The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-10-24
ANTEMORTEM FORESIGHT.
HIaay Healthy People Have Already Ar
ranged Their Funerals.

ranged Their Funerals.
There are at least 200 people walking
the streets of San Francisco in good health
and likely to live many years who have
elready arranged the details of their fu-
nerals. They have selected the collins in
which they will be buried, and paid cash
for the same as we'll as for the burial plat,
hearse, etc.
Nearly every undertaken in the city has
several contracts of this kind, and all of
them are made by people who are supposed
to be in rational frames Of mind. Age
seems to cut no figure, for some of the
contracts are signed by men in the prime
of life, who are noted for their cheerful
ness and good dispositions. They have
amply provided for their funerals, to assure
themselves that they will have decent in
terment. The undertakers think it moth
ing out of the way, but loSaS upon it as
sensible forethought, and, according TO
stories told, it has proved SO in many cases.
Men without families have dropped dead
on the street, and had it not been for their
arrangements with the undertaken they
would have been buried in the potter's
field.
Some people have made arrangements
for the minutest details of their funerals,
even to the advertisements in the newspa-
pers. There are q few people who have
not been content with selecting their cof-
fins, but have had them sent to their
homes. Such cases are rare, however.
eyes, I have "a good many contracts of
that kind, ~ said Undertaken MetZler, when
speaking of the matter, land in a great
many cases they have proved to be good
things. 1t is a sensible thing for anybody
to do who has not family to look after
them when they are gone
az have collins in those cases there, u
said he, pointing, that were contracted
for at least six years ago and paid for at
the time. 1t may be six years or 6 years
before they are wanted, but when the own
er needs them they will be ready, and ]
will fulfill every part of the contract.
sit Is not SO long since fulfilled con
tract of this kind after | had the contract
several years When the man made it, hi
looked ready to die and no doubt though
he would live only few months.
sIn this case the casket was a fine one
and he paid cash for it. He also made ar
raugements for the grave, hearse, car
Tiages, shroud nnd every little detail. III
left letters saying that would be his un
dertaker, and, of course, was notified a
once, and did all 1 agreed to.
"But there are cases where 1 have to fns
out about the PERSONS death myself. I al
ways keep watch of those events, of course
and as soon as | know of case I have beer
paid for go at once and attend to It, II
more than one case I came as a surprise t,
poor relatives, who were almost crazy won
dering how they were going to bury thei
dead
"All kinds of people make these con
tsacts-rich and poor, sick and we'll Som
think they are going to die soon, and som
gre preparing for thing long way off
Sometimes both are right and sometime
just the reverse happens. You cannot tel
anything about it. II a man is going t
die on a certain day, is going to die, an
If be isn't, why, he won't. That, think
Is the reason that many people want to
prepared for death when it does come. -
San Francisco Call.