Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-06-04
The Expenses Of Death.

~
1t has come to such pass, not only in
the metropolis but also in majority Of
the larger cities, that the death of a mem.
Der OF the family entails bill of expenses
to meet which gives the living friends nc
little embarrassment. Oftentimes the un
dertaker's charges, including the bill fol
carriages, is as large as the salary OF
many popular clergyman. Hundreds OF
dollars must be forthcoming to pay the
| funeral rites. To be sure this does not
| apply to every family. There are many
outside of fashions circle who are thereby
released from its assessments. But even
these feel the influence of the extravaganza
of others in funeral expenses. 1t is one
| of the follies of the times and ought to
be vigorously condemned and speedily
overthrown.
There Is one feature in this funeral ex
travagance that calls for special protest
There is no justification or propriety and
is rarely any taste or fitness in the floral
emblems which are now regarded as an
indispensable adjunct Of every funeral.
This fashion-for it is nothing more-is
often without any significance as tribute
to the deceased; it subjects living persons
to an expense they can i'll afford to bear,
and involves wicked waste of money thai
might be applied to some good and practi
cal purpose.
A few days ago the remains of Dan
Bryant were conveyed to the tomb. He
was very popular in his time, but died SC
poor that his associates in the dramatic
profession are taking steps to raise some
funds for the benefit of his family. They
have literally nothing and the deceased
left behind him debts that probably will
not be paid. At his funeral the cost Of the
floral emblems must have been thousands
of dollars! In this instance many Of
these tributes were from those who sin.
cerely loved their dead friend. But how
much better would it have been had they
applied the money so expended to the re-
lief of the poor fellows wife and children
1t has been stated upon good authority
that the floral displays at funerals where
such exhibitions are expected rarely cost
less than several hundred dollars Five
thousand dollars were spent at one funeral
1t is not unusual to hire a florist to take
care of the emblems on the way to the
cemetery.
In majority of cases the costlytmbutes
are utterly without significance. Crowns
crosses, columns, harps, doves and other
designs in which the ingenuity of the
florist is displayed are sent in with the
donors card affixed. They are looked al
and displayed for public inspection, just
as wedding presents are spread out upon
long tables, under the supervision of g
police detective. Very often those who
give the flowers do so because they feel
under personal obligations to the family
of the deceased. There is no love ex.
pressed; no tribute of respect intended
1t is simply the payment of a tax imposed
by a prevailing fashion. But it is Gus.
tom that ought to be put down, as at vari-
ance with the plainest principles of pro-
priety and good taste. 1t is an extrava-
gance which is far from harm 2ss, for the
money wasted upon these often inappro-
pirate emblems might in many cases be
devoted to the support of destitute widows
and orphans .-BaHale advertiser.