The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-25
UNcANNY IMMIGRANTS.
Foreigners who Come Here Ions
After they are Dead.
New York News.l

New York News.l
Very few men would care to die in the
knowledge that their skeletons, instead
of decently crumbling into dust, would
eventually be parading about in world
which their owners had quilted forever.
Occasionally man gives up the ghost,
and at the same time gives up his bones,
for professional or commercial uses; but
such man is invariably an abnormal
creature. whom no one loved while liv-
ing or mourned when dead.
Through poverty and crime many
skeletons are available, but it is seldom
that one is articulated in this country
except by clever surgeon, and then
only for his own use. 1t is a fact not
generally known that all skeletons used
by secret societies and i'm other ways in
the United States are imported from
Europe.
This uncanny traffic over the sea is
not due TO any scarcity of skeletons here,
but to an absence of the peculiar skilled
labor necessary to the proper stringing
of the bones together. No,doubt the in
dustry could be successfully introduced
here were it protected by 1.-THE tariff, but
skeletons being ON the free dist there is
no announcement to enter into competi-
ton with the cheaper labor of Europe.
A mistaken impression prevails'in the
popular mind that nearly all strictly
secret societies use human skeletons in
their ceremonies. the fact being that
only a limited number among such or
III
no stock of this sort is kept on hand, and
articulated skeletons are imported on the
receipt Of orders.
COST OF A SKELETON.
The number of firms who import hui
man skeletons in New York is small
probably not more than three-and such
importation forms but an insignificant
branch of q general business either in
surgical supplies or society parapher-
MALTA. 1t is seldom, too, that the men,
bers of lodge or council, aside from its
officers, know by what firm its skeleton
is supplied.
This fact is to be accounted for by the
reluctance of the importers to figure
openly in such transactions. They pre-
fer to conduct them quietly and unos-
tentatiously. A layman, unless an init
mate friend, can seldom get a merchant
to acknowledge plainly that he deals in
skeletons. He will evade the question,
and may compromise ON the statement
that he once dealt in them, but no longer
does so.
The average cost of the skeleton of
foreigner, properly articulated and
mounted for use, is about $50, although
they may run as high as $75, where more
elaborate material is used. The same
work, if turned out on this side Of the
water, would probably cost double the
amount.
Imported skeletons are always. good
specimens, and most of them come from
France and Germany, where skilled la
Dor of this sort is most readily found
and cultivated. They come as rule in
ordinary black caskets, to one end of
which the skull is hung, SO that the
bones may swing freely, and they pass
the customs inspectors without exciting
comment.
TREATED WITH REVERENCE.
A curious case of mistaken public ex-
citement will be recalled, where a skele-
ton imported to order for secret society
of Waltham, Mass, was duly shipped to
its destination, but owing to some error
in the directions on the box was refused
by the person to whom the express COM
pany delivered it. The box was there
upon opened at the express Office, and
the discovery of its contents created a
positive sensation until the shipper came
forward and explained.
While there is something CHASTITY at
first sight in a mans bones thus being
withheld from the earth and travelling
about the globe, tits certain that, hay
ing started ON their travels, they could
not fall into better hands than those of O
secret order. Instead of meeting with
levity or neglect, they are here treated
with all the reverence and care that
would be accorded the dead body in any
assemblage.
Their office, in conveying a sense Of
the httleness of human existence and
the awfulness of DEATH Is too serious to
admit Of any other treatment and a
case is known to the writer where,
Some years ago,,a member of lodge
was suspended in disgrace for display
ing such skeletonsto party of friends
in the lodge room during+a facetious
mood.
If one must remain q skeleton, better
be reverently bestowed in a secret lodge
than on a. surgeons table.
In some cases, however, where a lodge
does not care to import a skeleton, a do
mestic imitation, poorly and.imperfectiy
articulated, can be obtained, and is eaA-
manufactured. Being symbolic 1t,
Of couSse, serves the purpose in a.meas-
ure, but with majority of men. can
scarcely be expected to carry the sa,pe
impression as tie genuine article