, 1885-08-18
CEMETERY ART.
Re REQUIREMENTS OF FASHION" IN
ToMesToNEs AND MONUMENTS.
The Low. broad. Plat Stone More popu.
lar Than the Tall riiIar-Grnnits
Sa. Marble rygnres and
Quaint Devices

ucFc - very fhIcl1 any mater 81
change in what may be ca led the ashton
Of 'omhsiuies and monuments. a monu
ment cutter said -1he work becomes
more artistic, but does not material y
aher in design. We hive still the low.
broad. Lat stone. lending nn idea OF
Strength and soiidity rather than beauty,
although many Of The sto.4es are very
handsome. They are. per 81 even
more popular than the tall pillars. but
that ma lie due 10 The fact that the, are
less expensive rtil, some If the richest
men in the country have placed them
over their family grave plots ay , ouid
among others, u though his Is unusually
graceful for a heavy stouc. some are
SIMPLY large b locks Of granite. or. IL ma
be. marble without anyth ng In the shape
Of carving tu relieve their somber appear
apce except the smooth place where the
name - cut, or, more ordinarily, placed
In IA sed letters That Is the old style.
and IL still holds its own.
~Eut another XII d Il fiat stone Is be-
coming popu ar. The ponderous appear.
ance is lesscned by having the upper pert
supported by granite pillars instead of the
customary blocks of stone. and various
de ices IA carving tend TO lend grace and
beauty TO the II, nument. The Eat stone
is Lot usually Of polished granite. In the
very nature Of the something
rugged Is supposed. and 4 the stone wer0
highly polished and granite takes n fsr
h guer polish than marble the elect
would be marred AID the design incon.
5 sient. figures Of life are very seldom
carved on tie Lat stones. ns they would
have 10 be e Their very short or p.aced in
a horizontal position, The hat stones are
generally over vaults. but not uncom
monty we are ordered to place one of
them over a single grave.
he pillar or oDelisk style of monu-
ment ranges usually from fifteen to twenty
feet in height. They are genera ly of cut,
but not polished. granite. the only part
polished being the space where the name
or ins. Iiption is carved. The old style
Of a heavy, broad pillar with an oLelisk
top still prevails. but taller. more slender
and more artistic C, lumns are Dnding
favor. They are embellished with all
sorts of designs. and the art of the sculp-
tor, as well as his a%tience, is often taxed
10 the utmost 10 produce a statue that has
no meaning, and should have no exist
ence. Except in the brain OF The wea thy
owner Of the monument. A small Inquire
on the top. so high up that its features
can hardly be distinguished. but which
n c supposed 10 bear some resemblance to
those OF the person whose remain are
entomled below. Is common weakness.
"A figure Of life, or even heroic size,
however. IS often placed upon the sum.
init Of the pillar. and this. if well exc
cuied. and in harmony with the structure
it stands upon. has a ine effect. although
IL gives the column. perhaps. too much
the appearan e OF a public monument.
Tut tine s~tatuary is , suaily placed nearer
10 the ground. and very quaint devices
find expression in It, Greenwood and
" God avn cemeteries. especially the
former. are rich in curious. eccentric. and
beautiful des gns-for we can not dictate
All we can do is TO foil, W the instruction. IS
given Us. and ii we are re ulred u put
upon the pillar a lamb. a giant, y dwarf.
n lady in voluniinous skirts. our bust
ness is 10 do il in the lest style we can-
quare shaped and round. three cor
nered aud huted. rough cut. and, on rare
o c%asions. even polished granite or mar
lie pillars are us d.. The broken column
Is II cry poDu ar design. II ~ usually
n out eight feet h Oh, aud round. IL Is
often polished to give greater enect TO the
rugged. irrcgu ar top where IL is sup.
posed to have been nroken of. or the
mot Tait lillars I all kinds stand u on
n uua stone pedestal. but at times we
are requ red 10 erect a slender co umn
strai ht from the ground This has a
uaiut and rather p easing c ecL lal
stones are oftel placed in position over q
vault long hefore The death Of any mem
Der of a famil.. iiliars are yer, rarely
erected until someb dys remains have
leen deposited below. A pillar Is usu.
ally intended to commemorate one per
son. a at may cover q
whole family
We have ceased fer some time TO i'm.
port graveyard designs from italy or else
where. One reason for this Is that all the
hnest work Of italia sculptors Is in mar
be. a d Italian mar Q will by no means
stand the wear ant tear of our varying
climate. In a lew years its creamy iiie
MISS turns 10 IN ugly grayish mud col r.
and dark veins a pear upon IL inally,
It begins 10 Oh p and crumble. and be
comes IN uns ghtly oh ect Italian gran
lie will not bear our climate. 1t has been
tried