Birmingham age-herald., 1894-07-24
EXPERIENCES OF UNDERTAKERs.
While Preparing People For the Grave
 They Sec Amusing Incidents.

While Preparing People For the Grave
 They Sec Amusing Incidents.
 A young man who sat down to ban quet that was spread on the tops of several coffins tells a Chicago Herald reporter how he passed the time:
 This banquet was given by undertak- CTS of the upper crust. There was nothing grewsome in the surroundings, save that the viands were eaten from dainty ware on snowy linen which was spread over a number of collins. As these collins had never Eeen used, and never would be, for they were samplo collins, there was noth- ing objectionable in the idea. And it was that which brought out a fact that was interesting to me and is not at all harrow ing. I asked the man who was at the helm what he meant by sample collins. He said that in first class establish ments, such as his, it was always custom ary to keep a number of ready made cas- kets, differently trimmed and mounted, to show to patrons. The prices of such collins range from $250 to $l, ,0oO. It seems from what he said that a man never orders coffin until he has felt of the sample Now, in the course of few months in a big establishment like the one in mind hundreds of people call to select, and as each one rubs his hand over the cover of the casket you can readily sec that such repeated handling would make the coffin shop worn. So in time the casket is taken to the factory and destroyed A sample coffin is never sold or used by first class undertaken. It's time is from 9 to If months in the shop. My friend would not admit that he did not sell or use samples collins from any idea of superstition, but l rather suspect there is something of the sort governing him.
 Later in the evening the assembled undertakcrs and their friends began to throw off some of the conventionalities that had been noticeable when they first sat down. Ono man was called up by the toastmaster, who had the appearance of pallbearer. I have forgotten what they called him, but it was his business to dress tho corpses that were brought to his cstab lishment. He was funny looking duck, and sat where I could take notes of his speech without violating any of the pro prieties He said he had funny experi ence once. He explained that in putting a coat on corpse tho coat was always slit in the buck. That ol,viated turning tho body. On the night of which he spoke he said he saw the clothing oil chair The evening was warm, and tho dresser threw off his owncoat, and while making arrangements to dress the corpse ho began to talk to tho man in the casket, as he said he always did while he worked, Us it kept him from thinking.
 "The speaker told all this in the most solemn manner. He proceeded to Say that he dressed the corpse in approved manner and went away. When ho got home, ho discovered he had ripped up his own coat and put it on the corpse and had put on that which had been placed on tho chair. But ho said tho mistake could not be reeti- fled. Ever thereafter in attending to his business he said he always hung his coat on peg by itself, saying to tho dcad man: You can't have this coat One Of you fel- lows woro ono of mine away once, and you can t do it again.
 "Tho guests around tho table seemed to think it was ono of the best stories of tho night"