Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-12-13
MI scElIAHEous.
A Curious Cremation.
Holders of Deatis fPatne Ro1icie, P,epar;,o
to Burn Them.

A dispatch from Reading, (Pa) to the
Philadelphia Press, says:
Saturday was the day set apart for the
cremation of graveyard insurance policies,
aud at Heidts tavern, Douglass township.
rms county, about forty disguised polioy>
5 holders assembled. loaded down with policies.
rude pine coRio had been provided and
was mounted on rude platform in neigh
eor'ng shed: The stories of the policy,hoId
ers were rich, rare and racy. and were related
with much gusto. At the head of the coffin
the qusint eod curious ceremony continued
feE several hours, but owing to the rain the
cremation was postponed until another time
N the near future.
circular issued several weeks ago. aud
sfeety distributed in Bcrks end Deighborip.
counties announced that on Saturday after.
noon, November IL. all the weary, heavy La
den aud disguised holders of graveyard life
insurance policies would assemble at the
s above>named place for the purpose of con-
signing to eternal destruction every vestige
oftheir speculative insurance folly
"Well, reckon they'll all be here with
their policies" said Berks county farmer.
u see the boys We got the coffin all ready.
ana this Is the afternoon for the cremation.
Its great pity that the weather's so raipv.
We expected men from Lehigh, Mon:gom>
CRY, Berks, Bucks aud NorthaGp ton coun-
ties. Then the roads so bad Fl ad these
drawbacks not occurred, why, instead of fifty
strangers that are DOW here, we'd have had
I'VE hundred" said the old man, whose side
oyerccat pocket was well filed with papers,
which proved to be insurance. policies.
"Oh, yes, l N one of the victims" said
he. 81 was roped in by acknowledgement
young agent, and before l knew it I held
Policlss over men aud women [ never heard
OF before. The agents said they lived over
10 tho mountains and were dying knew
was doing wrong, but tho devil and that
agent had the best of me. few days after
ward found out that those people held
policies on were very old and feeble, but
they wouldn't die as have found out to nv
sorrow. Indeed, dying people now a,dnys
let themselves be insured on purpose to live
longer. Insurance seems to make them
healthier and stronger. Well, got 10 deem
or and deeper, and in three years had paid
eat over four thousand dollars and I made
: my mind up to quit. Why. 1 had but one
old woman to die of my insurance, and she
brought me in but one hundred and sixty
dollars on thousand dollar polioT. So |
determined to come to this cremation in or
der to do what little could towards making
show that would teach the whole country
healthy lesson of the folly of speculative
Insurance. All these men that YOU see in
the tavern feel just I do. They have their
policies with them, and they have made up
their minds mover to pay another dollar Of
assessments"
The old man was correct, and few hours
iator, when some two dozen of them piled up
their policies on the bar, there were enough
70 have filed large sized basket The rain
came down in torrents, and finally it was de,
term'ned that .he cremation would DO most
poned until such time fair weather would
permit an open-air ceremony, after due pub
lilo announcement had been made
The following programme was suggested
and in all probability will BIO carried out /:
The coffin is to be placed on frame Mat
form in The middle of the public road. In
derneath will be shavings saturated with oil
On. the morning of tho cremation day the
leading graveyard INSURANCE. ghouls of the
country will be hung in ef6gy In the after
noon the policy holders will form 4 hollow
square about the coffin. The Oldest policy-
holder will be master of ceremonies, and will
take his position at the head of the coffin.
He will appoiot his assistants and the orator
of the day. The poiicy-holders will advance
enc by one aad drop their policies in the
coffin. Each man will be allowed five min,
utes to give bis experience. II must do so
81 the coffin side, and when finished he will
drop it in, in full view of all present. After
each experience three groens will BIO given.
No man who is afraid of having his name
printed need show himself on the ground.
An ode specially written for the occasion
will be sung to the tune of ''Old Grimes"
Copies will be printed in advance and handed
around The master of ceremonies will read
line, which will then be sung after him.
line for limo, until the ode is ended One
aroan will follow each verse Every ono
participating will be expected to preserve
straight face and discountenance any levity.
At the conclusion of the ode three groans
will follow, and after a few brief remarks nv
the orator of the day match will be applied
and the platform, coffin and all the policies
will be destroyed A grand walk around
will follow. and later in the evening dance
will take place in commemoration of tho lib
Grafton of the slsvcs of the insurance mas
tors. No date hns as yet been fixed upon
but it is believed that Saturday, December
3, will DO named. The most elaborate prep
aratioDs will DO made for the event, and from
present appearances general halliday in that
section will be observed on that day
"I'm sorry you travelled all this distance
to day and then not sec the cremation" said
the farmer above alluded to, but then you
see for yourself that while we are all ready
and willing, we could cot we'll go through
with the ceremony in the rain to>ds5. Be-
sides we expect six times as many policy
holders here clear day. Don't fail to
be here when it comes of. 1t will be rare
sight"
CArAsRH.-CISar head and voice, easy breath.
ing, sweet breath. perfect smell, taste and hear
ing. cough. no distress. These arc conditions
brought about in Catarrh by the of sanford's
Radical Cure. One bottle Radical Cure, one box