The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-22
AQUEER CALLING.


America-A Nan Whose Business
Il is to Announce psaths-Requires
Tact.
Milwaukee Correspondence Of New
York Sun: 'Yeg, mine ls a queer bust
ness. Death to you means a loss; to
me It is not only profit but llveli-
hood Death ana / are hienda on hin,
depends my living. Were there no deaths
!, as aanspreker Of the Dutch families
Of this city. would NOT be in demand.
As II IS, am tl8 messenger"
SO spoke Adrian pimnent He con-
tinued:
"Yes, the life OF an aanspreker 10 In
deed strange one, and yet in Holland
It does not attract much attention. But
here In America little Of US Is known.
In the early Dutch colonial days In the
east there were many Of US. AZ pres
emit know OF no other person in this
country who makes his living as do.
am perhaps the only survivor In the
United States Of an ancient custom
which Is still in vogue in the rural dis
trlcts in Holland; but the progress Of
the time has gradually crowded US out
Of the business in this country. As for
myself. cannot expect to follow my
strange vocation much longer. am
elghty-tWo years Of age, and life al
that stage Is uncertain, sometimes
wonder whether will have a successor
or whether with me win die the custom
Of the Dutch aRnsPreker OF Milwaukee. T"
Mr.. Dimnent's business is to go from
house to house and announce the death
Of the any member OF the Holland coll
ony who may die here. In the rural
districts Of Holland every village and
town has Its aRnspFeker or announcer.
The relatives Of the deceased engage the
aauspreker and he calls on a list OF
the friends and acquaintance that the
bereaved family may wish 10 inform Of
the death. These announcements take
the place Of the customary newspaper
death notice Usually where daily news
papers are printed there is little need
for the aanspreker.
When years ago the Dutch settled IN
Milwaukee the need OF an aanspreker
became apparent. Although there are
several thousand Dutch families In this
city, there Is no newspaper published
in their language. Consequently they
have for years relied on the aapspreker,
Mr.. Dlmnent, to keep them informed on
the deaths Of members OF the colony.
you see" explained Mr.. Dlmnent.
there Is no way In which our people
would know Of the death of a Holland
err were It not for the aanspreker. When
an American or a German dies, the usu-
al death notice in the newspapers Is all
that is necessary. But we have no
Dutch papers here. It Is true that many
OF the $500 famIliese Of Dutch descent
in this city do take some Of our city
papers. Many read German, and the
younger generation reads English. But
take the old Dutch settler. he who came
direct from the rural districts Of Hol-
land 10 this country, he cannot read any
other than his native language, and not
always that. He has spent his days on
the farm, and Is now ending his last
years In quiet retirement. Outside OF
meeting his people at the Dutch church
on Sunday he knows little Of what his
fellow countrymen are doing. When a
death occurs late in the week we can
always reach him with IN announce
ment Of the funeral from the pulpit on
Sundays, But when Dutch resident
dies early In the week and the funeral
occurs on or just before Sunday, we
cannot reach him by this means. The
aanspreker is then called in.
81 have followed this business for
many years, and suppose must have
broken the news of the death Of their
friends to thousands Of people. No. It
IS not always an easy task. One must
understand the business like anything
else. II Is easier to inform chance
acquaintance than dear friend or rela-
tive. The aanspTeker must use tact and
judgment. He must adapt himself to
circumstances"
When 1t Is taken into consideration
that In his rounds he calls on two or
three hundred families and that when
he makes the announcement of death
he is piled with a hundred and one
questions, It will be seen that he has
no time for gossip. Neither has he time
to stop and console friends or to listen
to "reminiscences of the departed, Usu-
ally before he starts out on his trips he
obtains all the information he can from
the relatives as to the illness OF the dead
person, He ascertains the funeral ar
rangements and then studies to put his
facts into as few words us possible.
When he starts on his trips he figures
as closely rs he can to save time on
the arrangement of the order in which
he take the families. He does not ring
the bells nor rap at the door, That
would be time wasted. He must work
quickly, and therefore walks right into
the house of the family he Is to notify.
He announces briefly the circumstances
Of the death and the details OF the fu-
neral Then he leaves. It is not neces-
sary for him to preface his remarks
with an introduction of himself Every
Dutch resident In Milwaukee knows
him. He docs not have to say whether
he is on official business or Just paying
visit. Everybody knows that when
Adrian DiHReRt attIFed In his black
suit Of mourning calls, he brings had
news and that somebody has passed
over the meridian OF life.
Although eighty-tw0. Mr.. Dimneht Is
a man Of remarkable activity. His trips
take him miles about the city. but he
goes over his routes with n vlgor that
surprlseg many OF the younger men Of
his people, Winter and summer, rain
or shine he makes the trips whenever
he is called upon. His Journeys last
from early morning Until often very late
at night. When meal times overtAke
him he dimes. The old man finds a meal
awaiting him whenever he chooses to
eat But even HIS meal hours are often
curtalled when the time for his getting
his notices about is short.
His life Was Saved.