Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-09-18
NO FLOWERS.
hut You Can't Defeat an Entorpri.inx
Florist.

| 800 >"sse Deheat AN Entorprtaing
Florist
Remember that Gates Ajar' mus,
go up to Browns before 9 o'clock to-
morrow morning. said a Wabash
avenue florist the other afternoon.
and don't you forget that it is to be
an n. I. affair and that you'll have to
keep your eyes open"
What is an n. T. funeralp" the re-
porter for the Chicago News ventured
to ask, after the young man addressed
had left us.
mo flowers" sententiously answer
cd the proprietor
That means, then. that you arc
taking flowers to funeral where thoy
are prohibited"
Precisely"
DO so frequentlyP"
Every day."
Then no flowers really doesn't
mean no flowers after all, does it?n
1T doesn't If we can help it-rest
assured of that We are here to sell
flowers. The funeral trade forms an
important part of our business, and
we have to protect ourselves against
the anti-fioral cranks as best we can.
The no flowers order is n fashionable
fad and nothing else. 1t originated in
New York years ago ut funeral of
one OF the Vanderbilts. who requested
That no flowers should be displayed
during his obsequies. l was working
for New York florist at that time.
and | well remember what flutter
this innovation caused among the
tradesmen in our line of business.
They did not care about losing tho
single Vanderbilt job, but they feared
that such an example in the ultra
fashionable world would be followed
by its general adoption. Thus within
OF fashion might deal a severe blow to
the floral trade. The leading florists
Immediately held conference and il
was unanimously decided that the
geat funeral must not be permitted to
set the fashion and inaugurate an anti
MOVERS era Several very costly and
elaborate floral pieces were prepared,
but in spite of tH we could do the Or
ders OF the deceased were obeyed to tho
letter and we were unable to get n
solitary flower inside the Vanderbilt
residence. An attempt to bride the
servants failed, as they had received
lronclad instructions not to permit a
floral offering of any kind whatsoever
to be taken inside the house. This
ultlmatum fell like wet blanket upon
our hopes, but still we determined not
to quit the field without making one
last bold bluff A magnificent WV
cross was made-one of the finest that
ever was seen in this country. 1t was
about six feet high and was composed
OF mass of English ivy leaves and
tendrils. 1t represented a good round
sum, let me tell you, and good deal
OF work. But there was not bud or
flower in it anywhere. Just before
the time appointed for the exercises
to begin we took the cross to the
Vanderbilt residence and, as we ex-
pected, were stopped at the door by a
liveried lackey who denied us ad-
mission.
" But there must be no delay about
this matter, we insisted. 1t must 90
in and at once. Como, now; we
have no time to parley with you"
80 You can not come in.
I'VE must
q" Il have strict orders not to admit
any flowers. can not do it.
' But there are no flowers in this.
Look at it for yourself. 1t was built
entirely in accordance with the wishes
of the family. You have no orders
against admitting ivy. have you?"
He hesitated. just then something
round and hard dropped into his hand.
He was lost. A moment later that
beautiful cross stood at the head of tho
casket. shall always remember the
remark of my companion as we left
the house: Well, Jim, we've beaten
the old man cold at his own game"
Talk about push and business enter
prise! Are there any limits beyond
which they can not go?