Washington sentinel., 1899-03-18
WHAT it Costs to Bury a Congress
man.

has had opportunity, since -hS du'
journment OF Congress, to figure a
little on the expenses OF the state
funeral for the late Representative
Nelson DingleY. 1t is the only
state funeral in the House since
the death OF "Pig Iron" Kelley, OF
Pennsylvania, and the total cost
will be about S4,Soo.
"Those New Englanders are
frugal iolk," commented Mr.. Nc
Dowell, as he mentioned some OF
the bills that were forwarded to his
office. why, the undertaken at Lewis
ton wanted TO charge $500 for his
services, guess he won't getit' There
was an item of SIS for a steel case, IN
which the casket was to be placed while
it rested within the vault at the cemetery
Then there was another item. | think 1t
was for SIS more, for slate case, in
which the casket was to be placed at the
beginning of spring, and the undertaken
wanted to charge $50 Tor the Cataialque,
on which the casket rested while the
remains of Mr.. Dingley were lying in
state at Lewiston. He wanted p y for
50 carriages when only 8 we're used.
'Very frugal folk, are those New
Englanders," added Mr.. Mcdowell, as
he thought further about the big bills.
"Then the choir that sang at the house
wanted to charge us SS a sing. The
total bill for the -four trained singers
as they we're styled, and tor the director
was 500 "
This bill for music, 1t appears, has
been paid. but there was protest by the
House officials. The splendid quartet
that furnished the music for the funeral
OF the late Senator Morrill, in the Senate
only charged S75 for their services.
Finally the chairman OF the Auditing
Committee of the House consented to
the big bill, and it was paid. The placing
OF an organ in the House of Represen.
tatlves was an innovation, and Sergeant
at arms Russell, under whose Immediate
charge all the arrangements or the
But he Welded to the request Of Rev. S.
M. Newman, pastor of the First Con-
gregational Church.
One of the big items for the State
funeral gwen Mr.. Dinglev was the train
of four cars. That cost tn House $3.50
add Clerk Mcdowell has the vouchers
for that amount OF money disbursed.
The funeral expenses Of the late Denis
M Hurley, of Brooklyn, who died few
days before the end Of the session, were
81, 1oe exactly, but then Mr., Hurley did
not live so far away. transportation
over the railroads did not amount to so
much, and there were not so many
incidental expenses The House pays
for everv conceivable item in connection
with burial trips, even to 10 cent cigars,
and liquid refreshments. These were
not excluded on the trip to Maine with
Mr.. Dingley's remains. Capt. Boutelle,
out of respect for Mr. Dingley's memory
and his long abstinence from :he use Of
issued orders that there
should be nothing of the kind on the
funeral train.
But even that order did not prevail.
A large purchase OF whisky was made at
Portsmouth, N. H., just before crossing
the line into Maine, where theoretically
it is impossible to purchase such stimu.
lants. All that was done by direction Of
a prominent statesman, whose name
need not be mentioned. He also insisted
on champagne during a portion of the
trip, and that was uTnished. Vouchers,
that certify payment for it, are now part
Of the papers OF the clerks office.
While the Lewiston undertaken
wanted to charge much more for his
services than the undertaken in Wash
ington. who prepared the body for bur.
ial, charged, some of the more promi'
nent features OF the funeral were com
1aratlvely inexpensive. The decora-
tions Of the hall ofRepresentAtlves cost
only sI2S. They were in excellent taste
and called forth admiration from every
body who saw them.
The House has to provide, IN case Of
this kind Of funerals, for transportation
for eleven members OF its own com.
mittee, tor the committee from the
Senate, and for relatives OF the deceased.
Senators almost always demand that
shall be allowed Tor their
personal attendants and the expense of
that is borne by the House. Much de-
pends in the cost of funeral upon the
OF the residence Of the deceased
from the Capital City. Only one car
was engaged tor the funeral party that
went to Texas With the remains OF the
late Representative John w. Crawford.
His funeral was comparatively mex.
peusive. The funeral party was gone
members of the committee were chosen
from Arkap sas, Texas and neighboring
States. The funeral car therefore came
back only as far as Memphis, separate
tickets being purchased for those who
returned TO Washington from that point.
One item Of the expense for the Crawford
funeral was 400 ten cent cigars purchased
by the box at 50 a hundred.
When the remains of the late Repre-
sentative Seth L. Milliken were taken to
Maine in April Of 1897, the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company was paid $G,173 So
Tor transportation and services rendered,
Some of this money was eventually
disbursed TO other railroads, over
whose tracks the funeral car passed.
Commissary supplies furnished en- route
at cost, plus IS per cent. for services as
per bill rendered, amounted to srIS.2s.
The Pullman car Titania which was