The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30

About 1900 are buried here, and the
Decoration day ceremonies are always Of
a most i'm pressive nature.
The National cemetery OF Chalmette,
near New Orleans. is one of the best.
known burying-p places in the country.
Thirteen thousand are buried here. Chal-
mette is located on the shore of bayou
and presents somewhat the appearance of
a swamp with driveways through it.
There are several lakes in it, and in many
instances the graves are very close to the
water. Decoration day is always extern
sively observed here, but for one reason
or another the graves are decorated with
flowers and evergreens the greater part of
the year.
The largest National cemetery in the
country is at Vicksburg, Miss. About
II, 600 are inferred here. but the place has
rather depressing effect on one who
visits it for the first time, it is so vast and
so suggestive of the horrors of death.
There is a melancholy aspect to it
that 1t is impossible to shake off. Near
by is the cemetery at Natchez, where 300
are buried. In the immediate vicinity
are the cemeteries OF Port HUDSON, Baton
Rouge and Alexandria. All through this
part OF the country Decoration day is
most extensively observed. In nearly
every graveyar there are several soldiers
buried, and the sentim entail nature of the
people causes much attention to be given
to the ceremonies.
From Anderson Vile Ca, and following
sort of curve to Little Rock, Ark, there
is line of cemeteries where nearly 100. 900
crIHia hrr
much alike in appearance and are not as
well cared for as those in other parts of
the country. The principal ones of this
group are Memphis, Nashville, thatta-
nooga and Marietta.
There is little group of cemeteries in
Kentucky where about 5000 are buried,
but the obseryances of the day here are
always very sad. More old people will be
seen at these ceremonies than in any
other cemetery in the country. They
still remem Der the cir lost sons, and even at
this late day old, white-haired negroes
will frequently be seen weeping and cry
ing for young marsa."
A National cemetery that is very little
known is Jefferson Barracks, located
about eighteen miles below st. Louis, Mo.
Over II, 800 are buried here, and the ceme-
terry is one of the grandest sites in the
world. 1t is about 300 feet above the
Mississippi, on the west bank, and COM
mands view in all directions over the
bottom lands. This cemetery is remarka-
bly, well kept, although it does not con-
tain as many trees as one feels ought to be
there.
The National cemeteries of the West are
sad places. Most of them are absolutely
barren and are distressing in the extreme.
The one at San Antonio, Tex, is of this
character. although of late years an at
tempt has been made to improve 1t.
Nearly all the Western cemeteries are
small.
battlefield in Dakota is perhaps the
strangest burying-place in all the world.
1t is most barren spot, containing an
enormous marble shaft, with Ala graves
grouped around ii. The strange thing
a bout this cemetery is that all those sleep.
ing there were killed on the same day.
The National Cemetery of San Fran
cisco is, as all know, located at the Pre-
sidio, and is so near al hand that de-
scription of it would be superfuous here.
Still, it might be we'll to remark that it is
most picturesquely located and kept in
the best of order. About $50 are Inferred
here.
1t is not generally known, but the
United States maintains National ceme-
terv at the City OF Mexico. OF course the
61S4 buried there are the victims OF the
Mexican war.