Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-05-26
ELMWOOD CEMETERY.
President LenOw Has "A Few words 10
Say In Defense of His Management.

To the Editors of the Appeal:
/ There are in this mornings APPEAL, in
| your local columns, several articlesj so must
/ and uncalled for as TO myself and Elm wood
| Cemetery, that I am compelled to answer
and refute them. From the headlines,
"Grave Despoilers-Dust of Poor People
! in Elmwood Cast TO the Wandering
| Wind" etc, one would think that the
officers of Eimwood were doing the
most horrible things, and 1 was
not at all surprised that several
friends have called to inquire what we were
doing. l have been president of Eimwood
for more than a quarter of a century, and
have always sriven to do my duty faithfully
and fearlessly. | have made some enemies,
but, thank God, my hosts of friends far out
number them, and as long as i remain at Its
head and have anything to do with its man
agement, 1 shall not shrink from my duty.
have grown gray in its service, and have
served it with but little reward during those
long years. The writer alludes to me as
he asked about this and that, that he was
answered, sits the captains orders;" and he
sneeringly asks, "Why, Monsieur lie capt.
taine" 1t would seem to me that my age
would have had sufficient respect with the
writer to have prevented him addressing me
thus. But times have changed, and man.
kind with them. As you have seen proper
items, / will now proceed to answer them,
and, in justice, hope you will publish my re-
ply. At our last annual meeting, Superin-
tendent Punch, among other things, recon-
mended
THE LEvELING OF ALL THE GRAVES
in all the single grave sections or public
lots. A resolution was introduced and
unanimously adopted that all graves in the
single sections, both white and colored, be
leveled and MANFRED. Colonel William F.
Taylor, one of our trustees, warmly espoused
the motion, and stated that he would confer
with the committee OF Confederate soldiers
and get their consent to have the same thing
done with the Confederate soldiers graves.
| may say that this action was not
hasty and unconsidered, but has been
talked about and considered for years.
Our experience and that of other ceme-
teries has taught US that it is far better for
the graves to be even with the surface of the
ground, nicely sodded with green sward,
than to remain barren clay hillocks. After
an interment takes place and the grave has
sufficiently settled we cod the grave. All
graves are sodded by the company one time
without charge. After that the sodding
must be done by relatives or friends. In some
instances friends keep up this work, but in a
large majority of cases the graves are neg
Iected and become an eye-sore to visitors. 10
superintendent has been leyeling the graves,
and this fall will have the grounds we'll
and sown IN grass. We expected
some opposition to this moysment, as it has
been opposed by lot-owners and others in
Spring Grove Cemetery, at Cincinnati, and
in some other leading cemeteries in the
North. In Spring Grove every grave is
secti5h Fad in private and public lots. That
is conducted on
THE LAWN PLAN,
and no prettier or more inviting spot can be
found anywhere than within those hallowed
grounds. And we have an illustration of
This lawn plan st our own doors. Let the
writer visit the National Cemetery and see
how beautiful that spot has been made, and
how few men are enabled to do the work |
Of many. So much pleased are several of
our lot-owners with this plan that they have |
given orders to have their lots leveled. The |
Board Of Trustees under the charter (see |
section u, page "a, of Elmwood book have |
full authority to pass the resolution. 1t was |
we'll considered and will be most certainly |
executed, in the white and colored sections, |
until every grave is leveled. In charity to |
the writer, / think his mind must have been |
wandering" to a great extent when he |
visited the cemetery, or he would not have |
charged US with removing the dust of the |
poor people. w ueu we remove Tue mOuuus |
we do not remove the dust of the dead. We |
DO not bury on the ground, but bury in the |
yround-fve feet beneath the surface. This |
movement is rot aimed at and intended for |
he poor people, as the writer would have
THE FRIENDS OF THE DEAD
buried in single section believe. Those who
know me, and of my management OF Elm
wood, know and believe, and cannot be made
o think otherwise, than that know neither
-ich nor poor in all that / do for it. Elm
wood is no rich mans cemetery; but there
he rich and poor lie in silent repose what
,ver their positions in life may have been.
We have much work to do, and mere than
,ur means will permit us to do
irmIy believe that they can manage
1lmwood better than "Old Man Lenow"
an, and some think the writer did, that it
5 "one-man concern" and such persons
would have me- as fgurehead, and not
. live, active president, as l should be. l
m still active and vigorous, and may sur
i've still many years, and some one will
ave to succeed me and take my place. If
here are any that can improve on my man
cement, God speed them, and 1 will gladly
MENTION their names to our trustees, that
hey may have no trouble to get successor
Then ! am dead and gone, but as long as i
i've and am president, l shall do what |
hink is right,
THOUGH THE HEAVENS FALL.
The writer charges that we are throwing
way the rose-bushez, ornaments, etc. This
} unjust and unfounded, and would, If true,
e a dissertation. Everything found on a
rave is carefully put aside until the work
leveling is finished, and then put back in
lace. No trouble can be experienced in
nding grave, as posts number each grave.
4. J III H.
lanted, and we intend to make hower-beds
every section, where sweet-bIooming flow
re- will contrast with the green sward, in
lakiug the single sections, now an eye
ore, beautiful locations, and we firmly
elieve that when our people become edu-
ated TO having graves without mounds, that
viii be universally adopted by lot-owners.
ur board of trustees is composed of some OF
he best and truest men in Memphis, and it
ould be hard to convince anyone that they
ould do, or permit wrong act TO be done
Y any officer or employe OF
ELMwooD
would be glad if the APPEAL would send
u: committee to examine into this alleged
ssecrstion business. Select them from the
nployes of the APPEAL, or from any other
lliing in life. They will be welcomed by |
e and treated politely, and matters will
: explained TO them on the grounds {
Eimgood, | think to their satisfaction, {
lat we do not wish to disturb their {
cad, that we always listen to complaints
nd will have such corrected. The insinua- I
on that this "self-ssme voice of lot-owners"
wish to speculate in these graves once paid /
II by making a new burial ground" is too !
lworthy OF my notice to reply to. / am
% we'll aud favorably known TO the people !
Memphis for them to entertain such an i
ga for one moment The writer well knew
at no one in the service OF Elmwood dare
such thing, and if he believes in justice
will retract this insinuation, with other
istakes that he has made. ,
JOSEPH LENoW, President.
Mrs. NANCY HARTMAN, of Mansfield, Ohio
-ites: Il have been under the care of a ply
ian during the past seven years Sometimes
,uld feel better and then again would feel / r
,rse. The past two years nothing seemed 10 help
:. About two months ago my doctor seemed TO I
getting discouraged, and lay completely bed
iden 1 grew very nervous; the least noise gave r
great irritation. The doctor, suppose more
get me OF his hands than anything else, he
q would never leave my bed, told me might C