The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-12

being The church wardens and vestry-
men OF the Episcopal church IN Savannah
called Christ church"
Justice Jackson was one Of the justices
presiding at the time and when Judge Fat-
lisant IN MS argument IN behalf OF Christ
church brought out the fact that the pro-
posed eneroachment by the city would
pass directly over the grave Of Justice
Jaeksons grandfather, Governor James
'a.e-5Ssoh ne enect vas apparent al once
me old cemetery said Dir. Charl-
ton, IS the last colonial record We have
and as such should be preserved. The
strangest thing about the whole matter
Is that the city should make the desc
Grafton OF the cemetery the ground for
lailiits possession Of IL when the city Is
itself responsible for this dissertation For
q long time after the cemetery was closed
Tor interments the grounds were kept in
order by the city and the gates We're kept
open by all who chose to visit IL. For
some reason the cemetery was closed UP
a number Of years ago and the place was
allowed to go to wreck and ruin. II
pul me cemetery IN good condition there
viii be no objection on the part Of Christ
church. 1t would not cost a great amount
10 do this. EX-MayOr McDOnOugh esti-
mated that all the outlay necessary to
put the tOmbs in condition and clean up
the place would not exceed 500 and prom
ised me that he would have the work
done, but failed TO do so. BY making
these improvements the cemetery would
De thrown open 20 the public, and would
be a place of general interest to both
citizens and visitors. I am decidedly op-
posed. however, to having the streets
opened through IL with the prospect of
having the ground cut up into corner
lots. II would prove precedent for sim
liar treatment of Laurel Grove cemetery
n Few years hence when the city grows
up around it and enterprising citizens view
II with eovetous eyes. Something is due
TO the dead. The ground was dedicated
Tor a cemetery and cannot lawfully be
used Tor any other purpose"
Mayor Myers said, when spoken to about
the matter, that IT was not his idea that
the streets should be opened through the
cemetery in case its control is secured by
the city. His idea is to park the lot with
circular driveways through it, which
should be used by carriages and pleasure
vehicles only. The place could be beauti-
fed with monuments and fountains and
made one of the most attractive points
in the city.
The. cemetery question is ore in which
everybody is interested in just now and
is being generally discussed.
Alderman Falligant does not think there
Is any likelihood of Laurel Grove Gene
terry being closed Immediately.
Il think that in some way the public
have very wrong impression as TO the
Intentions of council in relation to Laurel
Grove" he said yesterday. The ques-
ton of closing il has never been dis
cussed, and any attempt TO close it would
excite sufhciept public indignation to wipe
out any administration that attempted
1t. There are now perhaps twenty or
more acres of ground not yet divided into
lots which by sufficient subsoil drain
axe can DE UlaQE useful. ana Will supply
the needs of the city for many years to
come. 1t is merely a question of drain
age. Then, again, when all the lots avail
able are Sold does any one imagine that
no more interments will be made there?
What do people buy lots in cemeteries for
except to have them for the future burial
Of deceased mem bers Of their families
from that time thenceforward?
"All this talk about ii being unsanitary,"
said DR.. Falligant, lis absolute rot. Peo-
pie living on the hill adjacent to Laurel
Grove cemetery are just as healthy as
those living anywhere else on the borders
Of the city. The diseases they suffer from
are OF the same types as those developed
do not in any manner exhibit the peculi-
arities of typhus, which would be the
type If decompOsing bodies eXhumed
their septic exhalatons into the super
adjacent atmosphere. You may rest per-
fectly assured that Laurel Grove Gene
terry will remain a place for the inter-
ment of the dead, especially of such fam
lilies as own lots there, for century or
more to come.
THE possible purchase of Bonaventure
cemetery" said DR.. .Falligant, lis en-
tirely a separate question. If the owners
want to sell 1t and place price on II so
low that the city council should conclude
to purchase It,, such purchase would be
made in view Of the fact that many of our
departed citizens are already inferred
there, and many more are likely to be in
TERED there in the future. The location
is an admirable one, and there Is enough
land undivided into lots to supply the
needs Of the people of Savannah for gem
erations to come. Its purchase, if advan-
tageous, would be determined by practical
foresight and considerations for the fut-
ure; and looking at the matter from this
standpoint, it is entirely unnecessary to
imagine that such purchase would be eff
fected by considerations Of supposed in
dividual interestedness.'