The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-07-26
A Corner i'm Coflns.

Once, in certain mining town In Ne
yada, man died. II was an isolated
town, and its people had TO procure their
supplies from q distance. The man died
because, among other reasons, he could
not postpone it. :
The brother of the dead man ordered
handsome coffin for the occasion. He
ordered 1t of an undertaken named
Hotchkiss. The mother-in-law of the
deceased, not knowing this, ordered q
coffin, too-a cheap one. She ordered
it of Sudbery, another undertaken.
Hotchkiss came, measured the corpse,
and withdrew. Shortly afterward Sud-
berry appeared. He took the measure
of the remains, too, the attendants sup
posing that he was in some way con-
nected with the other undertaken.
In the afternoon Hotchkiss came with
his coffin. Il fitted like Q glove. Just
as he was giving the finishing touches,
and making the corpse feel comfortable,
Sudberry arrived with his coffin. They
looked at each other. The latter saw
that the former had got ahead Of him
but that was not all. Hotchkiss' coffin
was not only very handsome one, but
he arranged things so that the corpse
looked like it was proud of being dead.
Its appearance cheered grief-stricken
friends and relatives They were elated.
Sudberry's coffin was cheap and coarse
-and 1t was empty.
They had words. Sudberry blurted
out:
You've taken Q mean, sneakin' ad.
vantage of me-"
"Cofin was ordered of me in q req
lar way" returned Hotchkiss.
"I'd like 10 furnish o coffin to bury
You in" continued Sudberry.
"I'd rather live forever than to be
buried In one Of your old cheap collins"
am cut down the price Of coffins
until you'll have 10 pack your blankets
out OF town."
"Cut away"
He did cut down prices so low that he
got all of Hotchkiss's business. Then
Hotchkiss cut below Sudberry's prices.
It was getting cheaper 70 die than to
live. Several availed themselves Of the
reduced rates. Old Gudsey, who, as q
matter Of economy, ate only one meal Q
day, took this occasion to get OF and
avoid the expense Of even one meal q
day.
Sudberry cut again. Hotchkiss met
1t. Then the former began to pay 8
dollar for the privilege of Undertaking q
corpse. His business hvened up. Teddy
O'Fiynn, who had q partner in q boot
black stand that he could not get along
with, awaited himself OF this opportunity
to dissolve the partnership and make q
dollar. His partner died very unnatu.
rally. The increase Of the death rate OF
the town was very noticeable. A good
many people seized the occasion to get
rid OF their enemies and turn an honest
dollar.
Hotchkiss, too, began to offer reward
of 81 corpse and . drink Of whisky
thrown In. The next morning Rattle
snake Bill, desperate character Of the
town, stopped before Hotchkiss's shop
with four dead Cinnamon In q wagon.
He wanted - and the drinks. The un-
dertaker objected to taking the four
Cinnamon. Bill told him he could take
them or be dumped dead in with them
and 90 over to Sudberry's. Hotchkiss
took the four Cinnamon Bill took the
four drinks. Hotchkiss had cut the
prices as far rs he could. He had a
large family dependent upon him. Sud-
berry had no family-no family ut the
time. He had previously buried the
several members Of his family, a. it came
right In his line, and he did 10 ut first
cost. The former approached the latter
TO see II they could not agree to restore
old prices Sudberry would not enter
tain any such proposition Said he
would sail. Hotchkiss bought.
Then, TO retrieve his losses, he put up
ooffins to exorbitant prices. he knew,
II anyone else set up In the undertaking
business weeks would elapse before his
ooffins arrived. There was q great fall
ing off In the mortality that had pre-
vailed. None but the wealthy could az
ford 10 die-that lis, to die decently.
There was . great deal Of dissatisfaction.
People expostnlatsd with Hotchkiss.
They said g was psgfsctly legitimate to