Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-21
ASHES OF DEAD.
Queer Ways in Which People Dispose
of Them

A good many queer things have hap
pened in connection with cremation
but perhaps the strangest Of them all
was the case of Mrs. Matilda France
fort. Matilda ate her husband, which
sounds cannibalistic, but isn't.
In 1896. Mr.. Francefort left his
sphere of usefulness in Brooklyn and
his soul. it is to be hoped. scared 10 a
better world AS for his body. they
| took it to Fresh Pond and cremated
it. Then his widow went after the
ashes and took them carefully home
| with her. All widows do not Some
don't even buy niche for them q the
| crematory or pay storage for them in
| the cellar.
| But Mrs. Francefort was different.
| she got the ashes of the late Mr.. +.
and carried them home in a japanned
| tin box. like a tea canister or a spice
| box. Perhaps that was what sug-
gested to the sorrowing widow the
disposition she should next make Of
| them.
| At any rate she decided to eat them.
There was much to be said in favor of
| this plan. 1t was economical. She
| would save the expense of an urn and
a niche and monument by being all
| that herself. Then. too, she and the
| dear cremated had lived together for
81 years and she was lonesome with
out him. She was informed that the
ashes would enter permanently into
| her system and il seemed to be clear
| case of eating your cake and having it
| too. Anybody could see that under
the circumstances it was the only way
of keeping the family together.
| Having decided to eat her husband,
the next question was the manner in
| which he should be served. Mrs.
| Francefort went over his qualities
with a sorrowful heart. He had been
a witty man: there was always a
spicy flavor in his conversation. Mrs.
Francefort made note: Spice"
| Then she defied anybody to say that
he had not been the salt of the earth.
Another note: Salt Still she had to
| admit that he had a bit of a temper.
Note number three: Pepper" But
then. he was always sweet to her.
Final note: Sugar" Clearly. Mr..
| Francefort's post mortem speciality
should be in the condiment line Mrs
F. determined to take him as season
ing.
So she put q pinch of him in her
coffee at breakfast and sprinkled him
lightly over the boiled shad At
luncheon he went into the tea and
contributed distinction to the lamb
stew. At dinner-well at dinner the
| supply of Mr.. F'rancefort's ashes went
down in more ways than one. And
| whatever the gentleman may have
done in life. there is one thing sure.
he never disagreed with his widow
when he was dead. though a little of
him did perhaps go long way.
| People who take to cremation seem
to have fondness for having their
| ashes scattered to the winds. There
| was the first man who was cremated
in this country. That is to say, the
first in recent times. Toward he
end of the eighteenth century. "a
southerner by the name of Lawrence
| left a request to be cremated His
sons built a furnace especially and he
first crema tion-not Indian-took place
on American soil.
But in 1876 Baron Won Palm was
| cremated in DR.. LeHioynes private
crematory at Washington. Pa. and
his ashes were scattered upon the
Hudson river. Then there was Ernest
| Rosn. who. in 1887 stood on the Eads
bridge over the Mississippi and poured
his fathers ashes into the stream be-
low. In both cases the dead men had
asked to be thus thrown adrift II is
said that Joaquin Miller has made a
similar request.
Another case Of the same kind was tina,