The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05
DYING IN PARIS.
Funeral Fuss ana Feathers and the Least
Of IL All,
baltimore Sun Paris Letter !

have, and indeed many others have, pic
! tured something about the expense Of living
| in Paris. Few OF US say anything about the
commend to ali visitors here to postpone their
dying until they get further on In the world.
A man is "ruined for life il he dies here. It
is the most expensive place In Europe to
| shuttle of this mortal coil. Don't do it. Live
and spite the doctor and his aids de-camp,
the UerUfcateuTs des deces, the funeral fur
nishers, the cemetery vampires, and the end
less accessories that demand endless francs.
The expense to bury one dead man In Paris In
day would comfortably support a whole
months "alive and kicking" The red tape the
black cloth, the fuss and the feathers In the
most modest style will absorb nearly $500.
From the hour that Death comes In the house
until he goes out again Mammon is actively
dancing attendance upon him. am not sur
prised people dread to die. / begin to feel
that way myself the longer live here. The
details OF these expenses, however serious the
subject may be In every aspect, present never
When In the bill Of items you see tears, fif-
teen francs" "weepers ten francs" and "re-
grets, twenty-five frances you are inclined to
laugh. When you see sliding scale of grief
show, empty carriages and much mournful
sham, you are forced to smile. When you
get those big sheets Of letter paper,
!ettre dc fare part, with solemn black
borders e rs, and the polite sentence Of
ishes Of lively Photographic letters, and com COM
mencing "Vous etes prize dassister a,lr conpoi
ct service d." etc.; and when you see a long
list OF names OF family relatives and friends
also beautifully hourished, you are amazed
with this document being so Historically YER
bose, humorous and jokishly inclined, for FREE
quently some of the possessOrs Of these names
are thousands Of miles away and perfectly
Ignorant OF the death OF the mourned ones. /
Axx4n
details Of LES Pompes Funebres," whole
sale and ready made burying and burial-fur-
nishing establishment at La Villette that has
. monopoly Of doing ..the dead business" It
does "a roaring trade" and divides handsome
annual profits to the shareholders, In sums of
millions OF francs It is an excellent institu-
tiOn, combining system and promptness to q
marvellous degree, and employing thousands
OF professional ''m0urners" fearful per-
sonages ready made or to order. The build
public edifice in Baltimore, and has every APP
pliance, from nearly one Thousand saddened
black horses to millions OF immortelles that
may be required for every grade OF funeral.
the various expressions Of 1.-THE depths OF
grief" suitable for funerals OF high and low
degree, and though they are prOverbial jokers
among themselves; a smile or cheerful express
sion OF face while on duty would involve inn
mediate dismissal. The master of ceremo-
MES, or ordonnateau', 10 dramatic parsonage.
dressed like the Speaker of the British House
Of Commons, or a superb turnkey In black,
with a massive steel chain and round cape, in
addition to his black silk stockings, patent
leather shoes and bright steel buckles, cutaway
coat and general court costume. He moves
about with more ease and grace-and more
Importance than the famous prince Of pew
openers in New Yorktown. He figures
largely In the bill, as does everything
grave being the most expensive item Of all
The only commendable feature OF these cere-
monies Is celebrity, and the sooner such are got
rid of the better.