Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-07

The living said 20 the dead: Move on
One might travel about the world for q long
time and fail ~ discover doleful a spectacle
o. that which has been exhibited dur
ing the las: few DAYS at the old burying
ground Of the Fourth Street Methodist Church.
Funerals are not cheerful. but surely nothing
else Imaginable be quite 80 melancholy "a
the unbuTyIng - hundreds upon hundreds Of
dead from the graves which. while living. they
might have hoped would be their last
and peaceful resting places. Picture to
yourself quiet rural cemetery, where good
people for generation after generation have
been inferred. The grass grows green over
the mounds - earth that cover them. while each
autumn the trees overhead let fall a fresh
tribute Of diving leaves in token that
another wear has passed away. Surviving rela-
tiye-. TO whom the recollection of dear ones de-
parted becomes a DINNER memory rs time
flows on. come now and then tn the little
cburchysrd and look upon the sacred spot
where those who belonged to them are
sluiabering forever.
But there comes n time when the land occu-
pied by the church ward Is required for the pur-
poses of the living. An order goes forth
that the deal must move on" Per-
sons hired for the purpose and devoid Of
sentiment IN the matter violate those peace
full graves with spade and pickax, dragging
out the collins. Most OF the people buried
thsfe hsse been defunct SO long that there il
nobody surviving who takes any interest in
them. They rujely hustled utand planted
again el-ewherc without ceremony. Many
% the coffns have rOtted away and fragments
% them are s;rcNH about over the ground.
while snch ~ the human remains as can be
readily separated from the surrounding earth
with shovel are thrown into pine boxes for
reburial This l. exactly what has happened TO
III" old cemetery Of the Fourth Street Methodist
church.
Hearing % the removal OF dead bodies from
one burying ground to another one naturally
inagInes the exercise ot most pious and respect
ful care On the part OF those who perform the
work the raInstakinS disinterment of
the collins from the graves and their
transfer ." their new resting places with rever-
enee and caution ~ to the manner of the per
t"ruhtnee }" show how Tar TINS method has
heen carried out with the old graveyard OF the
I"urth street Methodist Church II may be "a
well :" desefihe what writer for The STAR
saw thefe one day TINS week
NOW THE WORK IL DONE.
Iahorers were 1T work in different parts of
.h. i,,,t. ,-,,..c,.r,. ,,,,,,,, ~. =, ,boro =
''"'N"t' souLs ieiio"' hau JUST DeS"h 4 ir'Sh
eXcn'HnOn. lie worked rapidly, and a few
m0ment- later his spade struck sonethiEg
hard IL Wa the top OF q wooden burial
case. the box inclo-ing "a coffin. 4 dozen more
shovclfuls of earth were removed and the en-
tire top Of the box was exposed 10 view.
Did he then dig carefully around it and lift
the rees ptacle bodily Out2 Not much He knew
H. business and understood an easier plan.
Throwing aside his spade. he took mp q pickax
and attacked che box with il. Crash The first
stroke smashed il in. and two three more
broke the top into fragments. which
thrown ont upon the mound of earth
alOngslte- The plckaN had pierced and broken
the Id 81 the cOf,;n inside. and the pieces Of
that also were thrown out Within the coffin
we're n few bones. mingled with the black humus
Ih'' "h'eh an boo''> are sooner OF inter Trans
.on 49,, ma tNt uIoPpe' LIS PieA anu
..Fctch /, nov vik.f,- he ,.,,ed
Nike brought q new and eheap-looking box
OF pine wood. and workman No. / threw into II
tNS or thres sh2Iehnit oi material irora the
e"NAh inciaeht1s 'ie human remains hah sot
NOR OF "ss miAea Win 'he surrounding enS'
shd NJ niore OF tb' Lat'ef was thro"h outoi the
trANt a lev nl"eh,io1his humps were picked
c ca Ircta II anu ehneAeu INTO 'he Don also
M I'm me- II"su'enr OF n"h-rot'en
os'uS we remainder OF inc pufiaI case ana
S s VIZ ie-hoNet rom 'nc grave ana ,ne
useiht Wa P'Ocs0deu Win lhere were othef
eIPseS '" "e got OUT Oh that eAcaNanon
loo' seepeI the space struck ahother bo1,
20. 20 toP OF "ntcn was presently exposed AGAIN
tIe lieAA- .iarh- Two OF lhree Dlo"s and
$50 49,. e vac O,ouSh' into
~. 49,; vf niue ooiln
- -, .- -, CIV Poiuo =,
IL.
-; - -. =. -. -, - n' ~ -S
-; . - -, - u
-, -. ~, II, - - % an 'no rs ue
"a 49,, I;tS,.4-o .h,...'- -. " ~
-. - n, 80. ~ -. 10 'e III
.'. 80. - OO an " 'io ieniiS SeIo
- % Piiy 80 'e ipi PeinhP'
s M" % 30. si nnion sSeaPeu aa'eh'IS -,
- - - Ae '., ~ n "no
- - 10 IN, - ~ ". nOia'
sst ' ~ '"e "a" WIN ING joo
THE SPECTATORS
While the work Of disinterment was going
on the grave Wa surrounded, bv about a score
os ,.,,r,,,,,- ,,,,,,,l.. ,,o.,i, ,o,,a, IT, r..,o
hNd nan uoheh eh1ioreh WIN thetn' VINO
watched the dismal operations with childish
interest. hardly comprehending what they
signihsd One Of the women exhibited sur
Pri-inS degree Of sentiment by rebuking a
young man standing by for stepping through
ehiids coihn which happened TO have been
takea out nearly whole rom one OF the eNca-
Nauon-. y few minutes later she suggested to
a female companion ihat she was afraid she
would I've Obliged To- leave. but the other de
clartd That she Wa bound TO see what IN
the r~xt coffin before she went The pickax
soon satisfied her CURIOSITY.
The condition Of the bodies dug up varied
vcry much IL respect to preservation. Some
that had been buried only about fifteen years
had almost di-appeared. nothing being left Of