Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-06-17
[For the Herald.l
Where and How We Bury Our
Friends.
BY REV. T. w. STANLEY

BY REV. T. w. STANLEY.
Years ago some of t.em were
buried others but yesterday. They
lie to-day some of them in church
yards, few in cemeteries, others
in "burying grounds and Others
scattered around in farms and even
| in commons, and under travelled
roads. l have seen more burying
grounds grown up with briers and
weeds, than I have we'll kept ones.
l have seen graves where cows
grazed and boys played ball. l
have seen family .burying grounds
pass out of the hands of the family
and some future owner plow them
over. hitched my horse enc day
ut road side in public place, and
an old man said, "Ihose trees and
horses stand over thirteen graves.
| | have seen little crowded grounds
in a corner of a field, withou ut walks
or trees, or order of any kind-with
no authorized head or trustees.
These things, too, occur in the
country, where land is plenty and
cheap; where rolling and wooded
grounds are abundant; where beau
titul, spacious and central cemete-
ries can be procured much more
cheaply and easily than in town
five were never to be buried our
splves-then were it best? But we
must all die; and who wants his
hody thrust away to be inevitably
trodden upon and plowed over, or
in an unsightly, crowded, out-of-the-
way corner?
Why not select for a considera-
ble extent of country, suitable
grounds for cemetery at once I
In the country it ought to be on a
nike, or the road plked to it. 1t
should be from 20 to 40 acres-the
more the better-well wooded, roll
inc somewhat, and with the ground
suitable for depositing human re-
mains. 1t should not be q church
ground, but, if possible, within one
mile of a church. Let it be, first
thing Of all, entirely laid out by a
competent architect, with carriage
roads and foot paths. The rest OF
the details can be learned better by
sending or going to those who con
duct the best cemeteries in the land
Bn,iness men can do these things
on business principles. Then, II
desirable, let as many as desire IL
have the remains Of their friends
transferred from these little, un-
slightly places in fields and small
burying grounds to this beautiful
common resting place of the dead
Then a whole community will have
a pride in keeping it up. 1t will be
a source of qualification to point to
a place where children and grand
children can be laid side by side fol
generations to come
HOW WE BURY.
The experience of a minister
leads him to witness a variety o.
methods-some of them very un
pleasant ones. 1t may be very lit
tie for some as to how they arr
buried but confess it is not
small thing to me in thinking OF 1t
| might make the reader blush fol
humanity by reciting some instan
ces. If that would bring about :
reform, | would speak of the hor
rid methods that some apparently
sensible people have of buryinG
their friends. l presume most O
it results from having no regular
sexton of a cemetery, who makes
himself intelligent and responsible
And this comes from having these
scattered graveyards.
There can be stone and bricf
vaults to receive the coffin; there
can be fiat stone covers over thF
coffins, which will be better thar
the quickly rotting boards, Their
is 10 need of burying in spongy
soil, or undrained places. There i
plenty of room in the country So
that new graves may not expose
those which lie by their side.
have known friends, sick and weary
and sorrowful, stand in the no
sun, and in rain, or on damE
ground, till the grave was filled
Leave that poor body when it II
ready for the falling clOds' be dis