The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-17
sTREET-CAR FUNERALS.
Arguments Presented For and Against
the New System.
St. Louis Republic.

81. LOUIS IkepuDllC.
viii the. funeral car be established by
the Belleville, st. Louis & Suburban Elec-
trio Railway, commonly known as the
Turnpike Railroad, be a success?
This was the question asked by a re-
porter of the East St. Louis undertakers
yesterday They declared the plan not
feasible in East st. Louis, for the present.
at least Although the plan was admitted
to be a good one in many ways, the obJec-
lions which at present in the way are
too many and too large to be overcome with
ease.
There are four cemeteries on the Rock
road ST. Henry's Cemetery is the closest
to East St. Louis 1t is about three miles
from the center of the town. The next Is
ST. Peters, about three and half miles
from town. Mount Carmel Cemetery is
three and half miles beyond this. or about
seven miles from town, while Mount Hope
is seven and a half miles from town. These
cemeteries contain the graves of the ma
jority of East st. Louisans who died in
their town. Bellevileites are buried in
cemeteries east of their town. Few flu
nerals of Bellevileites take place at one of
the cemeteries on the Rock road. This
state of affairs has made the cemeteries
distinctly East St. Louis graveyards.
The officers of the Electric Railroad
Company are enthusiastic over the idea of
establishing funeral cars. They expect to
rent them to the undertakers, who will
furnish a funeral to the people at much
lower cost by the cars than with carriages.
Il do not believe the funeral car will be
a Success said Frank j. Kurrus.. About
half of the citys population is of the Cath
olics we have to take the body from the
home to the church and then to the ceme-
terry. If a funeral car were used the corpse
would have TO be removed from the house
to the church in hearse, then from the
church to the funeral car. The people
would have to be transferred from carriages
to the cars or would have to walk from the
house to the church and then from the
church to the street car Very few people
would like or enjoy walk along the street
in funeral cortege. When the cemetery
was reached the coffin would have to be
carried from the car for several hundred
yards perhaps through the cemetery to the
grave The mourners would also have to
get out OF the cars and walk to the grave.
In bad weather the cemeteries are very
muddy, and it is all a good driver can do
to drive through them without getting stuck
in the mud. Then there is the matter of
time. A funeral was never known to be on
time. 1t is always from half an hour to an
hour late. The cars would have to be put
on schedule time. This would be one of the
principal objections to the scheme. Many
people who attend funerals have friends and
relatives in graVeyards on the Rock road.
They ask the driver to stop at these grave
is all done without extra charge for time
or carriage If the people get off the cleo
trio cars they would have to pay another
fare"
II think it is all nonsense" said c. w.
Bricher, of the Benner Livery and Under
taking Company IF the scheme were
practical it would be tried long before this
on the ST. Louis cemeteries, where half
lines that run by the cemeteries: l do not
think the plan is a feasible one"
IF the City Council were to pass an ordi-
nance compelling funeral corteges to walk
through the streets" said NJ. j. Walsh,
then the plan would be practicable. At
present l do not think So although / am
in favor of a scheme such as this, as 1t
would reduce the price of funerals for the
mo-