Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-29
THE CITY CEMETERIES.
A Visit to the "City of the Dead'-Thefr
Condition. sxtent and Location.

Condition, extent and Location.
Yesterday was one of extreme quietness
in business and Court circles. The town
was dead to all intents and purposes, so far
as the news-gatherer was concerned. His
face wore grave look, and is it surprising,
in view of all these facts, that he should
quietly wander to the cemetery, the city OF
the dead, and there pensively contemplate
the thoughts suggested by Bryant in his
'Thahatopsis?"
He first visited the City Cemetery, which
was located in 1850, and is situated on
Tenth street, south of Y. The grounds
were SURVEYED and divided into lots and
tiers for burial purposes in 1856. 1t orig
inally contained but ten acres, but has
been increased by several additions since;
The grounds are beautifully ornamented
with shade trees and shrubbery.
In 1853 brick chapel and gateway were
erected. The present Superintendent IS
having the same painted. and next week
the bell that formerly did service on the
Hook and Ladder House on Fourth street
will be placed in the tower. The City
Cemetery is one of the most beautiful
burial places in the State. The grounds
are well kept, the broad avenues clean and
well sprinkled, and dozen or more gard
eners are constantly employed cutting the
grass, training the flowers, pruning and
caring for the trees, until il has become
ALMOST A FLORAL FOREST,
Filled with marble monuments. A drive
through the avenues discloses TO view thou
sands of graves, some marked with only a
redwood board, others with beautiful mar
bic headstones, and again others with mas
4
within the same Enclosure, only few feet
apart, occupying but six feet of soil each,
lie the millionaire and the pauper. Old
and you G, rich and poor, friend and foe,
here quietly rest in their last long sleep.
Yet not to thine eternal resting-place
Shalt thou retire alone-nor couldst thou wish
Couch more magnificent. Thou shalt lie down
with patriarchs of the infant worid-with kings,
Inc powerful OF the earth-the wise, the good.
Fair forms, and hoary seers of ages past,
All in one mighty sepulcher, All that tread
The globe are but a handful 20 the tribes
That siumber in its bosom.
The entire cemetery has been cleaned up.
and the fences and seats newly painted An
artificial stone walk is being put down in
the Pioneer lot, and another around the
tomb of the late Mark Hopkins Several
handsome monuments have recently been
placed i'll position. and several more are
under construction, notably among which
is that of the late w. Il. Barnes, which oc-
cupies position on the bluff in the south
western addition. On Monday, Decoration
Day, the cemeteries will be visited by the
Grand Army of the Republic, the National
Guard and citizens generally, TO bedeck
with flowers the graves of departed sol
dlers. Decoration Day has become an oc-
casion not alone for decorating the graves
OF our heroic dead, but of our loved ones
generally.
The Pioneers, Mas0ns, Odd Fellows Red
Mer, other secret societies. and the State of
California have plots in this cemetery.
One plot, neatly bricked in, 80 feet square.
nicely grassed, attracts the attention of
every paSser-by. In the southeast corner.
IN row about 4 foot apart, are seventeen
little head-boards, nine inches in hight.
three inches in width, with no other in
scrption save that of a number Upon in
curry, 1t was ascertained that this was the
property of the Protestant Orphan Asylum
OF this city, one of the grandest humani-
tartan institutions in the State
ST. JosEPH's CEMETERY.
A drive of almost a mile due east along
the I-street levee, brought us to st. Jo-
seph s'cemetery. 1t is located on the cor
ner OF and Twenty-first streets, and con-
tains twenty acres. 1t was purchased in
1861 by the congregation of st. Rose
Church, and consecrated by Most Rev. J.
): Alemany, Archbishop of San Francisco.
May Z. 1865. From that date to the
present 1t has been used as burial ground
by the Catholic congregation. The city
water has not been extended that far but
will be this season, and then this cemetery
will look as well as does the city cemetery.
The grounds are well kept, but owing to
the tact that all the water used for irriga-
tlon has to be pumped, vegetation does not
thrive so well. The grounds are under the
excellent management of John Kerwin,
SEXTON and are models of neatness. They
are well inclosed, laid out in wide avenues
and driveways, and contain MANY hand
some monuments. The entrance is from
Twenty-frst street.
THE JEWISH CEMETERY.
A drive of about two miles in a north
easterly direction brought us to the Jewish
Cemetery, which is located on the south
side of and east of Thirty-first sire t. ad-
joining Clarks Pottery. 1t is owned by
the Hebrew Benevolent Association, and
was laid out in 1880 The Society erected
chapel therein and inclosed the grounds
with massive brick wall in 1868. This
cemetery is well kept and contains many
handsome monuments, five of which were
placed in position during the last month.
This cemetery is under the charge of Mich
olas Mohns.
THE FIRST BURIAL PLACE.
On the opposite side of street, from the
Jewish cemetery, lies New Helvetia ceme-
terry. This was formerly known as the
Suffer Fort burying ground. and was the
first place selected for the burial of the
dead i'll 1S49, and by many preferred to
the City Cemetery, and used until April,
1857, when J. W. Reeves purchased the
land. and laid 1t out in tiers and private
burial lots, with wide avenues and alleys.
The grounds contain twenty acres, are in
closed with neat and substantial fence,
and set out with handsome shade trees
and shrubbery. The city water main was
extended 10 this cemetery during Guten-
berger's administration. Last season the
larger trees were cut out, the smaller ones
trimmed up and the cemetery thoroughly
overhauled and cleaned up. Here are
found some fine monuments and many
cient-looking tombstones marking the
last resting place of pioneers who died in
lo49 or the early SOS. In one corner of the
cemetery
HEADBoARDs BLACKENED WITH AGE
Stand SO thick together that they look like
4 stubble-field. The writing on the red
"Opt poaib S hdS ipliS slnCt DeeH DDllteT-
ated by the rains of succeeding winters.
The sexton, in reply to question regard
ing the unknown dead, replied: Those
are the victims of the cholera in 1851 and
1882. These died of cholera about the
same time, and those over yonder lost their
lives on the Pearl and other steamers which
blew up with such fatal results in the early
days"
The northwestern corner of this cemetery
is set apart for Chinese interments. The
four companies in this city each have a
lot, in size about 50x50. Two of them are
bricked up, and inclosed with iron fences
The other two have plain board fences.
In each lot is small brick furnace, used
for consuming the clothing and other
property of the deceased, burning incense
etc.
Baseball.
The game at Agricultural Park to-mor-
row will be between the Atlas and the San
Francisco Pioneers. The latter have