Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-09-26
THE END OF MAN.
Death the Most Expensive Episode
in Our Career.
Professional Grief Comes High and Is Not
Popular in This Country-SOme Notable
Funerals-Refectio of
Clergyman


''What." was asked of well-known
undertaken, 'does it cost a person to
die nowadays?"
do you mean to just simply die. or
to die and be buried? If the latter,
all the way from S. to $1,000"
Death and funerals are not cheerful
subjects to discourse about, but they
are two things to which all people are
SO morally certain to come that they
may be considered proper subjects for
dissatisfaction the certainty of the
least. with no ordinary interest. 1t
becomes one of the few commonplace
which never fail to impress one with
feelings of curiosity, sOlemnity and
awe. In order that the last two may
not predominant, fashionable funer-
ais" are heard of the world over, while
in many cases even this last solemn
rite has blended with it eccentricities
which are not far from humorous.
There are many people," said the flu
neral director, whose love of singu-
larity is not limited to the scenes
which they themselves can witness
and enjoy. They may be said in one
sense to wish to live again on this
earth after their death, and to partici-
pate in their own post-mortem celeb
rity. This eccentricity is not con-
fined to the questions whether or not
their dead bodies shall be inclosed in
collins for interment. nor whether
they shall be buried standing
up, sitting down. or PROSTATE
on their backs. It manifests it.
self also in the vestments to
be worn by the deceased in the grave,
the procession or cortege to the place
of interment. the selection and treat
ment of the mourners, the position and
materials of the grave. the nature and
arrangement of the tomb or monument
and the provision for keeping it in re-
pair. Individual whi,nsicalities these,
not belonging to any particular ma
ton, creed. age or profession. and they
account for many of she peculiarities
of funerals that are so observable
but as to the cost?'
"Oh. yes. the cost. Well, as said.
IL may run all the way from SIS to
$. 900. and depends altogether upon
the ability to pay and the desire of the
late lamented's friends to be quiet and
unassuming or OstentatiOus, but the
ordinary. genteel funeral will cost in
the neighborhood of $3.50 This in
cludes q decent casket, enough car
riages to accommodate the immediate
friends of the deceased. the under.
takers and the sections services.
This presumeS that the family DOS
sesses burial lot and will not have
to pay for that. and that no extrava-
gance is entered into in the matter of
flowers or funeral feasts.
Going backward. and reducing ex-
penses-caskets can be procured at
almost any price. even as low as IS.
but the latter of course will be neither
silver-mounted. nor made of rosewood,
nor lined with satin. and fine hearse
drawn by four horses can not be util-
lied. But no man need be buried in
the potter's field if he dies possessed
of $40.
harily paid can be increased indefinite.
ly. you might say. There are all
kinds OF very expensive caskets now.
adays. which are largely purchased.
Some OF them are made of expensive
and rare woods, with velvet trappings
and silver mountings; others are made
OF metal. These cost lots of money
some of them as much as $500 and
$4,000. Where they are purchased
other things are generally in proper.
tion-hundreds of dollars worth OF
rare flowers; scores of carriages; the
elaborate entertainment of invited
guests; and last, but not least, in al
probability a costly monument Fash
ionable weddings are expensive
enough, but fashionable funerals art
more So They involve so much ex
pense that persons in moderate cir
cumstances are often in a strait whert
they find it hard to live, but can no
afford to die"
Are there such things as profes
sional mourners in Chicago?"
"Yes. there are," said the under
taker. although their services ar,
not often called into requisition. Blu
occasionally l am called upon to sup
ply them. and am prepared to do so
had such a call the other day, anl
furnished half q dozen mourners WHIT
had never seen or heard of the de
ceased. but wept copiously for him
These people receive i've dollars eacl
for their services. and to my mind
exhibiting such grief as they do for ,
stranger is worth the money"