The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-07-07
FACTS ABOUT FUNERALS.
The Italians and Chinese Bury Their Dead
in Style.

The Italians and Chinese Bury Their Dead
in Style.
Only few days ago reporter in crossing
Park row at the corner of Pearl street met
brass band which seemed at first sight to
be leading procession of some kind, says
the New York Mail and Express. On nearer
view it appeared that behind the band was
small white hearse in which was laid
diminutive white coffin. As it is quite un-
usual, even in New York, where the unusual
may be met at any time. to have music at
the funeral of an infant, the reporter paused
to view the funeral cortege.
It was not a large one. The German band
and the hearse formed by Ear the largest
part of it, for behind the latter there were
but two dingy looking coaches. In the first
of these We're young woman, young mau
and a child; in the second an elderly man
and woman. The bright headgear of the
woman in the second coach indicated that
the funeral party was made up of members
of the italian colony.
1t was certainly remarkable funeral
procession. The band was pounding out an
excruciatlng rendition of the dead March,
in Saul. The carriages were hanked and
followed by several hundred street gamins,
who are always ready to assist at picnic,
fight or funeral, preserving their free and
easy demeanor at either or all of these var
led affairs.
''That sort of thing has lately become a
custom with the Italians" said one of the
undertakers who are rivals for the lugubri-
GUS business of burying the Italians and
Cinnamon who live in the neighborhood in
which chinatown and Little Italy, are
| situated. These undertakers, by the way,
are all Irishmen, although in one or two
cases they have taken Italian partners into
their business.
''rhe Italians spend good deal of money
on funerals continued the undertaken.
''They will live on almost nothing, but they
will have more or less imposing funerals.
and are willing to pay the regular rate for
carriages without making any objection.
| often have Italian rag women come to me
and hire coaches to attend the funeral of
some relative or friend. Some of these
women will sometimes occupy coach all
alone, and will ride to the cemetery in re-
gal state. They pay cash down, too.
/ Il fancy the Chinese spend more on their
funerals than most wealthy people do.
Some of them are wealthy, to be sure, but
generally it is the Chinese Free Masons'
society that sees to it that most of the finn
erals going out of Chinatown are big
mander of the Black Flag rebellion,
died, there was the biggest kind of a
funeral, costing some $1,000. But this was
outdone some time ago when the founder of
the Chinese Masons in New York was buried.
On this occasion the Freemasons raised
| 81, 600, and more than $1,000 of this was
spent on the funeral. 1t was the biggest
thing of the kind that Chinatown has ever
seen. / tell you you can see some pretty
loud funerals if you want to pay an occa-
sional visit to the neighborhood.
The reporter, having seen both of the
Chinese funerals referred to, the funerals of
some prominent members of the Italian
colony, the remarkable funeral of James
Elliott, the prize-fighter, who was shot in
Chicago, by Jere Dunn, the gambler. not tx
speak of those two or three kings of tht
! old "Whyoo gang, who had achieved dis
tinction by getting shot or hanged, was moi
inclined to dispute the statement of the
undertaken.