New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-11
AN ASTONISHING MEMORIAL.
trenton Lelter to The PhlIadelphla Tmes.


The story Of the Queerest tribute 10 the dead
record comes from Lamberivlle, IN limteidon County
Deacon Pratt who was famous as farmer, a genial
soul and ardent Methodist lie particularly
iona OF ncng mis- Sppee ana was aeeSc G
cook and her dinners exhibitions Of culinary
skill for rural neiehborhood, Tho deacon enjoyed
nothing better than house full of celgymcn around
a table laden with tempting victuals. And Mrs
Pratt, who dotted on the deacon was I'm her element
when preparing such feast and helping entertain
About a year ago number of ministers were on
their way the camp meeting at Ocean Grove. There
were just dozen of them Deacon Pratt had them
all stop overnight at his farmhouse. and gave them
dinner modelled the New England plan. as Pratt
from Vermont and 50 did his wife. There was
everything conceivable 10 eat and plenty Of reasonably
hard cider to drink The deacon in the best Of
humor, and partook even more heartily than usual Of
the food. His wife. accustomed she 10 her
husbands large appetite astOnshcd the amount
he consumed. and made IA mental inventory Of the
various articles and the amount Of each that he swal
The next afternoon Deacon Elisha Pratt died OF
cholera morbus. The physician said the dinner
knocked him ont The funeral the largest the
neshborhood ever knew. Eight of the twelve clergy
men present at the dinner acted pal-bearerS aud
the other ociated thc church and by the
The widow was inconsoahlc for awhile and talked
memory Of hor husband Everybody supposed she
was going to erect handsome monument and the
eli mistaken. Mrs. Pratt had in view the most re-
markable and Yet suggestive OF memorials. She hal
the work done quietly In Philadelphia and it required
When It arrived at the farm and soine OF the
widows intimate friends invited TO call and
the tribute they vera AT first astounded and then
shocked and finally they felt disposition D. laugh
that was controlled with difficulty. On the table I'm
case was small arch. made Of solid silver. sur
mounting the arch the figure in silver Of an angel
blowing p trumpet Inside the arch and suspended
from its Gentle tablet OF whit, marble. which
were inscribed the following words In deep, black
letters
"This Is What the Deacon Died or
But 10 was underneath the glass that the great
surprse awaited the spectators There on plates ar
ranged I'm the order they served were exact
duplicates I'm wax, and some In gace shape OF the
various articles of food the deacon had eaten al tbe
dinner the evening before he died and also exact
duplicates In quantity and Size OF the amounts he had
consumed There large plate of SCUM hir
slice OF meat, hcapng side dishes full OF vegetables
three cucumhers, huge slices OF pie a qua.ter III n
watermelon two plates Of leo cream . small run Of
coffee and three gObets of cider They were p~rf,ct
pieces II work in wax, well perfect r,precnta
tons what had passed down the deacon's ihroat M
the dinner. The whole thing had cost several hun
dred dollars.
The ghbors naturally ridicued the tributc Mt
Arst but they all respected the widow aud when
they found that she really In earnest In hor Graz
ard Ia her regard for the wax memorial thew re-
strained their mirth and sail little about II outside.
Many OF them thought that the sudden loss hal nm
hinged Mrs. Pratt's mind somewhat. That Is WHY IA
only after the lapse Of that the report Of the
astonishing tribute has leaked out