The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-02-15
Funeral Ceremonies In Paris.


In all countries death and the cere.
monies of burial ale sud and repul-
sive. In Frnnce, perhaps decency is
observed as we'll as in any county,
thanks to the excellent organization
of the Compagnie des Pompes Func-
bres, which forms, 80 to speak, the
administration of the churches in
Paris, exercising on their behalf the
monopoly of funeral ceremonies.
This company. whose monopoly is
regulated by luw, isa vast enterprise.
possessed OF exceptional resources an
immense number of horses and car
riagcs, II numerous and well-disciplill-
cd personnel. Every year it takes
charge of about 10000 funerals,
about half of which arp those OF the
poor. Thanks to this enterprise,
even the poorest citizens are buried
with some show Of decency and in
conformity with strictrules. The I'D
ministration Of the Pompes Funebres
is situated in Paris in the Quaie d Au-
bervilliers. 1t is a hig, heavy, white
stone building, built round u vast
grass-roofed court yard. To the
right and left of the entrace doors
are the Offices of the director and the
bookkeeping department.. In the
court yards are the store
rooms, the stables, the coach.
houses and the harness-rooms.
Everything is black, sombre and
silent; everything is vigorously mum.
bcrcd and ticketed, classified and
arranged for immediate Use. The
porteurs, or bearers, commonly call.
ed croquemorts, have a big room
furnished with oak benches, where
they assemble every morning 400 in
number, to await orders, gloomy,
serious. clad in various styles, Some
with blouses, but most of them in
jackets. Over this room are other
rooms, with cupboartls runnin.
down tho middle in double rows
Each cupboard is numbered and tit
ted with lock, the key of which the
correspondingly numbered croquc
mort keeps. In these cupboards arr
kept the uniforms of the bearers
who dress before going out on ser
vice and undress when their service
is over, only wearing theirregulatiol
costume while on duty.
The masters of cermonies have
each n private room to dress in
Their uniform consists of u cooked
hat, coat. knee-brcsches, silk stock
ings, blckled shoes, a court sword
and a wand. This parsonage is paid
by the day. so much for cnch funeral
His duty is to arrange the procession
in proper order, to fix the order ol
the precedence among the mourners.
and tosthrt the funeral. Beneath the
vast hnilding OF the l'ompcs Funeblrs
M" cellars dimly ylighted with gas Jets.
and full of rows and rows ofcofiins o'
all sizes and quantities. This cellar
contains Il stock of $4,000 cottins
ready for use, varying in length from
six feet ~ inches down to 27lsinchcS.
which are the regulation maximum
and minimum sizes of dead French
humanity. For persons taller than
:'iS feet ~ inches coffin has to h
built on purpose and to ORDER. Or
one side of the cellar are the lead rof
fins. and in one corner ~ stock o.
square boxes in which cottins are
packed for travelling 10y rail or steam
or without attracting attention.
Near the door of the cellar are some
hugh coftins, with IL circumference o
six Or nine feet. destined for the nc
commodation of very obese corpses
Likewise near the door are thirty
hand-carts of peculiar form, on two
wheels. painted green and lined with
black: these carts are used only when
some terrible epidemic is ,lccimating
the population The price of the cof:
fins, OF the inner lining and of the
covering pail. are all regulated byan
immutablc tariff. In 1873. during
the siege, the little hand-carts, paint
cd green and lined with black, had to
serve universally as hcarses, for all
the horses had been killed for food
New York Mail and Express.