Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-21
FUNERAL
DRAWS THOUSANDS
Noted and Humble Join in
Last Rites for Great
Inventor.
B. the Associate ] Press.

B. the Associate Press.
WEST ORANGE, N. j., october 21.-
Thomas A. Edison's family and his
friends-among whom were numbered
two gray-haired citizens of the Middle
West, almost as widely known as he
himself in this age of mechanical wiz
ardry-g gathered today in his roomy,
old-fashioned home in Llewellyn Park
to lid him godspeed on his last long
journey.
His body was removed early this
morning from his workroom, in little
one-story building just off the main
street. where it had been viewed by
thousands as it lay in state Monday
and Tuesday, to the seclusicn of his
16-acre estate, Glenmont.
AS far as possible, the brief and
unostcntious funeral schedule was kept
private. Mounted police patrolled the
borders of the estate, and admission
was by card only. But even so, those
who gathered there today numbered
more than 400 1t was said the house
had been equipped with amplifiers so
that all could hear.
Old Friends Present.
Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone
both had arrived from the West Presi
dent Hoover had planned to come him
self, but was unable to leave Wash
ington. and Mrs Hoover arranged to
represent him. arriving just before the
funeral at 2:30 pm.
BY midforenoon a stream of cars,
bringing relatives and friends of the
,x,Nx,
the estate Today was a perfect In
The trees in Llewellyn Park were color
tut in Autumn foliage.
twenty-five thousand persons passed
by the bronze casket in the half-light
of the laboratory yesterday. Other
thousands had preceded them Monday.
Mr.. Firestone, come with Mr.. Ford
to say a last "good-by' to their friend
and crony. was among those who stood
for a misty-eyed moment before the
bier.
Mr.. Ford did not enter the room in
which the body of the inventor lay.
He wanted no sight of death. he said,
to cloud the memory of his last sight
of his friend--there in the library,
fe ~ feet away.
Nation Pays Tribute.
There was nationwide response to the
suggestion by President Hoover in a
statement yesterday, that all electric
lights be turned off for one minute at
10 o'clock Eastern standard time to-
night-crystallizin the attention of
100000 people upon the vital part
in their lives of a single Edison inven-
ton.
The honor guard maintained by Edi
son employees at the inventors bier was
replaced last night by details from the
Army. Marine Corps, the National
Guard, and the Navy. Prayers were
offered three times yesterday by the
Rev. Arthur H Brown of the Methodist
Church of Orange, at Mrs. Edison's
request.
Aide Breaks Down.
One deeply affected by the passing
of the inventor was William H. Mea-
0OWcroft, 10 years old, who was personal
secretary to Mr.. Edison for more than
half century. He broke down as he
stood by the body of his longtime en-
ployer yesterday and had to be helped
from the room.
He was the greatest man of all time"
he said.
MeadoWcroft, who has himself been
seriously i'll, was to attend the Edison
funcra! this afternoon and later the
funeral OF an Edison pioneer. John Off,
Otis death occurred Sunday when he
heard that Mr. Edison had died few
hours before.