New-York tribune., 1896-05-31
THE RITES OF THE DEAD.
DIVERSITY OF INTERESTING CERE-
MONIES PRACTISED HERE
MOST SIMPLE OF ALI. THE FUNERALS ARE THOSE
OF THE ORTHODOX JEws-RITUALs OF THE
rRArERNAI. oRDERs-THE KNIGHT
rrypIAR ARCH OF STEEL


TEMPLAR ARCH OF STEEL"
rha burial Of the dead. rite from "hcn ~
family can remain exempt cerehionS ce.uhare has
conducted with more or less ponip eNei' No1Ies
been the subject OF discussion IN sc'ent". sc', tew
all over the world in the course OF M NV ana in
Gil o''' "' ro., centres of commerce ana IN
-. ,ooor,e more densely populated 'i'' -.
s .,aIs increases and unless the ,prope' as,
ora chosen for interment, places WIZ .,.r reces-
t,ons of the soil. natural drainaee a"U On Tho
''o"' y. -. orc favorable the results D" nv
health of residents of the places W r,,h have
~, h detrimental. Boards or neat" ~
, ~. matter In hand Cemeteries h'''e
condemned against the protests oi pr ho,d .be
.he old places were dear because ~; s .,icb
osbes ~ their best beloved rac'S Va ~o hoo,
-, haor bought for cemetery uses nav
hHu oe' &C. t.r the nurpose by boards OF eN-
,. onno,nted for that purpose. ana Dui'"' pa
80. -. IN use are bound to MAINTAIN '''
cas ca that ire risks growing out OIL '"'"' ''
minmlzed. . .,or. arc still many
Despite all these precautions the'e a., 49,, any,.
.or,e who believe that the burial OF 'nc u 40
Ps P.op nd under any condition is menace 10 '"'
,,,,ro and that the only proper course l. '
,,on The advocates Of the system are eio~a nn 30.
,,robers and according TO the statement i +,
num- num-, -. nn ~ the pioneers of the movement II,
this country. "its general introuu0"o" "
.,lv nv sentimentality and fear
nIvrpsE RITES AND CEREMONIES.
,,u,o, =, .he dead may claim the atten-
.,o, NJ the scientist because Of lis pear"'s VI w
~, hoa,,b the ceremonies connected Win i ~
nract,sed by the various classes which '"i" ,r,
netronol.an population Is OF wiuer ln'e,' s
. customs OF other countries are proue", ~ -
added TO these are the ceremonies anu ,',' u," ana
,hs n,anv fraternal organizations. the military anu
the church r.. 81. dood
porhans the ouaintest ceremony Tor the "'r
vh,cb one ?an find in New-York is the hi',o' ,,s
q, ,s the hope of every follower OF oO'i -, To-
= ;ody vii, finally rest in his native lahu' ar" 40
burial here Is regarded as only tehpoi"i' ~ :.
,s burned around the body. and on the way ~
A.. h,,r,o, Ground PRAYER sticks and prayer paPei'
ora scattered in abundance These nave Tue 49,, ~
nur.ose of attracting evil spirits VINO are
hy the aroma and the gaudy colors anu LUIS ~,
-. h,oh they would otherwise follow, ana aSo
a, holding the attention of the goou Sp"i',
recognize in them the faithfulness OIL 'io'o WI" .
ii, .. rrourn for the dead one. Costly gar"nei'S
na tootbsome food are place in and on 'he s'"N'
o,d nraver sticks and incense are Durn'u ~,
And when the ceremony has peeh Oo'"p' 49,.
rourners surrounded by as many frienuS aN "es
can afford 70 entertain, sit down 10 0D'"p t
feast when is the more enjoyable oe'"uSe osna "
,,a-a, davs of partial fasting which have preoeueu
:, An tbis has an unmistakable Chinese air aoou'
:, ana the whole ceremony has only Que |
feature and that Is the carriage SHOW +,
WHEN the first Chinese funerals took place III
pw-YO
.,.r,, in a sprjng wagon Following this
a,. ano,bsr wagon with boards laid across l'S
hodv from side to side. These boards ser.eu a.
seat2 for those who went TO the ceihe'ei!' - -
were too many friends 10 be accoihinoua'eN va 80
wagon another was taken. but the display e,U'N
,be,e Rut the Chinese funeral or the prese"' nm
tin ~ NAV retain all the prescribed religious 0"e
toms Is strictly American as far as the o'.iIe 80,
are concerned, and like some OF MS On'is"' "
bors the Chinaman will spend large sums oi mon
and even run into debt to make iuhe'ai '''f''
- TOTAL. LACK OF ELABORATION
The orthodox Jews are probably the only i"e'noe.
Of the community who practise extreme simpNcits
nth regard 10 their dead. With them the iuea ~
unnernost that their religion teaches tha' oea'h -
the g,eat leveller. and that In death all me" ar
alike The corpse is taken from the oed anu p pa1o1
on naIle, of straw When. after day. II mas pee''
clothed in a white linen robe similar 10 'ha' WIZ
~, Tho high priests of old when they minlstered III
the bolv OF holies It is placed in rougn pine poH
and taken to the Gods acre Tor burial !" '"'"'
instances a pillow made Of earth In ilheh pas -
nlaced under the head Of the corpse lhis elhip'e
ceremony may be in the thickly popu'a'eo
East Side district daily. and the rabbi VINO says
tbe nrayers at the house of mourning always cahS
attention 10 the fact that whatever dlnerehces VI
fortune station condition may exist III me- uea'h
makes all men equal. and as equals they VIII DE
judged - ., O..
Rut the Jews have not all been strong enough 10
disregard the sneers of Christian neighbors VINO ac
cused them OF disrespect for their dead ana oi
yniser,iness Rather than point out the IDEAS wmeh
cave rise 10 the practice of simplicity ana econ-
on,v some OF them have been won over 10 the eN-
travaeance of the OF the community anu
while the simple unostentatous funerai can sun e
seen where the lowly Jews have their homes' t"e
lows who live in the fashionable parts OF the city
and who are members Of reformed Congregations
have fallen into the ways OF their Christian neigh
bors and a long line OF carriages. a costly conn'
great hanks OF flowers and other elaborate trappngs
indicative of fashionable woe seem to be essential
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC PRACTICE
In direct contrast with the simple funeral rites Of
81, orthoaox Jews is the elaborate display at funer-
ais conducted according TO the rites OF 'ne ROMAN
Catholic Church Those who have given the subject
attention maintain the middle and lower classes
In the Roman Catholic Church spend more money
for funerals than any other part OF the community
in like financial circumstances. The special cefe-
monies at the church expensive ana the services
which are often held for months after the burial are
also tax on the survivors while the great line OF
carriages which is considered necessary for
.proper" and decent funeral frequently burdens
the family with a debt which II takes long time TO
cancel These funerals are q Joy the lvery-stable
keepers TO whom they have become a chief source
OF revenue.
THE MASONIC RITUAL.
The burial services OF the various fraternal Or
Ranizatons all replete with solernnty there Is
some mystical suggestion and display OF emblems
and paraphernalia Of which the full significance Is
known only to the initiated. The oldest Of these
ceremonies Is probably the Masonic and It is
sidered by many the most touching Of the great
number Of burial rituals. 1t is also said that 1t
has served the foundation for the burial rituals
Of the Odd Fellows knights OF Pythas and other
fraternai bodies. In describing this burial service
Mason said: 1T is service which is appropriate
for any creed or denomination. The man who be-
lieves in a God whether he be a Mason or not,
would be inspired by its words
On arriving at the place OF burial the members
OF the lodge form parallel lines along the sides
Of the grave and the Master says few words to
remind the brethren Of the uncertainty Of human
md he