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


and traditions.
fcopyright. i1i. by Edgar L. wakeman.l
rpnwtS. Cornwall. Nov pa always |
,oyr 10 come into rouph and hearty old
Cornwall Ply iisally it has two Interest
ing aspc.s-thn moorlind, mlnclnnd into
Nor harrenuos. nnd the weird and won
druus cnastwlsc sceulc glory.
The moorland- stretch dolofously Ms n In
bundles loneliness. The tor. or hills are
bl.ah and harc. The whole face Of nature
seems torn and scarrc,l rs " by tremendous
elemental struggle Yet ali thee cavcrns
nnd cha.fns which disngire II wern made
by the hand 81 man. lt.granite, shalc and
SLATE hide copper. tin and iron. For more
than 1000 years IL. surface has been cleft,
and Ia depths gorcd aud bored, until IT,
face n pitted ~ n with extinct volcanoes.
Toward 81. Georgia channel at the
northwest aud the English channel at the
southeast innumerablo valleys aud tiny
burns slope toward aud cut through tho
walls by the sea. every one discharglng
impid streams, which 10 whirling, foam
ing or singing 10 the sea- Along the sides
OF these lovely combcs are the quaint old
homes, the rich acres, the ample ricks Of
grain aud the sleek herds OF tho sturdy
farmers u Cornwall Tramp these coast
roads but q mile, you suddenly stumble
upon these lovely wales, the strram and the
farms half hidden b. glorious foliage dot
sing the sides Tar up the combc nI eye eau
rgaeh.-hcru a rumbling old mill. there
nc.,llng church, below you the quaint old
village, beyond, the tiny haven skirted by
the homes Of hshor. and specked by queer
fishers crafts; farther, the tide blowing up
lgtwcen massive hAyou walls or stretch
OF low tide rock and drift and at last the
bright blue srl
eo there arc three kinds Of folk aud lifc
Ia Cornwall. The mines and miner,
largely occupy the barren interior. Re.
tween thcso aud the coast are the farms
uni farmers Of the tiny c1mbcs and wales.
Aud rybody on tho coast Il fisherman.
fshwifr, or In some way PROFITS from the
endless harvesting Of the deep Yet these
Cornish folk arc all one. They are ono IN
sentiment and tradition, IA everyday lie
and custom, Ia consoles, labor aud integ
rity In countless quaint aud curious 81.
uerstitious, In dislike aud disttu,t Of
every English person and thing outside OF
Cornwall, and they are one Ia an almost
universal piety. They are nearly all Meth
odists OF the frli, irm sort. They are all
God fearing, spiok believing, honest deal.
ing folk, who believe that liquor IN as good
for tho hodYag IL religion for the soul,
GufImplng neither, indulgng In neither 10
,xco.s, aud withal suyorIng thelr rugged,
everyday lives with mutual helpfulnvs,
that Il noble and generous hospitality 10
the right meaning stranger which knows
no bounds.
Having been much among these simple
and sturdy people, have been greatly im-
pressed boy the often mournful aud almost
stern manner Ia which their oldcu customs
a. d.
Cornwall. II n regarded In the nature OF
dissertation. The ehangelcss pursuits Of
the people for Thousands, not hundreds, OF
years-miniuR. farmingan hshlng-largo'
~ account for this Besides Cornwall hA,
few large towns. People live In miners
cottages, farmhouse and fishers hnts
which arc huddlcd, by the half dozen "a
perhaps seoee. in tiny hhulets. In these
Cornish life may be seen today precisely as
IL has remained for hundrcd1 OF years.
Perhaps there IL no event among these
people more illustrative Of character. trait,
and the peculiar chcrlshlng OF mournfu
customs than the Cornish funeral. Nc
work Is done for half score OF mile,
roundabout on funeral days. All festive
or political occasions fail TO draw together
such Cornish crowds Us the burial OF tn,
lowliest man or woman OF Cornwall. rh'
nssemhlage, never number less than many
hundreds, and usually comprise many
Thousands. Of Cousin Jacks" as all Cor
nishmon are called and all call each ether
while tue burial Of Cornish farmer. mine
or fisherman will often attract far create
crowds than that OF the greatest and no
blost lord. 10 illustrate this singular out
pouring on funeral occasions, IN 1870 thu
body Of a Prake miner who had cmigrate,
n Colorado and had been accidentally
Killed In ono of the mluos OF that state
was brought back here for burial. Tn
entire population of Cornwall Il less thai
Ahalf million souls, set more than 10000
Cornish folk attended this funeral. o
nearly ten times the number that gathorc'
at the funeral ceremonies OF the late Lor,
81, Aubyn.
Every little hamlet has It's carpente
hnd Joiner. From time immcmorial thi
parsonage has possessed extraordinary dig
nifty from the fact that. by favor and Gus
tom, he IL also the undertaken His shop
which il also his home, where his apprcn
ticc lives with him, Is regarded with ex
trcme awe. IL contains the "funora
tackle" the necessary implements for bur
ial, which have been handed down throug
generations, and in whose preseryAtio
himself and his wife exercise and dlspla
extraordinary anxiety aud pride. The pee
Pic are universally superstitous regartin
Hlltheae articles, and II any are accidental
Aecn lying about. they exhibit genuine aw
md fear.
The Joiner Is quite as keen In keeping II
formed regarding tho progress Of an
nelghborhood Illness, and Is not likely I
DO caught unprophred when his seryic,
are ilnally required, for there Is not onl
thirty Hhlllings, VI trine over seve
American dollars, 70 be got for the ofd
nary Cornish oofiin, but death ushors
tue iolner's absolute reign for at lea
iof,y'cight hours. During that period ]
II tho undertaken, the greatest mau
Cornwall, and In all commands and b
hests no car was ever mora Implicit
uleycd
But he cannot provide against accident
IN tho mincN hin the nighttime KNOB
INK IA heard ~ the door his good vito Jim
J. the first to wasen, with Tommy, Buu
bnlya jack bo dead. 90 e dooarP'
Descending, he grccm tho swartt
'plirdncl" OF the dead miner with n "a
ram vlsRge, calculating the while " It
lumber aud coffin furniture arr read
wien this brief but comprehensive coll
q1y may DO heard
Vans matter. Coden (cousiu) Jae
your
Thee cogu't guess whose dead, YOU"
No, no, Codeu Jack, who cs AN'
Jacks Blllys dead, you. llawl ho
IN tAe niue pltuhl went oan about un