Evening star., 1923-08-05
Misty-Eyed Thousands Meeting
Train Speeding Eastward
Crieve for Mrs. Harding.
EXECUTIVES WIDOW BRAVELY
FACES SORROW; CONDITION GOOD
Funeral Cortege Runs Slowly Through
Towns Where Crowds Wait to
Pay Last Tribute.

By the Associated Press.
TRAIN AT ELKO. New, August A.
The pioneers of the west paid their
respects today to the memory of War
rem G. Harding.
AS the funeral train bearing the
body Of tho late President crossed
the broad state of Nevada, hurrying
on to Washington. men. women and
children stood by the railway side
with heads uncovered, hearts aching
and often with misty eyes.
President Harding had had the
pioneer much in mind during his Ill
destined trip. He had visited their
settlements in southern Utah, he had
celebrated their achievements in
Meachham. Ore. and he had visited
what he liked to call "the nations
last frontier in Alaska. Today was
the pioneers opportunity to show ap-
probation and love for the dead
leader. and they did.
Many Floral Tributes
Not alone did these pioneers stand
silent and uncovered, but they
placed bouquets and wreaths aboard
the train in order that there might
always be fresh blossoms in the death
chamber Of the last car.
The hearts of these sun-bronzed
men. women and children not only
ached because of the death of their
chief, but they beat in sympathy fer
Mrs. Harding. 1t can be said without
fear of contradiction that no living
woman Is more popular in the west
than Florence Harding, and the heart
of the west went out to her in her
bereavement. Throughout the day
she continued to bear up bravely
under her great sorrow.
The funeral train is in every sense,
in all that the name implies.
silent, deadly so. The atmosphere of
happiness and comradeship that filled
its coaches on the trip west is gone.
strangely missing in the conduct of
those who are making the journey
home. Only the newspaper men astir
and the typewriter keys clicking
news of the train break the complete
silence prevailing.
Tears UnconceaIed.
Every two hours a detail of four
men. representing the Army. Navy
and Marine Corps, pass through the
coaches from their car ahead to re-
lieve as many of their comrades on
death watch in the car where the
coffin rests. The curtains there are
raised high at the windows. Persons
who gathered at every point of to-
days run through eastern California,
Nevada, and tonight in western Utah.
saw a picture through the windows
of the rear car, the first glimpse of
which caused many of them to turn
away. and others to bring forth their
handkerchiefs, not to wave in hearty
greetings, as was done everywhere
on the western tour. but to wipe
away tears which could not be sup
pressed or concealed.
Never was there a higher tribute
paid to any of the nations dead than
was given by these men, women and
children of the states traversed to-
day who collected along the railroad
route from each desert settlement,
ranchhouse, town and city near by.
The comparison most frequently made
by passengers on the train who had
been with Mr.. Harding from WASH
ington throughout his journey was
with the scene in Washington when
the unknown soldier was laid at rest
in Arlington national cemetery on
Armistice day of 1921.
The body of the nations dead leader
passed through the country much as
the funeral procession of the un-
known soldier passed through the
streets of Washington from the
Capitol to Arlington. The people who
saw the train today were as deeply
moved as those who witnessed the
procession in Washington. They
were moved by the same feeling of
devotion and into the same silence.