Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-07-21
ABOUT UNDERrAkERs
Those Whose Business II u 20
Bury the Dss.d
a seasssr C4nlns Froats Cat oo~u %
chsrity WgsG-rYgss - Dri''i Esrty
Esss4srrissss Sosaissasastss II ssasF-
.l-ssasrs--I 4rr.aE Ciastoisss

porter assesl undertaken.
We are a lolF lot 4heu ~s kst o1t
amgng ours=lses, hs said There's a.
dsay ins that ne are = good Heal Ike
ether meu ta4t respect. Oair ssSoclA-
tions hssa their rateraal meetings, sRd
4s a. aay s. iaanag ge 70 have good time.
IS e - % anIaseinsats and ttke oar alps.
D1t. speaking fronl q strictly bus asss
boint ~ sie~ I tant saf a. Is pisasaat-
W hat 81 sss ia it oat zfisf and teaIh'
~ had o. choose over agzln 1 ~01ld have
nothing % 81 @lln inH
a. IL tue mat yoa have dropped the
naHla undertaken Ia your b0sluess and
adopted that Il -fg1er a. lIrect1Ty"
Not here, 10 may he - Ia the East
Ihere are only to undertaksrs IN this
eity ~ho annOznce on their car thas
they aFs funeral directors Ninety elght
0at of every hundred are members II the
associations and the more higb sounding
ualn- Is not eoantenAneed Ia these. We
have our papers, TOO enc ckrosfa IN Chi
ca 80 and the Caskfs ia Rochester, besides
oghers"
A. ' i any special preparation necessary"
I" AL man has % 10 to become an un-
/ dertaker = c. possess good G. aracter to
/ besin with. Tor Cur calling Is next 70 that
I of fhe minister Then he may rent store
anI bay his goods and begin. or course,
ilfs better @ begin as an undertaken TOY
and learn how u wash and prepare a
I body \ ears ago, you know, No used Ice,
I but 10 Is not any more. We haven't
used any ice for four years. The emhalm-
I ins process Is all the 20 A. pr seut. There
/ Is no heavy. unwleliy Ice box nov; just
a little cooling board, little grip-sack %
carry the huid Ia, and you are ready 10
answer a call"
4" l. the vocation healthy 0ne2"
/ L" Yes. sir; don't know Of the death OF
/ more than four undertakers here IN thirty
/ year,. rTis true it has a tendency 10
make a man blue and morose during busi-
ness hours, tut strange 10 say IL does not
affect the health An undertaken, when
| busy. is constantly ia the open air going
q the hsuses OF patrons ami riding 10 the
eemeteries; Il IL were not 50 most OF Us
would suffer greatly from dyspepsia and
indi estion, owing T. the irregularity in
/ getting our meals Orders come in az all
hours. 1 have just received one from La
Sale avenue. Look, it Is quarter u
twelve, | shall get nothing 20 eat till three
or fogr p. IN"
- The business is thought 70 be very
/ profitable,"
/ The profits are considerable, but there
/ Is 50 much loss that few ever get rich at II.
L / don't know more than four or five out of
the uinety-six IN this city who have accu-
/ nulated much Wealth at IL. We do great
dralo OF charity work, like physicians work
that we never expect 10 get nything for
We are 50 often compelled 70 get up elab-
crate funerals, for which We know we viii
never receive a cent. You are surprised
o. hear me say we are compelled TO do So.
will tell you why Say that am employed
/ by a very wealthy and influential family.
| A it includes many branches, there are a
host OF children, and funerals are frequent.
/ Consequently their patronage IS Of very
great value They not only employ me
themselves, but they recommend me TO
their wealthy friends. Now, almost every
family. no matter how wealthy, has poor
/ relations. They also desire my services.
know they can not pay me, yet If DO not
/ 20 / shall offend the wealthy members and
lose not only their patronage, bat their rec
0mmeudation and good will 50 / must
/ bury the poor ones for nothing, aud lose
I enough by them % more than counterbal
ance what | make by the rich And then
| i bury people and wait for my pay until
I estates are settled, only 70 find there's
I nothing left to settle any bills. We make a
good profit, bat the losses are enormous.
W have also big expenses, keeping men
on call day ami night the year round.
have never sued but two people for burial
charges M thirty years, and then the con-
stable stole the money. I never refuse
burial % a respectable man. Woman or
child, money Or uO money
There are many different types OF
grief are there notsr
"W hen a mother loses her first baby
she's generally pretty badly upset. There >
a vast difereu.e between a mothers los
inz her hrss iaate and the X ief occasioned
by the loss of "a mother-in-law. \ widow
usually shows more grief than wido,ver.
I have quite number Of bills against
wijowers who have their second wives.
The husbands aud wives who make she
loudsst par1Vysmai demonstrations ot
grief are generally the ones who soonest
console themselves Witb another gal
partner. Experience has taught me. how
ever. that for q man 0r woman - remarry
. .,uu IL ~ no means mark 0f disrespect Q
to tha memory ~ the dead. On the con
. frary. / have come to regard 10 a. a tribute
ta sbe worth ~ the deceased one. for I
have noticed that 81 is generally people
rho have bail happy ma ried life that
soon enter upon the double state again.
Those who have heen unfartUnate aTs In
no haste - ADJUST again the matrimonial al
Moose about their uec<s.T
"uo vou meet many persons with =
mania for attending funerals"
4 know 81 least seven or eight in this
rifY. one - an OH Hebrew Hs show
uf st every tig funeral and always rides
snniilngiy in carriage - the cemetery
There ara fve 0r ak ol3 widows who are
always IN hand asking for spare car
risges Yon know lt was sydney Smith
xho sad For the hesrtiest mirth and
ioiitv in the worii comment me 20 tie last
earrfage a. a f1nerai' Every mourner 81
a Catholic fnnersa usually contributes
cue ioBsr ard twenty-five cents cr ons
dollar sn5 fftv ~entS - that ahour siVtv
teilsrs Is aefte,i. while tae -rst ~ rfnx .
ear s only dfteen 3'isrs The Protestant