The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-08-08
POTTER's FIELD.
The Last Resting Place Of Earth's
Unfortunates.

Potter's Field. A name the sound of
which ,oftontimes brings up afresh un-
pleasant memories and thoughts Of crime
and destitution, but which is, however, q
necessary adjunct to all localities, and
more especially to large cities.
Potter's Field. A place wherein the
fr.endless dead, and the destitute find q
last resting place on this earth. A
place set aside by the town or city
authorities as free burial place for those
who perish within the jurisdiction of the
town, but who are too poo- to find q rest
ing place In the private burial grounds,
place against which the public at large
feels peculiar adherence and which is
generally the last resort for despairing
family.
Providence has its Potter's Field as an
annex to the North End Burial Ground.
The field, or "Strangers Vale," as it is
sometimes called, or as Superintendent
Baker OF the cemetery Gays, "The Free
Ground" is located in tho northern
part OF the cemetery on a level sec
tion Of land near Smithfeld ave-
nue.. The plat Is in O very pretty
section of the grounds, and is almost
surrounded by big trees. From the dis
lance the plat presents a curious aspect,
studded, as 1t Is, thickly with small slabs,
resembling the stalking out of new town.
A close inspection reveals the slight un-
dulations Of the ground In regular
mounds, at the head of which are the
tiny slabs, each bearing a number.
The plat was laid out In the spring of
1871, and previous to that time the free
burials were made In another portion of
the cemetery. Up to the present time
there have been 3270 white in
terments and 1142 colored, chill
dren being reckoned In with
adults. Almost every nation on the globe
has one or more representatives at rest In
the Potter's Field, among them being q
Chinaman who Is being kept In that placs
by fellow countrymen TO await favorable
opportunity to transport the body to the
Flowery Kingdom. The only distinction
made in the burials is between the whites
and blacks, each Of these general classes
being inferred ut opposite extremes of the
lot.
A charge OF "a is made for opening .
grave for an adult and 81 for stone and
record. Children are charged e for the
opening OF the grave with the additional
dollar for record and stone, and are in
TERED, two Ia one grave, one at the feet
of the other.
The "Vale," SO called, is kept up in good
condition by Superintendent Baker, who
stated yesterday that 1t was his object to
make >the Potter's Field as pretty in
its layout as the rest of the
cemetery grounds. He said that 1t was
his desire To have the ground perfectly
leve! without mounds, as in that way the
grass on the graves could be kept nicely
trimmed, and each grave would look as
nice as the rest. In almost every
case, ,showever, the friends OF the deceased
insist upon the raising OF q mound over
the grave and this throws all the others
out of harmony. However, with the pas.
sage of time the ideas of human beings
undergo changes and in the near future 1t
is the hope of the superintendent that all
graves on the Potter's Field will be in
harmony.
The number OF intcrmcnts are consider
ably greater In the summer months than
In the winter season.