The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-07-22


creased that Harnden soon engaged an
assistant:-W. =. Rideing, IN Ho'pcrs
4Nagazine.
Osier Collins.
The Saturday Re5sss gives t11c following
description Of the latest London scnsa-
ton:
1.-THE waning amusements Of the season
have received an interesting addition in
the exhibition of collins at tlfc Duke of
Suthcrland's. There arc few things which
in these days have escaped being made the
subject of a competitive display, but it has
never before occurred to anyone, as far as
we are aware, to ask people to spend Il sum
mer afternoon looking at collins and consid-
cring how they would like to be buried.
Yet none of the shows OF the year have
proved more attractive than this one. On
Thursday afternoon the umbrella tents at
Princes were deserted, and the park
passed by, while the fashionable world
crowded the terrace at Stafford House, en-
gagged in an Inspection of various illlstra-
tons of the new form Of sculpture invented
or recommended by Mr.. Seymour Haden,
and in discussing its sanitary, aesthetic and
other advantages. The bright and ami
mated aspect of the company and the
cheerful and even lively tone of the con-
versation which prevailed would, perhaps,
scarcely have suggested to an unpreparcd
observer the nature hof the subject which
had brought the sprightly throng together;
but some allowance may be made for the
qualification of discovering novel topic
of fashionable gossip. After all, the bills
of mortality are not likely to be increased
NV oh in, q of r;,,1
on the other hand, there is at least some
thing new to talk about. The skeleton at
the feast may be taken as an appro-
pirate symbol of the new phase of
social excitement. The ladies, when they
retire to the, drawing room, will exchange
views as to the last sweet things in
shrOuds or collins, while the gentlemen
below will occupy themselves over their
wine with cheerful dissertations on the
relative merits of cremation and inter
ment. 1t would appear that the painful
sensitiveness on the subject of mortality
which at one period afflicted the French
court so that no reference to it was tOlcr-
ated, has passed away from good society
in England at the present day. The qucs-
ton OF the incest way of being buried is
discussed with perfect frankncss and
equanimity and considerable part of life
promisesto be spent on the consideration
OF what is the most picturesque and poet
ical fashion of decay.
The specimens of collins exhibited at
Stafford House are about dozen in num-
Der, and notice is given that they arc
merely suggestive and do not practically
fulfill all the conditions essential to their
principal use. They are all made of
osiers, either white or stained, and in
| shape are similar to an ordinary coffin ex-
cept that they are rounded at the ends.
They have, in fact, very much the appear
ance Of extra-siZed bassinets for very
large babies. Some are of a perfectly
plain character and are recommended as
inexpensive while others are of more
Ornamental character, with stripes Of blue
or black and gold: But of course they are
all much less costly than the boxes in
present use, though this is a consideration
which to most people will appear compar-
ativcly immaterial in such a case. The
question is not one Of expense but of de-
ccncy and sanitary whOlesOmcness. A
double basket is provided for cases In
which charcoal is required, the powdered
dust being placed in the interval-from
two to three inches-between the two bias
kets. In most of the examples the meshcs
Of the wicker work are too close for the
conditions of speedy disintegration and
| thus one of the practical difficulties of the
experiment is how to make the collins
sufficiently open for this purpose while
at the same time strong and. capable
| Of retaining proper hold of their contents.
The solution of the problem may possibly
be found in the use Of a temporary outer
| covering while the body remains in the
house, Witch will be removed when it is
deposited in the earth. No attempt was
made on this occasion to- illustrate the
manner of filling up the baskets with
ferns,1 iehens, m0sses, fragrant shrubs,
eyergreens, and SO on, as proposed by Mr..
Haden, but there were a couple of collins
In which the wicker Mps lined inside with
| a surface covering st moss, anil Which Ger
than the naked Wiclzef.MGrk, which rather
suggested cool summer wear. 1t is adj
nrtuN urat in special cases Innings of some
inp&ibable material for few inches up
ward ffm the bottom will be necessary,
tand In other cases notifications of the
ordinary form, in order to insure a COM
plete Enclosure of the body in wool, char
coal or other disinfectants. In appear
ance the wicker collins when filled up
with foliage must, we should think, be
less gloomy and, repu1siye than the
wooden ones; and to some minds there
may perhaps be a sentimental feeling of
relief in. the idea that screwing down is
dispensed with.
-"0 On the whele it may be supposed that
anyone, judging by his feelings when
alive, might prefer, as. matter of taste, to
be lightly swathed in herbs and osiers
rather than screwed down roughly in
hard, tight box; but, after all, the ques-
ton of the fittest mode of ihterment con-
Germs the survivors rather. than the de-
parted one, and it is necessary to recog-
nize'at the outset thai, swhdH there is any.
thing like natural feeling it is hopeless
to think of reconciling the misery of the
sHsHt s5th any kind of aesthetic enjoy.