Ohio History Journal

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116 Ohio Arch

116      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

 

TRIBUTE OF THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN

REVOLUTION.

 

BY MRS. EDGAR M. HATTON, REGENT.

At the service held at the Chittenden Hotel, Sunday, Feb-

ruary 1, in memory of the late Mr. Emilius Oviatt Randall, the

only floral tribute was a simple but beautiful cyclamen, white,

with a touch of purple, the symbol of royalty, and I was re-

minded of the first wild ones I gathered on the site of the

Emperor Hadrian's villa at Trivoli, Italy, springing so simply

from the soil whereon once had stood a palace. In Monte Carlo

they are cultivated to a wonderful beauty and in great profusion

and, as my uncle and I once stood there in admiration of them,

he said: "They are aristocrats." As aristocrats they have al-

ways appealed to me since; consequently their presence at the

Randall memorial had a peculiar significance to me, for Mr.

Randall was an aristocrat in the highest sense of the word, not

as being descended from kings and queens-though he may

have been-but as possessing true nobility of character and

royalty of mind and heart.

On that memorial day beautiful tributes of love and admira-

tion were laid upon the altar of remembrance by representatives

of the Kit-Kat Club, the Ohio Supreme Court, the Ohio

Archaeological and Historical Society, the City Library and the

Sons of the American Revolution, with all of which he had been

so intimately and honorably connected through long years of

faithful service. Then there was the tribute to him as a man,

given by his friend and collaborator, Hon. Daniel J. Ryan.

I felt then and I feel now that Columbus Chapter, Daugh-

ters of the American Revolution, would be untrue to its sense

of obligation and appreciation if it, too, did not lay an immortelle

at his flag-enfolded portrait. Mr. Randall was a warm friend

of Columbus Chapter; we have this assurance in his last days,

which we did not need, for his ever-ready response to any de-

mand we might make upon his time, strength and intellect was

sufficient guarantee of his regard.  In looking through our

programs of the last 20 years, I find contribution after contribu-