Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1896-10-22

mehCeS the BOAT from stern 10 DOW, uhu
sweeps all over the little sailboat bob
bling in It's wake.
The steamers decks are deserted, for
the only passengers from Wards Island
are the stark, silent ones bound for
the Potters Field on Harris Island.
The motley crew Of workhouse conVicts
group themselves forward. The old
man who for nine years has ferried
the pauper dead to the Potters field is
left alone with his gruesome freight.
"There's only thirty-siX today" he
said "That odor amt anything today
You ought to get it during that hot
spell"
At Harris Island Keepers Bartel and
Bait and the three official grave dig
gers take charge of the load on the
truck, and at once prepare to bury the
dead.
AS far as location goes the Potter's
field is as ideal spot as many OF the
cemeteries where some people love to
wander Sundays and holidays pleas
uring." Half dozen trees form a
short alley in the field.
In the soldiers plot three black-let-
tered white signs break the monoto-
nous level. One says:
On Fame's eternal camping-ground
Their silent tents are spread,
And Glory guards with solemn round
Tho bivOuao NJ tha dead
Most Of the soldiers buried here
ended their days in the almshouse.
Some lived on their claims to being
soldiers, having no papers to prove
their right, but rest here alike, and the
living see that flowers bloom during
the season. Beyond the soldiers plot
is another, covered with rank weeds.
On white stone is carved, "Our Sailor
Boys"
"There isn't body here" Keeper
Bartel said, as he led the way over the
trenches, chat / couldn't locate pre-
cisely."
On the edge Of trench the other
day there stood three rough pine cof-
fin-shaped boxes, covered with stain.
A pile of thirty tiny boxes stood be-
side an irregular excavation, in the
middle of which workhouse men were
digging fresh hole in which the little
boxes were to be laid.
Three official grave-diggers arrived.
One jumped down into the excavation
and brushed off the dirt from the box
placed last in the trench. The thin
pine boards of the collins in the lower
tier bent and shook under his shoes.
Keeper Bartel scored the pine boxes
with an instrument invented for the
purpose. The number Of the box is
twice cut in it's top. These three are
1923, 124 and 1876. They finish the last
tier on this side of the trench. Twen-
ty-five more will be put in to fill up
the usual quota of the trench.
No 1923 was handed down by two
men, and packed on top of the second
tier. A third man jumped down on the
collins in the trench. His boots rang
loudly. Don't jump so hard" the
keeper ordered. No. 124 was next
handed down. A couple of women WIS.,
itors held handkerchief to their faces.
The odor from the trench was Distress
ing.
No. 125 was lifted down, but the
three boxes wouldn't fit into the space
left.
where's that hatchet?" the keeper
asked. Then he climbed down on top
Of No. 124 and chopped with quick,
sharp blows at the edge Of the coffin
until red stains appeared, and then
the box dropped into position.
Get some dirt on them" ordered
the keeper, and the three official grave
diggers hurriedly shoveled the earth
over the new arrivals and shut out the
distressing odors,
Three adults were next buried in the
consecrated ground. The boxes fol
these bodies were stronger and better
made than those of Nos. 1873, 124 and
1875. Sometimes the tops Of the boxes
fall off, so fiimsily are they made.
1u0 LnT66 OllCldl 6AdNS-uA65SAS 1890
tucked the little boxes away in the
trench. Two were real collins decorat
ed with little silvered screws. On one
poor little box scarcely two feet lone
and six inches square was a poverty
stricken artificial white wreath.
That's where the premature babie
and college cases CO." the keeper ex
planned, pointing to the irregular ex'
cavation into which the little boxes
were placed.
do you believe in cremation?" h
was asked.
"For that sort l do most certainly,
he said. There's the college cases
Sometimes we get an arm and a weel
later other parts Of the body and then
finally, along comes head"
Artificial ivory is now made fror
condensed skinned milk.