The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-02-02
ANTE-MoRTEM FORESIGHT.
Many Healthy People Have Already AR
ranged Their Funerals.

MANY nOalLny eOpl0 11aN6 <AAICduJ
ranged Their Funerals.
There are at least 200 people walking
the streets of San Francisco in good
health and likely to live many years.
who have already arranged he details
of their funerals, says the San Francis
co Call. They have selected the cof-
fins in which they viii be buried and
paid cash for the same as we'll as
for the burial. plot, hearse, etc. Nearly
every undertaken in the city has sew
eral contracts of this kind and all Of
them are made by people who are sup
posed to be in rational frames Of
mind. Age seems to cut no figure, for
some of the contracts are signed by
men in the prime of life, who are not
ed for their cheerfulness and good
dispositions They have amply pre-
vided for their funerals, to assure
themselves that they will have decent
interment The undertakers think
nothing out of the way but look upon
it as sensible forethought, and, accord
ing to stories told, it has proved so in
many cases. Men without families have
dropped dead on the street and had it
not been for their arrangements with
the undertaken they would have been
buried in potter's field Some people
have made arrangements for the min
utest details of their funerals, even
to the advertisements in the newspa
pers. There are few people who have
not been. content with selecting their
collins, but have had them sent to their
homes. Such cases are rare. however.
Eyes, l have good many contracts
of that kind" said Undertaken Metz
Ter, when speaking of the matter, 'and
in a great many cases they have proved
to be good things. 1t is a sensible
thing for anybody to do who has not
a family to look after him when he is
gone / have collins in those cases
there" said he, pointing, that were
contracted for at least six years ago
and paid for at the time. 1t may be
six years or sixteen years before they
are wanted, but when the owner needs
them they will be ready and | will full
fill every part of the contract. 1t is
not so long since | fulfilled contract
of this kind after | had the contract
several years. When the man made
it he looked ready to die and no doubt
thought he would live only a few
months In this case the casket was a
fine one and he paid cash for it. He
also made arrangements for the grave,
I, ,,s1,So oh nd
little detail He left letters saying that
| would be his undertaken and, Of
course. I was notified at once and did
all | agreed to do. But there are cases
where l have to find out about the
persons death myself | always keep
watch of those events, of course, and
as soon as know of a case have been
paid for I go at once and attend
to it. In more than one case / came
as a surprise to poor relatives who
were almost crazy, wondering how they
were going to bury their dead. All
kinds of people make these contracts
rich and poor, sick and we'll. Some
think they are going to die soon and
some are preparing for thing Ions
way off. Sometimes both are right and
sometimes just the reverse happens.
You cannot tell anything about it. II
a man is going to die on a certain day
he is going to die, and if he isn't, Why,
he isn't. That, think, is the reason
that many people want TO be prepared
for death when it does come.