, 1875-10-10
M0RTUARY MONOPOLY.
Tbs Undertakers Getting Up Corner on
Hearses.
Tie Middle Glasses Must Pay increased
Rates or Remain Unbnried.


The question Of tho cost OF funerals nhs oeeu
q perennial subject Of discussion and comptalnt
among the people Of the middle classes, WHO
laye at various times burst into letters and pro
tests against the seemingly excessive cost OF
conducting the funeral rites Of their friends and
relatives. There have bean iunumerable at-
tempts to reduce this tax on grief by co-opeFa-
tire societies and the Like, but it has remained
for the Chicagoan to invent 3 union for the ps'r-
pose OF keeping up prlcc.t-a corner On sorrow,
az it were, aud protective RESTORATION Ola tne
question Of he1Tses.
The business Of caring and providing for fu-
uerais in tLis city is conducted By tho uncer.
takers by profession. Of whom thh-e are about
forey-fiya firms in the city. These are divided
into .....
THREE ENTIRELY DISTINCT CLASSES
AZ to prices aud acconluolasious,-n the latter
term can be applied to person no 1ouger III
life.
The first class comprises on]y three or four
firms. who keep high-rrlced cotnns OF metal ana
choice woods. With elegant aud nrtaEtie mount
ings, solid silver plates. and ine satin. velvet.
and other materials for Innings, etc. These
firms own gorgeous nearses, and employ spler-
did carriages aud equipage, charging remunera-
tire prices, and mixing round bills for styll5h
funerals. Their price for the use OF heGfEo ls
$40.
The second is an intermediate class, number
ing some eighteen O. twenty trims, VINO provide
decent Accommodations III the way OF carriages,
cofins, learses, ele. They omn tnalr own
heatses and At one tlne had fixed their prlce
Tor the use OF one at about the same as the ar5t
] class: but. in consequence Of some competition,
| tbev cut tue fee down to 81 81, anu even So'
| This class generally keap small stock OF collins
| and the cheaper materials. .. ,-...
The third ciass, comprising soma twenty
! firms, is composed almost entirely Of Germaus.
who occupy small shops, in the back part Of
| which they live. They keep only ore or tTo
| collins a. samples, and, when they have taken az
| order for funeral, they rush away 70
| 3 firm OF cofin-nake1s on the West 6!da sue
! purchase coffin. which they take to their shops
! and trim in cheap way. Not having hoasst
! OF their own, they hire one from tne'r neign'
| bots, and when carriages are required they pro
! cure either common hacks or cheap cafI1aGes
| from 8 stable. This reduces the coss 20 -. lne
! middle and lower CLASSES very materially. LIN
| class of undertakere generally get IS or S5 to'
| the Use of haarse, but often cut even tnosf
| figures. , 5
second classes different livery and cafrsast
stables own four mora wAlcn they lease 1o
| funerals Us they may be wanted: Ihis make'
! the total number OF hearscs IN the city twenty
eix which estimate is just about what cehsa'
| would make it.
| TIE UNION
| n,ant;oned above wus projected by member ol
| the SECOND class, who objected to the cuttlng
nnder OF pfices which the cheaper class vert
pTsc.icing. After oogitatipg over the matter b
| aad one or two others called meeting OF I'll I'M
| updertakers who owned hearses, ano !alo oeIorf
/ them the project OF IN association Tor nutnA
nrotectiou against Low prices, OF, IN other words
inaucurate q movement to bring up all pT1ee!
| TO Their tariff. ,,,
The first meeting was net largely attended
but others were had, aud in the course OF event:
! nretty nearly all the nediuna-class firms were
! interviewed and responded favor2bly. Tht
movement cryatRlli zed IN series OF
| ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION,
Getting forth the objects Of the Union and clos
| ing with pledge on the part of the sgneFs no
! to let any Learso to any firm not belonging tx
the Union or 9hich had not signed the srticies
The articles also stated the lowest prices which
the members would be allowed to charge fo
hcarse and carriage: me heatse charge was Sc
down at s.not less than 90 to Graceiand, Rose
hill or OakEoods," and $40 to Calvary. Thil
gave the Association double advantage, becausa
they cut under s. to those cemeteries where the
| frst-class firms mostly went and put the pric'
up to $40 for funerals to Calvary, which, bein,
more largely patronzed by the poorer classes
vas not SO often in the line ct the business don.
by the mora expensive firms
But the real and strongest point in the move
ment was that it promptly and
! ENTIRELY FRoxE OUT OF BUSINESS
the twenty or twenty-five firms Of the thirt
class who had no hearses OF their OWL. Tin
| most Of these we're composed OF comparatively
poor men who could not AFFORD to buy hearses
| and who had depended on leasing those OF thel
| nelehbors. But when al the men who ow1et
the hearaes had pledged themselves not to loa,
one to any one outside their ring, and not admi
to membership any person who did not alread
own hearse, the effect may be imagined
The articles of agreement, having been signe'
by many Of the second class Of firms, have bee1
lately presented, with many arguments, to tn
others, and have now been signed by nearly a
| the class in question. They we're also preaente
to the first Glass Of firne but they did not sign
because they didn't care one way or the other
having all tbs hearnes necessary to carry on .hei
business. and not bsing in the habit OF loAuin;
or borrowing.
1t may now be considered settled that
THE WAR HAS RE6EN,
| and that the association will hereafter do tkei
bes. to put up the prices to the figures befor
named. What The cheap men will do remains t
be seen. They have already begun to iorese
trouble, and some OF them have dubbed togeIh
ct to buy hearses with the intention Of keepin
prices down where they we're.
The result may be easily foreeastad: tho at
tempt to put up prices will put them down, In
the public will take tha benefit. The war whie
has been begun by the protectionis1s will fin
its victims in the SANE Glass. and the sttsmpt t
get up = corner on hearsea will make funerals .
| ~h&n1 that tho raaarrA of 6yfrv md. hoin