The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-11
AN ESSAY UPON C0FFINS.
ov THE TRADE IN BURIAL CASES
UCrUhTEs IN HARD TIMES.

AZ
ue.iers Depending on Home Con-
b'.,,tiou- Where Undertaker- Gan m"ke
.anry Fight Between Iron and Wooi t"s-
s.,.-Why Undortakers sometimes run
-, occount of the peculiar nature OF the
w ,,o ,cncraI financial depression has been
al, In the conn business than IN any other
-, Il our national industries. tet manu-
p.l,,,er. OF. and Wholesale and retail deaieisin
mos almost without exception say that inc"
...,oess has declined very appreci"oF "i'h"
,,., few wears Many dealers, VINO hhhule
s,,cks. and reach various classes OF Gus
fE' ..,,.r ,,ri,ned to attribute the dullness OF
,ro a. de. I'm a great measure, to the re-
~" ,h,cn they declare has now set In from
~, i,,.ct and resulting mortality OF the |
- r,r wars after the war, they saw the NOR
-. d, . vary great because thousands OF soi-
- ,,.re diving OF diseases anu WOUNDS CON
.,oc,ed or received in the South but no" 'ne
s,,,try has outerown these causes OF por
,.u,, and the uudertakers miss the h"rNoS' U,
r,s.h,ed soidiers. The economic tehuehc'es U,
,s~ ,,o,c. .lso nrect both the demand for ana
,he ur,ce rates ", collins. 49,.
rho c,rAn trade l. Tar from having so unsnh.-
,ngab..,s Of prosperity rs macy persons '''"~
what advantage 1t possesses rom '"e "a'ui"
,.s which overriding all the laws OF
sor ia products, is counterbalanced by
Ga not participating in the dement's
=, ,,reisp trnde No cofins are exported to
rurope. and very few TO other countries, so that
chile "A scarcity Of. or an extraordinary demand
Tor bretastuns on the continent Of Europe al
,nys creates prosperity for our farmers ana
shippers. great European war, or an extraor-
oinsry mortality from any cause across the wa
TER does not in a corresponding degree benefit
American cofin makers who must depend en-
tirely upon home consumption. But, on the
other hand. they have no import trade TO night
Recently, enterprsing CONN manufacturers
lave established small export trade with
souih America. where, 10 certain localities.
Iuroueun and American fashions are popular.
1t is believed that a conn maker who had sum
Gent capital and the risht kind OF energy might
Nv turning his attention entirely to the cultiva-
zion u this South American trade, make grand
success for the country in places is very popu-
lous and not over healthful, and there would be
little successful rivalry fear after the natives
once understood the merits Of the splendid
'caskcts" that some Of our New York makers
iIrn out. A fe cofius are also exported to
Cupa. where the iniernecine w'r, 80 long hnd
rlthlessS waged. has created growing demand
Tor EN-. Hardly any cofins are sent to Mexico,
although the frequent bloody political revolu-
TO und, rtakers. The regular recurrence OF these
wars for centuries has probably given rise to a
home production equal To ull emergencies.
THE WHOLESALE TRADE IN CoFrISs.
the Wholesale cofin trade now appears TO be
nndefgoine kind Oi revolution. 1t grew up
Tot many years ago In New York and other
large cities, at the expense OF tho small callers
scattered over the country. who had before sup
piled tue trade to "A very large extent Every
VII gc had it, CABINET maker who was also its
lndortaker, nd who measured the inhabitants
1nr fhafr ~. etVa htrl ia
but made TO order, just ms the vii ge cobblef
measured their feet when they wanted a new
pan OF SHOES. A few years changed all this,
aud now country undertakers hav- only to tele =
praph " the measure" to some whOles lie dealer
IN neiehboring city, and receive promptly by
express coffin OF any style and size des ed. but
the recent hard times have In a surs, c. used
,IetuIn to the OLD system. at Tn. expense u the
preparation IL heard in the countryundertaker's
shop. some manufacturers think that the bust
ness 81 CONN nj kinx is TO undergo KIND Of dis-
Iersiou, OF scattering abroad. Both IN the city
and the country, thev ~, small CONN manufac-
tories are sprineing w in connection with other
trades Cabinet makers are trying their hand
at It again. livery stable keepers are going into
Hndertakers. and IN the West carriage factories
are being turned into CONN shops.
facturrr IN THIS city. dreamy, "the business is
overdonc. People are rushing Into the CONN
business thnA,ns 80 80 ILL., ~ ~, ~ ou ~
THAT nobody Ii making a living out Of collins
some people nave an idea that We make
business that holds its own AS we'll rs
my other, but there is iess profit 10 il
Small country dealers have affected the whole
sale tr de by making their own c,ffins, and
there Is also n falling on in the quality OF the
goods demanded, and We have had to reduce
prices. We cant make as much 10y selling cheap
rollins a bv selling costly ones, although the
materials used are graded 10y the price. never
knew prizes 70 average as low rs they DO now
wholesale prices are Is per cent. lower than
they were four years ago. We have to manu-
Iicture ahead OF the demand. | Keep about
b,OD collins aud c'sksts In stock all the time,
h d manufacture MOI lees than 900 year, and
lhero are two or tnr-e other nrms la New YORK.
lnat d. almost as la 40 a business"
Another large de.et sid "1his business has
plaIruped In ten years. The country trade As
ntrrd IN the cities. Ii has been somewhat de-
dressed b, the = neral dullLess, Of course, but
y, u, sperity on the state Of heath rather than
On THAT OF the money market"
METALLIC VERSUS WOODEN CoFFISs.
There appear. % be a lively rivalry between
wooden collins assert that metal will not do for
me purpose. "lhe idea that metallic cofins
ird one manGflcturef, Us entirely faiacious.
.ihe> re not nir-tight, and they do not preserve
me tody why, N air liRnt conn would be
roken into thousand pieces by the force oil
tns Zoo. have myself seen IN air tight leaden
!omu sNeled out u The size. Of a hoeshea In
tnat way. We always have 70 cave a hole some
Nherr IN tight coffin on that account"
Mi' Il ymond OF the Raymond anufacturing
tonuiuy, VINO represents the metallic" side
totlN ab jut au air-tieht c. fin being burst open
D. tu' ea-. I've heard the s cries they tell
hDoni DEAD persons Jumping out OF air-tignt
mus 90 vaults and frightening sections out Of
tneIr Mis- SAID he, but depend upon 1t such
liu7 tir mere bu.hedrs.'
Ihf puucipal objection TO metallic cnffps
on la'monl said. was their weight. on this
trutht undert kers made nght against them,
hhu iNl7rd their customers To take wooden
ll'. auu the undertaker's advice was usually
.un"rd. To overcome tlis objection within
'"iT 10 ave years wrought metal goods mad been
ita'~ iH'>e were lighter-not much heavier
,u@i 'e"pod, ana were painted to resemble
lY''N"'d, 90 other woods, or covered with
PUN 't 'it the taste OF customers. here was
,-r co. rrNnu to them, however: wrought iron
issN furd IN TIM l.iers or plates was sooner
~ ~ 10y rust, which, eating through layer
,''i N-r grad lay maze holes IN the cJffin.
wye lu' maud, ctrt iron would only rust To
no.. 'N
ION sides agree that metallic coiins are not
~. u=ut at Ia the city. IL the country
"P a. luch more popular, ana In the South
,,4 west there n quito a demand for them.
'-N""li, IT, sons may exist Tor this, ana one
''@' ,Ae dtlnI d for them ia the south Is
'A.ri-lNe u-f for conveying inyalids VINO
s,e llel 100 Florida aud other Southern States
~ H'u lilehds ~ the North. la fact, one large
49," ""ui 10 La a. T. say that tie principal