The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-06-20
EXPENSIVE FUNERALS.
What It Costs to Bury Our Dead.
A Talk With an Undertaken.

In times of poverty, when the complaint OF
a lack Of the wherewithal is more than cpl
demic, the consideration Of expensive funerals
is one deserving more serious consideration
than has been in the past accorded it. BY q
sort of tradition people have been led to be-
lieve that it is part of ones duty to the de-
ceased to send him to his last home with all
the pomp and ostentation possible. Those
whose economy and thrift caused them to
walk rather than take street car during life
are borne to their graves in hearses beplumed
and resplendant with gold and silver mount
ings All this has to be paid for, and it
comes as a general thing out Of the widow
and orphan.
Our grandfathers were laid away in plain
wood cosins. Now anything but first class
ornamented metallic case is tabooed in good
society as not CONNIE faut. This is all we'll
enough when the family can afford this bit of
extravaganza; but in how many cases do the
relatives pinch themselves for months to come
in order to have the "occasion pass off
with ecldt.
The representative Of the BULLETIN had q
conversation with an old undertaken of our
city on the subject of funerals, and even he
thought most people were extravagant in their
desire for display.
Il can tell you, sir, it's not only the rich
people who buy the best metallic cases and
call for our best hearses. Sometimes, after
they are ordered, we go up to carry case to
the house and we find, instead of palatial
residence, that the house of the deceased is a
very ordinary dwelling The family strain a
point to make a show, sir"
"What do you think the least an average
funeral, of say four carriages, can be gotten
up for p
"well," said he, ''that depends. You
know a common case costs something like
sixty dollars aud then the hearse and the car
riages come to about thirty dollars, that
makes about ninety dollars, and that isn't SO
much"
"Isn't that considerable for poor per-
SOM"
"Perhaps so; but they as a rule paw.
myself think people would be better off if
they buried relations in plain collins, for the
dead, you know, don't appreciate the silver
stars and all that. In some parts of Germany
there are laws requiring the heirs of a de-
ceased person to pay to the poor-house per-
centage on his estate if they bury him in any
thing but plain wood coffin. That rule
might work well hefe, perhaps, for it would
help the Charity Hospital considerably"
"Could not the present system and prices
be materially changed"
"Of course they could but you
would have to change the fashion first.
As long as Mr.. next door is
buried in q metallic case, his neigh
bors want to keep up the style, and so when
one of them goes they get little better COT
fin than the other. Some widows would go
off in consumption if their husband didn't
have an ornamented coffin with rich hearse.
But speaking about saving money in funerals,
you'd better commence by taking the money
the several organizations pay for brass bands
and give it to the family. It would do more
good there.
SNOW it costs considerable to march q man
out under music, and the widow may come
home to house without any victuals in it.
The music don't do him much good, but the
money would help the little ones much. If
you want to commence this change you will
need plenty of help in it.
Approaching that there was much truth in
what the undertaken said, we left, still sat-
isfed that remedy is needed.