The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1874-05-09
THE ASH-HopPER.
be mortuis nil nisi burn ,ern.

ss# LIE InOFLulS NH nlSl Durn sefn.
The undertakers are preparing to strong
| " oppose cremation.
The Digger Indians Of California are
cremationists, aud always have been. There
is nothing new under the sun.
The cremation furere has already pro-
dlced a corner in the coffin market, and
stingy people are preparing to take advant-
age Of the reduced prices.
Ninety millions of dollars are thrown
away every year in the United States for
liquor, and two hundred millions are spent
for funerals, same time and place.
Serosis is going to wrestle with the Gre
nation question. A resolution is up for
discussion to the effect that under proper
ceremonial law, cremation does not conflict
witIlAhe funeral rites Of the church, and is
not antagonistic to the sectarian theory of
the resurrection of the body" What fine
field for wind-work is here presented
The novel scene of burning the dead was
witnessed at Point Hudson, near this city,
last Sunday. Some Hydah Indians, who
were encamped there lost one of their num-
Der by death, and, in accordance with their
peculiar custom, when any of the tribe die
away from home, they prepared a funeral
pyre and performed their rites One aged
klootchman stood near the fire with a bot
tie Of liquid, supposed to be whisky, from
which she filed glass now and then, and
then threw the contents on the blaze: after
which she would give utterance to the dis
NAL, wailing notes of the Hydah death song.
This ceremony of burning their dead when
travelling around is to keep the bodies from
falling into the hands of other tribes
Port TowassBd Argus.
The New York World speaking of crema-
tion gives the following instance of the
neatness of the thing: "In the Vienna
Exposition this matter was practically ex-
emplified. On one of the mysterious shelves
was a bottle marked No. 10, containing
three and three-quarter pounds Of fertilizing
material. the gross result of an Italian gem
tleman, who had evidently never been in
such reduced circumstances before. The
entire cost Of putting him into glass case
was just two shillings and fourpenee, Eng
hsh money. This of itself is an item of
sufficient Importance to carry conviction to
any sane man. It only takes three hours
and about half a cord Of wood to put a mil
ionaire into q very small glass bottle. The
only difficulty to be apprehended is the in
eyitable increase of family jars. However,
after death, it viii be always possible to put
q stopper in, which, during life, is some-
times difficult.
The following from D. G. Croly, of the
daily Graphic newspaper to the meeting for
forming acremation society, probably rep
resents the views of alarge number Of peo-
pie who have no special prejudices on this
subject under consideration:
/. That / am, far more interested in peo-
pie being well born than in the method Of
their burial, and entertain the opinion
that all organized efforts should be to the
ihCHbd1 anu fAOfiti WeIl-DclIlg OF
the race, aud hence any agitation for a
change in the disposal Of the remains seems
10 me to be wasteful
q. The method of tlisposing of the dead
depends very largely upon the religious
faith of the people. So long as the resur-
rection Of the body is a cardinal doctrine of
5he Christian religion it will be idle to at
5empt any movement for q return to the
paganmethod. Noinatter what sentimental,
sanitary, or scientific reasons could be urged,
hey will weigh as nothing against custom |
'ounded upon a religious creed and what is |
20 us immemoriai habit.
] 8. If it were possible, however general |
y to change the method Of disposing Of |
Iuman remains, should oppose cremation |
IS being a waste of material which might be |
Utilized by SO disposing of the corpse as to
i'd to the fertility of the soil.
a In view of the sparseness of our pop
llation do not see how there can be any I
in finding cemeteries and I
enough for all who are likely to |
lie in this scontitry within the next ten CEN
centuries.