Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-04-06
Shall the "0Id Grave Yard" be Desserated
byL Law2

last Legislature e0acteu d picCe Vi epcSAoA
legislation; 1--WE hope not specially to meet
a case in Butler,) but which singuisrly
covers the ground, and this without any
notice whatever to our citizens. The law
allows school boards, under certain CIR
cumstances, ITO violate the resting places OF
thedead Under this Act the school board oil
Butler, is now attempting to invade the
oldest burial place of the town, consecrated
by the founders of Butler as perpetual
resting place for their dead. 1t has so re-
mained until this day. That il has not
been so well cared for as 1t should Lave
been, is freely admitted. But, that very
fact, instead of atfording reason Tor It's
further desecration, should stimulate our
borough authorities to take immediate
steps for it's permanent preservation. oucn
a movement would be cordially seconded
not only by the people of the town but OF
all the surrounding country, the larger
portion of the interments in this burial
place being from the country AT TINS very
time a fund has been collected and safely
deposited, and considerable additional sub
scriptIons, at once available, have oeeE Sc
cured to handsomely enclese and ornament
these sacred grounds as Memorial Park
Such action would seem to be more IN mar
mony with the intention of the donors, ana
with the enlightened spirit OF this age, tnan
that proposed BY our School Directors.
The plea of necessity is suggested tor the
proposed desecration. 1t has no foundatlon
what ever. In a crowded city, where all
other property is already permanently sp,.
propriated, there might be semblanee OF
propriety in the suggestion. But, even IN
such case, in our large cities ancient burial
places are sacredly protected. AT the
| head of Wall street in the city oil New
| York-the business centre ofthis country
| is q venerable grave yard untouched Tor
over q century by desecrating hand. In
the heart of the city of Philadelphia, tne
old grave yard containing the grave Oh
Benjamin franklin, and his cotempofarles,
remains as sacred as it was IN the days OF
| the Revolutiot. when il was conseerated;
carefully cared for by the city authorities
IL can hardly be pretended that every
available spot for school house about
Butler is so pre- e-occupied that it Is impos-
sible to secure, by purchase or even CON
demndtion, sufficient ground for this por-
pose, aud that our educational necessities
are such as to drive Us TO the dire extrem-
ity of invading the graves OF our foretathers
TO find home for a healthy education OF
the children.
1t is matter of regret that the thought
OF cheapness of price should be put for
ward as good reason for the proposed desc
Grafton. The bare mention OF snch reason
should be insulting to the intelligent NOR
ality of the School Board. The bones and
dust of our ancestors cheaper than other
ground! But, if the thought could be toll
Grated, the Directors would find that even
from a money point of view, this property
would prove to be the dearest spot they
could find in Butler. The piece of clan
destine legislation under which they
would operate, requires large expenses Tor
dis-interment and re-interment, tor the
/ purchase of new cemetery, tor the pur-
chase and setting up of head stones, etc
But all this is but the beginning OF the
cost. There are rerersioRerS still living To
: assert and maintain their claim IN the
right and title to the property, so, that al
) ter all the expense, first referred to, na'
been incurred, the property would be IKE
, any other town property on the market
and the question TO be determined would
he: what are these valuable lots on The
corner of Mexican and North streets rortI
One of the hapdsomest squares IN Butlel
and the price will have to be paid tht
same as if there never had been gray,
!. yard there. These lots 'UiH come high.
Itwould look as if the School Board hat
, not counted all the costs, II they have dar
ed to mediate on the cheapneSS OF thu
speculation.
But. were there no other reason for thu
intrusion upon the homes of our dead an
cestors, the impossibility of dis-intering al
} the dead turied in this old grave yar'
should be conclusive against the project
, There are about 120 marked graves. Their
, have been no burisls there for over forty
years. Only dust could be gathered frou
these graves. But there is much large
number of wholly unmarked graves. Whole
families are buried there; the location o
, whose grayes, cannot be designated
There lies the remains of John Cunning
, ham. one of the founders of Butler. auI
, there they have slumbered for nearly nine
! ty wears. No person in Butler can desig
, nate the spot where they are buried, bu
they are there. What is to be done witt
, them7 There lie the remains OF venera
f ble Revolutionary soldier the ancestra
, head of the Mckee family, still worthlll
represented in our midst he served nj
country bravely and faithfully, and afte
fighting his last battle, laid down in Butle
to rest, for how long, gentlemen OF t1'
School Boardf In that old grave yarf
/ lie the remains of the first Christian Minis
, ter who ever preached in Butler county
buried there over seventy years ago, ant
, | by his side his wife and two sons. Ther'
| is the grave of the wife OF the Hon Walter
, Lowrie, one of Butler county's most highly
! honored soma, who reached the exalted Pc
, sition Of seat in the Senate OF the Unltec
! States His wife. an eminent christian la
f dy, has been buried there for 6l years, anc
by her side her little son. There one o
r the earliest Methodist ministers has 6
grave to be cared for by those who have
, followed him in the ministry in Butler
and there it has been undisturbed for two
, thirds of a century Those venerable
! pioneer settlers of Butler county,-tht
, father and mother of Hon. John Bredir
J and grand parents of Hon. James Bredir
sleep in that old grave yard. a few year.
a since an attempt was made with loving
/ hands to dis-inter the remains OF these
! loved ones. But it was found to be impos
sible, and so it would be, with regard te
several hundred others.
, Thera is scarcely an old family in oul
/ surrounding Heiphhnrhood that is not rep
D resented there. There lie the Pierces
l Cochrans, McKissicks, Besttys, McQuis
tions, Neym mans, Funks, Keclers, Hanlons
, Thorn psou s, Petersons, artius, McKeeyers
. welshes, Henrys, MeCandless,, Amber
| | sons, Evans, SCOTS, Wallaces, Burkharts
+ | Grahams, Aa<Eslls, Robbs, Fryers an'
scor. # others. What is TO be done W
: this venerable dust by our School Board
I Much of it they can never even locate.
In reply to all this we are hippantly In
formed 1T is mere question OF time. W.
q had better attend to it at once IL will b.
done some time anyhow We have NJ
4 faith in such loose talk. We nave . dutl
. to perform in our day in protecting th
graves Of our dead The world is growing
: better, not worse. The enlightened
; christian sentiment, which will usher il
/ the Twentieth Century will tolerate Ii
4 pessimistic surrender # ghat it finds ho
: liest and best, and its educetill will no
be to lead men to be ghonls and iconoclasts
Again we are told that all this effort Il
care for the dead '1s matter OF sentiment
|, aud tnat the progress and Improvement
But;eY demand that this eye sore be re
moved destroyed" We would pity th'
: progress and improvement of Butler if i
depended upon and required sp obitera
f tion OF our care for our h0nOred dead.
We disciaim the thought that the pro
| posed desecration Of the old graveyard, II
Iu be the work OF vandal marauders, light
, | ing down, vuIture like, to prey upon the
remain. of the dead. Were that the case
they would soon be- disposed of. On the
contrary, this proposition comes from In
ltelligenr, moral, upright officials They
are public officers, however, and their OF;
fetal action Is open to criticism and com
ment. We believe the action OF the 5eh0o
Board in this matter has been hasty and
inconsiderase. Their proposition should
IN some way, have been laid before the
people, and the judgment OF the people OBJ
| tanned, before their final action. we still
think, after mature reflection. they would
reach the conclusion that certain circum'
/ IN anad in tho tifle nf THAR XII. do