The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-13
Coffin furniture.

an ~ tSSpotC on the resources OF Birmingham and
the MIDLAND Hardware Districts treafs nI ~
IIUuanuiacture OF collin fittings and ornaments.
ll Is strange to observe the influence oc ,os,o
Hu hshion, and even OF nationality. in the
CnaidCief OF mOuuary Onameutaron The mo
TfSv"an cof;', undertaker rejects convex or raised
comm Dreastplates. He patroniZes moi ,im
pIOYe0' designs. He hates plates to handle
anu ignores screws whereW1th 20 fa ten them so
lonS Us a naii Is to De had. lie abhors lace He
qd qynanos mat his plates shall be of white metal.
re pants not the name of the occupant ON the
COnn' as 90 our unenlightened provincial
MVsls, out pricks it on with punch i'm serles
VI uoJs on the place, which he then smears
th IL Win Win PACK Varnlsh. On the other hand,
the Celtic taste OF the Green Isle OF the West
aheCls Fnued ornament for the funeral chest
rouhu which the wake is held, and the "keen'
ChantPd. ~
The Gael and Scot and halfCymri Of the wost
OF England also participate in the desire Tor giit
although the pure CymIi of Wales prefers the
maople mixture of black and white 1t is only
snS sns melancholy Anglo-Saxon who chooses tue
sa9ness OF .unmitigated black. The prices of
CONN furniture vary even more widely than the
lasnlons The pauper reposes in "a coffin the
monnIlngs OF which cost little more than 4d
sol. The Wel-tO-dO citizen demands adornments
TO the value of s.. or lOs.. while Vonr landed
gentleman or church dIgnitary carries mount
ings vain MIN to his brick grave or family vault
10 the value OF 85 or f6 sterling. Very marvel
louo are Tue 0eslgus OF these adOrnments these
cnctuO heads, bCGiless but winged, though gull
lotneG, s'il smiling and pufy-cheeked tall
uanlseit trumpet in hand, about TO announce the
crack track OF doom thereon-ths disconsolate,
put no less classical matrOn, embracing
the urn over which the cypress, if indeed it be
not weeping willow, is dropping so impos-
sloly-these terrible pagan inverted torches,
symOOhC OF fire that is quenched and of
naught beyond If 1t bcgnOt fire unuueuch-
able-these serpents of eternity diligently en-
gagged forever in the mastcation OF tueir own
mdlgestibie tails-these amorphous things that
or hi
matte OF the fralty OF lite. Who shall tell how
archlteoture-classcal, Gothic, and baIbaric-
mas oeen fansacked to furnish the ornamental
non OF coffin. breast, foot, and handle plates
What Heterogeneous hash of design has helped
to dishgure the metallic lace? = The black.
ing used is Pontypool varnish for the bright
potuons, the dead being a vegetable black
ground with turpentine aud ''drer." The
Japanning is done entirely by women, and the
Varnsh is dried in a japanner's stove. External
CoIn nails are made OF cast iron by cast nail
manufacturers, the small pins with which the
lace is attached being cut in the same manner
as ordinary cut nails.
More expensive varieties of mounting are
made of Britannia metal or brass, occasionally
elecuo-plated or gilt. In these the plates are
cut out OF sheet or Britannia metal or sheet
brass hammered, the handles being also of
brass Occasionally a set of coftn-furniture is
executed in bright brass in the medieval style
with the shield emblazoned etc.. at a cost of
from fzO to E25. This. however is quite an
exceptional case, the friends even of lords tenn
poral ana spiritual rarely caring to incur the
additional expense. 1t is said that as much as
from sixty to eighty tons of block tin are con-
sumed annually i'll Birmingham in the manu-
1actuIe OF cotiin;lace. The number of work.
people employed in the manufacture has
not been, accurately ascertaned, but it
Is stated ON good authority, to be about
l5O. The number OF manufacturers is
twelve Girls are employed, who make from
IS. 60. to 5s per week. Women, as blackers
make from los. to l2s., payment being made
by the piece. The men, who also all work by
the piece, make from lSs. to 2Os.; superior
workmeH twho cut away the surplus metal,
etc., from 2Os. to 25s. or 3Os; boys, "up" in the
trade, IRON 5s. to IS. per week. Coffin furnl-
ture discount has passed into a proverb.
While tue old gross prices per set have re-
maned unchanged on the manufacturers list,
competition has advanced the discounts to such |
an extent that the net cost generally represents
considerably less than a third of the nominal |
charge. Far be It from us, however, to reveal |
the mysteries of the trade The large con-
sumner is entitled to stand on a better footing
than the retailer and the retailer than the
public.