Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-02
FUNERALS FIFTY YEARS AGO.
HOW Times have Changed aud COffina
have Changed with them.
AN OLD UNDERWRITERS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
HALF CENTURY AGO THAT SEEN STRANGE NOW
HOW DEATHS WERE ANNOUNCED BY CRIER WITH
BELL-sOAE FACTS ABOUT FUNERALS

BELL-SOAE FACTS ABOUT FUNERALS
"Yes," said Mr.. Lemuel Williams, the veteran
| undertaken OF the West End, in answer to o STAR
| reporters question, "there have been many
changes in the business since have been in 1t.
| commenced the business working with an older
brother, and l may say l learned no trade, for 1t
came to me naturally. This was early In the '2Os.
The style OF coffin then in vogue was the sharp
pointed top fitting the form more closely than the
| present box-ike casket. The pieces at head and
| loot were nve-sided. With the bottom eleven
pieces or wool were required to construct coffin.
The joints on the sides were where the breast OF
the corpse would come, and at this point was the
| JOINT IN the top lid. Then there were no nat-top
| collins, excepting those made Tor the paupers,
| ana those were made In the same shape as
the Others. with the exception OF the top.
our lumber was kept In the rough, and such
a thlng as ready-made coffin was rare.
When an order was received the wood was selected
anu Two or three men would goto work, having no
| respect TO hours, and make the coffin. We had no
panlng or saw mills then, and all the work was done
Dy hand. The hours Tor labor were In summer from
sun To sun, and in winter till O'Clock at night,
but often we worked even later as necessity re-
CURED. am astonished sometimes to think Of
what have gone through, botn In the shop and
business wagons. When cOlln was finished
Two or US would shoulder it and carry It TO the
chamber Saanl OF death. There were no patent ice
Inc custom Was then as It is now to a great ex-
tent 10 allow one full day to intervene between
the date or death and the date Of burial, and
should the weather be warm the corpse would be
almost certain 10 become offensive.
THE UNDERTAKEN ON HORSEBACK.
"Then the undertaken always rode on horse
back" he went on, sand II the weather was stormy
he was expected TO face it, The collins were lined
with cotton, In the body OF 1t, ana at the top
inning or cambria to fold over the corpse. For
walnut coffin, including attendance at the FUNERAL
we Then received $40, and Tor a mahogany one,
from S2o to $50. There Was then no display or
ornamentation made, and flowers had not come
Into vogue. In place OF handles black rOpe-black
llfs nSAl
arranged In neat coils with the tasseI at the end
In the center. The coffin case was not then used,
ana mother earth came IL closer contact with the
body. An obong excavation was made for the
grave as at present, and at The bottom the earth
was cut out SO as TO closely lit the cOifin when,
when placed In the aperture, was covered by
boards upon which the earth was thrown, gen.
orally by the pall-bearerS. These rope handles
were far more Convenient Jnan those used to-day
IL was customary TO carry the corpse the bier TO
the loot or the Instead OF placing across
the grave and placing The ropes by which the
corpse Is 10 be lowered underneath the coffin the
collin could be lowered by the rope handles. Ii
was then extremely rare that a corpse was buried
almost exclusively used, and these were generally
made Dy the Ialnliy or friends OF the deceased II
was formerly the custom TO have watchers be-
cause OF belief that corpse would be scented
by cats or rats. and II they were kept away 1t
would be mutilated; but this precaulon where
the Ice chest Is used is no longer necessary AS
have stated before the use OF flowers at funerals
was almost unknown. Fifty years ago some friend
would place on or near the corpse a small boQuet
U
surrounding The corpse with floral tributes. 1t
not fnrreQuently occurs now at funerals that a
carriage Is required To convey the flowers to the
cemetery"
NO FLOWERS, But SAsHEs.
''Do you think that the flower business is some
times overdone?" asked the reporter.
"ThOse who contribute them," said Mr.. williams
do not think 90, and perhaps II they had wit
they would say that the SASH business was then
overdone Then the minister, pai-bearers, under
taker, and drivers all wore sashes over shoulders
and on hats You may judge OF the quality some
times used from the fact that at the funeral OF
Commodore Crane, IN March, 1916, the dry goods
merchants Dill Tor SasheS was over 500. SUD-
pose That even new fashions and customs relating
10 the dead must come, and have seen number
OF changes The oldstyle pointed coffin is seldom
seen now, and may say that 1t went out OF style
in the SOS. Then the raised top gave way to the
nat top, and do not know but that the war had
Can he packed and carried much better than the
others. The caskets, plain and cloth-covered
came next, and 10 these have been added mold
1ngS at top and bottom, and some or the later
styles aim at artistic effect AS have stated be-
fore, believe That the nat-top collins were first
"Berore the patent ice boxes were In use.p con.
tinucd MT. Williams, 81 was called ON to bury a
young man whose death was caused by drowning
IL was In warm weather, and the family desired
that the funeral should he put of few DAYS
The bath tub was Used, and he was laid in It. COW
cred with ice and kept splendidiy. In fact he
looked SO much better in death than he did In Lire
That his mother could not be made 10 believe that
life Was extinct, AMI .or this reason the hour OF
the funeral services was twice postponed until her
family physician arrived and made an examina-
ton.
"The means OF informing the public of death in
the 20's" said Mr.. Williams Suffered from the
present mode or funeral notices IN The paper A
man was sent with bell TO toll or ring II the
deceased was grown person piece OF black or
II young piece OF white cambria was tied 10 the
bell handle. AS the man passed along tOlling or
ringing ringing lhe oell persons would come out ana he
would announce the death and time OF funeral
PRESIDENT HARRISON'S FUNERAL
81 have attended some large funerals in nv
day." continued the veteran. "When President
Harrison died my brother James and were sent
Ior aud we buried MIN. We laid him out, made
the cotfin, and converted our hearse into funeral
Car, building over the running gear a platform
from which the drapery hung, hiding the Wheels.
was the resting place for the comm. This was a
JOB that took Us three days and nights without
intermsson; rhe next funeral o. prominent per
dent Tyler, who died at the White House. SEN
TENDER 13. 1s42 The funeral took place from the
White House The remains were placed in o velvet
covered collin and taken TO Virginia. l also at
tended the funeral OF Secretary Upshur, Com.
Cannon, Major Gardner. Gov. Maxey ana Mr.. Gil
explosion OF gun on the U. :. steamer Princeton
In the Potomac on February %, 1874 The bodies
were brought 10 Alexandria, where they were
placed in collins made by Mr.. Green. the old un-
dertaker OF that place. They were then brought
| placed the bodies, which were terribly cut and
Inutilated, in the lead collins, and then In MI
Green's collins, which then covered with black
cloth. In preparing these bodies making the
collins, &C., We worked night and day, placing the
| lead cofins containing the bodies In the outer
collins AT daylight. The funeral took place in the
| east room vi the White House March /, l844 aud
It was the largest ever seen in Washington up TO
that time. On March 10, 1S46, ! buried Gen. Van
| Ness, the BODY being deposited In the mauSoleum
on street, between OH and 10th streets north-
west. now removed. On March 20, lS46 Com.
mander Crane was buried by me, and April Is.
attended the funeral and bur1ed,Mr. Fox, who
had been the British minister, but on resi4ninQ
had taken up his residence here
COMMODORE DEcATuR's BODY.
"Over quarter or century after the interment
| OF Commodore Decatur In the vault at Kalorama.
| under the direction OF Col Bomford removed the
remains 10 Philadelphia. Commodore Decatur re-
| ceved his death wound In q duel with Commodore
Barron In December, 1870. The fatal shot entered
the body on line with tho heart but on the rfrht
side, and at the time OF his decease IL could not De
found. When we entered the vault we found Ibat
the top and sides OF the comm had completely de-
cayed, and the bones OF the head were bare but
| the skin was like parchment drawn over the
frame. Col. Bomf0rd mentioned the fact that the
| ball had not been found and one OF the wOrkmen
on the grounds placed his niger In the hole In th3
breast and tried 70 md tt, but failed. We then
lifted the body gently ana laid II In new comm
the body being intact, excepting that one arm was
| on. Gel Bomf0rd seemed dear0us OF Knowing
something OF the ball, and we then lifted the bod
Tor another search when something fell from
hole In the back, and Il proved 70 % the bail"
Blafn0 Boulan00r Ralfour Rattan horO pu,~>-.