St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-26
provided for the discharge of the last

7rlleS.
1t was estimated that the cost of single
sepulchers would probably range from
$40 to 5000, with family compartments
from 5000 to $4,000. Burial plots in
citlss range from $500 to $1,000 for space
to Qllc;s six graves, to which must be
added the COSY OF haadslQne, M0hvlnssnntt,
statuary, inclos0r6 and care. 1t Was
proposed to build the mausoleum Of
conerete. Research, ancient aud modern,
establishes the quality of the material
for impenetra6ility, insolubility and
consequent permalience, even an earth
quake being powerless to destroy build
ings made of it. For some reason or
other this plan was never carried out.
1t is still among the possibilities, how
ever, for those who initiated 1t are still
full OF enthusiasm over ii, and believe
that In very short time they will see
their way clear to practical demon
stration of the value of this method Of
dlspoSing of the dead.
A Western man has come forward
with novel proposition. He is a silver
platter, aud several years ago he began
series OF experiments in the line OF
his trade which were highly successful,
and have opened up most astonishing
p0ssibllity-the embalming Of the de ad
III casts of nickel, silver or gold, accord
ing to the purse and artistic desires of
the survivors of the deceased.
The inventor may have heard of the
Madagascar monarch who, DESTROYS of
making an impression upon a British
ambassador. appeared OH the day of the
royal audience respondent in a close
fitting suit of gold dust on foundation
OF palm oil. The magnificence of the
monarch was, however, fatal, and he
fell victim to his ambition 10 appear
before the representative of her
majesty in state of unparalleled SPLEEN
dor. The coating of gold dust
closed the royal pores. and the
epldermis, deprived of the air which it
takes through its many million mouths,
brought about the disorder which speed
lily ended the unfortunate rulers life.
He was buried in this. his best suit of
clothes. len years later his body was
taken from its tomb to be placed in
more imposing quarters. when, to the
surprise OF the train which had come to
remove the royal lemains, the body was
found to be intact-a golden statue.
This incident may have suggested the
experiments which the silver platter un-
| dertook. For many years silver could
only be electro plated on copper sur
face. Then some one discovered that a
surface of plumbagO, which is readily
applied to anything, would take on the
electroDlate. his Investigator, with
this suggestion in mind, has discovered
way of silver-plating the head of a
cane direct Oh the wood.
One day he took a fresh egg, and,
after proper preparation, threw it into
the silver bath and turned on the bat
tery. Inc result was what appeared to
be delicate work of aria silver egg,
which, under strong glass, showed all
the minute pores of the she'll The egg
was exhibited for over year, and not
one person in hundred would believe
that 1t was anything but cunning
specimen Of the silversmith's art.
10 settle a discussion which ran
nigh one day the man seized a
sharp, heavy knife, cut the silver
egg al twain, and it was found to be as
fresh and sweet as the day it was electro
plated. The egg had been Theoretically
sealed. The next experiment of note
was the plating OF piece of cheese.
The difficulties of the oily surface yield
Ell readily TO the process, and the piece
OF cheese was kept sound and whole.
some for year, when 1t was cut to
satisfy dOubter Of the hermetieaI ma
| ture of the process. A roast of beef,
from which the blood had been allowed
to drain; peaches. bananas, bunch of
| grapes and other perishable articles
were also successfully experimental on.
Discussion regarding the possibility
OF introducing the process in the en-
banning of the dead has already arisen.
On this point the silver platter says:
'Such method of emDalming would
never become popular, OH the score of
expense alone, although it is perfectly
feasible and would be an i'm
provement upon any modern plan
of embalming. The body would
have TO be prepared in the usual
manner by the removal of the viscera,
and the substitution for the blood IN
the veins of some preSeryative liq uid
such as is used now. Thus prepared,
the body could be placed in the nickel,
silver or gold bath, and treated as any
other article that is to be electro-plated.
The result would be a coating of nickel,
silver or gold that would Theoretically
! seal the pores of the body, and it would
keep for ages.
My friends often twit NE about this
| matter, and get off little jokes about the
| grief of the relatives or survivors being
| measured by the thickness and grade of
the metal employed. An ancestor who
| died. leaving one a snug fortune, would
be entitled 10 quadruple gold plate,
| or at least a triple silver plate. Men
of means would provide In their wills
for the style OF plating. They also IN
dulge in little pleaSantries about setting
up the silver-plated ancestors on
pedestals in a sort of family gallery of
statuary. But l do not suppose that
| any one will ever try this plan Of en-
banning, unless it be some crank who
leaves directions for such treatment Of
his body III his will. 1t could be done,
however, but l would have nothing to
do with such job"
Cremation seems to have passed be-
You'd the stage of experiment and doubt,
although its growth in popularity has
been and is even now very slow. and the
proportional incineratlons to intermentS
is almost ininitesimal. Still this method
OF dispOsing of the dead can count many
strong adherents, and the recent con.
domination of it by the pope shows that
1t has at least attained to the dignity
OF being considered a dangerous
innovation. The papal decision
was in an official communica-
ton to the chief pastor of the Catholic
community in Freiburg, Germany, in
answer to questions concerning the atti-