate through California, Ne
vada and Utah. Only the scenery
had changed.
The silent groups along he rail-
road, gathered to pay final tribute to
the dead chief and to extend SYM
pathy to his bereaved widow, ap-
pcared everywhere in the same rev.
erance and attitude. The same silence
was maintained by those on the
train. The same fortitude and cour-
age marked the passing of the day
for the bravely calm woman in the
same coach with the coffin. The
Sunday was the same as the Satur-
day. 1t could not have been more
solemn. Nothing could take away
the grief which filed the hearts of
each member of the party on the
train. Nothing was or could have
been done to change their thoughts.
1t was during the day announced
that the route to be followed from
.. Washington to Marion after the state
funeral in the capitol rotunda We'd
ncsday would be by way Of Baiti-
more; York, Pa: Harrisburg, Johns
town. Pittsburg and Mansfield. O..
Once in Marion. the known desire of
the late President for simple funeral
and burial services will be strictly
adhered to. This desire was often
expressed by Mr.. Harding to his wife
and Brigadier General Sawyer. one Of
his closest friends on several Occas-
ions since he entered the White
House.
Mrs. Harding feels that the
Washington services must lie held in
recognition Of the fact that her hus-
band was President of the United
States and for that reason she now
is compelled to discharge the claims
,, the nation has asserted so 1t can pay
tribute there in a formal way. From
the time those formalities are ended,
however, Mrs. Harding will claim
the dead as her own and has dccreed
the simple service and burial both
without pomp or display. Likewise
she ha4 asked that the body be ac-
companied to Marion only by those
with whom he spent the last day of
his life. Others who will make the
trip from Washington to Marion
will travel on special trains of their
own.
The services Wednesday will be
conducted in the same way as those
which were held for President Nc
Kinley. This, too, is the wish of Mrs.
Harding and was decided upon in
San Francisco after a conference of
the cabinet officers who were present
at that time and Elmer Dover, for
mer assistant secretary of the
treasury. Mr. Dover had charge of
the program followed in the Wash
ington services when Mr.. Mckinley
Law in state in the Capitol rotunda
before the trip to Canton, Ohio. was
made. Al that time Mr.. Dover was
secretary of the Republican Ma
tional Committee, Messages inform
ing the Washington officials of the
desire of Mrs. Harding to follow
this plan have been sent from the
funeral train.
The funeral tI0in arrived in
Laramie a little AFTER eieVen cloCA'
paused few minutes and then hur-
ricd onward. During the night and
morning it had travelled over the
same tracks as il had only little
more than a month ago as "Presi-
dent Hariings Special Train"
All during the night at the little
stations between here and Ogden
stood groups of mourning people IN
the darkness. Large groups had
gathered and stood uncovered and
silent at Evanston where the train
paused at 10 A. NJ. at Green River
al "a and at Rawlings ct SIG A. NJ.