Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-18
QUEER THINGS IN CoFFINa.
Eccentricities That Make Even the Under
takers Laugh.


takers Laugh.
From the New York Tribune
what is the last curious thing you have me,
in your lugubricus business?" asked Q reporter
Of an undertaken the other day.
The undertaken opened the lid Of . coffin
near his elbow and replied: do you zee tina,
satin liningf"
''Yes. What's odd about that?"
yellow
yellow is common enough color"
mot for coffin Innings, my boy They're
generally white. But this coffin was made for
woman whose main ambition in life was to
look well, and her last dying request was tina,
her coffin be lined with old gold satin. a. that
color best set of her complexion, which was
rather sallow and dark. Promise me- she
said. 4 don't want all those women to come In
and see me in my coffin looking like fright.
So they promised and she died contented.
'Only Q woman would bother her head with
such thoughts on her dying bed, !" moralised
the reporter.
Tim not so sure Of that" said the under.
taker. Il once buried an old chap. q saloou
keeper, whose income while he lived was nm
evenly divided between the support Of hi
family and the decoration of his person. The
family got the smaller half. He wore the most
expensive clothes at all times and the glitter OF
Al diamonds from his shirt front necktie watch
guhru anu nls Dig req cnuDDy hands actually
dazzled the beholder. Well, when his time
came he had very little property but his Jewels
to leave behind him, but he made q viii be-
queathing the little he had to his wife on con-
dition that she dressed his body in his best
suit Of clothes. decked 1t with all his diamonds
and buried them, every one, with him. Other
wise his whole estate, including the diamonds,
was to 60 to charity.
The poor woman declared she would obey
his every wish, but it was with q heavy heart
that she brought out the suit I was to dress the
corpse in. 1t was Of the loudest, biggest. most
glaring plaid You ever saw; enough TO brighten
Old Nick himself away. The shirt was all COW
cred over with pattern composed of purple
ballet dancers and scarlet bulldogs, and these,
with his big diamonds glittering all over
him, made q startling sight for the mourners
who looked into his coffin. Many were the lam
entations that the poor widow should be
obliged to bury all those diamonds, and much
admiration Was expressed for the wifely devo-
ton which kept her from murmuring.
But the widow was no fool She buried the
jewels sure enough, but hardly was the grave
filled MP before she ordered the sexton to
empty Il again. The coffin was opened, and
the widow took the diamonds from the old
curmudgeon's shirt front with her own hand
Then they buried him . second time.
II heard Of another strange case" con-
not come under my own observation, yet be-
lieve to be true. Il was that Of Q man who
always had borrow Of being buried alive. He
left provision in his viii that Q big bottle OF
chloroform was to be put in the coffin with
him. 1t was 10 be laid by his side, and Q tack
hammer was 70 be put In his hand, 90 that II he
came to life under ground he could smash the
bottle at . blow and Ill the coffin with fumes
that would kill him instantly and psinlsssly."