The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-10-08
READY FOR DEATHS CALL,
~ Strange story from California As
To Il New Custom
San Francisco Call.


San Francisco Call
There are at least POO people walk
ing the streets Of San Francisco, in
good health and likely TO live many
years, who have already arranged tho
details OF their funerals. They havo
selected the collins in which they will
D" buried and paid cash for tho same,
a. well AS for the burial plat, hearscs,
etc.
Nearly every undertaken in tho city
hHh scveral contracts OF this kind, and
AL OF them arc made by people who
arc supposed to be in rational frames
OF fnino. Ago seems to cut no figure,
lOr some OF the contracts are signed bv
men IN the. prime Of life, who are noted
'or their Chccrfulness and good dispo-
sltlonS. Ihcy have amply provided
ior their funerals TO assure themselves
that they will have decent intermcnt.
The undcrtakcrs think it nothing out
OF the way. but look upon it as sensible
lorcthought. And, according to stories
Coid, 1T has proved SO in many cases.
Mcn without families have dropped
| ichd on tho streets, and had it not
| been for their arrangements with the
nndcrtaker, thoy would have bccn:bu-
ricd in the pottcr's fold.
oOIno people havO mado arranre-
lnchIS lOr the mlnutcst details of their
funerals, even TO the advertisements i'm
The newspapers. There are Il few peo
PIC who have not been content with Sc
icctlng their collins, but have had them
S"hC 70 Ihcir homes. Such cases arc
rare, however.
Yes, | have II good many contracts
OF that klnl, said Undertaken Metzlor.
when speaking OF the mattor, "und in
Il Eroat many cases they have proved
10 he good things. 1t is q scnsih]e
thing Tor anybody to do who has not y
family to look after them when thev
are gone
u have collins in those cases there. -
said he, pointing, "thdt wcro contract
cd'or ut least SIX years ago, and paid
l"r at the Lime. 1t may be six or six
teen years before they are wanted. bnt
whcn the owner needs them thov viii
be ready, and | will fulfill every part
OF the contract. 1t is not so long agO
since fulfilled contract OF this kind
alter hhd the contract for several
years. When the man made It he
looked ready to die, and no doubt
thonFht he would live only q few
months. IN this case the casket was q
hnc one and he paid cash for it. He
also made arrangements for the grave,
n.earsc, ca"rlagcs, shroud and every
little detail. He left letters savin9
that would be his undertaken. and. of
course, | was notified at once and aid
all ! agreed to.
But there are cases where have to
hna out about tho persons death nv
Sell always keep watch OF those
events, OF course, and as soon as know
OF case have been paid for 20 at
once and attend to it. In more than
one case ! came rs u surprise to poor
rcIa'iVcs, VINO were almost crazy won
dering how they were going to bury
their dead.
"All inds Of people make these con-
tracts-rlch and poor, sick and we'll.
Some think they arc going to die soon
ana somo are preparing for Il thing a
long way OH. Sometimes both are
right, and sometimes just the reverse
happens. You cannot tell ANYTHING
about It,. II man is going to die on d
certain day he is going to die, and if
nc isn't why, he won't. That, l think,
IS The reason that many people want
10 DC prepared for death whom it does
come"