The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-31
OLD FASHIONS IN FUNERALS.
The Cherished COhin-BOards of New
England Families.


"A ready-nrade coffin is thing / never
saw until 1 was a grown man." said the
reminiscent person. who is not so very old
either. Il was brought up in a small village
silver trimmings would have created as
much wonder and speculation as a cable
car. If such a coffin had strayed into the
neighborhood il would doubtless have been
placed upright in someone's best ROOM
and been used as a cabinet for choice bits
of china, its funeral purpose remaining I'M
Each farmer saved from his cutting OF
timber a few of the finest boards. Especial
a attention vas given to the the seasoning and
until the time when they should be needed
There was always rivalry among the neigh
bors as to who had the finest coffin boards
using these coffin boards for any other
purpose than they would OF wearing the
cedar chest for them to be laid oul in.
lowing to uncertainty as 10 the time
when they might be called for. nothing
more could be done toward making the
collins than to have the boards ready.
Men were too thrifty in those days TO run
any risk in making up coffin and then
conceded that mans last conversation
with the minister should not be accom-
panied by the unmstakable sound of ham,
mering from the barn: So the coffin-mak-
ing had to be left until all was over. When
my great uncle died. ] remember, father
and my elder brothers stayed up all night
WHO did the laying out? Oh. there was
at least one woman i'm the village who was
6rst-class at that sort OF thing-generally
tailoress or seamstress-and was always on
hand. She took right hold and did every
thing. Made the shroud. gave advice about
the latest style in mourning. saw the call
ers If she was allowed to-generally the fam
ily took mournful pleasure i'm performing
that duty themselves. This self-appointed
undertaken never expected any remunera-
ton for her services, though she didn't OBJ
iect If after next shearing you sent around
enough wool for new dress-provided you
were perfectly able to do
NO: the shroud wasn't of home spun
linen: that was one time when a man was
allowed to wear store clothes though all
his life he had worn homespun Hnsey- wool
sey shirts, home-woven natural gray trous-
ers. and cowhde boots made by the travel
ing cobbler. He was buried in a white
shroud of the finest muslin which his means
afforded and the village store could furnish.
There was nothing brief about the re-
marks Of the minister. The service usually
took a good two hours; We always had a
| regular sermon. 1t gave the minister an
| opportunity to expostulate with backsliders
| such as he never had in church, for the
| most irreligious man In town would turn
| Flowers? Where should they get them,
| Nobody had time TO bother over posey beds
and II they did happen to have few holly,
hooks and marigolds scattered in among
| pick 'em for love or money. SO flowers
| were questionable. and there was no NEED
of requesting friends not to send them.
''Hearse? Well. not unless you use 81
| Understanding a name for a box-wagon
| with two board seats across IL for the bear
| ers. The coffin was placed In the bottom
under their feet There was generally som,
one in the neighborhood that had such
| wagon. and the neighbors were free to Dor
row 1t. At other times IL was used fo
| hauling barrels