The Placer herald., 1860-02-18
Funeral Customs in Paris.
FrOm q late French letter.1

HUH ttuo 10 LiILe ID tne STVtCo ueS pOMDeS
funebres, or city funeral II is rather lugu-
brious subject, certainly, with which to com
mence letter of gossip; but, if not particu-
larly cheerful, you will find few lines devo.
ted to this topic to possess at least the merit
of novelty
The Parisians are a methodical communi-
ty, even to the burial of the dead. A funer-
al, in Paris, may be of the painest and
humblest description, or it may cost thousands
of francs according to the wishes, the pride,
or the means of surviving relatives, who are
enabled to select, beforehand, exactly the
sort of ceremonies they desire, and to set
down exactly their cost, from printed tariff,
on the zone price and no discount" principle.
This system may be considered heartless and
mercenary, by people not accustomed to it;
and have no doubt that New York under
takers will so pronounre it, with all the en-
ergy Of indignant conviction. But why
should not the burial of the dead be regarded
in an economical light9 Why should not
the family or friends Of the deceased person
get the worth of the money expended in his
interment, whether the sum be ten dollars or
thousand? Why should much greater
profit be made upon the sale of coffin than
on a vanished box, sold for any other pur-
pose! The truth is, simply, that those who
have lost father, brother, son, husband,
wife, or daughter, are generally too deeply
plunged in affliction to question the demands
of greedy tradesmcn, who charge any exorbi.
tant price they think the parties able to pay,
and are always sure of their money.
In Paris, every item of expense is settled
upon strict business principles, without any
necessity to barter or cheaper. The whole
duty of burias is performed by gigantic
administration, comprising every possible de-
tail, and issuing printed circulars, containing
full list of prices for funeral pageants, from
the requirements Of wealth and power down
to the simple rites performed over the re-
mains of the humble poor, whose tombs bear
no trophies.
The Paris burials are divided into nine
classes, of which seven are subdivided, ma
king sixteen classes in all. The cost of
funeral of the first class, with magnificent
hearse decorated with nodding pumes and
drawn by four horses, elegant coffin with
silver plate and handles a long line of mourn
ing coaches, an army of mules and profes-
sional mourners, unlimited quantities of
Grape, and everything in keeping with high
priced grief, is precsel y seven thousand one
hundred and eighty-one francs, or about
81, 400. The half of all this, still on the
first class principle, costs four thousand,
nine hundred and thirty six frarcs. Next
comes the second class, with a slightly less
magnificent hearse, fewer coaches, and per
ceplibly diminished weeping, at 3,434 francs
for the full class, and ISIS for the half
When you get down as far as the fifth class,
you come to vanished hearse without
plumes and drawn by two horses only, large
falling off in professional mourners, and
tears rigidly counted. The show goes on
decreasing more and more, until we come to
the ninth (realy the sixteenth) or last class,
where the hearse, pumes, horses, coaches
mourners and tears have all disappeared, and
the nsensible clay, shut up in coarse pine
box, is transported to its narrow cell. upon a
common bier, carried by a couple of croque
morris! But what better could be expected
for eighteen francs and fifteen sous, or $3759
The materials at present used by the Paris
Company of Interments, consists OF one hun
dred and eleven handsome hearses, thirty five
ordinary draped hearses, thirty five without
drapery, seventy-fve mourning carriages, one
hundred and sixty black horses, ten white
horses and a depository of colfins of all sizes
and prices. White horses and a white pail
are employed in the funerals of young un-
married persons. The employees of the com
pany are a principal Inspector, sub inspect
or, book keeper, twenty principal commits
saries, thirtytwo assistant commissaries, and
eighty bearers
There is a beautiful and touching custom
observed by the people of France when a
funeral is passing. AS the hearse moves
slowly by, the men raise their hats and the
women bow, in token Of respect to the dead.
To DANcERs.-A dancing master at Mari
posa lately introduced novelty iuto his
schools. The sets were formed as if for a
quadrille, when the lady of the first couple
was called to "sashay" with the gent having
the biggest foot in the set or the gent with
red hair, or with the long nose, or was the
fattest or handsomest, homliest, best dancer,
&c. The performance occasioned a good
deal Of fun, and as might be expected, an
occasional show of ill-temper by those un-
fortunate individuals who cannot take joke.
Gazette
LITTLE FARMS WELL TILLED.-The editor
of the Prairie Farmer, after visit to the in
terror of his State, thus discourses:
The economy Of space and labor are both
important items in economical husbandry;
and the best cuItivators find that little ju-
dicous planning is more profitable than the