The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1869-09-22
THE OLD WEST GRAVE.
YARD.

To the Editor of the Democrat:
Permit me to call your attention and that Of tho
municipal authority OF your thriving city to the
dilapidsted condition of the old cemetery in the
your earnest Efforts towards its recovery and i'm
proyement- There are some things that should
loss-pros peritV and money making and one of
these conceive to be some thing ofthat sacred
respect for the dead which distinguishes great
nom a meau people, While your eTty Is prosper.
ing in business Increasing il popu lation. grow
ing in extent. and has TO the stranger an air OF
ton Of the cemetery alluded TO indicates that in
the for wealth some Of the more social things
have been forgotten. Even the newcomers to
your eitV should not be disposed to underssii-
mate the falings of older settlers OF the
place, now rapidly decreasing. In reference to
the dead You have IN the old graveyard en-
tombed the rehcs OF the old est citizens and eerl
est settlers of Canton and Stark County, the pa
triarehs OF 8 generation OF good men. Some OF
the tombsto ones retain the memory of men who
lived before the recollection of your oldest citi-
zens began. They are ofby gone generations.
Beneath these rugged elms, that old trees
Where heaves the turf in many a mouldering
Zach in his narrow cell forever Ia d.
The ru de iore-fathers Of the hamlet sleep.
Tha breezy call of incense breathing morn.
The swallow twittering from the straw bail
The csck's shriI clarion, or the echOIng horn
No more shall rouse them from their loWly
bed,
collections, and filed with the dead of genera
zion en- titled to respect for many good qualities,
seems sadly and meanly neglected, Upona recent
visit noticed that the enclosure was in the last
stages of dilAp Apidation, that the gates were down
o. missing, the trees defaced, the old tombstones
overturned, the rank weeds growing over the
sunken graves, and that the yard was little better
than q pasture for every wandering animal.
rhis is shocking to a stranger indicating care
lessuess OF the dead or q meanness in protecting
their last resting places, that am lOath to be-
ieve the Canton people possess. Among the
numerous and expensive improvements going on
in your city the repair OF This cemetery should
moi be overlooked; but on the contrary should At
once receive the attention of your energetic city
Council. The grounds, understand, cannot be
transferred, being private property donated
forever to burial purposes. It should be walled
in, and II no longer used as burying grounds, 1t
should at least receive that attention which even
pagan people pay TO the burying places of their
dead, A tall wall, such as we see in all cities
thar have oVergrOWn their original limits, could
be erected sufficiently strong to prevent the dss-
ocration of the grounds, and high enough TO pre-
vent appearance OF the cemetery from affectiI
the beauty the business Of the street, and this
to al an insignificant expense. This Seems to be
due to the memory of the old settlers wSose
graves are now exposed 10 wantOn and unsGsmly
Dissertation. Can you not secure the attention
OF your municipal authority and that Of the people
Of Canton to TINS subject and put on foot some
movement which will remove this emblem OF
the city's neglect and heedsssnessS
A NATIVE OF CANTON.