The San Francisco call., 1897-06-01
WHY THEY OPPOSE
GENE TERY-CLOSING
Many Retailers and Other
Business Men Are
0bjecting.
C.. Mohrmann Asserts That the
Health.Menace Theory Is
Mythical ~.
Stats tics Gathered By Superin tendsnt
Fletcher-obj ction TO Any
Contr oyersy.

1t seems that the proposition to remove
the cemeteries outside the. City and
County is not meeting with unanimity.
In fact, the opposition to it among shop
keepers and small dealers generally in
Richmond is very pronounced. -. e., :. : i:
Their objection in the main is that,
while the cemeteries have been. purchased
specifically for the burial OF the de ad, and
under Sta;e laws can be used Tor no other
purpose, it is not their removal that is
wanted so much as to have them. closed,
which, it is asserted, amounts. TO virtual
contiseation. j.. =.
Suppose it were legal for the Board of
Supervisors to pass prohibitory .ordi-
nance" one of them states hypotheti-
cally, why could not the San Maleo
County Supervisors pass similar. ordi-.
nance? Why could NOT all the counties
as far as San Diego DO the same thing2 If
they should SO see I'll, what would become
OF he dead2 They couldn't be buried at
all"
Although the dealers and shopkeepers
in general are pronounced in the obec-.
tions TO the closing OF the cemeteries hey
hesitate TO av0w them selves in public
print for the reason that many OF their
customers lake the other side Of the Ques-
tion. In general they express themselves
in The same way G. Mohrmann, a grocer
doing business at the intersection of Fifth
avenue and Clement street. Mr.. Mohr-,
mann says:
The cemeteries, in my opinion, are not
a detriment to the district. In business
way they are positively a good thing
Providing that they are not in furious TO:
health nor an obstruction to the advance
ment OF Richmond lwish. 70 see. them
stay. !: # 49,: - !.
"Now, are they detriment in this way?
l think not, and 1 viii say why. :.
In he first place, we have more land
here than will be needed for building
purposes for twenty years TO come.
"In the second place, some say that
streets should be cut through them. Well,
We have plenty of streets TO travel on now
and as much street railway communica@:
ton with the heart of the City as any body,
could DESIRE II streets were cut through'
they would be no use to any body but the:
railroad companies. because the grades
would necessarily be too steep for vehicles.
and would mostly be avoided by pedes-
trians.
"As for the charge that they are mem
ace 10 the public health l want to say
right here that this is-one OF the health
lest parts of the City. Tue death ratels as
small as anywhere else. Al in All l, with
people generally, can see no reason Tor so
m uch ce nletery agitation.
Tie men who are lighting against
these ce me terles the hardest, / think it
will be found, are interested in Cypress
Lawn Cemetery as burial place. Their
motive, In my opinion, is a selfish ofe.}h
Is. That the Odd Fellows believe that II 9TH
ing will come of the agitation is evinced
by their building as an adjunct TO: he !.
crematory a building for storing the urns
contalnln1 ihe ashes OF those cremated
1t will cost $40 900. -
Superin tendent George R. Fletcher has
OF late been investigating the matter. very
closely. He said yesterday: -
The precinct registers show that: the
Eleventh Ward, which lies near here, had
III 1895 as many as y, ,0Q5 voters and a bout
Ito. OPS Inhabitants - -: = :
= Yet only 1858 deaths occurred in that
year, III to the thousand, or a >littie
over per cent. Com paratively spea king,
that is an excellent showing. :. =: Sc -;
Take the Twelfth Ward, in which ALI
the cemeteries complained of lie.: In 1896
inhabitants There we're 7S7 Deaths dui-
ing that year. -: -;
This gives a ratio of eight to the .thou55..
and, or four-tfths OF 1 per cent, This is
The best record for the year in the CITY
with the single exception OF the Third
Ward. Fl. ::
ut has been estimated that the cost=of
cutting Sutter street through will be
$4,000. The Fair monument, which cost.
over 100000, lies directly IN the path If
the land be condemned who is golngto
pay these tremendous amounts? II con-
de1nned under he law OF eminent domain
the whole burden would lal on the City
and County
The grades if cut through would be
entirely too steep for vehicles and could
not be used for driveways at ALL
This is al have to say in the matter,
L care to enter no controversy But
expedlency and justice both are on the
side of those opposed to closing The
cemeteries"