The San Francisco call., 1896-08-26
FUNERALS ARE PLENTY,
But the Surviving Friends
Will Not Pay the
Bills.
RETAIL PRICE OF CoFFINs.
They Are Not High Considering Ex.
penses of Funeral Directors
Very Heavy.

The undertakers complain bitterly of
the hard times.
'But how can that be? People keep
dying just the same; they must be buried !;
the price of collins and of graves has not
come down, have they?' is the question
which naturally follows.
"No, certainly not; and the price of
graves has nothing to do with the case
anyhow" said the undertaken. 1.-THE fact
is, however, that funeral is counted in
among the list o. luxuries after all People
die and are buried in these as in other
times, but they or their friends call for
cheaper collins and fewer carriages. But
that would be all right, too, and prove no
great cause for complaint. The worst of it
Is the bill is seldom paid. / know one un-
dertaking concern in this City that has
from $50, 900 to $4,000 outstanding on it's
books, of which it does not expect to collect
more than 10 per cent. That's what makes
the hard times with the und dertakers"
'"But even this concern, with loss of
say $25, 900 on $4,000 worth of business. is
probably making money. Your charges
make allowance for a big loss, don't
they?"
The concern is solvent, to be sure, and
that is the best that can be said of any
undertaken. None of them get rich. /
aon't know OF single undertaken who has
got rich In the business. There is one old
house here that, perhaps is an exception
to that rule, but it is a fortune that was a
long time accumulating-it was the house
and Its reputation, rather than the men
now controlling. that has brought the
money. LII has almost monopoly of the
funerals of the wealthier class OF people
who die. The average undertaken has a
rother precarious time of it.
There is plenty of work for all to profit
reasonably well if it were equitably dis
tributed ana the bills were paid. For in
stance, there are thirty undertakers in the
City. The death rate averages $50 a
month. That would give to each under.
taker eighteen funerals a month. Some
there are who have forty and fifty a
month, while others secure but three or
four. Now, one would think that the bill
for the burial of father, mother. sister or
brother would be among the first to be
paid by surviving relatives. The fact is
that the undertaken never expects to col
lect his bill within six months after the
funeral, for the reason th at very. very few
begin to think Of paying before that time.
In the case OF estates, where the bill goes
to executors or administrators, il is some
times years before the bill is paid. These
are the things that make the life of the
undertaken unhappy.
'ln the meantime" continued the fu-
neral director, we have to pay up prompt
ly every month our bills for carriages to
the livery stable, our coffin bills, our ad-
vertising bills and the wages of our help
all have to be. met promptly when due.
Then there are the horses to be kent. etc.
Every undertaken has his hearse and dead
wagon and buggy. One concern has three
hearses and two dead wagons. People saw
that the price of coffins, the cost of funer.
ais, is excessive. Considering all things
they are very moderate
What is the cost OF an average. resnect-
bile funeral?"
well, that all depends. The location
OF the grave, the number of carriages. etc.
regulate the cost. Man or woman. how
ever, can be very nicely buried for 5000.
Ihat is good average funeral. But where
most oil US get case of that kind we get
number where the price is nothing. You
see the undertaken must answer his call
without asking any questions. Like the
doctor he is summoned and must respond
whether there is money in it or not. When
people die they must be buried, you know.
30 you see there is more to make the un-
dertaker gloomy than the mere funeral
trappings with which he is surrounded"
LOANS on diamonds. Interest low. At Uncle
Harris, 16 Grant avenue