The suburban citizen., 1900-06-16
THE BURYING BUSINESS.
ANExcELLENT REAL ESTATE INVEST
MENT is THE MODERN CEMETERY.

]
| A Revolution Railroads Arc Helping to
Bring About - Funerals Better Con-
ducted Under the New system at One-
third the Cost OF the Old.
~ UT in the far West they've a
simple aud sufficient way of
starting cemetery. They
/ shoot man. In the effete
East they do the thing differently.
There land is bought and improved by
O company of capitalists and perma-
nent residents are lured to the spot
/ by much the same method used in
disposing of suburban building sites.
The modern cemetery is an excellent
real estate investment, benefit TO the
railroads, and profitable to the general
public, living or dead. Many bus
mess men, recognizing it as good
thing, push it along; yet it is an
amusing fact that most of the capital
lists interested in the cemetery bus
mess still cling to time-honored tradi.
tion enough to feel themselves a tribe
embarrassed by their situation.
'My reason took me into the bus
mess" said a we'll lknOwn business
man to a New York Sun reporter,
"but can't to save my life help feel
ing ashamed of it. A cemetery is such
queer property"
Sentiment isn't commonly supposed
10 be the strong point of the average
American, but when it comes to fu-
nerals, sentiment has interfered might
| ily with the famous American business
spirit. The burying business in Eng
/ land and on the Continent of Europe
| is a commercial enterprise, in the
hands of various corporations and sub
lect to the usual laws of trade and
competition. The Burial Company,
Limited, under one name or the an
other, fcurishes, prospers AMI cheer
/ fully advertisers in all conspicuous
places. One can have funeral of
any grade at bottom prices, and no
one seems to consider 1t his duty to a
dead friend to pay for his funeral five
times what it is worth. For once
American sentiment has stood in the
way OF common sense and public con-
venience, but a change is making it.
self felt.
The railroads have revolutionized
cemeteries. In old days, when even
the ordinary roads were often inn
passable, it was necessary to locate
the graveyards under the very shadow
of the churches. With improved
roads and vehicles came cemeteries
separated from the churches, but still
so near the towns that the growth OF
the town would necessarily wipe out
the cemetery. Year by year GENE.
teries moved farther away from city
limits, but never far enough. New
York has at least a dozen burying
grounds that when located were sup
posed to be beyond all chance of in
reference by the city's growth, but
are now ingulfed by it. Even the
more modern cemeteries, that were
considered absurdly far from town,
are being elbowed and jostled, and
roads are cut through them by un-
sentimental officials
As long as the old-time funeral sys-
tenn was adhered to it was necessary
to have the cemetery within driving
distance. Hence the complications.
Now, improved facilities for trans
portation have made it possible to dis
pense with the dreary line of car
riages, and consequently to locate
cemeteries beyond all chance of mo-
lestation. The advisability of locating
cemeteries far from any possible city
! line has been recognized all through
the country, and almost every large
city has already made provision for
such city OF the dead, or is planning
it. Funeral cars are in readiness at
the city rail way stations, and railway
companies make every arrangement
for the convenience of funeral parties
! A railroad man who is interested in
I the new cemetery and burial move
ment throughout the country talked
about it to a Sun reporter the other
day.
''It was an experience with an I'M
dertaker shark that first called my at
tention to the cemetery business" he
said. "I was an executor for
wealthy man who died. The wife
died few days later. The two were
buried together, and the family ar
ranged the funeral after the usual
fashion. A few days later the bill for
funeral expenses was sent to me-
$1400-for the double funeral. I paid
it, of course; but 1 did a lot OF think
ing about it, and began inquiring in
to the subject. The more inquired
the more disgusted with the system /
was. 1 found that other business
men felt as 1 did about it, and that
there was a movement abroad to fur
nish something better. went in for
it, found it a fair business proposition
and public service.
lit is only a question of few years
until the revolution will be complete.
1 You knou how "A vvoq In tbo old SI,,,s