It was proved by the unusually large attendance of Chicago Lithuanians at the funeral of Bruno Vargsas-Laucevicius yesterday that the Lithuanians have lost, in the person of Mr. Laucevicius, one of their most active and honored writers and dramatists. No less than six hundred people came to pay him their last respects yesterday. A large crowd filled Wallace Street, and waited for the sorrowful procession to begin. At 2 P.M., about thirty automobiles, accompanied by the crowd on foot, began a procession to Halsted and 33rd Streets, down 33rd Street to Morgan, down Morgan to 35th Street, and from there to the Lithuanian National Cemetery.

The unusually large participation in the procession, the sea of flowers from various organizations and individuals, and, above all, the magic name of Vargsas, who was well known to almost all Bridgeporters, attracted the attention of a large crowd. Beginning at 33rd Street and ending at 55th and Morgan, a large, swaying mass of people lined both sides of the streets. 2 I am not exaggerating when I say that this was the largest funeral the Bridgeporters had ever seen.

An unexpectedly large number of people arrived at the Cemetery for the burial, some coming in automobiles, others by street car. Short addresses were delivered at the grave by the following friends of the deceased: K. P. Gugis, A. Petratis, B. Sidiskis, Stasys Strazdas, and P. Grigaitis, editor of the Naujienos. About one hundred and fifty dollars was collected then and there for the widow and her two children.

Yes, once we had Vargsas among us, once we worked together with him, and now--we have him no more. There remain only his works, which will speak to us for a long, long time. We, the living, must make it our duty to draw from them new energy to continue the work which was being carried on by our friend, Bruno Vargsas-Laucevicius, up to the last hour.