The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-11
BURIALS ARE
HIS DELIGHT.
4 Chicago Undertaken Says Hs
Loves His Business.
HIS PASTIME is FUNERALS.
Naen q Boy Of Twsh, Years His Principal
Enjoyment Was 10 ActIngw
a Pail BsaTeT.

~ am often asked the question how I
happened to go Into the undertaking busi-
ness. said q Chicago funeral director,
"and when tell people IL was on account
OF an Unborn love for the work, they
can't understand IL. Bat it's a fact
nevertheless.
"A am an undertaken because ! like 10
handle dead people. This may sound
srewsone. hut ! assure you there Is moth
ing ghoulish about me, ] am naturally
sympathetic. and have buried persons
Tor whom felt the deepest sorrow.
II had made up my mind 10 become an
undertaken before ] was 10 years old, in
the same way that other boys make up
their minds TO become hremen. police
men. or railroad engineers The under
taking business had fascination for me
which no other vocation held forth.
when l was a little shaver about
funerals with my parents Not that |
cared anything about the carriage ride
or the DAYS freedom from school but l
had an Unsuitable desire 10 he with the
dead
when I grew old enough I was a pall
bearer at several funerals OF my school
mates, and I confess that l rather en-
iovcd the task At these funerals !
studied every move of the undertaken
and would go through them at night as
] lay On my bed for hours, unable TO go
60 sleep.
MY father wanted TO put me at the
legal profession and my mother. whose
uncle was preacher, would listen 10
nothing but the ministry had told
them many times of my choice of a call
ing. but they thought It was a boyish
fancy that would soon wear away
when l was 20 years old ! resolved to
make application with the undertaken In
town where I lived TO enter his employ
as an apprentice My father baked my
engage my services.
'As a compromise between the law and
the ministry / went 10 work at the
bakers trade. / was bStind out for three
years The baker was 10 board and
lodge me. I was constantly thinking
OF coffns and hearses, and such things.
and would let the pies and cakes burn In
The oven
"The baker had 10 let me GO else
would have ruined him II he kept me
much longer. and I returned TO the pa
rental roof.
FUNERALS MADE HIM HAPPY.
''It was the beginning of winter and
wrote TO an undertaken i'm a neighboring
town. asking II he would take me as an
apprentices My heart was set on the
business and l wrote without telling my
parents
Il got am answer saying that trade was
little bir dun but he would give me
trial Ina the spring, when business opened
up. That was the exact language he
used.
II never put in such long winter I'm
my Iife The only enjoyment | had was
I'm being pan bearer az two funerals.
THE volunteer fire department TO which
/ belonged gave several hops and we had
Two travelling shows, one an Uncle Toms
Cabin company and the other family
called the Bergers. who were bellringerS,
but ! was too gloomy all winter To at
tend the firemen's dances or the theatre.
About the lst of April | got letter
from the undertaken He wrote that busi-
ness was looking up, and he would ex-
pect me In few days. II | had not
changed my mind My parents were op-
posed to my leaving home, but when they
saw that l was determined they With
drew their objections
II started for my new home with a light
heart, having at last reached the amoi-
tion OF my life--to become an undertaker.
"a had been IN my new position about
p month when there was "A railroad wreck
near the town In which nine persons were
killed My employer who was corouer
OF the ceunty, got all the bodies and we
-. Al. l.
lishment.
n proved 10 be so handy In caring for
the crushed victims that my work re-
celved the approval OF my boss, and ne
made me present of new broadcloth
suit
"A few weeks later ! bought "A silk hat
and | went home on visit The local
paper IN its next issue made mention of
my 'hying trip as the editor called A.,
aud H.. predicted that / would make a
successful undertaken.
n had my picture taken soon Gftcr
that sitting or the drivers seat Of tho
hearse, and sent II home to tie Old iolas
for Christmas present
CIT THE WRONG COAT
Like every other business. you will
flnd funeral directors who are not fitted
for the work. aud men OF that class are
a Disgrace 20 the profession The art OF
embalming IL one OF the oldest ana
rrandest known. and the undertaken who
loves his profession will never tire Of ex-
repimenting in that direction
"a strange hing happened 10 me some
ytars aRo. and 10 some persons it may
sypear as being humorous / was called
10 The North Side TO lay out m ola gem
iisman, and ] was given n suit of broad
cloth in which the body was 20 be robod
The suit had never beer worn. II was
hot day In August and ! took on nv
coat. which. by the way. was also brand
nfw from the tailor when a coat ~
mt on = dead person " is slit up the
back because n Is then easter io put on
when J took on my coat threw a. across
the. bco on which lay tho burial suit
When J came 10 the Sitting process
made mistake IN the coats and cut my
own carmen, instead. of the dead mans
Luckily Tor me-. the decreased was man
about my size. and. as tie two coats
looked exactly alike. ] wore the other
Garnent awav'