The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-09
IN THE CEMETERIES.
ODD THINGS SEEN BY THE KEEPERS
OF GODS ACRE.
Mourners Who Take Away and Return
Dirt-The Sad Little Woman and the
Christmas Tree Exercising Typhoid Fee
ver-Burisd Three of His Fingers.

ver-Burted Three of His Fingers.
Lot Inspector Chadband of Rosehill re-
lates a number of experiences which he
has had with some of his cemetery visitors.
Zone mystery which we have never been
able to explain, said Mr.. Chadband, "oc-
ours here quite frequently. Often after a
funeral some of the chief mourners will
take handful of earth from the grave
and carry it away in their handkerchiefs.
After n couple Of weeks perhaps have
elapsed they will return and empty the
earth from the handkerchiefs back on the
mound of the grave. 1t Is In all probable
ity on account of some superstitious no
ton, but have never been able to find
out just what it is. Then we often have
queer experiences with people who come
here and want to find graves of people
whom they have known. The other day a
man came in here and said, 4 wish you
could tell me where can find a grave OF a
friend of mine who is buried out here.
why, certainly, said 1 as / reached up
and pulled from shelf the grave register,
which tells who is buried in every one of
the &C, 900 graves in our cemetery. What
is the mans name?' 1 asked, preparing to
turn at once to 1t and find the exact local
ity. We'll, now, do you know, that Is
just where you've got me, said the man.
I've forgotten his name
"Of course with such lack Of knowi-
edge as that the request TO find the grave
was almost idiotic, but by asking the man
u number of questions as to when his ac-
quaintance died and where he came from
finally succeeded in finding the grave for
him. On another occasion woman want
ed to find the grave of woman she had
...<xff
woman name was that her given name
was Carrie. BY going over the list of all
the Carries who were inferred here final
| ly found the one she wanted. Once
woman came out here who had buried her
| little baby two months before. She was
in a distressed state of mind on account of
what she supposed to be the suffering of
! the child She said when it was buried
its feet had been tied together with
string, and she knew it was hurting the
little one. We finally had to take up the
remains and cut the string. The woman
tAyn went away satisfied.
| A remarkable and extremely pathetic
| incident occurs every Christmas at Grace
land cemetery. Early every Christmas
morning as regularly as the day comes
round each year little woman with sad,
wan face comes to the graveyard with
tiny Christmas tree in her arms. Noticing
nothing and paying attention to no one
she makes her way to faron corner or the
| cemetery to the mound over the grave OF
her little boy, who died several years ago.
She plants the tree in the hard ground and
puts the many colored tapers among the
green branches, interspersed here and there
with the bright spangles and gilt orna-
ments usually put on Christmas trees for
children. Then she lights all of the tapers
and after watching them through her tears
for few moments she turns sadly away
and departs The lights are left burning
on the little tree, which is not disturbed
until the next day, when 1T Is carried away
by the workmen.
Several months ago curious supersti-
ton which had never been heard of before
was noticed at Graceland. An old woman
who appeared to be wandering aimlessly
about the grounds asked one of the EN-
ployees who came upon her where she
could find an open grave. The man asked
her for her reason She opened her hand
and disclosed scrap of paper on which
, vas written typhoid fever" "You see,
sir" said the woman, ''if take that and
drop it into an open grave and it is buried
the disease will leave the body of my little
Crandchild, who now has the fever" The
man pointed out an open grave to the
; woman, and sho walked slowly toward it.
For few moments she bent over the edge
and looked down, apparently muttering
something to herself. Then she stretched
I out her wrinkled hand and dropped the
bit of paper into the grave The poor old
creature then returned and thanked the
man who had been watching her and went
away completely satisfied, confident that
| her little grandchild would surely recover.
Although the custom of placing trinkets
and toys of children and articles used 10y
2 older people upon the graves is probably
. not so much in vogue as formerly, there
are still some queer things of this nature
practiced Some weeks ago widow
placed upon the grave of her husband al
: Mount Greenwood cemetery his shaving
( mug and brush because, she said, they
e were the last things he had used. AT the
same cemetery there Is grave on which,
s under glass case, there are a large mum
4 Der of love letters written by the departed
Occasionally members of the family OF the
] deceased still continue the custom OF re
moving the silver name plate from the
] casket and taking it to their homes. The
same people also generally take some o.
. the flowers which adorn the caslet ant
nave UncIu DTcStTNCl III WdAt oAeSA ~ -.
easing them in glass covered box, which
+ Is hung in the parlor. In almost nine
l cases out of ten the people who have re
+ moved the name plate return with it inside
: of q few months and want 1t replaced
The authorities had a rather unusual ex
Q perience at this cemetery with woman
. whose lot was continually robbed of flow
S srs which she had placed on the graves
] The woman in casting about for some
o method to stop the pernicious practice hi
upon the plan of placing poison on TIT
flowers. Before any one was poisoned b,
the chemicals which she had placed on TIT
n blossoms she was compelled to desist from
4 the practice, because 1t Is often necessary To-
4 the employees to handle the flowers places
O TN the graves.
One day man came to Mount Green
!. wood cemetery with tiny little caske
under his arm about seven inches long
Z He looked up the officials and purchased
. lot Immediately he had the little cofiii
. inferred. Within the box were three fin
q gers, which the man had been so unfortu
. nate as to lose in a sawmill over at Yves
| thA