Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-28
PRIVATE BCRIAIas.
Some Talk About Custom Recently
Begun Here, But Becoming POpu-

lar.
Within the last year al innovation has
sprung up in our midst that has assumed
wonderful proportions and bids fair to be-
come general or at least very common. We
refer TO the matter of private interment. 1t
is now scarcely year since the first inter
ment OF this nature was made here, bur IT
has been followed by a large number OF
Others until now among the weather.
exception. This new and very
Commendable manner OF proceeding, recon-
mends itself at once to all sensible people
for several reasons, the principal being its
CheapneSS, unoltruSivencSS, and the more
important fact that ii excludes all curious
persons from the house in which the corpse
Is laid. In regard to its CheapnesS, a very
few words will demonstrate its importance:
There are at most any ordinary funeral
from four to twenty-five hacks and carriages
10 say nothing of the other COnveyanCcs
that are always found there. These con-
ycvanccs are always procured from livery
men at a cost ranging from - 10 81 each,
and the single item of carriages alone ran
yes from SO to so and sums far i'll excess
ui these.
Another objection said gentleman to
our reporter day or two ago us
the constant attendance upon funcr-
ais of what is known rs 'funer-
al ficndS.' or persons of laChrymOSc
nature. who 20 10 iuneralS,tO weep and ride
10 the cemetery in carriages. For long
time" continued our informant. there
were certain persons in this city whom We
looked for at every funeral rs regularly aS
We looked for the corpse. and il the corpse
had revived at any time, il could not have
astonshed Us more than their OhsCnCc.
People get tired OF this sort OF Il NUS
anCc, and il was probably this secondary
consideration in the makeup of the
determination To have only private
funerals Another view OF the matter Is
that the friends of the dead do not wish I"
be annoyed by the presence al an md!H-
Criminate parcel OF persons who collect at
the hour uf the funeral merely through
motives Of curiosity. Ii there is one time
above another when friends wish 10 he UNI
disturbed and unann0ycd it is when their
friends lie dead near them, but under the
former status of things the dead was mere
" an object of curiosity and was regarded
with about the same feeling by an observer
that was felt in Il CurSury examination ut
an ornament of the coffin or the flowers
that lay upon the breast OF the corpse.
Now they are not ANNOYED by the presence
of these persons, and the intermcnt is car
ricd out with all the privacy desirable.
In circulating among our undcrtakerN
o,ir renorter met with several and below We
giy. ,Le snb,tanrr nf their ideas:
Mr. I'd Nrudrl said. YES. there is
.trnnr tendency in the direction You men
tinn | s,nnntc il i, ON account OF saving
rvnrn,r, lido think, though, they are a<
cyrI,,.ivr in thr matter AS they might be.
Sn,ncnfrbcm forinStancc will advertise that
services will he held at the house, to which
friends are invited. This can hardly be
called private. Ny idea oi such proceed
ing Is that none tn, the relatives
and one ur two invited friends should
Ice present, and through these all
arrangement should Ice carried ont. In
New Orleans il i thcrr>;nm iur even the