Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-05-17
Alma's Cemetery.
should 1t BE Left asst Il ?

At this season of the year when al
nature seems to smile, and the mine
turns TO the adornment and improve
ment of property, how many are think
ing of fixing up the cemetery, that
silent city of our dead, where lie al
that is earthly of our departed friends:
In the spring time it is customary fol-
those who have loved ones buried
beneath a silent mound upon yonder
hill, to plant upon this lowly spot a
rose-bush, a violet, or forget-menot.
Alma's cemetery, like others, has
suffered greatly for lack of proper care
and neglect, while no one in particular
is to blame, Steps should be taken to
beautify the grounds, which could be
done at very little expense, between
now and Memorial Day.
We submit for the consideration of
our citizens, some suggestions regard
ing the establishment of rural
cemeteries, from late number of the
Garden and Forest, which says,
The first great improvement i'll
rural cemeteries was made when the
bounds between lots were abolished,
and the so called lawn system adopt
ed. In the earliest rural cemeteries
each owner of a lot was allowed to
surround it with such fence OF hedge
or stone curblng, as suited his fancy
But the boundary wall offered nearly
as good an opportunity for the display
OF pretentiousness and individual bad
taste as the mortuary monument
itself, and cemeteries were converted
into StOneyardS. to which lavish hor-
ticultural expenditure gave no effect
of rural reStfulneSS or Sanctlty. The
evil, like many others of the kind,
cured itself in time; and now in NJ
cemeteries where modern notions pre-
vail, no lot is sold without the special
provision that the purchaser cannot III
any way define its boundaries except
by corner stone sunk below the surface
of the ground. The monument, how
ever, remained, and as wealth in
creased, developed from year 10 year
into more hideOuS appropriateness
and vulgarity; and it became evident
that without some active control on
the part of managers of cemeteries,
they must fail in those very directions
where it was believed American burial
grounds were better than those of any
other country.
There is in Brookline, Mass, a small
rural cemetery belonging to the town.
and governed by board of trustees
elected by the people. These trustees,
it appears, have taken the lead in
instituting a much needed reform. by
prescribing the manner in which mon
uments can be erected in this cemetery.
They have had number OF different
designs for simple gravestones made !
by a skillful architect, and If person !
wishes to buy lot, he can do SO only |
upon the condition that he will select |
one of these designs. or If none of
them suit his taste. that he will submit /
some other, to be approved by the
trustees.
The idea that underlies this system
is that no individual lot owner has the |
right to do anything on his lot which /
will injure the aspect of the cemetery |
as whole The Brookline trustees |
have further declared that no monu- /
ment or headstone of white marble |
shall in future be erected in the |
cemetery. and they regulate the
selection, 10y lot owners. of plants, |
Baskets, and other decorations, and |
discourage expensive architectural |
tOmbs. There are no beds of glaring |
flowers, no novel or misshapen trees, |
no attempts at display. 1t relies for
its attractiveness upon natural woods !
carpeted with wild flowers, native |
shrubs and well kept lawns, bordered |
here and there by noble masses of
Natural rocks. after the striking |
features of much New England |
scenery"