The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-03-04


but black coffin for grown people and a
white one for infants and small children.
It's just the other way now. The major
ity of people do not care for black cas-
kets Those covered with pale grey cloth
are perhaps the most popular. though peo-
pie are~ta1xing to those covered with silk
plush, plain or brocaded ia lavender. pale
blue, pink, or even In the less sober coll
orss
one OF the newest designs is the couch
casket Look at this one OF pale gray
broad-eloth, lined with white pulled SUI
rah. Is there anything about that that
suggests death or a coffin? BY this couch
easket hangs tale. It really grew out of
these enormous sleeves that the ladies'
wore awhile. Undertakers used 20 bring
their customers here to look around:
they'd select coffin and frequently would
come back and say they weren't pleased
with II because the dear dead one looked
so cramped and crowded in IT, The whole
trouble came from the big sleeves then
fashionable. II was impossible to get a
pair OF those big sleeves into an ordinary
casket and not have il look crowded
When the matter was brought before the
head designer he hit on this couch cas-
ket. and IL has been a great success. Nv
means OF hinges that work as IL by mag
ic the top turns over the sides. giving
plenty of room and entirely taking away
the appearance of casket. At first we
Drought out half-couch casket--that Is.
the top turned down only half way--but
now we make nearly all of them 70 turn
down from head to foot. We sold one yes-
terday of lavender silk brocaded plush.
made to order In Europe Yes big sleeves
are really responsible for the existence Of
the couch coffin, but the design is so
much liked by people touched by sorrow
that II isn't likely 10 so out of style be-
cause the big sleeves have.
There's another very fashionable de-
sign" said the manager. known as the
canopy casket. This one happens 70 ba
covered with black cloth, but IL cor,es in
white and colors. It is made of cedar and
you see. Is lined with the best quality Of
cream satin. shocked. Ladies are very
Iond OF this design, especially when they
wish to make big display at home fu-
neral IL Is very popular for brides who
are laid out In their wedding gowns or
young ladies who are dressed for burial
10 fine party dresses. Some Of them have
canopy only at the head. When the ca
nopy is up the caslxet looks shallow. byt
when down 1t rs of the usual depth. A
great many OF these have been sold m
theiiiast eight or nine months. Canopv
baskets for infants and children are also
sold In great numbers.
Another new thing In the way OF 4
childs casket," continued he f'is made of
wicker, enamelled white Bishop Potter
Is said to favor the wicker caslxet. Oe
course, wicker alone would not preserve
the body, so caskets made of this mate-
price from $1OO to 5000.
> After all, the most costly and magnfn
cent Baskets for grown persons are those
made OF oak or mahogany, which Is eIah-
orately carved by hand. They are neither
caske, nor collin, being square In design.
and they are becoming very fashionable
among enormously rich people Sooner or
later people In moderate circunnstances
VIII adopt them, for fashions In COINS
are like fashions In everything else. The
styles for everybody are set by the ricb
and fashionable. Every day customers
80 TO undertakers and say: 4 want
coffin such as Mr.. Astorbllt bought for
ms wire or such as Mrs Struckitrich
bought for her husband This n,abogans,
casket sells from 81 900 to g. 500 .accor,,,n-
70 the trimmings. 1t is made of the finest
san Domingo mahogany Is richly carved
ana rests on four feet All of the oal-
used IN fine hand-carved caskets he Fng-
lish quartered oak. Spanish cedar il used
for outside boxes
rms casket," said the manager, turn
ing once more to a rather pIain-loolxino az
fair covered with fine black cloth. ssis 10.
the one especially designed for John &
Logan. The interior is just as expensive
as It IS possible to make the interior ~ =
casket unless finer silk should be ,,se4 W.
recently sent one to PHILADELPHIA for :
very rich woman, lined with silk which
cost SiS yard, and It took over $500 worth.
The casket cost $1,000. The big costs ia
almost entirely~in the trimmings Tsrs
the black casket before you for exarr.,ls
IL IS handsomely hand carved at the cor
ners ana sides and covered with the 3nast
cloth that can be bought. It is handsomeIv
festooned and the fringe and tasseIs wera
MADE specially to order for that casket ana
no other
rs there ANYTHING specially new in me-
tallic caskets?"
The aluminium casket isn't exact,.,
new but IL has changed in design with orr
or caskets, and Is more elaborate than
ever Deiore. The one In this case roirt
ing TO huge one than shone In the liehf
hned with copper, and dramatically
sealed 1t Is finished inside with tufted
SATIN and weighs less than 100 pounds. Al,
ordinary metallic coffin of the same style
would weigh 800 pounds. II has been found
that aluminium wears well.
great deal can be paid for a coffin or
very nttie twenty-five years ago the
very finest collins were made Of rosewood
ana one rarely sold for over $3.50. That
was considered rafting good sale. They
were all made in the shape Of what FASH
D--HaNE'
pital coffin. Occasionally undertalxers re-
ceived an order for a cloth-covered casket
The majority OF collins purchased by per-
sons In very good circumstances. indeed
ranged In price from $50 10 500. Now 1t
is not at all uncommon for persons In com
paratively the same circumstances TO pay
800 FOR O casket Many strides have been
made in this line of business as well as h
all others. There are still great many
cheap collins sold and always viii be. r.
Is possible to get very Respectable look
ing plain coffin. made of white wood ana
stained. from $40 to $25. according 10 ne
handles and lining. Few realize that this
city furnishes one out of every ten collins
needed here. These collins are made bv
the convicts. The labor OF course. costs
nothing, and the material in each amounts
70 " Or $3.50 One person out Of 1--WE who
dies in this great city dies in an institutions
OF one kind or another. AS we have many
charitable institutions and HOSPITALS for