The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1863-11-24

EDITOR GUARDIAN This, il | mistake
not, is the first historic record of the
purchase Of the right Of SOIL by paying
money as an equivalent therefor AT
that early age, Abraham was not willing
to bury beloved wife where ruthless
hands could righlfully enter to profane
thai sanctuary of the heart. Nor was he
nsensible TO the rural adornings by
which the God Of nature had surround
ed what was to be her last resting place,
and where doubles even he hoped TO
sleep "that sleep that knows nowaking .
beside her. From the earliest settlement
of our country down 10 the present gen
Grafton, The dead have been generally
buried in public grounds, over which
The car of progress has but too often
rolled ; celebrating alike the crumbling
monuments erected to, their memory,
and scattering The ashes Of those deposit
ed beneath them.
should not probably have presum ed
upon your columns on the sp bject of a
cemetery, had not the same question that
| is aow before this community, come up
in the quiet country town in which |
formerly lived viz. whether to enlarge
the grounds Of the old grave yard, or 10
open new one chat could be laid off in
accordance with the modern taste, and
the final result has been more than salts
factory 10 all concerned. AT meeting
publicly called in the village, 10 take the
subject of providing place Tor the
burial OF the dead into consideration, a
committee was chosen to examine IN re-
laliou to the subject and report at a
future meeting. That committee, after a
due examination of the old grounds, and
the facilities for charging it, and such
other places as were proposed, finally re-
ported in favor OF buying a tract OF land
situated about one and fourth miles
from the town, through which meaLder-
ed ripping brook, that, tho voiceless,
still spoke in silent language, that as
streamlet :" to the ocean run" SO is hu-
manity borne by current that knows
no ebbing, on to the great ocean Of
eternity. A grove Of beautiful pines
spread over the place, through the
branches Of which the wind moaned lis
requiems, giving a sacred charm TO all
around. The financial part of the
scheme necessary for carrying this out
was, to form stock company, with
shares SO snsall that almost all could take
some Of The stock, which was 10 be paid
| in instruments as the necessities for i'm
proving the grounds demanded. They
also recommended the formation of Il
Cemetery association, its object being
the improvement Of the Cemetery. Ey-
cry individual who purchased a lot, be
came a member thereby of the associa-
ton. The condition on which the lots
were to be sold, were, that all the avails
Of the sales, after paying a reasonable
rate Of interest, should be expended in
making Improvements Of permanent
and public character on tie grounds.
The report also re recommended commit
tee Of equal numbers, 10 be chosen from
the members of the association, and the
stockholders, they jointly to have the
supervision of all improvements TO be
made. This plan embraced sufficient
capital to purchase, fence, lay off, and
construct the necessary roads and ave-
nues in the cemetery, and anticipated
that the annual sales Of lots would more
than pay the interest on the capital IN
vested. Recommendations were adopted
and carried out, goodly number com
ing forward, pledging themselves to take
lots, and forming an association. The
grounds were purchased, and the final
result Is. Cemetery second TO but lew
for quiet and rural beauty place
where the living can vie with each other
in decorating their individual lots, and
in expressing their tilial, coDjugal, or
parental love, in those adornings-a
place upon which now every citizen
looks with pleasure and a commendable
pride, as an expression Of public taste
worthy Of the object to which it is con-
secra,ed, and towards which many a
wanderer from The "old hearth stone, "
often reyerts with fond memories Of the
/ loved ones that slumber in lis peaceful
grounds. Can we not by well direct
ed effort, secure some appropriate spot
now in The youthful days Of our town.
that will be consecrated to this sacred
| use, where we can retire from the cor
roding cares incident 10 busy life, in
ou;al connnnnninps with nature and with