The Saint Paul globe., 1900-06-03

Romans, and the doctor grati1ed heI
every wish during his life. Thus it came
about that she had two monster caskets
made, and engaged a famous wood carver
by the name of MacGregOr to carve them
In a gorgeous manner. These were finish
ed twelve years ago, and not long after
their completion DIR. Hitler died and was
buried in one of them. The other casl1et
and the two outer boxes, or sarcophagi,
have been kept meantime in a 10X10-foot
building known as the casket house, in
the rear of the homestead.
When the work on the caskets began
Mrs Hitler had unique notions as to
what sort Of collins they were to be. She
had read Of the ancients and their Ella
bOrate preparations for death. The cary
ings which tradition pictures more or less
vaguely were followed generally, but Mis-.
Hitler made suggestions frequently, and
as the work progressed the cutting of
the wood grew more modern, not to say
bizarre in treatment. MacGregor is now
dead, and, In fact, he did not live to
see either of the caskets filled by it's oc-
Cupant.
DR.. Hitler, at the outset, was not in per-
feet sympathy with his wife in going to
such expense for the caskets, and a tomb
which his wife had projected. He feared
the nOtoriety they would bring Mrs. Hill
Ter is said to have set her mind on the
her way. Thus 1t was that seventeen
years ago MacGregor was engaged at $95
q week.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE CASKET.
A quantity of red wood was purchased
but this stock was discarded and Flori-
da cedar was tried, but this, also, was
unsatisfactory. Then they got some San
Domingo mahogany, with planks thir-
ty-three inches wide. Two caskets were
made, with tops eight inches in thick
ness, and there were two outside boxes,
the whole taking 1900 feet of wood. The
Caskets were copper lined. They had
copper trays filed with camphor and con-
tanning red silk mattresses.
When the caskets with their outer
coverings were made by a Boston under
takers supply firm they were sent out
to the Wilmington house, where Mrs.
Hitler set the carver to work on them.
The carving occupied five years, and the
caskets when completed represented an
outlay Of $4,000 apiece, and the sarco-
phagi $500 each, or $50, 900 for the four
boxes. Six months were spent in photo
graphing the caSkets as they lay in the
show room of the big Boston undertaking
firm, PICTURES being taken from every
conceivable point of view and then en-
larged. In the very elaborate carving
on each casket was placed a medallion of
solid gold. At the house of Mrs Hitler
herself did much of the polishing work
on the caskets and their coverings, and
seemed to take great pleasure in the oc-
cupation. A Boston brass founder was
furnished designs of ornamental finish,
and these patterns and subsequent cast
ings with their fine finish, cost consid-
cradle money. When all was done the
caskets were exhibited for a week in
Boston.
The tomb Mrs. Hitler had built short
ly after the death Of the doctor repre-
sented an expenditure of several thous-
and dollars, but it was her intention to
erect mausoleum costing $5OO,OO0.
Through lack of ready funds, however.
the building Of the great final structure
was never attempted That such was
her intention is borne out by the fact
that the door Of the tomb in the Wilm-
ington Protestant cemetery was too mar
row to admit the caskets, this week,
and the wall had to be taken down.
and the legs on which the outer cases
were designed to stand could not be used