FUNERAL SERVICES.
(From the Deseret News.)
After more than ninety-one years of incessant activity and immeasurable
usefulness upon the earth, the mortal tabernacle of President Wilford
Woodruff was to-day laid to rest in the silent city above the
metropolis that he helped to found and to build. The final offices
associated with the consignment of his remains to the plain and
substantial tomb in which they were deposited were most kindly and
reverently administered. Never was a great and good man more loved by
his people than he, and perhaps a people never exhibited the love and
respect they held for a leader to a greater extent than did the tens of
thousands who attended his obsequies and witnessed the funeral cortege
as it passed through the streets to the cemetery. Bared and bowed heads
were everywhere in the multitude upon the streets. When words were
spoken it was with subdued voices, and all that was said was said with
respect and honor for the departed pioneer, builder, and statesman.
Probably not for years to come will such a spectacle as that which
was presented this morning be again witnessed. Long before 8 o'clock
anxious throngs had congregated in groups around the Temple square,
awaiting the opening of the outer gates that seats might be obtained;
for well was it anticipated that mighty hosts would throng the sacred
precincts of the Tabernacle to pay by their presence the last sad
token of respect to the dead leader in Israel. Therefore the scene was
a remarkable one. Nothing, however, occurred to mar the solemnity of
the great occasion. The hush of expectation was felt by all as they
stood in the shade of the Temple block walls, and all around under
the sheltering trees, and one could not but feel that, with the deep
solemnity prevailing and the tremor of sunshine that some sweetly
solemn thought brought to mind as the moments passed, he was standing
on the verge of the valley of Death. {624} Not, however, with any
feeling of gloom, because of the great bereavement the people felt that
they sustained in the demise of their beloved President, but because of
the joy that emanated from their hearts and beamed from their eyes.
It was more than an hour and a half before the services in the
Tabernacle began. When the doors were opened the great auditorium was
almost filled. The people continued to pour in by every door; nearly
every seat was taken before ten o'clock, except those reserved for the
family of the deceased and the families and friends of the highest
officials of the Church. These, however, were all occupied before the
appointed time for the services to begin.
Outside the building, while the crowds were pressing forward, Marshal
Burton and his aids, mounted on magnificent horses, were busy directing
the movements of the attendant hosts. Without and within, the scene was
the same, and when all who could obtain sitting or standing room in
the great building were at length in position, one could not help but
revert in his mind to similar occasions in the past. Perhaps no similar
scene ever surpassed this of to-day even in the camps of ancient
Israel, or in the gatherings that have been depicted by historic pen
from the days when Greece and Rome paid tribute to their dead. There
was no pageantry or panoply of strange device; no pomp of show or
bombastic sorrow; nothing but united homage and love.
It was just 10 o'clock when the body of President Woodruff was borne
into the confines of the square and thence carried down the north aisle
of the Tabernacle to its central position on the dais before the stand.
As the procession entered, fully ten thousand people with uncovered
heads, rose in respect, as the casket passed along its way, and so
quiet was the rising that it seemed like the gentle rustling of autumn
leaves.
Thousands unable to gain admittance to the Tabernacle thronged and
pressed around the entrances and walls in hope of hearing a word
of sound from the hallowed precincts within, that would touch a
sympathetic chord in their responsive hearts, while thousands more
lingered for hours under the kindly shelter of the numerous trees that
ornament the spacious grounds within the square, that they might, when
opportunity arrived, join in the procession to the grave. {625}
FROM THE HOME.
The scenes around the late home of the venerable President were such
as are usual in the presence of death. The family of the deceased
and the general authorities of the Church were gathered around the
bier, and gentle, loving hands bore the casket to the waiting hearse.
Woodruff Villa was left by the cortege at twenty minutes past nine, and
the procession wended its way from Fifth East to Sixth South, thence
to State Street, thence north to South Temple, thence west to East
Temple, and proceeding round the Temple block reached the north gate
of the square at five minutes past ten. The casket was then borne into
the Tabernacle by six bearers, whose names are as follows: Dr. L. W.
Snow, Dr. M. W. Snow, Wilford S. Woodruff, James Woodruff, Jr., Georges
Scholes, and Wilford Woodruff Beatie. The family of the President
followed immediately behind and then came the general authorities of
the Church, the Twelve Apostles, and others, and the casket was placed
upon the dias in front of the stand where it could be seen by the
assembled thousands, who rose en masse during the proceeding.
CEREMONIES AT THE TABERNACLE.
At 10:35, the Tabernacle being then crowded to its utmost capacity,
Professor Joseph J. Daynes rendered on the organ a march composed
especially for the occasion. Its rendition was the signal for
reverential attention, all seeming to feel to the greatest extent the
utter solemnity of the occasion.
Of the general authorities, there were present on the stand:
Counselors to the late President Wilford Woodruff, George Q. Cannon,
and Joseph F. Smith.
Of the Twelve Apostles: Lorenzo Snow, Franklin D. Richards, Brigham
Young, Francis M. Lyman, John Henry Smith, George Teasdale, Heber J.
Grant, John W. Taylor, Mariner W. Merrill, Anthon H. Lund, Matthias F.
Cowley, and Abraham O. Woodruff.
Presiding Patriarch, John Smith.
Of the First Seven Presidents of Seventies: Seymour B. {626} Young,
Christian D. Fjeldsted, B. H. Roberts, George Reynolds, and J. Golden
Kimball.
The Presiding Bishopric: Wm. B. Preston, Robert T. Burton, and John R.
Winder.
The Presidency of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion.
President George Q. Cannon announced the opening hymn, on page 357 of
the L. D. S. Hymn book, commencing as follows:
"Thou dost not weep, to weep alone;
The broad bereavement seems to fall
Unheeded and unfelt by none;
He was beloved, beloved by all."
The hymn was sung with much pathos and feeling by the Tabernacle choir,
after which Elder F. D. Richards, of the Quorum of the Apostles,
offered prayer. It was a fervent offering, replete with thankfulness to
God the Father for His many blessings unto the Latter-day Saints; for
His having raised up such a faithful and devoted servant as President
Wilford Woodruff, and for the great good that he was enabled to do
while sojourning here upon the earth. Elder Richards invoked the
blessings of God upon the bereaved family and especially upon President
Woodruff's son Owen, who had been called to the holy Apostleship, and
asked that he might be a man of God, like his father, unto the family.
Elder George D. Pyper and the choir sang the hymn:
"O my Father, Thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain Thy presence,
And again behold Thy face?
In Thy holy habitation
Did my spirit once reside,
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near Thy side."
During the musical exercises, the inscription, "Being Dead Yet
Speaketh," was displayed by means of electric lights, the same {627}
appearing just over a life-size likeness of President Woodruff, and
having an excellent effect.
PRESIDENT JOSEPH F. SMITH
was the first speaker. He said in substance: It would be superfluous
for me to attempt to enter into an historical relation of the great
events of the life of our own great President, Wilford Woodruff.
It would also seem unnecessary for me to attempt to eulogize his
character, and labors as a husband, a father, and a servant of God,
because his life was so well known to the people. President Woodruff
was the fourth in succession who has occupied the exalted position
of President, Seer, and Revelator to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints upon the earth. It was my privilege, when a child, to
witness the funeral services over the remains of the first President,
Joseph Smith, and to know him as a child may know a man. He was absent
in England on a mission at the death of President Young, and was unable
to attend the services of John Taylor. But he was glad to be present
on this occasion, and to have the privilege of mingling his words and
tears with those of his brethren over one of the late Presidents,
whose labors had been so blessed to the people of God. He was thankful
for the privilege of associating from his youth to his manhood with
the four Presidents of the Church. He was intimately associated with
Brigham Young, and had the benefit of his wise counsel; and in his
intimate associations with Presidents Taylor and Woodruff, he had
experienced great joy, and had found them to be all that the people of
God held them up to be before the world. Those who thought that these
men had sinister motives and were not actuated by the purest desires,
had been greatly deceived, or exceedingly ignorant. No men with whom he
had been associated had lived purer lives. They had not sought to build
themselves up, but to save souls and to establish truth in the earth.
They had been sincere in their convictions, and in the inspiration they
had received from God. He was a living witness that Joseph Smith had
been raised up to usher in the dispensation of the fulness of times.
President Woodruff had shown his greatness in giving out {628} his
life's labor for the establishment of this testimony in the earth. The
day would soon be passed when infidel tongues would ridicule the claims
of the Church of Christ, and the work of such men as President Woodruff
would soon be established and acknowledged in the world; for he had
exemplified all its truths and principles in his life, manifesting his
faith and knowledge by his works. He had recognized the fact that in
the light of this knowledge his whole trust and duty was to show his
faithfulness to it.
Joseph Smith, the Prophet, was misunderstood by the world, and was not
permitted to live beyond his young manhood, but his name was worthy
of all honor; for he was raised up of God, and was not an imposter, a
deceiver, or deceived. Men might imagine what they would, but there
were many thousands of people who could testify of their own knowledge,
through the testimony of the Holy Ghost, that he was raised up by the
Lord to usher in the glorious coming of the Kingdom of God. This he
did in order that men might be enlightened; for the glory of God is
intelligence, that men and women might be brought to a knowledge of the
truth. This perfect knowledge was to be brought to their souls through
the ministration of the Holy Spirit, which bears record of the things
of God; by which even the ignorant fishermen who followed our Lord,
might know that Jesus is the Christ. Only by this means could such a
knowledge be obtained.
The speaker paid a strong tribute to President George Q. Cannon,
Lorenzo Snow, and Franklin D. Richards, and their faithfulness to the
Presidents who had passed away. Of President Woodruff, he said he did
not think he had any feeling in his heart to injure any man, but he
had labored to do good in the world. No greater work had he done than
in the exemplification, in his life, of all the principles he had
espoused, and in his integrity to his brethren in all conditions. He
was made of the material of which martyrs are made; for he faced death
many times for the sake of his brethren and the cause of Zion, and
never quailed in the face of danger, no matter who of his associates
may have proved themselves traitors.
President Smith hoped that he and all others might follow in all their
lives the path marked out by the deceased President. {629} He prayed
for the blessings of God on the bereaved family, that they might follow
the life work of their great leader, in which case their salvation
would be sure.
A solo and chorus entitled, Beautiful City, was then sung by Sister
Maggie C. Hull and the Temple choir, under the leadership of Professor
C. J. Thomas.
PRESIDENT SNOW SPEAKS.
President Lorenzo Snow then spoke. He said he was very much pleased
and delighted to see such a vast multitude assembled for the purpose
of honoring President Woodruff. He had been acquainted with President
Woodruff sixty-two years, a good portion of the time quite intimately.
All that has been said of him was fully worthy of the life which he had
led. President Snow did not feel as some perhaps felt, that the passing
of one into another sphere of action was a disaster. Such a change
had been decreed from the beginning. There were periods in the lives
of people that were highly important and one was the preparation for
entrance upon this sphere of action. President Woodruff had fulfilled
his calling. His sojourn here upon earth had been as near perfection
as it was possible for mankind to make it so. It was the duty of
every individual to do all he could to rectify the mistakes common
to humanity. All were born subject to error and therefore perfection
could not be expected of the human family. It was possible for mankind
so to order their lives as to gain for themselves an exaltation in
the Kingdom of God, and to be proud of the record made when they were
called into another world. President Woodruff had had such an object in
view from his early manhood. He had become acquainted with the gospel
of Jesus Christ, and sought to live a life such as would entitle him to
all the blessings in store for the faithful. This was a satisfaction
to his family, as he had left behind him an example that would make
of them honored and useful instruments in the hands of God, if they
followed it.
President Snow spoke of the vacancy in the Presidency caused by the
death of President Woodruff. Many people, said he, had been led to
wonder and imagine how the affairs of the Church were to be carried on.
The gospel in its completeness, {630} said the speaker, made provision
for these changes. The work would roll on uninterruptedly as it had
done, succeeding the death of the Prophet Joseph and the death of
President Brigham Young and John Taylor. On the death of the President
of the Church, the responsibility fell upon the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles, and so it would, on this occasion. The Quorum of Apostles,
said President Snow, was never as able to handle such a responsibility
as it was at the present time. It was fully organized, and the brethren
were in perfect union and accord with one another, and faithful and
devoted to the trust reposed in them. Presidents Cannon and Smith
were men of God, full of faith and devotion to the cause, and their
work in rolling on the kingdom would be greatly appreciated and felt.
There was no danger as to the outcome of the work of God. It had been
established for a purpose, and that purpose would be accomplished, and
the Church progress and increase in the earth, no matter how many of
the authorities were called to another sphere.
ELDER FRANKLIN D. RICHARDS
of the Council of the Apostles, followed. So far as one man could
enter into the feelings of another, he felt to adopt as his own the
words of his brethren regarding the greatness and goodness of his late
President. He spoke of the first time he met Wilford Woodruff, and
stated that he was impressed very strongly with the directness and
simplicity of his character, and his prefect guilelessness. He had
been a great exemplar of the work in which he had been engaged, by his
implicit obedience to the dictates of the spirit. This had been one of
the great features of his life. Another had been the keeping of a diary
of his actions and the history of the Church, from his first connection
with it to the day before his death, which would be most valuable as a
compendium of the progress of the work. Elder Richards urged the elders
to follow the example of President Woodruff in this regard. His healing
power had been strongly manifested on many occasions, one striking
instance being related by the speaker.
Although at the death of the three former Presidents not all the
Apostles had been permitted to be present, yet on this occasion, {631}
the speaker was pleased to announce, all the members of the Quorum were
present.
President Woodruff's enemies had been led to become his friends. He had
assisted in the building and dedication of the temples, had established
an honorable family in the earth and had performed great missionary
labors in different parts of the world. He had been a mighty fisher of
men bringing into the Church almost two thousand persons. He and Heber
C. Kimball had established the greatest records, in this respect, in
the Church. The speaker closed expressing the hope that the Saints
would emulate the worthy example of the departed, and that their works
might be as honorable and their end as blessed as his.
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON.
President George Q. Cannon began his remarks by reading a portion
of the 76th section of the Doctrine and Covenants concerning the
resurrection of the just. In standing up to address the Saints, said
he, it was only because he knew he would have the faith and prayers of
those assembled. In the passing away of President Woodruff, a man had
gone from our midst whose character was probably as angelical as that
of any person who had ever lived upon the earth. We shall ever miss
him, said President Cannon. His family will ever miss him, as to them
he was the all in all, an honored and respected husband and father.
In the death of such men, said President Cannon, it was a consolation
to know that they left behind them the keys of the priesthood which
they held, thus permitting the rolling on of the work of God. President
Woodruff was an unassuming man, very unaffected and childlike in his
demeanor. He did no man an injury, nor was he too proud, even in
his Apostolic calling, to toil as other men toiled. His traits and
characteristics were ennobling, and so energetic was he that nothing
was too burdensome for him even in his advanced years.
President Cannon felt that too much could not be said in praise of
President Woodruff. He was of a sweet disposition and possessed a
character so lovely as to draw unto him friends in every walk of life.
He would no more do a wrong than he {632} commit suicide. He was
straightforward in all his dealings with his fellow man, and never
shirked an obligation. He was free, sociable, and amiable in every
respect. No jealousy lurked in his bosom. He looked upon all mankind
as his equals and was one who cherished the most profound respect for
all with whom he associated. He was gentle as a woman and his purity
was like unto that of the angels themselves. In spite of his high and
holy calling, he displayed no dignity, was unpretentious, unassuming,
and his character and life were as transparent as glass. He hid nothing
from his brethren, but was candid, outspoken, and free to all.
President Cannon spoke of a remark made by President Woodruff some
time ago. In his office one morning he remarked. "I'm growing old,"
the statement being occasioned through the greater ability of a
strong, wiry grandson in hoeing potatoes. So industrious was President
Woodruff, that he felt he was growing old because those stronger and
younger could outdo him in cultivating the garden. President Woodruff
labored freely and gratuitously in the ministry. With him it was a
labor of love, his only hope of reward being in the hereafter when he
would be called upon to give an account of his stewardship. For years
he lived on his 20-acre farm and took pleasure in beautifying his
surroundings and wresting from the earth, the elements to sustain life.
He was a great correspondent, and his children and grandchildren loved
to write to him. He kept a complete account of his life's doings, and
even up to the day he was stricken down, his journal told of his work
of the day before.
In the ministry, said President Cannon, President Woodruff had
accomplished a great deal. He had traveled thousands of miles, preached
the gospel to thousands of people, and succeeded in bringing a great
many into the Church. He had left behind him a monument of good that
time could not efface or obliterate. His was a life well spent, fraught
with good deeds, actuated by a noble purpose.
President Cannon referred to the last days of President Woodruff on
the earth. He was pleasant and cheerful to the end. With the speaker
he attended a banquet given by the Bohemian club of San Francisco to
one of its members. At it he was asked {633} to speak and did so. This
was on Saturday, the 27th inst. On Sunday he attended meeting in San
Francisco, and Monday went out riding. Tuesday and Wednesday he spent
writing, and on Thursday the fatal attack came on, which ended in his
death on Friday morning. His end was calm and peaceful. He passed away
as one sleeping.
Referring to the death of President Woodruff away from home, President
Cannon stated that it was his desire to go away. He was so concerned in
the speaker's health that he thought such an outing was necessary. He
himself had been benefitted previously in going to the seacoast, and
it was his desire to accompany President Cannon on this occasion. His
passing away, though quite unexpected, was a gradual sinking into an
eternal sleep.
President Woodruff was a man of God. He had finished the fight and
had been called hence to mingle with his brethren, and to receive his
well-earned reward. He was a heavenly being. It was heaven to be in
his company, and his departure from this sphere of action, robs the
community of a great and good man, and one who fully merited all the
blessings promised to those who remain true and steadfast unto the end.
The speaker had been privileged to witness the departure from earth of
Presidents Young and Taylor. They, too, were righteous men, entitled to
a full bestowal of heavenly blessings.
Concluding, President Cannon invoked the blessings of God upon the
Twelve Apostles and upon all who held responsible positions in the
Church, that their lives might be fraught with good deeds and noble
examples, such as those characterizing the life and labors of President
Wilford Woodruff.
The choir sang President Woodruff's favorite hymn:
"God moves in a mysterious way."
The closing prayer was offered by Elder Brigham Young of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles, and the immense audience dispersed to take up
their places in the order of procession, the congregation marching out
in order to a selection on the organ by Professor J. J. Daynes. {634}
THE FUNERAL CORTEGE STARTS.
The ceremonies in the Tabernacle ended, the great audience filed out
into the street and, diverging in all directions, a vast host, mingling
with those who had lingered outside, sought their carriages and other
conveyances ready to fall into line when the procession to the grave
should be formed. Thousands thronged the streets in anticipation of
witnessing the departure, and yet everything was orderly and all
arrangements skilfully carried out. The marshal of the day, with his
numerous efficient aids, and the detachment of police, rendered signal
service in executing the plans so carefully arranged. Hundreds of
conveyances lined the adjacent streets and were brought up in line in
seemly order, and, in fact, everything attested the prevalent reverence
in which the occasion was held, so that nothing might occur to mar or
delay the marshaling of order out of seeming chaos. The services in the
Tabernacle being finished at 1:30, the formation of the procession was
begun on the west and north sides of Temple square, and at 1:45 p. m.
the order was given to advance on the way to the beloved President's
last resting place. Slowly and impressively the journey to the grave
was begun.
As the procession passed into public view, many an eye became dim with
tears, and a last farewell was breathed from many a life-time friend
and brother pioneer. Thousands stood with uncovered heads as all that
remained of him whose life and work had crystallized into the brightest
gem of immortal setting passed them by, and yet thousands more made up
the cavalcade and retinue which followed at the shrine of death. This
was the order formed and maintained on the way to the grave:
ORDER OF PROCESSION.
1. Marshal of day and aides.
2. Held's band.
3. Harmony glee club.
4. Pall-bearers.
5. Hearse.
6. Flowers.
7. Carriages one to twelve inclusive--family.
{635} 8. Carriages thirteen to eighteen inclusive, General Church
Authorities.
9. Ogden band.
10. Presidents of Stakes and counselors.
11. General organization Relief Societies.
12. Young Ladies' Mutual Improvement associations.
13. Young Men's Mutual Improvement associations.
14. Deseret Sunday School Union.
15. Primary associations.
16. Church Board of Education.
17. Faculty and students of Brigham Young academy and representatives
of different Church colleges and academies.
18. First Regimental band and Utah National Guard.
19. State and city officials.
20. General public.
THE LINE OF MARCH.
The line of march all along South Temple Street was densely packed
with a mass of humanity, as far as M Street, and from there to the
cemetery people were out in hundreds awaiting the approach of the
procession. Thousands of people also accompanied the remains of the
dead Prophet to the place of interment, and it was a spectacle long
to be remembered. "The Dead March in Saul," by Held's band, and other
funeral dirges, were played, while the Ogden and First Regimental bands
discoursed their sweet, sad music all the way. A wave of harmony rolled
down the line from beginning to end, and surely it must have arisen as
sweet incense to the spheres above. Slowly and stately the procession
moved on its solemn way, and when the cemetery was reached a great
concourse of people was already there. The various organizations and
representative bodies disbanded at the gates of the cemetery and the
simple white hearse bearing the remains of the departed leader was
driven to the side of the grave, where it was followed by the private
carriages of the members of the deceased's family and the general
authorities of the Church. At 2:45 p. m. the casket was taken from
the hearse and carried by the pall-bearers to the grave into which it
was consigned while {636} all the people stood with uncovered heads.
Countless flowers in bouquets and designs of exquisite beauty were laid
upon the sward by sorrowing friends, and when all was ready the members
of the President's family and other friends gently laid some floral
tokens upon the departed's bier in last farewell. Then the authorities
of the Church, who had gathered on the northwest corner of the plot of
ground signified that the final ceremonies begin, and the Harmony glee
club sang with exquisite pathos and tenderness, the selection: "Not
Dead but Sleepeth." President Cannon then called upon Apostle F. M.
Lyman to offer the dedicatory prayer.
In opening his invocation Apostle Lyman asked that grace and strength
be vouchsafed to those who were bereaved, to bear up under the burden
of grief their loss had entailed, and asked the blessings of the
Almighty in the duty which had devolved upon him in dedicating the last
resting place of him, who for so many years had been identified with
the work of the Lord in the earth. He prayed that President Woodruff's
life and record might stand as an example to the hosts of Israel
throughout the world, one which they would emulate if possible; and
further asked that the widows and children might be comforted in the
knowledge that their beloved father had gone to a glorious reward. It
was his desire that the Almighty bless the ground where so many had
tender hopes and affection laid away, that it would ever be sacred
and holy to the people. He prayed for the prosperity of the work of
building up Zion in the earth; for the blessings of the Lord to rest
upon the Church and the authorities upon whom its guidance would now
devolve, and in conclusion asked that the dedication might be accepted
of the Almighty in the name of Jesus Christ.
At the close of the prayer, flowers were laid upon the grave by loving
hands, and the vast concourse of people dispersed to their homes and
various pursuits, feeling that this day would be accounted, while time
and memory should last, as one of the most notable in the present
dispensation, and would be hallowed forever.
WHERE THE GRAVE IS.
The place where the body of President Woodruff will rest until the
day the grave shall give up its dead, is situated near the original
entrance at the old stone gate through the antiquated {637} wall that
formed the western boundary of the city cemetery, and is about half way
up on the western side. The seventh cemetery avenue forms the northern
boundary of the plat, which lies about seventy-five yards from the
old stone wall. On the south, is the plat of the late Apostle Erastus
Snow, whose monument, entwined with honeysuckle, towers over the
new-made grave. Over on the hill a stone's throw distant, the granite
shaft that marks the resting place of the late President John Taylor,
points silently toward heaven. Just to the west, across the drive, is
the Noble plat, where rests Lucien Noble, who was born the same year
as President Woodruff, who, too, lived to a great age, dying in 1891.
President Woodruff's grave is in the extreme south-eastern corner of
the plat, and is made alongside of his wife, the late Phoebe Carter
Woodruff. Just across, in the Snow plat on the south, rest the bodies
of two children. The Woodruff plat is simple and plain; a substantial
stone wall raises it above the drive and the closely cut green grass
covers it over. The open grave this morning was dug into the hard soil
of the mountain which was as solid in its formation as the character
of the man whose body it was to contain, only a few planks were placed
to keep the loose earth from falling in, and a plain box of white
wood at the bottom to contain the casket. Nothing about the grave was
intended for ornament or show; all was plain and substantial as the
dead President wished it to be. From the grave where he rests there is
a fine view of the city he helped to found, and the valley stretched
away to the south in its beauty until shut in from the sight by the
September haze. Around him rest those who fought the battle of life
with him, but who laid the burden down, wearied before the load fell
from his own shoulders, and who will welcome him in death as they
honored him in life.
TABERNACLE DECORATIONS.
Promptly at 7:30 a. m., by a prearranged signal with the janitors, a
_News_ reporter was admitted to the Tabernacle to view the work of the
committee on decoration. Silence brooded over the vast auditorium, and
also a spirit of awe, which is the invariable accompaniment of solitude
in the midst of vastness.
"The primeval desert is slumbering. Only on the eastern {638} and
western peaks are seen the signs of awakening day. In the Valley the
shadows are beginning to lift and dissolve. What is it that the eye
beholds? A vast expanse of sun-browned sage and yellow bunch grass. For
a moment, we listen and catch the musical ripples of a stream hidden
beneath an irregular line of willow and squaw bush, extending from the
north of the canyon to the Lake. The sun now breaks over the eastern
range. A breeze is stirring down the canyon. Ah, there is that same,
never-to-be-forgotten perfume of the desert--so full of freshness, so
suggestive of freedom!
"What! the bark of a dog? Surely it is. And now a half-mile distant,
in the shadow of a gnarled and crooked grove of cottonwoods, the eye
catches sight of a dozen campfires, which send curling wreaths into the
morning sky. The sunlight is playing fantastic games with the strands
of smoke as they weave themselves into finer fabrics, and finally
disappear as gauze. Beneath this spreading halo, we get glimpses of
an irregular village of wick-i-ups, smoke-begrimed and tattered, but
otherwise quite in harmony with the scene; as if they were in fact so
many grotesque plants that had sprung out of the native soil.
"Now, from out these rude habitations, through many a rent and
flapping door, the children of the desert are pouring--a curious lot
of black-headed, squatty-figured little women and children. Sublime
picture of blissful indifference! You do not know that this is your
last day of undisputed reign--if your sleepy existence can be called
a reign. Before the sun shall have reached the zenith, he, the great
white Chief, accompanied by that other great man, young and vigorous
then; but since grown old by toil and works of righteousness and today
renewed in youth forever--he the leader whose life among us we shall
soon meet to commemorate."
But the vision fades. The present has come back. There is still the
faint odor of sage-brush and desert flower in the room. The sun has
lost none of his old-time splendor, but his rays pour down, not upon
the primitive herbage of a desert, but through the dome of a building
which might well be taken to epitomize the progress of a jubilee. The
eastern half of the auditorium is sombre and unrelieved by a single
touch of the artist; but the {639} western half is all aglow in
hangings of white and fills the soul with a glory as of a better world.
If the departed leader should be present in spirit at his own funeral,
according to his own wish, these are some things he would see.
The most prominent object is his own portrait, life-size, as painted by
the well known home artist, Mr. Will Clawson. It is a striking likeness
of President Woodruff at the full vigor of his manhood. It is placed in
front of the great organ against a background of the Stars and Stripes.
Above the picture, in brilliant electric light, is the legend:
"BEING DEAD YET SPEAKETH."
The front of the organ is so draped as to represent two golden columns,
one on each side, surmounted by domes, and joined by a festoon of white
cashmere, the folds of which fall down on each side of the organ in
graceful curves. Below the portrait is a semicircle of white drapery,
forming a frame for the centre piece, which is no less symbolic than
beautiful.
"We desired," said Bishop Winder, chairman of the decoration committee,
"to get up something unique to distinguish President Woodruff's
life--something not used before."
The committee has certainly succeeded. On each corner of the organ
stand out in bold figures the date, 1847.
Immediately above are large bunches of sage-brush intermingled with
sun-flowers. Further up are the tops of the rugged pine, while below,
between the dates, and representing the expanse of valley, are the
yellow tops of furze and rabbit-brush. Nothing could give a more
realistic idea of Utah as the dead Pioneer found it.
On the right and left of the picture are sheaves of wheat and oats,
symbolic both of what Utah is to-day, and of the ripe age of our
departed President. But that which is most touching is a bank of
flowers all around President Woodruff's feet, which, whether it be
taken to symbolize the love of his people, or the new home to which
he has gone, is equally effective. When the electric display shall
enhance the beauty and harmony of this centerpiece {640} it will make
an impression on the audience never to be forgotten.
The stand next attracts attention. All the seats are draped in
white; the pulpits, one above another, are gracefully festooned in
cream cashmere and white ribbon. The posts at each end, also in
white drapery, are each surmounted by a magnificent bouquet. The
semi-circular railing on each side the stand has a background of white
crape against which, at regular intervals, are folds of cream cashmere,
tied by silk cord and tassels below, and fastened above with sprays of
oak containing acorns, and with evergreens and sunflowers. A similar
method of decoration is followed with the balustrade which crosses the
auditorium. The impression of the whole is that of a mighty pair of
white wings about to hover over the audience.
The casket and floral decorations come last, but by no means least into
consideration. Below the stand on a table slanting east and west, are
the last remains of the late beloved leader. The coffin in literally
embossed in a tapestry of flowers bearing these words:
"IN LOVING REMEMBRANCE
BY THE CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN OF
PHOEBE CARTER WOODRUFF AND
MARY JACKSON WOODRUFF."
On the top of the casket is a bank of carnations, roses and lilies, on
which the single word "Father" appears, while at the head is a crown of
flowers, the gift of the Relief societies, and at the foot a gigantic
fern palm leaf covered with magnificent cut roses, the gift of F.
Auerbach and Co. A sheaf of ripened barley is also on the casket, and
festoons of smilax unite the whole.
On each side of the casket is a floral column inscribed, "In loving
remembrance of the President of Z. C. M. I." Near by is a large circle
of cut roses and others flowers, bearing the motto on its face, "The
glory of God is intelligence." The circle symbolizes eternity, and
a band or bridge crossing it and evidently intended to symbolize
time, bear the inscription "Y. M. M. I. A." A large harp of flowers,
significant of the divine harmony of President Woodruff's life, is the
gift of the Tabernacle choir.
{641} Other gifts of flowers are a basket of asters and cut roses by
the Primary association, a basket of flowers by the City Council, a
harp by A. C. Brixen, a wreath by Annie Hoglund, an anchor by Mr. and
Mrs. John Beck, beautiful floral designs by Mrs. M. M. Barratt, and
also by Mr. and Mrs. James C. McDonald, an unusually beautiful bouquet
of golden-banded lilies of Japan and cut roses by R. C. Evans, besides
many offerings without names.
The effect of the whole is that of simplicity and purity, the
distinguished traits of the departed President. While the committee on
decoration deserve great praise for the planning of the whole, F. G. F.
Huefner and his assistants, Sisters Sarah A. Gill, and Lizzie Ashton,
who executed the plans, are not to be forgotten.
{642}