The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-06-17
A FUNERAL PICNIC.
The Solemn Visitation Of the Under
takers to Greenwood.

Dying persons in this county breathed
a sigh of relief yesterday. All the mem
bers Of the Hudson County Undertakers'
Association had departed for another
cline, and poor mortals were assured
OF one more day on earth.
This news was early conveyed to the
cemeteries, and broad grins spread over
the faces of idle grave diggers. The un-
dertaker's flight had given them a holi-
day, and once again, as in the days of
to leave the cities of the dead and wan
der through the cities of the living. The
change delighted them.
At the Erie Depot at about nine O'Clock
in the morning three score of long-faced,
melancholy men, who tried TO smile but
could not, were the observed of all OBJ
servers. The sad men were mem
bers Of the Undertakers Association,
and they were on their way to Green
wood--Lake. The trip was an expert
mental one and emanated from a wild
theory that things other than the para
phernalia of death could cause them
Joy At given signal sombre
president; Melancholy William De
Delaney, secretary and sad II. v. Piaget
started toward a train side tracked in the
depot. They were followed, in gloomy
silence, to the air of the Dead March in
SAUL" whistled in q weird
manner by small boy, by
ex-C Coroner James B. Burke, James
j. Mckee, John Faherty. William Speer,
Sr., Robert Elliott, George Bunnell, P.
H. Beekman, ex-Coroner L. S. Houghey,
Coroner Murrer, William III. Meade, 4.
Norton, D. Oldenburg. ]. J. Philips, A.
Volk, II. Grimm, ex-Coroner ]. E.
O'Hara, William 7. Taylor and ex-
Coroner Daniel Dempsey, of Staten
Island
Into the car the men marched, and
then were heard such familiar funeral
expressions as John, bend his knees, =
"Have we ice enough?" He'll fit snug
on this seat, ''Ain't he stiff? Smith is
heavy one," and so on. On three occa-
sions.. and three only, did the solemn
faces in this car look animated after it
left the depot and they were when ex-
Coroner Paislow in a giadsome manner
called attention to three large lots of
land embellished with white head stones
and referred to the subjects" he
had planted" in them. Some present
had experienced similar delight and
they dwelU at length on il. In due time
the train reached Greenwood Lake and
the mourners boarded the steam launch.
AS soon as it was generally known that
TIE undertakers were there the life saving
corps was withdrawn from duty, by the
hotel managers, who said they wanted to
make the visit of the association as pleas
ant as possible. This thoughtful act of
Kindness was received with deep thanks.
After a good lunch the most melon
choly race known to the living was in
dulged in. 1t was a fat mems race and
was for wine. The entries were Messrs.
Murrer. Dempsey, Mckee and Grimm,
and it was won by Murrer, with Demp-
sey good second.
The sack race had three entries. Demp-
sey Newkirk and Oldenburg, and was
finished in that order. Dempsey only
fell down four times. Then an onslaught
was made on a splendid dinner, which
was followed by singing and music
dirges, OF course. The association re-
turned to this city at eight O'Clock last
night and today the music of the shovel
and pick will ring out their sad music IN
the graveyards as before and the work Of
planting" will progress as merrily for
the members of the association as ever.