American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1857-02-14
N.# From the New York Messenger.
IMPORTATION OF DEAD BODIES.
THE ExpREssMAN AND THE CORPSE.

ihE EAPKESSMAN AND THE CORPSE.
Among, the thousand servicable things
done ny the express companies is the
conveyance of corpses Prior to the G.
establishment of expresses. 1--WE wonder
how the world ever got along without
them,) ifia husband. or son died upon a
Jou'ney, or white temporarily residing
Tor health or business at distance from
his kindred, and it was decided by his
friends to have his body bought home,
II was usually done at heavy expense,
If the distance exceeded 100 or 200
miles. "". z" TA' .r.-
1t was the custom if the way be over.
land, To employ an undertaken, who
would start out in covered wagon, es-
tablish relays, aud liavel night and day
until the task was done. What is now
accomplished in eight hours by the ex-
pres would then occupy the undertaken
at least one week ; and his pay if he
travelled at night. was rarely less than
ten d"lars a day, every expense. en-
route included. -.. .......e r...., f..
Atpresent, the price for conveying a
corpse hy Express. in charge of a mes
senger, a distance of two hundred or
two hundred and fifty miles Upon areg-
ular route, does not exceed thirty dol
lars. That we believe to be the piice
between New York and Boston for in
stance. ..'t r.
The work, however, is no, at all pop.
uiar with expreSsmen, and the messen-
gers never meet among their freight
with one OF those wooden cases in
which cntiins are usually enclosed, wilh-
ont wish that they were rid of it.
Some Of them are very nntioDBl upon
this subject moi from eIstiion but
from hat inslinciiye fear Of the progress
"t decay which all feel in The presence
"t c"rpse; especially when there is
suspicion that il has been kept too long
An instance Illustrating what we have
said occurred in this city last week
An express messenger having among his
freight IN the express company's car
one "f lhnse ominnusly long boxes, de-
clared confidently 10 the conductor of
the train, that the body inside, "musl
be very far gone indeed, and the smell
oft made him sick as horse" .Ir
vain he tried to inrget il, or salubrify
The odor by smoking a magnificent Gig.
ar. The smell became so "fi1usive /,
him every minute during the long nigh,
that he was whiZzing away with it over
the railroad; ard before the train arri
we'd in New York it affected him S,
much that he vomiied
When the divers, with the wagon.
Of the New York Nfiice, went 10 The
depot for the express freight, the illness
ut the unfortuDate messenger was Obvi
ous, and in answer to inquiies he ex.
planned the cause. All eyes fell upon
the oblong box. and every man held Iii.
nose. 1t was decided unanimously, tlia,
il was too far gune to be taken to the
Office, aud as the railroad men swore
(ihr"ugh their compressed olfuctories
that they would not suffer it to remair
in the depot, tho strongest nerved anc
most accommodating driver present
took il to the dead house" up town.
No one knew who the obnoxions box
came from. IL was usual To make a
special bargain in such cases, but no al.
lnsion was made to it on The way bill.-
In the course of the day however, the
mystery was solved, A gcutlemar
came into the express office in Broad
way, and called for the box. ...... ..f T.
at has been ntaken to the dead house, p
was the reply of the clerk. ....r ...
# The dead .house!" exclaimed the