Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-05-12
A NEW IDEA.
Coroner C1ark's New Establishment-Ele-
CANT Rooms and Novel Arrangements.

Coroner Clarks New Establishment-Ele-
CANT Rooms and Novel Arrangements.
j. Frank Clark, the undertaken and Coro-
ner, has introduced to Sacramento the latest
novelty in that business. The usual style OF
undertakers' rooms has presented on every
hand arrays of coffins, shrouds and all the
trappings of woe. While this is appropriate,
yet the new system goes to the other ex-
IRENE, and conceaIs all these things, out of
consideration for those whose sad duty it is
TO yisis such establishments, and also to Sc
cure the goods from dust, moths, sun ex-
posura, etc. Mr.. Clark has introduced the
new STYLE believing it the best, and also, to sf-
ford Sacramento county proper Coroner's
Office, has enlarged his establishment, reftted
it completely. and effected complete busi-
ness change in his building, No. 1017
Fourth street. He has now, say East
ern visitors, better arranged rooms than
any they are familiar with there, and GER
tainly none in California are superior. The
enlargement takes in the store-roop next
south of his original plscs. This gives a
frontage of 10 by so feet, with Easements for
storage of stock, and the street floors for
business. The Coroner's officer is now in the
new section, and is a neat, well-lighte1 room,
20 by 20 feet. At the rear is glass and
folding-door partition opening into the au-
topsy room, 20 by 16 feet, fitted for its pur-
poses, and for the laying out of bodies to be
viewed by the jurors. This room is also used
as the embalming room. In this business
MIR. Clark has been very successful, making
it specially. A body was recently embalmed
here after three days burial, and sent East,
and was perfectly preserved. To the rear of
this room is one room 40 feet deep, in which
are stored. in tiers on racks, great varieties Of
collins and burial cases. The rear of
this room opens into an l. on the
north, which is the workshop. This
brings the visitor into the second or
old section of the building. From
the workshop one passes west into the
sample room, 20x30 feet in size, elegantly
papered in gold and brown, with ornamental
ceiling. Ga one side, running the entire
length of the room, is series of large lock-
ers, resembling closet fronts, handsomely
finished. Each one of these lockers, or closed
doors, drops by the touch of spring out
ward, swinging in a pivot-hinge at its foot,
and when at horizontal catches and rests.
On its inside is fastened one or more elegant
burial caskets, held to place by simple de-
vice. By this means the casket is quickly
brought to view and placed for inspection at
about the hight OF ordinary trestles, and as
quickly swung back out of sight and kept
free from dust, sunlight, moths, etc. Above
these lockers is second tier extending to the
ceiling. and here are kept all kinds of under.
takers supplies and fittings in quantity. So,
in this sample room, save for single cssket
in glass case in corner, one may enter
without any array of collins meeting
the sight. This sample-room, by broad en-
trance, opens into the autopsy and embslm.
ing room on the south, already described.
The last room of the series is the main office,
separated from the sample-room by glass
partition. The Office fronts, like the Coro-
ner's Office next it, on Fourth street. It is
richly papered in gold on subdued back
ground tint, with an ornamental ceiling of
elegant design, and cornice to contrast, with
heavy gold molding to relieve. The floor is
covered with fine soft tapestry carpet the
furniture is of the best walnut, with heart of
wood and polished panels, aud nickel silver
trimmings. Here are fnely-upholstered
easy-chairs in plenty elegant tables, silver
water service, q ichly-ornamented chande-
lier, lace curtains at the windows, and in the
show-window, instead of collins and shrouds
is a graceful female figure bearing an orna-
mental gas jet. The whole establishment is
novel, rich in furnishing, spacious, and excel.
lently arranged and appointed, and attracts
deserved attention from the public.