The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1898-09-17
MINGLE JOY WITH SORROW.
Strange Funeral Customs of the
Italians in New York.

One of the most remarkable Of funer'
al customs, according to American
ideas, is one that has grown up in the
Italian quarter in New York. The 90
900 or more Italians in the city form a
separate community in the heart OF
the metropolis and occupy the region
about the historic Mulberry Bend.
They are mostly boOtblacks. pushcart
men or day laborers; nearly all of then
are poor, but when one of their num-
Der dies he IS apt to receive funeral
that is more elaborate than most of the
residents of 9th avenue have. 1t Is ne
unusual thing TO see a funeral process
sion of twenty-five to thirty carriages
starting from one of the crowded tene'
ments of the Italian quarter. Behind
the hearse, which is sometimes drawn
by four horses, comes an open carriage
filed with flowers. There are pillows
and crosses and wreaths that fairly
overflow the sides of the carriage. All
the flowers that do duty at the funeral
are conveyed to the burial ground. and
they are arranged to make as brave q
display as possible.
After the leaders comes a motley pro
cession of vehicles, rusty-looking hacks
drawn by skeletOnized horses and oc'
cupied by persons of all ages. who
laugh and chat and gaze about as
though they were having the pleasant
est kind of time imaginable. In fact
the rear of an Italian funeral process
sion in New York might easily be mis-.
taken for a picnic party. Sometimes
the cortege is headed by brass band,
but this is not always the case. The
idea of hiring a brass band to pay re.
spect TO a corpse is one that will not
appeal to one brought up with Ameri
can notions on this subject. but the
band. as a part of the funeral process.
sion, is a sight too common in New
York to attract special attention.
The unipitiated person who views
this strange cavalcade of fruit and pea.
nut vendors doubtless believes that
some person of note in the Italian col.
ony is dead. Inquiry often reveals the
fact however. that it is only some poor
bootblack or street laborer. Now. it is
a fact that bootblacks and laborers axe
not ordinarily burdened with wealth.
1t is equally true carriages. flowers and
brass bands. even the variety to be
found on the Bowery and Mulberry
street, cost money. SO the Italian flu
neral remained a mystery until it was
explained by the undertaken himself.
The undertaken is person of stand
ing in the Italian colony. To the dole
full Importance which ordinarily attach.
es to his office he adds a weight of so.
cial influence which cannot be claimed
by any of his fellows.
ut is the custom among my people
when a person dies" said the under
taker, ''to send out an announcement of
the fact and invitations to the funeral.
If the death occurs in a family of posi-
ton they prepare the invitation list and
! send out the cards; If it is a man IN
poorer circumstances | make out the
list myself. Each person who receives
a card understands that if he comes to
the funeral he is expected to pay 81 for
the privilege, and it is considered an
honor to be invited"
Like it is to be Of what you call the
400 explained the undertaker's as
sistant
'All the actions of men are explain.
ed by the circumstances that surround
them" says a modern philosopher. Sc
it is with the Italian funeral A dollar
means a pleasant ride through tn.
greenery of the Long Island fields. but
more pleasant than the days enjoy
ment is the feeling of the guests thai
they are assisting at a function-for al
Italian funeral, viewed in the only cor
rect light, is a social function. And tn,
bereaved family and friends. No doub
their grief is sincere enough. but Der
haps it is rendered less poignant by tn,
knowledge of the long procession anC
the silver handles on the coffin. Th,
system really rests upon the undertake
er, and it pays him well. so he viii
scarcely be the one to change it,
Washington Star.
Be Natural.
Following is a bit Of social Dhilosonb,