Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-05

AtNA- NlNAN AAf AAANNN NNNfN lNFNl anu liAAANf I
him savngcly DARK aud drear IA this trip.
The country Undertaken will complete
his box" blythe next evening. II Is always
tho same In Cornwall-of pinc, stained n
rich, dark cherry. with two heavy handles
on each side, the huge enamolod plate on
top, upholstered with carpenters shayings |
aud cheap white muslin, andprovidcd with |
q stout rope handle, like tHat on an emf
grant chest. NJ the head and foot. There |
are no hearses In this land. Nv carts. way |
ons or carriages are ever seen here at a 1
funeral, unless u be at one Of somemem
Der Of noble family
The delivery OF the coffin for "layin out" |
has therefore been for generations mat. |
ter OF Importance aud rudo ceremony
aud always 10y baud. From the universal
dread Of these people 90 come In any man.
ncr Of contact with anything pertainingto
the dead, "carryin the box Is attended
with some mystery and more difficulty
Usually the undcriaker's old cronics, who
know that liquor aud perhaps n shilling
besides Is NJ tho ond Of the journey, arc
engaged. These four In number, with tho
"hoxn ON timhsrs between, aud With the
Joiner ut ther head. vet out on their lusu.
brious journey, which Ia often one OF many
miles.
WI MINlNNl W wv VNNHN VI h'HAAAli'H'NiN
the "box" j. vet down some distance from
the house In accordance with long Gus
tom he enters alone and announce bis
mission, Through Just a. old q custom n
short period Of waillng Is then the rule.
This census rs abruptly ne II began, when
the undertaken always asks Of the widow,
"Wcll. jimmy, hast go got any lickeri Tbs
! chaps ont theirs little 'fald" cwlll
invariably reply, ayes, my son, plenty,
] plenty lie chen ruplir 20 tho thirsty
/ helpers, with thu rcmnrki mo fear boys,
/ long % Jack. Jinnya g't plenty llckcr"
and they will ~ chccfily reply. IAN rolght,
| Tommy, We can stand VA now"
These matters, essential from time I'm.
memorial, being once i.liustcd, they are
/ followed hy great amount N uiliclUus
measurement, for from first 10 lwt every
/ possible opportunity for simple Impressive.
| moss and effect u made most Of. Some
| times the "helding" Of the littlc stairway
| Is removed. perhaps the boy must go
In through the second story window, But
nothing more terrible could happen than
to have the "bOX' come into the house In
any other way than feet first" That
would be IN unqualified aud absolute pre-
sage OF further d,athin thcsnmc family. or
| 20 npirhbors who were watching With
the family
In Cornwall "vatohinr" with the dead
T. universally called "sctiin cop with Cpdcn
jack Friends and relatives lwuys 20
TO the hous1 of mourning and oi ven tho
family with memories OF other i.lur oc'
casions, Of the most marked characters
tics VI the deceased, and idl else falling re
vivc the countless uncunny death legends
and supeutltious OF Cornwall These
gathering, however, arr never kald Ia the
room with the dead. The single living
room OF the Cornish household Il utilized.
and IL would not be Cornish homo 20 tbs
funeral Saffron cake" aud an abundance
VI liquor wrrc not provided.
By word uf mouth the hour, which IA
vet by the undertaken, Of departing iqr the
parish church-ior although nearly ull
Cornish folk arr Wesleyan Methodist,
every CoFnishmau f. finally buried with
the Church Of England seryiee-.hH. been
made known far aud near Thousands Of
folk, all In black. gather to escort the dcad
and mourners. Here again the Importance
OF the undertaken Is observed. lie ha'
selected u voluntary choir FROM the crowd
lie appoints the eight "blercrs' or bearers
lie brings two chairs from the house aud
sois them In the highway. The collin IA
deposited on these. Then 10 arrange "a,
"blcrers" and the curious coffin tackle
This consists Of two polished heciagot
stick, four feet long and round at the ends
and four stout linen napkins" two feet
wide and three yards long, Two Of thcs,
are passed through the rope handles, onl
, ut each eoflln end, knotted, aud the stick
are passed through these Knots, providing
supporting handles for "blorcrs - two al
ptfc head and two 40 the foot. Four othe
, "biercrs,n two on each side, assist Ia car
: rying the coffin. by passing two napkin
! under the colin and the euds UP through
the side handles, for 10 should DO renen,
bcrcd that the burden must be literally
, carried often for many milos, aud nryc
oueo set upon the ground. although, from
Z another ancient custom, chaira will be ,cci
, set outside every house along the funcTa
, | way.
a dlrge IL sung while the mourners ar
/ being disposed Ia due order. Then th
I undertaken roads the llrst Two lines OF tia
most luguhrinus aud solemn ut all Yves
, lcyan hymns-
Whereof we 60, wherc'cr We DO.
We're marching 10 the Erayo!-'
: which Is the signal for walling on the par
Of the mourners,. weird and plautiv
= chanting by the choir, though no 0thcu
p are allowed 70 lit their voices, aud for IA
, slow aud measured departure OF the dol,
= full cortcge.
All along the way the undertaken
, proudly conducting his functions. lie ~
! lecis helpers who relieve the rrgula
: "biercrs,' though the latter must alway
b be IN their places when passing a villng,
a Aud Il would not 10 u Cornish funeral
v he did not command the choir to sin
I. "Nhcre'er We CO. NJ every hamlet q
. little collection Of houses was approached
N every person oyortakun upon the wa
did not Join the cortege aud accompau
. II for some distance; II any one comm
toward the procession did not inslantl
|. turn backward on it, discovery; II IA
. choir did not use It's utmost powers nS th
. parish church was finally reached II III
cortcgc failed tD halt a respectful distaur
y from tho church door until the "pnsson
and sexton had male their appearance,
a wholly outside the entrance, 10 receive h
I. ~ all tile women did not wall aud wee
n during the entire service; II the "paAsoL,
\ sexton aud undertaken were not paid u
I. their services, NJ the grave In coin In IA
- presence Of the entire multitude; n hut
u dtels ~ cousin jacks and cousin Jii
o. nicsN did not return to the herraved HON
y 20 participate in sympathetic umluiscrnc
tuii ron caAu, b'er aud liquor; and u th
"A dopurteds "palrdnVrd" and crontoa, inolul
!. inE tito undertaken with his "helpers' m
= "heres,N did not repair to the publ
y house 10 indulge IN toddy, boiled beer q
J. "shurngrum'-n Cornish drink OF ice
brandy, sugar aud l,mou-nud during tl
y eventual night 1000 times praise their lHi
/. comude with the highest euloyy one Col
"a nish mnn eau hestuw upon another;
y "Ah, Codtn Jacks gone, you. All, {
!, knOtUtd ia, did Codeu JRGl.N
D EDuAR l.. wAKENAS.
/ natr,,,iist haa reeently NADIA Al