Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-08-01
STRANGE AND GHASTLY.
0ruesome Talk of @ San Francisco
 Undertaken.

Why He Found Pleasure in His Buslnoss
 A Young Lady Who Fell fin Love
 with Dead Man and Then
 Lost Her Mind
 One of the oldest undertakers in San Francisco, formerly Q member of the firm of Cowen, Potter & Co.,, recently told an Ex. aminer reporter that he would not exchange occupations with any man ID the State Said he:
 "I tell you there Is singular fascination m m1n1stering to the wants of the dead, in placing over them garlands of flowers, nice ly arranging their white faces, and laying thelr pale bodies in the last casket." The old veteran went on portraying the pleasures of his pursuit, and as he gave the details of his weird avocation he grew into an ecstasy not unlike the reveries of an opium eater. Continuing, the undertaken said:
 Experience hos taught me that familiari- ty with the dead takes the sting from the grave. My business puts death in less terrifying light than the pictures which the imagination draws where the actual is seldom witnessed 1 have put so many in their last homes that no longer look upon death with the old fear. ! egree with the man who said: Tired of the heat and glamor of tho day we hear with joy the rustling garments of the night 1 look upon every new face that comes into my quiet sleeping apartments over there as one more lucky traveller who has reached at last his journeys end"
 . "Do you ever have favorites among those whom you did not know during life"
 "Well, sir, Hike modest people with frank countenances, whether in life or death. Some corpses have mean countenances. l would have declined an introduction in life, and so do not cultivate their society In death. Some seem to stare at me, while others look like sneaks. A dead mans face Is good photograph of what he was in life, and 1t has the advantage that no trick of an assumed expression can deceive the eye of the observer
 'There are lovely men and women who come here, and when they leave us we miss pleasure to pin little bouquet upon their garments, or to adjust their heads upon their pillows. They often need these little attentions, and they seem pleased when we are kind to them. Of course they never speak, but there is golden eloquence in their silence. Different positions in their quiet faces give language to them, and a slight change in attitude makes the contour and whole effect different
 "Let me tell you about young woman who used to assist me where l formerly lived. She made handsome bouquets and garlands during her leisure, and she also kept the entry books.
 "Well. sir, that girl has much good phil osophy on tho subject of death. She liked to read about the old Greeks who dressed their dead in white, sang odes to immortal ity and placed floral decorations on their tombs.
 '1 often noticed that she spent many idle hours among the collins after the bodies were prepared and properly clothed. I, of course, thought that she was simply study ing the business and trying to learn how to make what we call artistic settings, for she was always in love with the business.
 'One day her afianced-for she was en- gagged to young lawyer-came in to chat with her few moments. He was bright young fellow. and they were to be married in the fall. He had been coaxing her to leave the business, but she would not do 1t. We'll, this was delightful June day, and as he left she pinned a neat little bouquet upon tho lapel of his coat: Not noticing my presence he lightly kissed her on the brow and departed. This did not seem to trouble her, although noticed that she blushed as her sweetheart departed 1 do not know whether that kiss offended her, but do
 
 days, and after Lawyer Ralfe left her the next Friday 1 noticed that her eyes were moist 1 believed that they had gone through little lover's quarrel, and l thought no moro about it. At least did not have the slightest suspicion of the wonder full alienation of her affections that was taking place in her mind.
 'The next day the body of one of the handsomest young men ! ever saw was brought into our parlors. He was unknown, but from papers found among his effects it was ascertained that his family lived In London, Eng. He had been out hunting, and, getting separated from his companions, the gun was discharged, the charge enter ing his thigh. He soon bled to death. Of course you know that he would be very pale.
 1.-Two efficient aids in my establishment helped me to prepare the corpse for the coffin. We dressed him nicely, combed his beautiful hair, arranged his very handsome mustache, gave his cheeks few touches of color with the blender, and left instruc- tions for our young lady assistant to have floral tribute made for the Elks, who were to manage the funeral. l then went home to dinner. and I was gone several hours. When I returned the girl was work wreath and placed 1t over his brow. Then she fairly raved about his beauty. When ] came back in fifteen minutes she was still there, and she seemed to be talking to him. heard her ask him If he still loved her. It was with delay that she needed my re- quest to come away and attend to some other work. The next day 1t was the same, and when stopped by the corpse Q mo- ment she said she could marry 8 fellow that handsome She seemed to blush and laugh little, but thought nothing of it. Toward evening the Elks and their band came after the corpse. Will you believe me when tell you my pretty girl kissed that cold face and burst into mysteries SC that we could not calm her when 1t was re- moved? That was twenty-five years ago. and she was then about eighteen years old" 1" Where is she now" asked the reporter II saw her when l was home two years ago. She looked well and hearty, and she was really handsome, although her hair was little gray. She told me she had been married many years, and then she talked and laughed with her husband, bu, he made no reply, for he had been buried by the Elks many years before. You don't understand Listenl
 "When left her gentle attendants led her away from the gas-lit parlor into that