Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-05
WINCHESTER CEMETERY.
what 1t Was and what it Has Been
Made by the Care and Labor OF
the Present Superintendent.

What more sacred spot to us can there be
than the cemetery wherein our loved and
lost are laid away until the last trump shall
sound. And what is there more disgraceful
than that, after years, We should visit that
silent city of the dead and find our dear
ones graves leveled by the tramping of many
feet; the Stones that we erected at much
cost to mark their last resting places broken
down and the pieces scattered far and near.
Yet such is the history of the once beautiful
Winchester Cemetery. Since the death Of
Mr.. VIM. r. Smith, the fence surrounding
this silent city was allowed to be broken
down; the ornamental treeP, planted to beau
tify the place, grew without careful hand
TO train, trim and prune them, until with
their interlacing boughs they so completely
shaded the ground that damp, dank
mould-covered ground and marbles alike,
almost obliterating the inscriptions from the
stones. About year ago the Society of
Old Folks obtained possession OF the GEM
etery, and deter mining that it should no
longer be made the resort of low gamblers
and worse caused wire fence to be built
around it, and put the whole in charge OF
one Of their number, Mr.. William S. Rogers,
and since that time it has shown a steady
2nd marked Improvement. Mr.. Rogers has
by hard labor cut away the supertiuous trees,
trimmed the remaining ones, and with the
help (if bestowed) of generous public, will
once more make the place one of beauty, be-
fitting the memory Of loved ones In wan
dering around the Enclosure, one is almost
reminded of some of the buried cities of the
East which are now being again uncovered
to wondering world by scientific MN, only
in those treasure is often found, her. is none;
but the memory of the virtues of those who
have gone before ought to be more precious
to us than gold. Since 1873 no new inter-
ments have been made here; first, because OF
its proximity to great and living city, and
secondly, because the ground was almost
wholly occupied. This cemetery contains
SAG monuments OF this number sixty
eight have fallen, and many more are
leaning and in danger of falling at
any time. These were erected to COM
memorate the last resting places of many
who have male Memphis what she is
to-day. 1t seems an impression is abroad
that the Society of Old Folks pay Mr.. Rogers
for his services. This is mistake, and
probably deters many from taking the neces-
gary steps to have their lots put in proper
shape. The only recon pense Mr.. II ogers re-
ceives is what is paid him by the individuals
who employ him to raise and sod the graves
of their friends, and as he has put his
charges at so reasonable a rate Isl for each
adult and fifty cents for each child's gravel
it is within the reach of nearly all, and those
who are not able to pay this small sum he
volunteers to fix them free, if only notified.
Come then friends, let us all lend a helping
hand, and put this cemetery again in pre-
ssntably shape-an honor to our city and TO
ourselves-and whep, in the coming NJ .y, the
people visit this spot at the old folks reunion
all may go to their houses feeling that in the
years to come when they are laid away they
will not be forgotten, and that coming gener-
ations will keep their memories forever
GREEN