Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-07-02


World than 5Ionfey!deO.
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One Of the sights Of Montevideo
which the traveller must not miss is
the -Cemetario Central. or principal
cemetery. situated long way from the
citv'- hg-y centre, near its south beach,
within uud % the mUrmuring sea.
Though IT, natural beauties are not So
great as those Of Greenwood, Mount
Auburn Spring Grove and many other
cities If the dead ia the United States,
and though a few t0mbs In each Of the
latter may equal any Of these in point
Of elegance, vet taken AZ q whole. there
is nowhere in North America such an
aggregate display Of wealth IN any one
burial ground-such luxurious inter
ment Of dust TO dust-as here. This
is by al odds the finest In South
America. IL has a monumental en-
trance and "a very costly and elaborate
chapel, which alone represent the eX-
peuditJre OF $I.DJJgjJ. The chapel
has an ornamental dome, floors and
inner walls Of purest marble. a beauti-
ful alaDaSteT altar, cauIelaUra and
ornaments of gold and silver. and a
basement Of equal elegance wherein
some Of the more illustrOus dead
such as Bishops and Presidenis-are
Inferred
The cemetery is divided into three
sections and surrounded by wall, %
feet high being a continuous series Of
vaults, one above another. each vault
having an opening just large enough
30 let IN a casket Each Of the in
Vulnerable little inches is fronted by a
marble tablet bearing in letters of
black or gold the names of those whose
mortal remains were deposited inside.
so precisely alike are all Jt them. save
the slight difference in lettering, that
il it be true spo0ks walk abroad at
"the witchiug hour when grGyevdrds
yawu, it must be as perpieNiug for
each TO find his especial niche again as
for the occupants OF those endless rows
of red brick houses With marble steps,
alike as So many peas in a pod. that
characterize certain streets in Phi.adel-
phia and New I0rk,t3ai iuguish their
own doors when coming late from club
or caucus 10 the beiuddIej condition
that sometimes cguiuses sh0c-buttOuers
with latch-6eys.
10 reach the upper cells, collins are
wound MP bis mean. Of a portable step
ladderand elevator combined creak-
ing apparatus that swings and i0lts
and bumps the cadaver about in a
shocking manner, while the pallsear-
ers skip mp the ladder to receive IL and
shove ID Into Che narrow receptacle.
The whole surface OF the walls is gar
landed with fresh flowers and hung
with ureaths of immortrllcs and
decorations made of black and white
beads and long strcamers of ribbon,
all oN which show 90 the best adyaut-
age against the white marble facing
But alas! As everywhere else in
Spaui,h-America, the vaults are not
owned absolutely by families. but are
rclled for term Of years. pr for Is
long "a time as the friends continue 10
pay a stipulated amount per annum;
sl that the help.es, dead are not SUR.
of "long home" however much dis.
play of wealth may he made NJ the time
Of iutermput Ia case the family move
away or die witaOGt having lci, pro-
vision IN their wills concerning she
grave for al time TO c0me,Or from fail
ure 60 pay the rent from ans cause.-the
remains are eyicte5 and dropped into
the common pit and the vault rented
TO other corners.
The ground floor, so TO speak, Of snC
vast cemetery is fully occupied Will
private or family vaults towue3 not
rrutcj). all of them yer, costly anC
elaborate, crowded close together, Win
narrow, wcll-paged streets between
Such an array Of splendid monument,
aud exquisite work, OF art, done by the
sculptofy Of Rome and Milan may per
haps ne equalled i'm some Europeat
cemeteries, but certainly nowhere e'st
IN the western world The vaults mr.,
all huir mp from the ground, OF marbi,
or alaUasger, Hakc-oyeu shape or i'm Tn,
form 10 templc-,aud most ol them hay,
platc-glass doors bach of the gildel
gates of opcn-wrought iron, plainly
showing the interior The inner WALL
are covered with pictures and othel
adornments, protuscly decorated witi
flower, in costly yaseSa and cyerywher,
are cruciiNe~ aud burning candles.