Daily Yellowstone journal., 1891-12-08
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS
CORNISH FUNERALS.


CeremoniaIs, showing the Tenacious
Cherishing Of OIden Cornish Customs
and Traditions.
Copyright, 1891, by Edgar L.. wakeman.l
CROwAS, Cornwall, Nov. 23-l always
love TO come into rough and hearty old
Cornwall. Physically il has two interest
ing aspects-the moOrland, mineland inte-
riOr b~arreDness and the weird and won
drous coastvise scenic glory.
The moorlands stretch dolorouslv as il in
boundless loneliness. The tors or hills are
bleak and bare. The whole face Of nature
seems torn and SCARED as II by tremendous
elemental struggles. Yet all these caverus
and chasms which disfgure il were made
by the hand of man. It, granite, shale and
slate hide copper, tin and iron. For more
than 1900 years its surface has been cleft,
and its depths gored and bored. until its
face Is pitted as If with extinct volcanoes
Toward 81. Georges chanuel al the
northwest and the English channel at the
southeast innumerabie valleys and tiny
burns slope toward and cut through the
walls by the sea. every one dIschargiug
hmpId streams, which 20 whirliu-. foam
ing or singing TO the sea. Along the sides
of these lovely COmbe~ are the quaint ..l
homes, the rich acres, the ample rick~ of
gram ana tuc sleek herds az the ~turl
farmers of Cornwall. Tramp these coast
roads but "a mile, you suddenly stumble
upon these lovely wales, the stream and rHt
farms half hidden by glorious foliage d.r-
o the sides far up the cImur a- ere gtu
retch-here "a rumuIia- OLD mill. there
nesting church, below you the qua. Gr obi.
village, beyond, che tiny haven -Nirtal D..
the homes Of fishers and ~prcAcJ Dog qu..a
fishers crafts farther. rue tide pl0wiu- Ut
between T--Iye haven walls or % ~trrt..
Of low tile rock aud drift, and at last t..
bright blue sea.
- there are three kinds of fo,A and Dr..
IN Cornwall The mines and miner
largely occupy the barren Interior D..
tween these and the coast are the tlrr-
and farmers Of the tiny c1mDr- and y..e-
And everybody ON the coast l- "a fisherman.
tshwife, or Iu some way profits from ra-
endless harvesting Of the deep. Ie- these
Cornish folk are all one. They ar, on. il
sentiment and tradition, DO everyday Do.
and custom, ln ceasele-- labor and Iut.-
rlty, IN countless quaint and curious -u.
per~ttlou-, IN dislike and dl--IG-r .i
every English person and thing outside o.
CornWall, and they are One Hu almost
universal piety. They ar. u. MD N.ru.
odI-ts Of the first, firm -.. @ ... ..
God fearing, -pook r....s .....
ing iOiN, who believe tn". good.
Tor the body as j. r...- -.T.
scrlmping neither. lna" .rt.
excess ana "lJhal SAVIOR. -"I.
everyday LNe7 with % BOO. .r--
that j. noble and "a = ta
the right meaning -tr.- SHOWS
no bounds.
Having been much amor -~e simple
and sturdy people, / have ..l greatly inn
pressed Dy the often mpIrLlul and almost
stern manner IN their olIeu customs
are preserved. Change Is unknown In
cornwall II Is regarded IN the nature OF
dissertation. The changeless pursuits of
the people Tor thousands, not hundreds, O.
years-minlng, f~armingand hshiug-large
~ account Tor this. Besides Coruwal has
Few large towns. People live In miner,
cottages, farmhouse and fishers nuts,
which are huddled, by the half dozen 90
perhaps a score IN tlny hamlets. IN these
cornish HE may be seen today precisely a,
II mas remained for hundreds Of years.
Perhaps there Is no event among these
people illustrative Of character, trait,
anu the peculiar cherlshlng OF mournful
customs than the Cornish funeral. No
"ofA Is none Tor halt "A score OF niles
roundabout on funeral days. All ies'IN.
OF poNIicaI occasions IAN 10 draw to-etLer
sucn cornish crowds a. the burial OF the
IoWllest man or woman OF Cornwall. The
assemolages never number .ass than many
hundreds ana usually compl4-r many
thousands oil Cousin Jacks, - all Cor
nIshmeu are called and all call each other.
"hl4e the ouFlalot "a cornish farmer, mla-r
OF fisherman Will often attract Tar -reler
crowds Jhan that OF the greatest and uo
b'e7t lord. To Illustrate this singular out
pouring on funeral occasions, Iu $50 the
Do1y OF lTaze miner who had emlgrats4
20 OgIlrtdo anu had been incidentally
killed IN one OF the mines Of that state,
was Drought back here Tor burial. The
enJlre population OF Cornwall is less than
nan lhIilioh souls yet more than 100000
cornish iolk attended this funeral, Or
ten times the number thar gathered
at the funeral ceremonies Of the late Lord
81 Auoyh.
Every little hamlet has its carpenter
and joiner From time immemorIal this
parsonage mas possessed extraordinary dig
NIFTY from the fact that, by favor and Gus.
TOM ne Is also the undertaken. His shop,
winch Is also MS home, where his appreu-
"a #HLH-A