The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-06-27

h Lucey, in tie Pail Mall Ca


H. W. Lucey, in the Pail Mall Gaz
cite says: There is one nation, now
the Oldest empire in the world, where
cremation is an established usage, and
where the government, with a shrewd
appreciation Of the advantages Of sani-
tary laws, have Of late years carefully
fostered it. This is Japan, where Gre
nation establishments, under Govern
ment control, are to be found in all the
chief cities. In Toxic, the principal
place of cremation is situated at Shen-
10, a suburb. After an hours drive
through a lane Of busy life we cameto the
silent house where the dead awaited the
last service Of the living. 1t stands q
little apart from the main road, q
building of a single story, with an in
nocent-looking tall chimney, and might
be connected with a pottery or small
iron foundry. The business is always
conducted privately, and there are few
in Toxic, except those who are pro-
fessionally engaged, who have witt
messed the process. But ar
ran ements made by the omnipotent
foreign minister opened the doors, and
secured a respectful welcome for us.
We first received in the house of the
manager, where tea was served in price.
less porcelain cups of Kutania ware.
The furnace, if SO imposing aname may
be used for a process so simple, stood q
few PAGES from the house. On entering
it there was nothing to be seen but what
appeared to be two butter tubs resting
upon a few fagots of wood. There were
several cavaties about two inches deep
and a foot long in the stone floor, and
these were filed with shavipgs. Ac-
! cogding to municipal law, no burning is
to be done before half-past six in the
evening. 1t still wanted ten minutes to
that time, but in the circumstances the
manager thought he would be safe in
anticipating the hour, and the shavingS
were fired. One of the men, kneeling
before the growing flame, famed il with
q piece of wood. 1t caught the dry fag-
gots, greedily licked the sides Of the
tub, rose high in the air, and then, with
a horrible thud, the head Of the barrel
burst outwards. Quick as thought, the
man seized a large piece Of wood, lying
by in readiness, and hid from sight
whatever may have protruded. It is the
boast of the skiIlful cremator that'under
his supervision the contents Of the
barrel are never exposed to
view. A heavy mating Of wet straw is
laid over the length Of the barrel be-
fore the fire is ignited. AS the barrel is
burned away this falls in and covers the
body. In three hours the work is done.
Every particle of flesh is burned away,
and there remains only the skeleton.
The bones and the teeth the relatives
collect and give them supulture. There
are three classes of cremation at this es-
Enlistment. In the first class each
body is burned separately a charge be-
ing made of 7 yen, equal to 28s, in our
money. In the second class the charge
is only 10s., the difference being that
two or more, according to the briskness
of trade, are burned at the same time.
The third class pay 6s. 3D., the SEM
blance of a coffin provided by the tub
being dispensed with. 1t viii be seen
that, as compared with the most moder-
ate scale of ordinary burial charges,
cremation is cheap. As far as ! could
gather, it is this which recommends it,
self to the class Of Japanese, generally
the least wealthy, who avail themselves
of the resources at the establishment nt
Shen- 10 and kindred institutions.