The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1881-11-17
A Curious Cremation.
HOLDERS OF DEATH-RATTLE POLICIES
PREPARING TO BURN THEM.

HOLDERS OF DEATH-RATTLE Policies
PREPARING TO BURN THEM.
Reading, Nov. l3.-Saturday was
the day set apart for the cremation Of
graveyard insurance policies, and at
Heidt's tavern, Douglas township,
this county, about forty disgusted pol
icy-holders assembled, loaded down
with policies. A rude pine coffin had
been provided and was mounted on q
rude platform in a neighboring shed.
The stories of the policyholders were
rich, rare and racy, and were related
with much gusto. At the head of the
coffin the quaint and curious ceremony
continued for several hours, but owing
to the rain the cremation was post
poned until another time in the near
/ future.
A circular issued several weeks ago
and freely distributed in Berks and
neighboring counties, announced that
on Saturday afternoon, November IL,
all the weary, heavy laden and dis
gusted holders of graveyard life insur-
ance policies would assemble at the
above named place for the purpose of
consigning to eternal destruction every
vestige of their speculative insurance
folly.
"Well, I reckon they'll all be here
with their policies" said Berks
county farmer. II see the boys we
got the coffin all ready, and this is the
afternoon for the cremation. It's II
great pity that the weather's so rainy
We expected men from Lehigh, Mont
gomery. Berks, Bucks and North.
amptOn counties. Then the roads are
so bad. Had these draw backs not oc-
Cured, why instead of fifty strangers
that are now here, we'd have had five
hundred" said the old man, whose
side overcoat pocket was we'll filled
with papers which proved to be insur-
ance policies.
"Oh, yes I'm one of the victims" !"
said he. II was roped in by ST GOTH
tongued young agent, and bt ore 1
knew it held policies over people 1
never heard of before. The agent said
they lived over in the mountains and
were dying. / knew l was doing
wrong, but the devil and that agent
had the best of me. A few days after
ward l found out that those people /
held policies on were very old and
feeble, but they wouldn't die, as have
found out to my sorrow Indeed, dy-
ing people nowadays let themselves
be insured on purpose to live longer.
Insurance seems to make them health.
ier and stronger. Well, got in deeper
and deeper, and in three years have
paid out over four thousand dollars
and | made my mind up to quit. Why
I had but one old woman t" die Of my
insurance, and she brought me in but
$i60 on a thousand dollar policy. Sc
1 determined to come to this cremation
in order to do what little 1 could
toward making show that would
teach the whole country a healthy les
son of the folly of speculative insur
ance. All these men that you see in
the tavern feel just as 1 do. They
have their policies with them ant
they have made up their minds nevel
to pay another dollar of assessment"
The old man was correct, and a few
hours later, when some twos dozen o
them piled up their policies on the bar
there were enough to have filled ;
large-sized basket. The rain cam,
down in torrents, and finally it wa
determined that the cremation woul,
be postponed until such time as fai
weather would permit an open-ai
ceremony, after due public announce
ment had been made.
The following programme was sug
gested, and in all probability will 10
carried out. The coffin is to be place,
on frame platform in the middle
of the public road Undrrnrati
will be shavings saturated via
oil. On the morning ot the creinatio!
day, the leading graveyard inSuranc,
ghouls of the county will he hung il
etfigy. In the afternoon the policy
holders will form Il hollow squar,
about the coffin. The oldest policy
holder will be master of ceremonies
and will take his position at the heat
of the coffin. He will appoint his a,
| sistauta and the orator Of the duy
The policy-holders will advance on
by one and drop their policies in th
coffin. Each man will he allowe,
five minutes to give his experience
He must do so at the coffin side. an,
when finished he will drop it in, il
full view of all present. After eacl
experience three groans will be given
No man who is afraid of having hi
name printed need show himself OF
the ground. An ode specially writer
for the occasion will be sung to tn
tune of "Old Grimes" Copies will b
printed in advance and handed around
The master of ceremonies will read
line, which will then be sung afte
him, line for line, until the ode
ended. One groan will follow eacl
verse. Every one participating will b
expected to preserve straight fac
and discountenance any levity A
the conclusion of the ode three groan
will follow, and after few brief re
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