The St. Johns herald., 1891-05-14
FUNERAL FASHIONS.
The Latest Styles in Cof1ns and
 Robes for the Dead
An Estimate of the Expense Attendant Upon a Fashionable Funeral Modern Improvements
 in Undertaking.


 taken place in comparatively few years as in that of undertakings said one of the leading men in the business to re- porter for the Minneapolis Tribune. ''Ten or a dozen years ago undertakers made all their own coffins. They were usually practical cabinet-makers, and in addition to burying manufactured woodwork of all the finer kinds, as well as collins. Now the business of manufacturing cofins has got into the hands of few big concerns, which have Q practical monopoly. They have their factories in the lumber districts, and if necessary could easily underseu any man who would undertake to man ufacture on q small scale. Undertakers buy from them at wholesale rates, and the arrangement is Q profitable one for both sides. Many of these firms carry a stock of coftins worth fifty thousand dollars. They are represented by drum
 ners who, instead of carrying samples, have books, elaborately illustrated with cuts of the different styles"
 ''IIas this new arrangement reduced the cost of burial?" the reporter asked.
 ''No. On the other hand a funeral costs more now than at any time within a half century, at least, was the reply. ''As long as people insist on using wooden cofins a funeral will increase rather than decrease in cost. This is due to the fact that fine timber be- comes scarcer every year. Now, if peo- pie could be induced to use the earth to earth casi1ct this would be different This caslIet is made of rough rattan, through the open meshes of which the air has free access to the remains, causing speedy dissolution. But the very fact that the body quickly as- sinailateS with the earth is sufficient to make this style of coffin unpopular.
 "A m1n while living my prefer ere nation after death, but there is some thing offensive ia the thought of re- ducing the remains of 9 dead person to ashes, which causes living friends to shrink from this method of disposing of the dead. I suppose it is a somewhat similar feeling which prevents them from using the earth to earth casket. This style of coffin costs from fifty dol hrs up, according to the trimming used. While i5 disappears quickly, after being put under the ground, it is strong and answers every practical pur- pose.
 ''Embalming is also rapidly taking the place of the old-fashioncd ice-boX. The modern process is a great improve ment over the old-fashioned way of keeping the dead, and costs but very little more. Shortly after death quantity of colorless liquid is injected into the arteries, ard instead of making a corpse look more ghastly, as ice did, it improves the appearance by preserv- ing the natural expression and color and by filling out the features in cases of cancellation"
 Do you have auch trouble in col lecting bills?" was the reporters next query.
 "Wen, we have some trouble. You see, it is just this way: People are op- posed to any thing like economy, or, more properly speaking, 'stinginess,' in providing burial for a dead relative or friend Some member of the family goes to an undertaken and makes prepa- rations for the funeral, promising to pay the bill afterward. The under taller is told to do every thing in the best style, and the bereaved family is surprised at the size of the bill. They believe that the undertaken is tryingto swinlle them, thinking they will not dispute the charge; and thus they ire quently refuse to pay. As a general thing, people who pay promptly have an understanding as to the exact cost of every thing before completing the ar engagements. In some cases the under talzer is able to collect from a mans es- tate, but in many the bill is loss to him.
 ''The cheapest funeral, that of an in- fant, will cost nine dollars, while you can eXpend almost any sum you want, one funeral, for instance, that of Gen eral Grant, costing over fourteen thou sand dollars. One of the most eXpen- sive features Of a funeral is the music, a poor quartette costing at least one hun dred dollars. Very frequently the cost is added to by giving the minister fee. If ncn possessed of any property dies without friends or relatives in this city the public administrator gives him funeral in accorllnce with his means.
 ''The handle of a cofin has much to do with its aQpearanco. Of these there are at least five thousand different va rieties, the latest style being covered with plush or cloth similar to that used onthe casllet. Funerals with long lines of carriages arc not 50 1uch in vogue now, the money being expended on the coffin and the hearse, where it will show to more advantage. Day funerals are becoming more rIre all the time, the evening being preferred, because business men can attend.
 ''Cloth-covered caskcts are now more used than the rosewood or coifins which were so pop ular for time. The cloth-covered cas- kets are made of pine or ebony, those for young people being covered with light colored cloth, or with various delicate shades of plush. Collins for elderly per