The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-08-07

/ EAuAA AAAANNAftAA+ sAIAAAeA July ~
Allusion has already been made in the
columns OF this journal to the idea Of Mr..
Seymour Haden, that the object of collins
should be to facilitate decay, not to retard
it. As the law, dust 70 dust ashes to
ashes, is as unacceptable as death itself, as
even the highest perfection Of the Egyp-
tian art can only protFact the return Of The
body to the great mother, Earth, we con-
less that we sympathize with the belief Of
Mr.. Haden, that it is better to assist than
to attempt to DEFY nature. Leaden cot
fins, hermetrically.sealed Caskets, are, after
all, but the devices OF the undertaken TO
take advantage Of human Weakness.
1t is related Of an old Scotch stone cutter,
that when asked how it was he always
succeeded SO we'll in sitting expensive
tombstones, he replied, ~ talk 70 them
till | see a tear in their &c, and then |
strike" Led by undertaken and tomb
stone.maker, many widow has expend-
ed upon the burial Of her shattered hopes
money that should have been garnered up
for the living. The reform proposed by
Mr., Haden is to do away with all
temptation 70 undue expense,
Just here, some Of our readers may
desire to know who this Mr.. HR-
den Is. HIS Is no ordinary man; in
deed, according to our Thinking hd q u
very remarkable mana living repFoba.
ton Of the time-honOred but narrow and
untrue belief that to be u successful doc.
tor one must be doctor and nothing
else. Mr., Seymour Haden Is widely
known as a medical practitioner; but the
chief glory and, no doubt, the chief iOyot
his life is that he is the "mOst original
and accomplished Etcher now alive in
Great Britain"
The collins advocated by Mr.. Haden
are to be Of wicker; made with a strong,
plant osier-a double thread being pre-
ierRble--wlth as vide meshes asare Consis-
tent with holding the flowers, ferns, moss
es, evergreeRs, etc., in which the body Is
to be laid. In order to facilitate the re-
cognition OF the bones, II it should ever
happen to be desirable, m engraved
leadCn band is to be tied around the
wrists, a second around the legs, and q
third passed through the chest.
The procedures when death has occur.
red are as follows:
"As soon after death Us may be, the
eyes are closed, the chin supported tho
limbs composed, and the hands crossed
upon the breast, superhuous bedClOths,
together with the impediments and reject
ments OF the sick.roOm arc to be removed,
and q window Is to be opened few inches
both at the top and at the bottom. The
papers of the deceased may then DO ex.
amined, and il these contain nothing to
forbid 1t, the first preparations for the fun.
eral may be made in the following way:
AS part Of the ordinary atock.in.trade Of
every turner, brush maker or basket
maker, will be found, nested ono within
the other, and Of every form and dimen.
sionS, the necessary covering or coffin, Mt
the herbalis's or florists, It's garniture.
Both, being light and portable, may he
delivered az the house in m hour Of Two,
and the body may be At once laid IN II
and strewn Except the face and hands,
which should DO left exposed) with It's
evergreen covering. All this may be
done by the nurses or older servants or
members OF the family, and no stranger
need be admitted, There Is now ample
time to consider arrangements for tho
visit Of the physician or surgeon charged
to verify tho fact OF death, to Telegraph
to friends, and to make final preparations
for the intOFment. The morrow come,
and everything prepared inside and out,
the necessary agents for the interIhent
will enter the house for the first time
and the last, and remove The body in n
suitable carriage, either by railway or by
water, to itsrssting.place outside the city,
one OF the male representatives Of the
family In every caSe accompanying H.
There will be no procession through tho
street., mo opportunity for display.
nothing to excite the sympathy Or the
criticism Of the neighbOrhOod (bUth on
such an occasion equally out Of place.
ut,arrived at the cemetery, the body will
wait in the mOrtuary chapel attached to
il, with those who are to be present at its
interment. These, having been informed
Of the death, will 60 and return as their
desire, affections, or respect for the dead
impel them. The assembly will be In the
chapel, and at the graye.slde only, where
the mourners, men and women, uOr,
since there Is to be no public display,
both may gO) will find the trelissed
coffin on tsbier, gArnished and beantiGed
by loving hands, awaiting them. Not n
word Of our burial service will be omit
ted, though more may be said in the
chapel and less at the gravesldC, and then
all will be over. There will be no re-
union at the house Of death. The con-
vCntional feast will not he spread. The
formal reading Of the will will be at the
office Of the legal adviser OF the family on
n day appointed for the purpose and the
inmates Of the house Of mourning will re-
turn to It and be allowed to remain nm
disturbed. Next dayeyery one will DO to-
his business Ii.bI- Fu..#
The care Of Mr.. 1Taden does not stop
with the burial. Where there % a deep,
loamy soil, with n gravel substratum,
natural grave.yards may be employed,
but IN most large cities he thinks nrtit-
Cial cemeteries are to lie preferred A
series Of experiments should first be made
to determine what form Of soil will most
facilitate rapid decay. II will probably
be found that an earth composed Of 6ne
carbon soil sand and lime Is The best but
whatever compound IL decided upon, an
artificial soil Of about twelve feet In
depth forms basis Of this model grave
yaftl. ia I'D
SO far as this country Is concerned, the
artificial cemetery Is certainly an absurdi-
ty-the expense Of making IL and the
comparative cheapnea Of land being in
supctablC objections. Mr.. lIadens cpt-
fins may possibly come into Use, Ger
tainly his method Ia better than crema-
ton, in that 1t Ia not only lesS expensive,
but Is infinitely less repulsive TO the over
powering instincts generated In the
Anglo.Saxon breast by custom and teach.
ing ilnmemorial UF #'.s
Mr.. JOhnson,s Religious Belief