The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-06
UNCLE HENRY's TOMBSTONE FAD
He Has Cemetery Lot in Which He is
Erecting Monuments to Everybody
and Everything He Loves.

He Has Cemetery Lot in Which He is
Erecting Monuments to Everybody
and Everything He Loves.
Down In Mayfield, flourishing little
city in the Pennyroyal district of Ken
lucky, lives one of the most interesting
characters in the state. He has a pas
sion. like unto which there was never
one possessed before-a passion for
tombstones. Seventy-f1ve years old and
well preserved, this man, Henry G.
Woodbridge, has only Just begun the
task Of setting up his last resting
place. He was not entirely pleased
with a single monument being erected
to mark his grave and witness his
burial, and then he began an interest
ing collection of statues. He ordered
fine marble statue of himself made in
Italy, and this he erected with the
shaft. In his younger days he owned
a fine hunting horse, Fop, to which he
was fondly attached. and next he
ordered a life-size statue of himself
mounted on his thoroughbred animal
which he placed in the group. He next
gave orders for marble sarcophagus
to be built, and on this he had chiseled
the image of his trusty gun.
Uncle Henry" was never married,
never having experienced thrill Of
love for the fairer sex, hence his affec-
tions were centered in his dumb animal
friends In his younger days he was
great hunter and many a fine buck
has felt the sting of death from his
gun. He was also fond of box chasing,
and had a fine pack of hounds at his
home at all times. Mounted on his
thoroughbred Fop, with his favorite
fox hound, Bob, in the lead, he has
spent many a night in the chase for
the cunning Reynard. His large deer
hound, Tow Head. was an especial fa-
vorite. The statues Of Bob and Tow
Head are erected in front of his mount
| ed statue-a deer in the act of running
being placed in front of one, and fox
| before the other. Thus does he do hon.
age to his faithful friends In the chase
| of his earlier days. He had a dear little
| girl friend, Minnie, who attended his
| bedside when he was sick at one time.
| He has caused to be erected granite
| statue of her on his lot to show his de-
votion. He next turned his attention
! to his family, and his mother was the
| first to be remembered. Her statue is
placed to the right of him, and that of
his father directly in front of her. Then
his favorite niece, Maud Reid, was
| remembered with a statue to the rear
, of his young girl friend. The statues
| of his three brothers, John H, William
f. and Alfred N. Woodbridge, were the
next on the list, and are the last work
| of the sculptors, having just been
erected. All these monuments and
statues are placed on lot 16 by 80 feet
| and are surrounded by substantial
iron fence.
| The old man is not yet satisfied with
| the silent guards he will have stationed
above him while he sleeps the long.
| last sleep, and will enlarge his lot soon
to have the statues Of his three sisters
and remaining brother erected with the
family and friends. In his collection
he now has the images of one woman
two girls, six men, two dogs, one deer
one fox, horse. and a gun in bas-re-
lief, and two monuments, making in all
IS different things represented. The
arrangement, as we'll as the idea. is
unique and peculiar, and it is a rare
thing that stranger visits Mayfeld
without going out to see the wonder
full collection that stands on Mr.. Wool
drige's lot His lot is situated on the
brow of a small hill to the left of TIE
entrance and can be seen a great dis
lance from the cemetery. Uncle Hen
ry' wants every person and everything
| he loved represented in his collection
and says he will have them all placed
there if he lives long enough to see
his ideas carried out. He has spent
thousands of dollars fitting up his ideal