Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1881-04-23

large family dependent upon him. Bud
berry had no family-no family at tn
time. He had previously buried tn
several members of his family, as
came night in his line, and he did it a
first cost. The former approached tn,
latter to see if they could not agree t.
restore old prices. Sudberry would no
entertain any such proposition. Sale
he would SELL Hotchkiss bought.
Then, to retrieve his losses, he pu
mp cOffins to exorbitant prices. H,
knew If any one else set up in the under
taking business, weeks would elapse
before his coffins arrived. There was
a great falling off in the mortality tina,
had prevailed. None but the wealthy
could afford to die, that is, to die dc.
Gently.
There was great deal Of dissatisfac.
ton. People e1postulated with Hotch-
kiss They said it was perfectly legiti-
mate to make q corner in any other
article Of trade, but to make it in coffins
was sacrilegious, and ought not to be en-
dured. He answered that he had az
much right to put up the price of his
wares as baker or butcher had to put
mp prices in his business; that he did
not cause the death Of people, and was
under no obligationto to bury them. Said,
though, that he would bury all he killed.
He further explained that there was no
overwhelming necessity of man to have
a coffin, or even to be buried, as to that
matter that no man would make any
complaint if not buried. Such argyll
ments did not satisfy tho people. None
of them were needing coffins either.
Old man Eli Stone was taken sick be-
fore tho undertakes had compromised
matters, and was not keeping abreast
with the coffin war. He was known to
be the most contrary man in Nevada.
He was old and failing rapidly. The
doctors told him to make whatever prep
arations he desired, as the end was not
far of. A lawyer, being called in, was
writing the old mans will. The diving
mans words were scarcely audible, and
he would have to cease speaking, at
short intervals, to get his fleeting breath.
He could hear good. As the writing of
the will progressed, he overheard some
of his friends in an adjoining room talk
ing about the monopoly in coffins-the
unheard-of charges. He told the law
yer to stop right where he had got.
Said he was not going to odie. He didn't.
The feeling of hostility toward Hotch.
kiss increased. There were mutterinps
for day or two. Finally a mob gath
cred in front of his establishment. The
mon composing the mob did not appear
to be suffering for coffins either. They
were heaithy-looking, and some of them
would weigh 200 pounds. One Dutch
mamie was very bad-would have
weighed 400 pounds. No one ever
thought of his being buried in coffin.
Hogshead. The men hardly knew how
to proceed, their knowledge of mobbing
coffin shops being quite limited. 1t was
at first proposed to burn the building
and contents. This was objected to, as
it would leave the town without collins.
and. consequently, without inducements
to the citizens to die. Then one infuri-
ated little man shouted:
1--WE can use his coffins."
81 don't want to use one," said nm.
other.
"Durned 7 do" exclaimed third.
"Me, nuther, chimed in a ma, dressed
in buckskin.
And "me nuther" seemed to be the
general feeling.
At last, Hotchkiss. speaking through |
m anger hole, agreed to a compromise.
He was to reduce prices for poor peo-
ple, and, where whole family died, to
allow them excursion rates.
Old Eli Stone got we'll. 1t was
thought he would put rp an opposition
lndertaker's shop, to punish Hotchkiss
'or his meanness. No. He presented
Hotchkiss a $500 gold watch, inscribed |
' Yours gratefully. y."-Catyornian.