Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-09-03
WOODEN COFFINS.
where the Material Comes From
Change in Public Taste.

The business of manufacturing
wooden collins has fully kept pace
with the advances in other depart
ments of woodworking Years ago
every eighborhood and village had
its local undertaken, who kept small
stock of coffin stuff, and made collins
for his customers when ordered. AS
a general rule IN the country the best
collins were made OF black walnut.
finished on the outside simply with
beeswax and a hot sadiron. Ike
cheapest collins were made OF pine,
poplar, and other light wood, with
flat tops, and merely stained black.
An under taker who could make Meat
walnut coffin with a raised lid was
considered "boss" workman. Dur
ing the war the demand for collins
placed the business of their manufac-
tQre III the hands of contractors, who
erected factories and equipped them
with special machinery. The business
was found so profitable that the fac
tories were not only continued after
the war, but greatly enlarged, and
their numbers have constantly in>
creased since. There are in the Uni-
ted States about forty coffin factories.
located principally west of the Allie
ghenies, where suitable lumber is mere
plentiful and cheaper than in the east.
The largest concern is located in Gin
clnnatl, and another at st. Louis
which has flooring space Of $4,000
square feet and employs one hundred
men, besides several women, who are
employed In making burial clothes
and shrouds, a business that is of re-
cent date and which Is rapidly grow
ing. The coffin manufacturers of the
United States are banded together I'M
der the name Of the National Burial
associan. They meet four times a year
IN different cities. and probably they
can control the price of their products
better than any other similar organi-
cation. A few years ago there was
quite rage for metallic burial cases,
but of late the preference is for wooden
collins. A considerable number of
American collins are shipped abroad,
mostly to England, South Africa,
Cuba, and the South American states.
Those made for export are of the
knock down style, and are put to-
gether at their places Of designation,
except those shipped to England.
They are made of white oak, perfectly
air tight, tongued and grooved, and
the lids fitted with a rubber fange.
Walnut is mostly used for the best
class collins, but some very finely
polished ones are made o. sweet gum
When finished up finely it resembles
cherry somewhat, and is called satin
walnut" Poplar is used 10 a greater
extent IN the business than any other
wood. 1t is cheap, easily worked and
adapted to the requirements of the
business Neither the kind of wood
OF which coffin is made nor it's prob
able dura bility affects its price to much
extent, for the price depends upon the
style Of finish, and ranges from So or
IS up to the full extent Of the custom
er's ability to pay. Much of the wealth
and labor of the country is annually
buried in the soil through a fashion
that calls for ridiculously expensive
funerals. An impression prevails that
the coffin business is free from the
fluctuations that affect other lines,
out 1t Is erroneous. Like all others,
it is good when times are good, and
dull when times are hard. Neither
does it receive a boom when cholera,
yellow fever or other epidemIcs pre-
vail, as might naturally be expected
The demand for children's coffins is
greater in the summer, but the sea
soRs have very little effect upon the
demand for adults collins. During
hard tines, when money is scarce, the
trade in high priced collins fall off,
but on the whole, business is govern
ed pretty much by the same rule as
others. The coffin factories are among
the best and most reliable customers
the lumbermen have, and use very
considerable part Of the poplar cut of
southern mills.