The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1900-03-03
NEW ORLEANS FUNERALS
nance of Customs New
and Old.

else in the country, is waging in New
Orleans over what are known as death
posters" the odd little bills to be found
tackled on every lamp-post or telegraph
pole and every vacant board in the city
announcing the death Of Mr.. So-andSo,
giving his birthplace, ETC., the hour of
his funeral and inviting friends and ac-
quaintances to participate in the cere-
monies. The war has been brought
about by the proposition of member
of the city council to prohibit the post
ing of funeral notices in public places
on the ground that it produces most
unfavorable impressions on strangers
and visitors. The proposition is resist
ed, as this custom is of the greatest an
tiquity. Conservatism is very strong
here; the disposition of people is to do
as their fathers and grandfathers did;
and there is very general resentment
at the constantly repeated demand that
old customs and habits should be ADAM
doned here lest they might offend or be
misunderstood by strangers. Such rad
ical changes, they declare, have been
made in the last ten years, so many
cherished privileges surrendered, that
New Orleans will soon lose all its pecu-
liarities and drop down to the dead level
OF the average western or southern
town. The duel has been abandoned in
Difference to this new sentiment. the
throwing of flour and confetti on the
carnival prohibited, Sunday law en-
forced on the least Sunday-observin
community in the world, and hundred
other changes insisted on to make New
Orleans, with its large Latin popula-
ton, its cosmopolitan idea and its an.
cient traditions conform to the habits
and ideas of other American cities. The
war over death posters. therefore, is a
clear fight between the supporters of
the old regime and the innovators or
iconoclasts, who insist that New Or.
leans must be made modern city and
drop its old habits and customs.
Funerals are matter of far more
moment in New Orleans than in any
other American city. They are larger,
more impressive and more expensive.
OF old, brass bands at funerals playing
funeral marches were almost universal,
but that was complained of by people
living on the streets leading to the GEM
eteries, who said that Sunday, the usual
day for funerals in New Orleans, was
made hideous by a constant succession
of funeral parades, playing the dead
march from "Saul," and other lugubri.
Gus tunes. AS for the expense, it has
become at times so heavy as to swallow
up most of the estate of poor people,
and the Catholic clergy have more than
once interfered and urged that, in the
interest of the widow and the orphans.
sive.
Among the creoles the practice pre-.
walls of wearing mourning for even dis.
tant relatives, and there is a funeral Ell.
quette which determines just how Long
first and second mourning shall he for
uncles, aunts, cousins. etc. Strangers
are always strucksby the large numbe,
of creole women in mourning, and even
this is objected to by the advocates OF
new customs on the ground that it pro.
duces- an unfavorable impression Civ,
ing rise to the idea that New Orleans
is very unhealthful, and that it suffers
from large number of deaths, whereas
in consequence of the intermarriage OF
creole families single death may
plunge several hundred persons in
mourning. But the respect which New
Orleans feels for the dead is best shown
on All Saints day, which ranks next tc
Mardi Gras as the city's great holiday,
The entire population visits the GENE.
teries to decorate the graves with flow.
ers and other emblems, and spends the
day there in communion with the dead
Few customs have yielded less to in
novations than these in regard tc
funerals, hence proposition to make il
a misdemeanor to invite persons tc
funerals by sticking up posters ha.
raised a storm of protest and the whole
battle between the old regime and the
new will be fought over. When first in
troduced, some weeks ago, the ordi
nance was tabled in the council, 81
str o11E3 was Tire sen ti1r1e11t az ai11st it
but it has come up again this week. re
enforced in strength. Strange to say
the undertalsers are generally agains
it. They say that it adds considerably
to the expense of funerals 10 post thes,
death notices all over the city. More
over, it is no longer necessary, as al
deaths and notices of funeral are pub
lished in the papers. AS it is, the dealt
posters are not taken down and rcmar
tackled on the posts and boards perhap!
for months until the weather remove!
them. The consequence is that q larg,
number accumulate, and give the i'm
preston of much sickness and very
heavy mortality. 1t is as though PEG
pie would see Grape hung on every othel
door.
The death poster has been somewha
modified of late years. Originally it wa
of the usual mourning paper pattern
with some funeral scene on it. perhap
hearse, a tomb with weeping willow
over it or something else of a charactel
to suggest death. The old posters wer'
SO varied as to be interesting, and a
high as $50 has been paid for collcc
ton of them. Lattcrly these poster
and mortuary notices and poetry hav'
gone out of fashion, and they mercl,
give the formal notice of death ant
funeral and an invitation to friends
families and societies to attend TIL
funeral.-N. Y. Sun.
His Experience with sound.
The man with the piece of plaster