The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-10
D EXPERIENCES IN CEMETERIES.
NIournerp Take Away DIrt-A Wan Buries Three
P~ingerp-Trinkets on Graves.
From the Chicago Tribune.


From the Chicago Tribune.
Lot Inspector Chadband OF Rosehill relates .
number OF experiences which he has recently
had with some Of his cemetery visitors. "On0
mystery which we have never been able to eI-
plain, " said Mr.. Chadband. occurs here quite
frequently. Often after a funeral some OF the
chief mourners will take a handful of earth from
the grave and carry 1t away in their handker-
chiefs. After a couple OF weeks. perharn have
elapsed they will return and empty the earth
from the handkerchiefs back on the mound OF the
grave. It is in all probability on account Of
some superstitious notion, but l have never
been able TO ind out just what 1t 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: L wish you could tell
me where I can find n grave OF a friend of
mine who Is buried out here Why, GER
tainly,' said I, as I reached up and pulled
from a shelf the grave register, which
| tells who is buried in every one Of the
So 900 graves in our cemetery. What
is the mans manner asked, preparing to turn
at once to it and find the exact locality. Well.
now. do you know. that is just where you've
got me- said the nan. I've forgotten his
name OF course, with such a lack Of knowl-
edge as that, the request to find the grave was
almost idiotic, but by asking the man a number
vi pucSlIOHsd as " WHICH uS dCquAluLouCo UlOu
an where he came from, I finally succeeded in
finding the grave for him. On another occasion .
woman wanted to and the grave OF a woman
the the M Maa shGW nsm ne' was si ,s shs b soa rdvs sSp nsme rS %
.Sarrie:' BY going over the list Of all the Car.
r pns sh were inteT ne here; finally found the
before. She was in a distressed state Of mind on
ing OF the child. She said when It WAS buried
its feet had been tied together with a string. and
she Rna IN tRaa hnrftnD tho kttlA n~A W.
fin lily had to take up The remains and cut the
string. The woman then went away satisfied"
occurs every Christmas at Graceland Cemetery.
Early every Christmas morning as regularly az
with a sad. wan face comes to the graveyard
with a tiny Christmas tree in her arms. No
one. she e0i MAKE, "R her wang %sg e G a f1sos e Go ee
OF the cemetery to the mound over the grave
She plants the Tree in the hard ground and puts
Inc many :olored tspers among the green
bright spangIes and Gilt usually put
on Christmas trees for children. Then she lights
through her tears for a few momonts sbe t snsm
lady away and departs. The lights are left
until the next day, when 1t is carried away By
SsyerSl months ago = cuEions superstition
tired at Graceland, An old woman who ap-
peered TO be wandering aimleSsly about the
npon her where she could ind an open grave.
me man asked her for her reason. She opened
Witch was I writer's a's: "typho q S teTtr.@ s" ERY1Posaf .s On
sir" said ,hc woman, "it / take that and drop
disease viii leave tho body Of my little tdIt,s srn fne
child. who now has the fever The man pointed
slowly toward it. For a Few moments she bent
over the edge and looked down. apparently
s!rsgShOd oa spp SeT @FinS r hf hand and TG aPops sss
s teS TIT OF t PRtReT rs lp1g the s SrfvG; Ths Eoor oId
who had been, watching her and went away
compIetGiy satisfied, confident that her little
strengthening would surely recover.
Although the custom OF placing trinkets and
toys OF children and articles used by older
IN vogue as formerly. there are still some Queer
things Of this nature. practiced. Some weeks
hand at Mount; Greenwood Cemetery his hsr sS SIs.
inG mug Snd brush. because. she $ i'd, they were
t tcs ' here ,hi : hs Sa or % SD, Al the ssme esme-
mere are a large nHmhcr, of love letters written
~ ne JerHrtsd; osGosionally members OF the
OF removing the silver, name-plNte from the
eSsseis and taking i to their homes. The same
which adorn the casket, and have them pre-
sGTvei IN w9Y, afterwsrd ipcasinS them in q
In almost nine cases out Of ten the p eHS HSeT wbc;
have removed the rame!plNte return with il in.
authorities had Q rather unusual cxnerience az
this cemetery with 2 woman whose lot was CON.
on ne graves. The woman in casting about for
s"me teth2u 10 step the pernicious practice hit
BEFORE any one was poisoned by the chamicais
which She had placed on the blossoms she was
compelled 10 dcstst the practice because il n
often Necessary for m" employees 10 handle tbo
flowers placed on the graves. "'
one day q man came to Mount Greenwood
a,1,ni sc"oN irchcS 'o"r Ho Ir-,roS ~ the nH.
eiais and purchased a lot. Immediately he had
tLreehnrnrs. which oman h ~ honn so unforiu-
nate as to lose In a sawmili overt twest PuriunaH.
~ lhr same ceIGyIurN Was buried some CmA
Ago a mans leg. which It had been necess ~ to
hhlnnI't" on count Of IN accident TIE man
ana aI,propriltcly inferred as II h. himself ve-S
nelng buried. some months afterward the man
buried With his ta'P. 'a"o