The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-05-03

suppose it differed much from what it is
to-day. But we shall see.
Ovens and Ashes.
The Cinderites seem to be at standstiN
somewhat irregular intervals, but no definite
plan of operations has yet been adopted In
deed, the society is afflicted with kind of
intermittent fever. Sometimes it burns with
the desire to immediate itself, and talks with
such enthusiasm that we fear some over
cerebrnted individual may be tempted to set
the building on fire and burn the whole
audience for the sake Of it's ashes; and then
again 1t lapses into entire indifference CON-
corning this important and grave matter. No
one seems to have fully made up his mind Is
to the propriety of being changed into COM
post and sold at SO much per pound Their
indecision augurs i'll for the success of the
movement They appear to be quite willing
to have picked number of their acqualnt-
ances reduced, the smaller ones to three
pints and the larger and more bulky ones to
two quarts of white or pale yellow dust j; but
there is certain degree OF romance about
sleeping under the daisies which makes them
prefer for themselves decent burial to hot
oven. Though eager to light the furnace FIRE
they show no alacrity in Offering their own
precious bodies as backlogs.
It seems to US that these enthusiastic gen.
tlemen and the single lady who attended the
meeting do not exhibit the proper amount of
heroism requisite to put this movement on q
proper basis. So great change in the
methods Of modern society can be inau-
gurated only by personal sacrifice. 1t is not
enough to rob the Morgue to fill an oven,
for that is beginning at the wrong end. Let
one Of these heroes emulate the example Of
the illustrious Indian who threw himself on
the pyre at Athens saying, to the amazed and
admiring spectators, 'Thus render myself
immortal" and it will at once become the
fashion for handsome widows and forlorn
maidens and love sick youths to despise life
and fee to the fire. The wood is ready and
waiting. Any wharAnger will supply COM
bustible material gratis, provided his adver-
tisement is hung on the side of the pile We
could have show on Union square which
would be perfectly ruinous to Barnum. The
street sweepers, properly disguised in mourn
ing apparel, would offer their services to
sweep up the ashes, and the remains could
be put into homeopathic bottles and sold as .
talisman against idiocy.
The economical phase Of cremation seems
to have gone by the board. We hear nothing
more about ashes for early vegetables, and
nothing about saving up the cinders of our
New York dead to ferslize the Western
prairies withal, or to fill in tho Long Island
fats It is sad to see our patriots begin q
noble and commendable reform of this kind
and then give it up before the experiment has
been properly tried. If it is argued that we
have compost enough to subserve the agricul-
tural interests Of the country still it is to be
remembered that chemistry may lose by our
indifference to this subject, some miraculous
combinations which would save the peces-
slty of importing spring vegetables from
| South Carolina. We love our country sufd-
GENTLY to say that if by planting few poll
ticians in the Harlem gardens we can hasten
the growth and add to the favor Of lettuce and
radishes it should be done at once. What
are politicians, or even o statesman or two, in
comparison with on early market2 Let US sac
rifce them, with tears in our eyes, mayhap,
but with the proud consciousness that others
will arise who will have equal ability to in
crease our taxes and enrich themselves. They
will earn the gratitude of all if they will lie
quietly at the root of grapevine or take
their proper place in q hill of very small
potatoes, which is much more than they are
likely to do while living at our expense.
There is another phase Of this economical
theory which was suggested some time since,
but which, for good reasons, doubtless. has
been overlooked. A shrswd chemist of Paris
believes that when we burn these country
cousins of ours it is shocking waste to let
the constituent elements escape into thin air.
They ought to be carefully gathered and
utilized The amount of gas. for instance in
the ordinary specimens OF dead North Ameri-
cans is sufficient to illuminate the city all the
year round This estimate is carefully made
but is to be regarded as an under rather than
an over estimate. We are at present paying
enormous sums for very poor gas. The va
rious companies which manufacture this fra
grant element of civilization cannot get rich
if they give us better light; SO in pity for their
present impecunous condition we are content
to burn poor gas and allow them to put the
price of a first class product into their
pockets. The crematonists in the erection Ct
their furnaces may correct this mistake Of our
good nature They ought to prepare retorts
for the reception of this asriform fluid, that
even the dead, during the process of incin-
the desert air. These retorts would have to