The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-08-24
sTARK COUNTY DEMOCRAT. FRIDAY, AUGUST "a, 1900.
WAR OVER FUNERALS
Trouble in New Orleans Between
Rival Factions.
vriends Of New and old Customs Of
Putting Away the Dead stand
by Their Respective Meth
DDS as Right.


tackled on every lamp-post or telegraph
pole and every vacant board in the city
announcing the death of Mr.. So-and-So,
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 a very general resentment
at the constantly repeated demand that
old customs and habits should be aban-
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 -four and confetti on the
carnival prohibited, Sunday law en-
forced on the least Sunday-observing
community In the world, and hundred
other changes insisted on TO make New
Orleans, with its large Latin popula-
ton, its cosmopolitan idea and it's 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 a 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 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 tb an
once interfered and urged that, In the
interest of the widow and the orphans,
the funeral be less elaborate and expen-
sive.
| Among the creoles the practice pre-
walls of wearing mourning for even dis
tant relatives, and there is a funeral ei-
quette which determines just how long
first and second mourning shall be for
uncles, aunts, cousins, etc. Strangers
are always struck by the large number
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 to
Mardi Gras as the city's great holiday.
The entire population visits the CENT.
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 TO
funerals, hence proposition to make It
misdemeanor to invite persons to
funerals by sticking up posters has
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, so
strong was the sentiment against 1t,
but II has come up again this week, re-
enforced In strength. Strange to say,
the undertakers are generally against
1t. They say that il adds considerably
to the expense Of funerals TO post these
death notices all over the city. More
over, II Is no longer necessary, as all
deaths and notices of funeral are pub
lished in the papers. As II is, the death
posters are not taken down and remain
tackled on the posts and boards perhaps
for months until the weather removes
them. The consequence is that a large
number accumulate, and give the i'm
preston of much sickness and a very
heavy mortality. 1t is as though peo-
pie would see Grape hung on every other
door.
The death poster has been somewhat
modified of late years. Originally il was
of the usual mourning paper pattern,
with some funeral scene on il, perhaps
a hearse, tomb with weeping willows
over it or something else of character
to suggest death. The old posters were
so varied as to be interesting, and as
high as $40 has been paid for collec-
tion of them. Latterly these posters
!, and mortuary notices and poetry have