Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-02-08
METROPOLITAN
Their Original CnlliI
with That of the u

The late Dwight L. Moo,
how one Sunday, finding
Brooklyn without an eng
preach anywhere, be looket
some church where he might
preached to for once. He
churches, he said, where la,
boards announced in gilt letter
could have his body buried,
which advertised themselves for
ness Of saving his soul.
This was one of Mr.. Mood
| characteristic strokes of wit at
/ lent practice which may have az
to his spiritual mind as out of K
with the purpose of Gods houses.
| date of his experience must have
many years ago, or else he did not g
through the outskirts of the City
Churches, for it is not difficult nOwad
to find Brooklyn churches where the 81
Sexton and Undertaken" is not to
seen. The combination, however, is st.
common enough in both the principal boz
Oughs of New York city, and a religious
paper recently contained protest against
it. In summing up the ideal church sex
ton the writer, a leading Methodist doctor
of divinity, says: Il have yet to mention
his chief claim to my admiration. He
never had a plus to his title; he was plain
'sexton'-never sexton and undertaken "
From this, as well as from negative indi-
cations TO be gathered in some of the
newer and Weather suburbs, it would
appear that a feeling is growing up
against the custom Of making the church
Office, humble though it may be. con-
tribute to thrift in a purely secular enter
prise. 81 myself don't like it." said the
Rev. DIR. A. c. Dixon. Il don't see why
any man should have the right to use the
church building to display advertisements
of his outside business"
, DR.. DixOn's objections seem to have the
force Of analogy to support them. If the
I sexton may announce himself as carrying
r on an undertaking business at such 8
{ number, such street, telephone -, the
A trustees or deacons might claim witt
q some show Of reason an equal right t
Q placard all their names, business address
o es and telephone calls in some prOminen
= place near the church door, Certainl!
i any medical brother connected with tn,
administration of the church ought t
. have precedence of the undertaken. ant
n between the two might be introduced
n John Blank senior churchwarden ant
+ counselor at law. Wills drawn with ex
q petition at all hours"
q But, on the other hand. the sextOn-un
@ dertaker appears to be a development
# arising out of the peculiar conditions o
# the largest American cities. He is not
@ be found-at least not advertised o.
e church doOrs-in Europe. He is usual
r New York and known in Chicago, but ne
ar in most other American cities, so far q
n the writer's experience goes. Here, whel
n undertakers are more numerous and ind
70 vidually less important than in smallC
I cities, there are always many worship
NJ ers in the church who would not knO
ID in the sad emergency where to find trail
no ed assistance for the last Offices to the
50 dead.
es The rich may rely upon the busine
ke acumen of first class undertakers 70 su
no ply the needed information, but dealt
Is among the less well to do are by !
ny means so sure to bring to the bereav'
bo respectfully cOndoling business card
he Naturally the first person to whom
Of church member would turn for guidan
no in such matter would be the sexton
I his own church. 1t is not that the undo
av taker seeks employment as a sexton, b
no the sexton gets tired Of recommends
ali the services Of other people and awake
,el to the opportunities of his position. The
vn as a rule, while the Office of sexton do
,at not impose work enough to occupy all
We q healthy mans time and energy, it Civ
NO him too much to do, in a vigorously &C
nj Quoted city church, to leave him free
any business entirely uncOnnected wi
the church.
From the sections point of view the
is every reason why he should go into
iSr undertaking business, though there m
eet be very little worldly inducement for
Vol; already prosperous undertaken to beco
,eSs a sexton As for the trustees or Otl
temporal regulators of the church's
fairs, they find it hard enough to seei
the services of efficient sections at r
sonable rates, and the privilege Of us
cto- the church door for the display OF lu
ing brious professional shingle is a matter
said be reckOned toward the abatement of s
aries-to say nothing Of its whOleso
had effect on all Corners as a ''mementO MOI
OOO New York Tribune.