St. Paul daily globe., 1889-02-17
FEATURE FUNERALS.
Burial Exercises Should. Be
Relieved Of Their
Sorrow.
The Direction of Funerals a
Business Of lmpor-
tance.
Fifty Dollars Will Paw For, a
Decent, Modest Fu-
neral,
But Ten Times That Sum Paid
for Swell Gbse-
quies. ~,

SIT is the hardest business in the
world to build up and it requires the
most particular attention and care. 1t
is a business too, that will never be
crowded.
The speaker was a dignifed looking
man, with an expression that appeared
as though his face was solemn from
practice. What was this business,
that must be highly respectable,
that must be paying, from the louks of
the man and yet was so difficult to get
start III, and needed such care? Mime
apoliS people are wishing for new occu-
patiOns; this might be something new.
On introducing himself. however, the
reporter was doomed to disappointment
as far as finding new thing was con-
cerned, for the name revealed man,
the oldest in the Flour City in profess
sion that is as old as humanity-the
undertaken.
Yes" said he, cit is business that
very few men will take from choice. 1t
is in great many cases handed down
from father to son through number OF
generations. My father took the buSi-
ness of his father forty-nine years ago
in Buffalo, N. Y. In '57 he moved 1t
here to Minneapolis and | have had
charge of it for twenty-siX years. 1t is
with us as with physicians; people in
distress consult with their friends in re-
gard to who shall take charge of the
last sad rites of their dead and it is with
greatcaution that they select A man who
has for years cared for their neighbors
and friends will be obtained, though
they have to pass by a man new in the
business, who may be equally efficient.
1t is only after years of careful practice
that the business can be made paying
one even in city as new as Alinne-
apoljs. Even with well established
business, blunder i'll a single case
would be
OF THE GREATEST DAMAGE ~.
to us. People want perfect harmony
and smoothhess through the ceremony,
it requires tact and deftneSS, and one
must not become calloused to grief, for
it is Impossible to assume the proper
aspect and not feel it. So have edu-
Gated myself in feeling as well as
acting.
Among other things that make un-
dertaking hard is the fact that we are
expected to respond in person at any
hour of day or night. Every person
, of the world: and we are bound to re-
spect it. Then often the whole care
and management upon our shoulders,
with no statement of what is desired or
what the expenses are to be. If we
make too much of it we are called eX-
orbitant; if too little, they say we are
careless. Another thing, money mat
tiers are never br0aChed and we must of
necessity take the credit. and though
people in general will pay such debts,
we often find those who won't. We must
be careful to take no advantage of a
PERSONS ignorance. Many times floral
designs have been ordered worth $50,
with the expectation OF paying So or S.
for them" s
People look on the funeral expenses
as something preposterOuS, but when
they consider that the cheapest coffin
now used is better than the best years
ago, and that expenses of livery and
everything connected with the cere-
mony is very high it will not seem so
large. The average funeral expenses
for an adult with us here in Minneapo-
lis is about $55. they generally
VARY BETWEEN $50 AND SIS.
The highest we evGs have here is.
$500. A very nice and respectable
burial can be made from S333. In some
cases the livery expenses make very
large proportion of the BILL. During
last year our firm attended 600 funerals.
Some years we run as high as IT'S
and now we have no calls but
from the better classes of people.
''In regard to the matter of embaln-
ing, there are now very few of the un-
dertakers who really understand what
it is, although they all claim to be able
to do it. Of the fourteen or fifteen un-
dertakerS in Minneapolis there are very
few who know the different processes
for the different diseases or even know
that there Is more than one process.
What the majority of So-called embalm-
ers do is cavity embalming or preserE-
ing, which is really not embalming at
tive fluid into the cavities occupied by
the lungs and viscera. Sometimes this
is sufficient. In cases of contagious
diseases it is not. In cases of epidemic
arterial embalming is the only proper
method. The fluid used is the rankest
poison and destroys all bacteria. When
an artery is raised and it is found
empty one can be absolutely certain
that the patient is dead, and it is q
great satisfaction to friends to be sure.
There is now law In some OF the states
recurring the examination and licens-
ing of undertakerS and embaimers, and
enforcing them to embalm all remains
where death has resulted from con-
tagiouS disease or where the body is to
be transported. believe that we
should have such law as diseases in
many cases are traced to the careless
ness of undertakerS.
There is tendency of late years to
MAKE THINGS MORE CHEERFUL
about funeral. Our new hearse has
floor of rich mahogany and is dropped
about the inside with wine-cOlOred satin;
about the outside an ivy vine, with
leaves of the natural ivy green is
twiped. Many people wear deep mourn,
ing because it is the custom to do so and
would gladly do without it. Flowers |
are used in the place of Grape and / try
in every way to tighten rather than
make heavier the burden people have to
bear. l am gaining the support of the
ministers, too. Only a few days ago
the minister at the funeral. Rev.
DR.. Woodbury. told me that |
was doing a good work in making things
as cheerful as could be with propriety.
Flowers, I think, should be used at
funerals as much as possible. A bunch
of flowers is hung on the door now in
the place of Grape. 1t is growing to be
the custom to use punches of cut flowers
in the place of emblems and designs,
and don't know but it is better. Peo-
pie in the best circumstances want
everything very nice, but nothing for
display. Another custom that is gain
ing prevalence is to line the inside of
the grave with evergreens and flowers,
and cover the mound of loose earth with
them. Alta time when death has brought
sorrow the least things wiring the heart
of sensitive mourner. When l can l
have the party drive away before a cfOd
of earth has been thrown in the grave.
1t softens the ceremony.
Tho n,1n;ls of Prof Willard Pattan