Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-08-14
STRANGE AND CHASTITY.
Gruesome Talk OF San Francisco
Undertaken.
why He Found Pleasure in His Business
"A Young Lady Who Fell In Love
with q Dead Man and Then
Lost Her Mind.

Lost Her Mind.
One OF the Oldest undertakers in San
Francisco, formerly member Of the firm Of
Cowen, Potter & Co., recently told an Elk
aminer reporter that he would not exchange
occupations with any man In the State. Said
I he:
81 tell you there is a singular fascination
in ministering to the wants of the dead, in
placing over them garlands of flowers, nice
ly arranging their white faces, and laying
their 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 has taught me that famiIiari-
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. l have put so many in
their last homes that no longer look upon
death with the old fear. 1 sgree with the
man who said: Tired Of the heat and
glamor Of the day we hear with Joy the
rustling garments of the night l look
upon every new face that comes into my
quiet sleeping apartments over there as
Onc mOTS lucky Traveller VINO mas ToacQ6Q
| at last his journeys end"
"Do you ever have favorites among those
whom you did not know during life"
swell, sir, like modest people with frank
countenances, whether in life or death.
Some corpses have mean countenances. !
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
them and we feel lonely. 1t gives me great
pleasure to pin little bouquet upon their
! garments, or to adjust their heads upon
4 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 slight
change in attitude makes the contour and
whole effect different
"Let me tell you about a 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 the 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 them
tombs.
81 often noticed that she spent many idle
hours among the collins after the bodies
were prepared and properly clothed. l. of
course, thought that she was simply study
!
make what we call artistic settings, for she
was always in love with the business.
zone day her afianced-for she was en-
gagged to a young lawyer-came in to chat
with her a 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 it.
Well, this was delightful June day, and
as he left she pinned neat little bouquet
upon the 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. / do not know
whether that kiss offended her, but do
know that she seemed troubled for several
days, and after Lawyer Ralfe left her the
next Friday l noticed that her eyes were
moist. ] believed that they had gone
through a little lovers quarrel, and
thought no more 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.
1.-THE next day the body of one of the
handsomest young men l 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-
lions for our young lady assistant to have
a floral tribute made for the Elks, who were
to manage the funeral. l then went home
to dinner, and was gone several hours
When I returned the girl was work
ing over the face. She made a handsome
wreath and placed it over his brow. Then
she fairly raved about his beauty. When I
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.
1t was with delay that she needed my re-
other work The next day it was the same,
and when stopped by the corpse a mo-
ment she said she could marry 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 l tell you my pretty girl kissed
that cold face and burst into Mysteries so
that we could not calm her when it was re-
moved? That was twenty-five years ago,
and she was then about eighteen years old -
Where is she now2" asked the reporter.
~ saw her when l was home two years
ago. She looked well and hearty, and she
was really handsome, although her hair
was a little gray. She told me she had
been married many years, and then she
talked and laughed with her husband, but
he made no reply, for he had been buried
by the Elks many years before. You
don't understands Listeni
when left her gentle attendants led
her away from the gas-lit parlor into that
part of the great insane asylum where, for
quarter of a century, she has lived and
loved that young Engishman, whose body
has rested beneath the messy marble since
we buried him there away back in the six
ties. As l stole away l could hear her
voice echoing through the great corridors,
for she was laughing and talking with her
husband, the bodiless creation of ecstacy.
Her eye was bent on vacancy, yet she was
happy"
Struck the Right House.
Mrs. Pancake Ito tramp -''Go away there
don't want any wood chopped nor any car
pets beaten nor any thing else'' Tramp
'Belabers, mum, thin it's just the roight
house Dim sthrlkin', mum. It's only beg
GIN Oi am.''