Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-12-23
AN URN AND A NICHE.
FACTS ABOUT CREMATION FURNISH
Ed BY A cREMATORY AGENT.

Ed BY A CREMATORY AGENT.
Economy and Cleanliness Among Its Claims.
Ashes May BE Left In the Crematory, but
Often Mourners Carry Them Away and
Keep Them Always Near.
Cremation this afternoon at g."
These words are lettered ON small sign
that swings in shop window. on Hous-
ton street, where several curious urns
are displayed. This is the New York
Office of suburban cemetery, where
are cremated the bodies of those who
prefer that their remains shall be con-
sumed by fame rather than to let ma
ture take its course in q coffin six feet
under the sod.
A World reporter dropped into the
Office and had talk with the young
man in charge. 1t was too late ON that
afternoon to witness a cremation, but
ordinarily the crematory people are glad
to have spectators when the interesting
process is going on.
Economy is always considered by
most people, and cremation is cheap. It
is also clean, and what is cleaner for q
last resting place than a white metal
vase?
"You know how much you would
have to pay for plot at Greenwood"
said tho young man. Sat our crematory
$25 will buy niche in which you may
place an Urn large enough to hold the
ashes Of an entire family
There is something sentimental in the
ashes of 1.-TWO souls with but single
thought" being put together. There are
no rules against buying row Of inches.
This. however, is more expensive, and
the line of names on the separate urns
suggests the search for a name on the
bells of a fiathouse. Yet there are often
as many as I2 inches bought in a row.
Each niche is decorated by the crema-
ton company every Memorial day. It
| is on this occasion that the crematory
has its greatest number of visitors.
When the young man was asked what
class of people favored cremation, he re-
piled: "No particular class of people
In New York the Germans perhaps are
the most numerous advocates of it. 1t
| appeals alike to the poor and the
|
is $50 and SEQ for child. An urn large
enough to contain the ashes of one per-
| son can be bought for Sc, and this, with
the price Of a niche, does not bring GRE
nation beyond the reach OF the poor
| man.
| what arc tho urns made of? Mostly
| of bronze and white metal Here is a
beauty OF serpentine stone" The
beauty" was only 20 inches high, but
it cost $45. There arc about dozen diff
ferent designs in urns.
Often a dead person s relatives may
desire to keep the ashes in parlor vase
The young man was asked if all the
| ashes ct those cremated were kept at the
| cemetery. Just about one-half are, -
he answered. "Some are taken away
and placed in safety vaults, and some
are always kept near the person who
| most loved the deceased in life I know
OF one lady who always carries the ashes
of her husband wherever she goes. They
have been to Europe and back several
times, and have had many trips to the
seashore and mountains.
mo one but myself ever handles the
ashes after they leave the fireman. They
are sent TO me from there, and seal
each jar and keep them here until they
are sent for or until I have too many on
hand. In that case notify the relatives.
If they want them transferred to an urn,
I do it by means of this great glass fun
mel. Do they all pass through the same
funnel? Of course. What's the differ
ence? clean it after each separate lot
Of ashes. -
He then went over to the big office
safe, and, fixing the combination lock,
opened the iron door. There WAS exposed
a row Of black jars about the size of or
binary tomato cans. Each jar was sealed
with black wax and tape, and pasted On
the front was a label Tine young man
took cut one Of the jars and set it on the
hand of woman who wore a number
five glove. She held it easily and read
the label. Inside Of the jar was all that
remained of a large sized man who had
been cremated three weeks before. -
| New York World