Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1872-04-26
4 CHEERFUL CORPSE.
New Mssk TwaiA's Friend Wanted
90 DO BurleA = Why Didan They
Obliro Hin.

90 DO Buried Why DidnJ They
0blige Hin.
Now, that corpse (said the UNDER
taker, pattlng the folded hands OF de-
ceased approvingly) was q brick-every
way you took him lie was n brick. He
was 20 real accommodating, and so
modest-like and simple In his last mo.
ments. Friends wanted a metallic
burial cass-nothing else would DO.
l couldn't get It. There warn't going
to b tlme-anyb0dy could zee that.
Corpse said never mind; shake him up
some kind Of q box he conld stretch
out In comfortable he warn't particu-
lar about the general style Of 1t. Said
he went moro on room than style; my
way, In a last final container. Friends
wanted a silver door-plate on the coffin,
signitying who he was and where ne
was from. Now, you know a fellow
couldn't roust ont such a gaily thing rs
that In a little country town like this.
What did corpse say? Corpse said
white wash his old canoe, and dob his
address and general destination OH to
Il with a backing brush and a stencil
plate, 'long with q verse from some
hymn or other, and PINT him for the
tomb, and mark him q. o. D.. aud just
let him skip along. He warn't any
more distressed than you be-on tho
contrary, just rs earn and collected as
. hearss horse said he judged that
wher' he was::going to, n body would
find It considerable better to attract
attention by picturesque moral
character than a natty burial case
with a swell door-plate upon 1t.
Splendid ma he was. I'd've druther
do, for O corpse like that'n any I've
tackled In seven year. There's some
satisfaction In buryin' a man like that.
You feel that what you're doing Is ap.
preciated. Lord bless you, so he's got
planted before he spilled, he was per-
iectly satisfied; said his relations
meant we'll, perfectly. well, but all
them preparations was bound to delay
the thing more or less, and he didn't
wish to be kept lying around. You
never seen such a clear head rs what
he had-and so calm and so cool. Just
a hunk Of brains-that was what he
was. Perfectly awful. 1t was a rip
ping distance from one end Of that
mans head to t'other. Often and over
again he's had brain fever a raging In
one place, and the rest Of tile pile
didn't know anything about it-didn't
effect 1t any more than an lnjun insur-
rection In Arizona effects the Atlantic
States. Well, the relations they wanted
a big funeral, but corpse said lie was
down on tlummery-didn't want any
processlon-fill the hearse full Of
mourners, aud get out n stern line and
tow him behind. He was the most
down on style of any remains ever
struck. A beautiful, supplemented
creature-it was what he was, you can
depend on that. He was just set on
having things tho way lie wanted them,
aud he took a solid comfort In laying
his little plans. He had me measure
him and take n whole raft OF directions;
then he had tile minister stand up be-
hind q long box with n table-cloth over
1t and read his funeral sermon, saying.
"Angcore, angcore !" at the good
places, aud making him scratch out
every bit of any thing braS about him,
and all the hifalutin', aud sich like ;
and then he made them trot out the
choir sos he could help them to pick
out the tunes for the occasion. aud he
got them to sing to "Pop Goes the
Weasel" because he's always liked
that tune when he was down-hearted.
and solemn music made him sad ; and
when they sang that with tears in
their eyes because they all loved him.
and his relations grieyed around, he
Just laid there as happy as a bug. and
trying to beat time aud showing all
over how much he enjoyed It; and
presently he got worked up and ex-
cited, and tried to. join In, for mind
you he was pretty proud of his abill-
ties In tho singing line ; but the first
time lie opened his mouth and was just
going to spread himself, his breath
took a walk. never saw q man snutf-
ed out so sudden. All, it was a great
loss-it was a powerful loss to this
poor little one-horse town. Well,
well. l lIsin't got time to be palaverin
along here-got to nail OIL the lid and
mosey along with him, and II you'll
lust give me a lift We'll skcet him Into
the hearse aud meander. along. Rela-
lions bound to have 1t so-don't pay
no attention to dying instructions min-
ute a corpse's gone, but II I had my
way, If | didn't respect his last wishes,
and tow him behind the hearse, I'll be
cussed. / consider that whatever a
corpse wants done for his comfort Is q
little enough matter, and | haln't got
no advantage OF him whatever-and
whatever q corpse trusts me to do, I'm
going to do, you know, even II It's to
stuff him and paint him yaller and
ksan him for a keepsake-You hear