Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-08-22

w ~AAAANO = OANS Ne Oss
another $50. II tho family had moved to
| another part OF the country or were all dead
their lot was resold when the lease expired and
the former tenants evicted; but IL they desired
TO remove the dead to another place $50 was
charged for permission to do 20.
Inc church In Santiago owns first-class
hearse, which is used only for great dignitaries
at tho cost OF $50 for conveying the corpse on
| its last journey. 10 also has q second class
hearse, for common people," the fee for using
| which IL S12, and third-claes hearse for Cd.
| And 30 on down the social gamut to the sixth
class, composed Of the church's most devoted
| servants, who. having no money to pay for any
hearse, carry their dead on a stretcher and Law
them coffinless in the rotos dragged people's')
corner.
| That great cemetery of Chili's capital, with
| It's more than 300,000 registered dead, is GER
tainly the most populous, if not popular, public
| resort In the country. And tho population, still
constantly increasing, is permanent one, dis
| turbed by no Mayday movings or revolutions
or changing governments. It is divided into
hve parts-one for dignitaries of the church,
one for wealthy and influential people, another
for commoner clay and another for ''rotos' who
| are too poor to pay anything. Passing into
that city OF silence, through q lofty arch gate
| way topped by tall cross, one stands amazed
at the multitude of bronze and marble mon
uments and splendid statues, many Of them
Europe, a crowd Of costly and artistic
| shapes, far exceeding in number those to
be found at Greenwood or Mount Au-
| burn. Thousands of the monuments are in the
form OF crucifxes. reminding the visitors of
some ones thOught-"Let us hope that they
have gained the crown, for behold the multi
| tude OF crosses they have left behind" Ever
greens, willows. towering shrubs, roses and
forget-me-nots riot everywhere with that I'M
| canny luxuriance peculiar to graveyards.
\ t.-, 49, A1t~
| grave you would observe that his spade soon
encounters something hard in the sandy earth.
1t is only the fragments of some forgotten per-
sons coffin. which. with skull and marrow
bones are careiessly ratified out upon the
sward. little deeper down ne Is sure to come
upon another poor Yorick," and yet another,
four layers of them being about the average.
OPPOSITION TO THE CEMETERY BILL"
1t is still spoken of with bated breath how,
when the famous cemetery bill," which COM
PEELED the authorities to permit the burial of
Protestants and other he-etics in the public
pantheons. had passed both houses Of Congress
and received the signature of the president,
the bishop of this diocese, n man OF powerful
physique and IN apparent health dropped dead
from the shock Of the news. Pending the
presidents signature ihe Was waited upon by n
delegation composed of hundreds OF the wealth.
lest ladies OF the country, who besought him to
veto the obnoxious bill. They were the wives
and daughters of the CHILEAN aristocracy-the
same class of ladies' still swayed in all things
by the church, who are today espousing the
cause Of the revolutionists, which in reality is
question OF the liberal party against so-called
conservatism, of the aristocracy against the
common people, free schools and enlightened
progress against circumscribed education and
return to the priestly rule Of half century
ago.
Even the Holy Host procession. which pos
sessed such weird fascination for us in Peru and
Bolivia. is here losing its power. Formerly in
all parts OF Chill it was conveyed to the dying
with bells and lights and burning incense and
great pomp of military; but in recent years 80
many difficulties have arisen between the ma
tives and hereto foreigners-the latter some
times refusing to kneel in the street when the
sacred procession passed-that the authorities
have forbidden those outward demonstrations
in the principal cities, though they still con-
tinue in interior villages. In Santiago and VAL
paraiso the holy viatico, or host, is now con-
veyed to the bed Of death by priest under a
red umbrella. preceded by three boys with a
bell and lighted candles. In Conception one
may sometimes meet it in a numbering coach
drawn by donkeys, with driver, dressed
in red, seated in front and a black
robed priest inside. The latter carries
the consecrated wafer in small box,
while a boy. also dressed in red walks before
ringing a bell to call the attention OF passers-
by. 1t is strange sight Even politicians of
the liberal type, who are most bitter in their
denunciations of the church. invariably stop
and uncover their heads. and many of them
spread their handkerchiefs on the dusty side
walk and kneel upon them. while the lower classes
fall upon their knees at once. When a cross
road is reached all the people for the distance
OF block must uncover their heads or bow to
the earth, and good Catholics murmur prayers
for the departing soul to which the sacred
wafer with its mysterious significance is pass
ing. So sacredly is the custom OF kneelinR
nj van On ha tiraa hat fhar
Elephants in a waltz or cuaca will pause when
the sound of the bell is heard and bend the
knee until the viatico has gone by.
ALL SAINTS DAY CELEBRATION.
In Chill, as in other Catholic countries No.
vember / is All Saints day, when surviving
friends decorate the graves Of the dead and
have prayers said for the repose of their souls.
On that day, in any Chiiian city. the road lead
ing to the pantheon Is thronged with people
attired in deepest mourning on their way to
the performance of these rites. The burial
OCCASION its pits filled up and scattered bones
and pieces of collins cleared away. Aisles Of
beggars stretch along the road to the gate of
the pantheon, where vendors Of fruits,
cakes. ices, chicha and milk punch
hoarsely offer their wares for sale, while
vigilantes, running about to preserve
order, contribute to a scene Of confusion more
appropriate to The entrance of country fair
ground or circus tent than to a silent city Of
the dead. The cemetery chapel whose inte-
rior has been heavily shrouded in black ard
hung with dimly burning lamps, is filled from
dawn till dark with kneeling figures, and be-
side its outer door table is generally placed
on which stands figure Of Christ surrounded
by candles and backed by pile of battered
skulls and crossbones which have done duty on
many similar occasions.
Inside all the tombs are covered with fresh
flowers, mostly arranged in wreaths, festoons
or vases There are few beautiful garlands
Of immortelles, but some hideous though
doubtless expensive wreaths of black and white
beads combined with black paper roses appear
to be the more fashionable decoration. Groups
Of people, chatting gaily, are seated upon the
graves. while at various points throughout the
grounds stand priests OF different orders re-
pesting prayers for the dead.
FANNIE B. WARD.
Luxury and Society.