Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-22
THE HARMONY CEMETERY.
The Lot Owners and the Society Make
Public Statements.


meeting Of lot-holders of the Columbia
Harmony cemetery was held at the Fifteenth
street Presbyterian church to hear the report
of the committee appointed at the Plymouth
church meeting September 20, 1886. Mr..
Carter A. Stewart was called to the chair. The
chairman in opening the meeting said that if
there were any present who are not in SYM
pathy with the lot-holders they were not
wanted. The report of the committee referred
to the dissatisfaction of the lot-owners with
the management and reviewed the issues raised
and the testimony taken in the suit in equity
brought by the lot-owners. ''You will sse,
the committee say, ''that our graves have no
legal protection, but we are entirely at the
mercy OF the surviving member Mr. John F.
Cook. We are advised to petition Congress to
pass law that will give the graves of our
relatives the same protection that is given to
other well-cared for cemeteries in the District
of Columbia"
Mr.. Stewart, the chairman, said that the
court had decided in effect that they had
bought the right to bury, but had no written
contract that the grounds would be kept in
order. Mr.. Cook had rehabilitated the company
by selecting managers or trustees, and had
promised that all moneys in future should be
used on the grounds The object of the
meeting. he said, was to secure some of the
sS,3O4.6 81 to erect a chapel and beautify the
grounds. The time will come, he said, when
the grounds will be needed for the purposes
of building, and the association should be put
on legal basis. The lot-owners, he said, should
have the control of the grounds before they
put any money intoit.
MIR. Syphax said, in answer to questions.
that the decision of the court left them at the
mercy of Mr.. Cook. If they could be charged
sS for digging grave they could be charged
Mr.. Fisher said the old members of the
society were in full sympathy with the lot
holders.
DIR. Shadd advised them not to be hasty. but,
as the court had appointed new trustees, to
walt and see what they would do.
There was call for Mr.. J. H. Brooks, secre-
tary OF the Cemetery association, who was
present. but Mr.. Syphax and others objected
to Mr.. Brooks speaking. Mr.. Brooks denied
the statements made in the report of the COM
mittee. There was somewhat warm discus
sion between Mr.. Brooks and several of the
lot owners.
Mr.. S. H. Williams offereda resolution. which
was adopted, rendering a vote of thanks to
the committee, promising to make good the
money expended by the committee, and re-
questing that the committee use their best
judgment in regard to the future conduct of
this case in the courts or before Congress.
MEETING OF THE ASSOCIATION.
meeting of the Columbia Harmony Gene
terry association was held last night at Mr.. W..
II. A. Wormley's house. Mr.. Jno. Brooks read
statement, which was adopted. This state
ment said the society in the sale of grave sites
and lots entered into no agreement with the
purchasers except giving to each certificate
of ownership and the free and untrammeled
use OF the same for burial purposes. By the
rules and regulations governing the cemetery
the society assumed the control, the protection,
and maintenance of the place as a cemetery,
and fixed the rate for which lots, grave sites,
the digging of graves, and vantage fee should
be, and assumed the entire expense of main
tanning the same as a cemetery, and has never
by assessment or any other method made any
charges upon lot-holders or those who had
purchased grave sites for the maintenance.
care, repairs to fences, roads, or any other
incidental expenses of operating the cemetery
The statement gives an account of the organi-
cation of the new society after the death of
nearly all the members of the old one. A plan
is given to be followed in the future improve
ment of the grounds.