The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-10
AN UNDERTAKER'S TRIALS.
HE Is ALWAYS An UNWELCOME
PROFESSIONAL GUEST.
Dealing with the Poor-Lavvs which
Annoy Him-RefOrms Introduced
by the UndertaiSers' Association.

A9h the New YORK Tribune.
One avenue Of trade has not yet been in-
vailed by women, nor are they likely ever
10 invade IL. That Is. the business OF
burying the dead. 1.-THE day will never
come when-a funeral will be conducted by
a woman" prophesies a prominent New
York undertaken. '"Tls something like
the management Of martial affairs: peo-
pies sense Of the fitness OF things viii al
ways hout the idea Of petucoats at the
head OF an impressive procession. Women
will be efficient employees. however" he
goes on TO say. in fact, there are many
Of them in the ranks Of embalmers now.
as the list Of pupils at the school Of en-
balming will show, and several stand high
IN the profession. There is much in our
business that they could help about, but
the personal conduct Of d public funeral
they will never assume"
Undertakers, like other business men.
have their annoyaDces and perplexities.
what can do but agree TO give the
funeral when poor woman comes in here
and cries and means about her dead
man asks me to bury his child?r explains
an East Side undertaken. in one of the
poorer districts. I furnish the coffin and
get the carriages and attend to all things,
even when I know may get no pay for
my outlay. Then, maybe. get s. or $40.
and they promise to pay the rest. so much
every month, and that is the last see
Of them. hear people say the under
takers are extortionate, and that they
coin money out of the poor The news
papers, too, are always drubbing at US,
but there are few large profits in my
trade II they did but know IL. So many
OF the working people out of employment,
too ne adds otsconsolately, land they
always want finer funerals than they can
pay for. ] tell 1t to them not to get so
fine coffin and not to have but few car
riages, but they are mol satisfied; and II
man were to leave the house where there
was a body he was asked to bury on ac-
count OF finding out there was to be no
pay there would be the biggest hue and
cry, and his business would be ruined be-
cause they would say he was so heart
less man. In any other business if the
seller finds out that the other party is not
solvent, he refuses TO let him have the
such liberty"
There is a melancholy difference IN
the appearance Of shops and Offices in va
rious portions Of the city Those in the
poorer districts make no attempt to veil
the Grewsome character of their wares
or impart other than a spectral air to
their surroundings. The sable collins in
tiers, one upon the other look stark and
bare and awfully suggestive Of the nu-
merous occupants for which they will be
needed. There Is only the most meager
arrangements made for the transaction
of the necessary business. On the other
hand, entering an undertakers shop in
a fashionable quarter OF the city, one
sees no slightest object to remind him
OF the proprietor's caning The room is
light and airy. Rich carpets mat the
floor. There are palms and exotics grow
ing in great Jars about the place and
tasteful engravings adorn the walls. The
uninitiated may admire the handsome
mirrors which panel one side Of the apart
ment, and then the secret is out. The
proprietor touches a certain sprine and
one Of those long, slender mirrors comes
down, jutting way out into the middle
of the floor. The mirror forms the bot
tom Of a stand upon which is displaved
handsome casket costing $500 or $500
covered externally with elegant sable
plush and lined with the richest quilted
ivory satin.
Il always let my customers nick mt
the kind Of casket they want" saws this
caterer TO the rich. land 7 tell them ex-
actly what il is going to cost, so that
there can be no MISUNDERSTANDING. DC
casionally | meet the grief-stricl<en who
profess themselves shocked that | should
mention money. matters at such a time.
but tell them thar It is matter of
business with me and that 1 mean no
orense, and I generally have no trouble.
When I undertook the business" he
resumed, Il used TO be very easy with
everybody, but I soon found that that sort
of thing wouldn't 90. Now l can hold NV
own even with military companies and
ministers who like to dictate TO the un3ey-
taker and interfer with his plans. 7 had
the conduct of a big public funeral not
long ago." he continued. 1.-The funeral of
man whom every one delighted to honor.
and which / was particularly anxious
should so off without any hitch. After all
my arrangements at the house were com
pleted, l sent 10 the military to know
what their plans were in order that thew
might coincide with mine or mine with
theirs. Their reply to my polite reoues+
was that their plans were their own busi-
ness / sent back word that unless re-
ceiVed definite and Timely information as
to the programme they intended to mr.
sue l should have nothing further to do
with the funeral arrangements A mill
tary friend of the dead man who was
visiting the family at the time. learn "A
of my position and telegraphed the cover
nor, asking him to instruct the military
that the funeral was under my MANAGE
ment and that they must communicate
their plans to me, in order that matters
might be properly adjusted. The militia
~ authorities, on hearing from Gov
Flower, sent an aid up here to confer
with me, and the result was that all the
pomp and circumstance of a great mans
funeral passed off with order and pre-
cision, something that doesn't often han
pen. l attended both Gen. Grants ana
Gen. Sherman's funerals, and they were
both botched in the most bungling man
ner, owing to this reluctance of the mil
itary powers to confide their preparations
and purposes to the undertaken in charge 4"
A glimpse into the cabinet which an nm
dertaker takes with him when he goes to
perform the solemn offices of his Calling
is n revelation to one who bestows llt
tie thought on such matters. First and
foremost there are two immense glass
jars of fluid stuff which Is injected into
the veins for embalming the body
mo ore is put on ice now" ex-
plains the undertaken. 'Embalming is
so much more convenient. The old ice
boxes were clumsy and troublesome. and
when it came to getting them up into
narrow flats they were nuisance. Chem
lists keep on improving the fluid for ON