Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1881-04-29
DIR. Le Mozne,. Crsma,orr.

Mr.. Geo. L. Cow (brother-in-law of Rev.
Geo. B. Cow of this village, during visit to
his early home at Washington, Pa, writes as
follows to his paper, the Adair Co. Ia, Re-
porter, of DIR. LIE Moyne's crematory at the
former place:
Nothing perhaps would be more interest
ing, however, than to tell you about the
crematory erected by DIR. ]. F. LeMoyne in
1876. 1t is situated almost on line with the
extension of Main street, but over old Callows
Hill and just out of sight of town. 1t is a
one story brick building, 1S by 20 feet with
an iron roof, and was built at cost Of $500,
outside figures. The interior is divided into
two rooms each with an outside door, one of
which is the reception room and is suitably
furnished for visitors, and the other the re-
tort When 1 visited it, which was on Feb. 10,
last, it was the occasion of the cremation of
Conraden Homberg of Indianapolis. The
cremation was public, but there were only
about dozen persons, all told, including
friends, who had curiosity enough to walk up
over the top of the hill to see it. The fire
was started the evening before, as is always
the case. The outside appearance of the re-
tort is about the same as the fire relorts at
the gas works. When the body arrived it
was taken from the coffin, wrapped in a sheet
thoroughly saturated with alum water;-placed
on an iron frame like bier, and the door of
the retort being opened, the bier and body
were quickly pushed in, the door closed and
the work of incineration began. There is
nothing whatever offensive in the process, and
and all is conducted with as much decorum
as at an ordinary funeral. A few hours only
are required to reduce the body of an ordin-
ary person to three or four pounds of whiten-
ed bones, but the cooling process requires
about twenty four hours, when the dust is re-
moved. This is all. Does it create any ex-
citement or feeling in the town? Literally,
not in the least The first cremation, that of
Baron De Palm, was an occasion of much in
terest and some excitement. Now they take
place without note or comment, only the Re-
porter makes perhaps a six line local of the
fact, and that is the end of the matter. In
cluding the one which took place this week,
and which did not hear of until it was
all over, although spending an hour or
two in the Reporter Office that day, there
have been in all twelve cremations The ex-
pense all told of q cremation after the body
arrives at the depot is $45. There have been
many more applications than there have been
cremations, and applications are not encour-
aged. In various parts of the country are
cremation societies, and the sentiment in fa-
vor of this method of disposing of the dead is
growing very rapidly, both here and else
where.
Sin one respect at least it is benefit to
the morals of part of the community, {. G.,
our colored brethren. In talking with julius
LeMoyne, the son of the founder of the
crematory, asked him what was done with
the long rough boxes in which the cofins were
enclosed. He said he kept oats in them over
in his barn, just across the road from the
crematory, and says he, both my oats and my
chickens in the barn are perfectly safe, for q
darkey wont come within sight of my prem
jses Ghosts D."