Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-03-05
From the pitt.burg Post. /
Familiar .Conversations-Funeral

Familiar -COnVersatio
Our subject is rather gloomy one, uudeF
any aspect, and we feel good deal of reluct-
ance In approaching 1t ever 80 delcately;, but
We have noticed many things In the manner of
conducting funerals which demand reformation,
| and Of some of these we will speak briefly.
IL is the custom in this community, though
how or where it originated we do not know, to
"lay out" the bodies of the dead in upper
rooms, there to remain until placed in the
hearse to be conveyed to the place Of interment.
The trouble, confusion and fear of accident in
bringing the coffin down are sometimes very
great and frequently, when the body is heavy,
1t Is work of much difficulty. Specially 10
tbie the case where the staircase is narrow,
but in nearly all there 10 point where not
more than one or two bearers can retain their
hold on the coffin, the weight of which is
thrown on one, perhaps lily able to bear the
burden As pall-bearers are always selected
from among the friends of the deceased and
with special regard TO his age and social condi.
tlon, physical strength is not taken into consid.
Grafton, and the tax upon the muscles ia often
seyore-indeed, We have known persons moro
or less injdred BY over-exertlon while acting
In the capacity of pall-bearere. Those who
are frequently called upon to aid In the last
sad rites to the dead will fully understand the
force Of our remarks aud the necessity of re-
formation. ...
The place where body ia laid out is Of
course controlled by the undertakers, who can
change the fashion at pleasure. II should be
made rule to lay out bodies, wherever practi-
cable, In lower room-or if on upper chamber
is uusvoidably used, the undertaken should
have the coffin brought down by his own assist
ants, before the funeral, and so avoid harrow
ing the feelings of friends by fears of an acci-
dent 10. bringing the corpse down.
The construction of coffins has, doubtless,
much to do with the frequently expressed fear
OF accidents at funerals. In our recollection |
there has been no improvement whatever in the |
manufacture OF collins. They are not always
securely put together and the handles are usu
oily more ornamental than useful. We have
time and again heard the undertaken whisper 10 |
the bearers not to depend upon the handles to
sustain the weight of the coffin, lest they should
come out or break. II Ia a highly important
matter that the handles should be SO made as
20 not give way BY any posslbllity.-and TIE er.
ercise OF little Yankee ingenuity would soon
devise plan by which undertakers could Cat q
trihing cost, say by means of stTaps with han.
dies, passing under the coffin secure ease to the
bearers and safety to their precious burden. |
The new metallic cOffins Ito cay nothing of the |
shroud-like form Ia which they are cast, COLI
veying no idea but that of repugnance) are
generally very heavy, and such a contFiVance
would be particularly useful in handling them.
The clumsy arrangements now In vogue for
hearses and biers for carrying the coffin to the
grave are also susceptible of much improve
ment-particularly the latter, which are gen.
orally made 30 large at the handles that they
can scarcely be compassed by the grasp OF an
ordinary sized hand, so as to insure perfect 90.
curity. T
We pass over the want Of punctuality at fun.
erals, sometimes delaying the starting until an
hour after the time advertised, and the unneces-
aarily long services OF clergymen In the house,
to alude to what frequently proves great an.
noyance to the "mourners." The undertaken
who has charge of the funeral, in filling the
carriages, has them driven to the door in regu-
lar succession, filed and moved on, leaving the
carriages in front to wait in the street until
twenty to thirty others are filed, frequently oc.
cupying as many minutes-snd not until he has
seen the last carriage filled can the cortege
start. The undertaken should provide assist
ants, whether the carriage drivers or Others, to
fill all the vehicles at once, as soon as the coffin
| Ia placed in the hearse, and permit the whole
procession TO start at once and proceed to the
cemetery without interruption. -...
The great numbers of females attending
funerals here is much remarked by persons from
the East, where the custom IL for the male te-
lations and few friends, in carriages, to con-
stitute the funeral cortege. Only In certain
cases do the females Of the family 60 to the
grave, and very often there are no females at
all present. This custom might be advantage.
ously and economically adopted here, but we
do not expoo. to see it until our people are di-
vested OF the idea that they must make funerals
the occasion for ostentatlous display. This re-
form must come from the good sense of the peo.
pie, after due deliberation, as we cannot expect
undertakers to counsel or countensnce an iDno-
vation which would cut down their charges,
sometimes 30 exorbitant.