The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-09-25
SOME QUEER FUNERAL NOTIONS.
Eccentric Men Who Have Left Peculia,
Instructions for Their Jnterment.

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The story is told of a certain French.
man, says Casselps Journal, who had
been a great collector of coins. By his
will he directed that his obseauie,
should be performed with every ac-
compartment calculated to inspire
mirthful feelings. His body was to be
wrapped i'll tanned pigskin and buried
cof1inless in a standing position upon
a pile Of charcoal, Laurel branches
were to be carried by the mourners,
and returning from the church they
were to throw open the chambers in
which his treasures were deposited,
and all corners were welcome to help
themselves rs they pleased to the con-
tents. 1t was a sore disappointment
10 the public, however to find that be-
fore they were ADMITTED the servants of
the deceased had decamped with every
thing that was portable
The wishes OF a curious character, who
was named Hilkington better known
us Squire Hawley, were fully carried
out few years ago at a place near
dorchester He was buried in his
own garden, amid the graves of his
cattle, which had been stricken down By
rinderpest. He was laid out in full
hunting costume. including spurs and
whip, and was placed in stone cof-
lin weighing upwards of ton, which
had to be lowered into the grave bv
means Of a crane. His old pony was
shot and buried at his feet, and at his
head were laid the bodies of his favor
lite dog and old fox. All his property
was left to his groom on condition
| that these funeral obseryances were
fully carried out; in default the estate
was to 60 to the priest Of Doncaster
for the benefit of the Roman Catholic
Church. The groom, however, did
not suffer the bequest to himself to
lapse.
1t is related that certain crotchety
OLD 1orkshlreman, some Years since,
left directions that on the day of his
burial great public breakfast should
be given in the town where he might
die, and that his coffin, slung upon
towels knotted together, should be
borne along by relays of men and
bumped three times upon ] particu-
lar heap Of stones, and that the La
mentation of a Sinner should then be
sung. A still more important pro-
vision was made regarding the pres
ence of mourners in the churchyard.
Every man, woman. and child who en-
tered the ground with or after the pro-
eesson had to receive a dole of six
pence. Never before or since, we are
told, was that churchyard so full of
people.
A Sussex gentleman named Jack
Fuller ordered his executors to bury
him in :, pyramidal mauseleum. in
Brightling Churcyard- His reason for
desiring to be inclosed in stone above
ground was his unwillingness to be
eaten by his relatives-a process he
considered inevitable if buried in the
ordinary way. The worms" he de-
clared, .''would eat me. the ducks
would eat the worms. and my relatives
would eat the ducks
A gentleman named Underwood left
5000 pounds to his sister on condi-
ton that she had him buried in par
ticular fashion. Six gentleman were
appointed to follow him to the grave, 6
where they were to sing the last stanza
OF the twentieth ode Of the Second
Book of Horace. Mourning was for
hidden to be worn; no bell had to be
tolled,an no relation was to follow the
corpse. The six chosen gentlemen
were to be the only mourners. The
coffin was painted green, and the
deceased was buried with his clothes
on. Three copies Of Horace were
placed in the grave with him. together
with Bentley's Milton" and i. Greek
Testament. After supper the six
mourners sang the ode-all being in
strict accordance with the will Of the
deceased.