Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-27
From Il Crenlationist.

EDs. RECoRD-UNIoN: One, signing q a
| German-American,' asks in a newspaper
letter in your city if any soldier black or
| white, would ever think of burning the
body of our beloved General Grant That
is intended as hit at those who believe in
, cremation. 1t is an odd way to stir up op-
position TO incineration. l am a German
born but am not a German-American.
am an 4mertCd}l-not Il half and half. Let
me have room to say | am Il cremationist.
No man holds General Grants memory
dearer than | do. | would not burn the
body of friend, but incinerate it-reduce
it 10 ashes. In modern cremation one is
not burned as were the martyrs. The First
Cremation Society, of San Francisco, is
composed mainly Of Germans-so much so
that its laws are printed in German for
convenience. Cremation is more popular
in German States than anywhere else, be-
cause it saves the body from the corrup-
ton and loathesomeness of the grave :;
because it is clean, safe to the living,
respectful to the dead, and has been hon
ored among all men. Romans and Greeks
practiced it in their best time julius CaSar
had his funeral pyre. Hebraists OF old Gre
mated as q high honor to kings and warri-
ors Henry Laurens the dearest friend of
Washington and distinguished statesman
and soldier of the revolution, had his body
cremated. J. ID. Beugless, of the United
States army, is head of the Cremation So
ciety of New York. Sir Charles Dilke's
wife's body was sent to Germany purposely
to be cremated. The city of Vienna pro-
vides crematories for all who desire, and
encourages cremation instead of burial.
Among great men German-American "
Aov oorl Of l,A
lists, were Goethe, the great, the one poet
(see Natur Tochter Autzug, ill Platen, a
favorite German poet; Justinius Kerncr,
the poet Oberptarrer DeLang, the distin-
guished the great Professor Reclaim of
Leipsic Professor Book, DR.. Mosckau, Dr.
Bagrusky, DR.. Bernstein, DR.. Trusen, Herr
Stier of Gotha, DIR. Coletti of the University
of Padua, DR.. PM, Dr. Brunetti, the great
Dr. Wegmann-Erculani, NJ. Pasteur, the
great scientist, Professor Chaumont; the
eminent scientist. DR.. Siemens of Berlin.
Maybe, too. he has heard that the poet
Shelley was cremated, Baron de Palm of
Bavaria, and other great people. He may
have heard of Sir Thomas Browne, Sir
Henry Thompson the great doctor; Sir
Spencer Wells, Sir Lyon Playfair, Dr. Far
quhaFson and other illustrious men, as
cremationists. He may have heard that the
Society of Medical Officers of Health and the
Sanitary Institute of Great Britain, and the
Surgeon-General of the United States
Army, all favor incineration. He may
have heard that the NEST splendid Grafton
in German literature, and quoted as finest
example, is that of the eminent DR.. Kinkle,
of Dresden; that Anthony Trollope, Shir
ley Brooks, and great churchmen and
scholars and humanitarians, of Europe and
England, are cremationistS; that the cele-
brated Dr. Richter DR.. Rudler, DR.. kuech
meister are also cremationiSts. He may
have heard that the great International
Medical Congress at Florence passed unani-
mously Professor Colettis and Professor
Castiglione's resolutions that every posi-
BILE means should be used to substitute in
cineration for Inflammation" that the great
Medical Congress in Rome passed the same
resolutions; that the Royal Institute of Sci
ence and Letters, of Lombardy, petitsoned
the italian Parliament to the same effect;
that the leading men Of science ara relig-
ion, and the newspaper world ard medi-
cine, are to-day cremationis,s. If the body
of the noble beloved Grant could be incin-
Grated, his ashes could be inteTged in New
York, in Washington, at West Point, in
San Franciscan many places-and mon
uments be erected over hifn at each place
by loving people and not such things be
as soldiers guarding from the robber the
decaying remains as IN the case OF Lincoln
and Garfield, and Others. Respectfully,
CREMATIoSIsT.
San Francisco, July q, 1885,