, 1888-07-29
A Few Words Regarding Its Present
Management.
Greatly Improved in Appearance
Streets and Walks.
Its Graves and Flowers, MOnu-
ments, Inscriptions, Etc.

rect why is not the universal but uncon-
scious testimony of mankind to the fact
that they stand in the immediate presence
of the departed when they gather around
their graves also evidence that the soul
still fingers with the body and slumbers
with it in the grave. 1t is a truth to
which all history t~estifies that the path
way of human progress has in all ages of
the world been macadamized with bones
and wet with blood, and it is also true that
emulation of the dead and reverence for
their memories have been potent agencies
for good and have been in part, at least,
the means by which men have been di.
vinely appointed to rise to a grander ex-
istence and a nobler destiny.
Point out the nation that has the great
est reverence for its. dead and you will
have indicated the people whose liberties
such as they have are most secure, and
what is true of a nation is true of a single
city.
1t is greatly to the credit of Cheyenne,
its municipal authorities and its people
that they have turned their attention to
the city cemetery and have caused it to be
transformed from a mere desert place on
a bleak hill to one of the most beautiful
resting places for the dead to be found in
the West, While the Catholic and other
cemeteries are deserving of mention, the
city cemetery, through whichT IN LEADER
reporter took a stroll yesterday afternoon,
is all that can be alluded to at this time.
The first attempt to make of the city
cemetery what it ought to be was made
by L. R.. Bresnahen, then mayor Of the
city, some ten or twelve years ago, and he
in part, at least, at his own expense pro-
cured, set out and caused to be cared for a
row Of trees around the cemetery before
enlargement, and they are still growing
there to-day.
Without undertaking to speak of all
that has been done in the past few years
towards identifying the cemetery, The
LEADER will only allude to what has been
done the present season. About the LIST
OF May, E. A. Hastings was appointed
sexton, and also given a commission as a
special policeman. He at once moved
his family to the residence in the south
west corner of the cemetery and began
operations. He saw that it was necessary
to do a great deal of work there In order
that it might be put in proper shape.
Nj u Moronau cbairmop ~ tba o;tu
cemetery committee, saw it in the same
light, and mainly through his efforts sew
eral hundred dollars were appropriated
for cemetery purposes. As the result Of
this the streets and walks of the old ceme-
terry have been re-surveyed and located,
ploughed and leveled, and are now as
smooth and even as the streets of the
city itself.
The old fences around graves have been
torn down and removed, and all over the
entire cemetery the graves have been fixed
up and put in decent order. In addition
to this some fifty graves that were found
to be in the cemetery streets have been
moved upon lots, and even in what was
formerly known as the 'Potters feld'
them have been trimmed up and mounds
raised over every sleeper's last resting
place.
All of this last mentioned work has
been done by Sexton Hastings and his as
sistant at nc expense to the city except
the regular salary he receives, which by
the way is $500 per annum besides house
rent.
Mr.. Hastings has charge OF all the
graves and keeps them in order, charging
for his work a small monthly fee which is
willingly paid by the owners of lots. Out
of this Mr.. Hastings pays his assistant,
who is kept constantly employed in cut
ting out weeds. l%eveling the street walks,
etc., and doing such work as is needed
around the graves. Great difficulty has
been experienced this season in getting
water enough, and all because the other
portions of the city draw their supply out
of the main before any gets up to the
cemetery. During the present season the
sexton has been compelled for a good
share of the time to begin work at 3
o'clock in the morning in order to get
any water at all.
There are are a thousand and one
things that might be said about the GEM
etery, but THE LEADER must content it
self with the foregoing. 1t is, however, a
beautiful place since it has at last been
put in proper condition, and the people
of Cheyenne and M. P. Maronev and
Sexton Hastings especially are entitled to
great credit for the noble work that has
been done this season to the graves of the
dead.
The g., a. IL. Excursion Il Columbus.
All members Of the Grand Army of the
Republic will remember with pleasure
the delightful trip to st. Louis last year
via the Wabash, and many will bear in
mind hat the Wabash special train was