New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-26
OLD FASHIONS IN FUNERALS.
THE CHERISHED COFFIN BOARDS OF NEw-ENo.
LAND FAMILIES A HALF-CENTURY AGO

THE CHERISHED COFFIN BOARDS OF NEw-ENo.
LAND FAMILIES A HAI.F-CENTrRY AGO
A VOLUNTEER UNDERTAKEN
"A ready-made coffin is thing untl
! was grown man. said the Reminiscent Person,
who Is not Sc very old either. Il was brought up
in a small village in Vermont. where a broadcloth
coffin with silver trimmings would have created -
much wonder and speculation cable-car. II
such coffin had strayed into the ne.ghborhood II
would doubtless have been placed upright in some.
ones best room and been used cabinet for
choice bits OF china, its funereal purpose remain.
ing undreamed of.
Each farmer saved from his cutting Of timber
a few o. the finest boards. Especial attention was
given TO the seasoning and hnsh and they were
then stored away until the time when they should
be needed. There was always rivalry among To
neighbors as to who had the finest coffin-boards Ia
his loft. They would more think Of using these
coffin boards for any other purpose than they would
OF wearing the clothes which had been put away
in the cedar chest for them to be laid out in.
owing to uncertainty as the time when they
might be called for nothing more could be done
toward making the collins than TO have the boards
ready. Men too thrifty In those days to rua
any risk in making up coffin and then having
II a msft and II was generally conceded that
mans last conversation with the minister should
not be accompanied by the unmistakable sound *
hammer.ng from the barn. So the cofiin-making
had TO be left until all over When my great
uncle died. | remember. father and my elder
brothers stayed up all night making his coffin.
Who did the laying out? Oh, there was az least
one woman In the village who was hrsi-class q
that sort OF thng-generally tailoress or seams
tress-and was always hand. She took right
hold and did everything. Made the shroud gave
advice about the latest style in mourning saw the
callers II she allowed to-generally the famly
took a mournfu pleasure in performing that duy
saif- cd
expected any remuneration FOR her services thousn
she didn't object II after next shearing you SENT
around enough wool for a new dress-pro'ideo WV
were perfectly able to do 50. ~ A..
NO: the shroud wasn't OF homespun men, .nss
was one time when man was allowed " Wal
store clothes though all his lie ne nal woIn
homespun linsey- woosey shirts. hove-woven natuia
gray trousers. and cowhide boots made ~ tne uas
elng cobbler. He was buried in whits shryus III Il
the village store could furnish. A..
There was nothing brief about the remarks 81 .ns
minister. The service usually took sood wv
hours We always had regular sermon ~ sss,se
the minister opportunity 10 expostuia'ss N IN
backsllers such as he never had In church iot tns
most irreligious man in town would turn OUT '"'
funeral , x,,oav
Flowers? Where should they get them; Sooosu ia
had time 10 bother over posey beis ahI M
scattered in the garden sass YOU c eowsrs
get them pick EN- for love or money. so no~u
were questionable. and there was no heeo VI :"
questng friends not TO send them . c., h,rh.
sounding a name for a boN-wagon Win vs. %r w.s
seats across II for the bearers Inc renn ~
placed on the bottom under their feet lh s. "a
generally in the neighDorhood ma a. "a
borrow 1t. At other times It was used 'o' "AO''s
barrels