The suburban citizen., 1902-04-26
OUR EULOGIES IN STONE
CARE AND SKILL USED IN DESIGN
ING MODERN MONUMENTS.

Strange as 1t may seem, fashion de-
termines the character Of tomDstones
as rigidly as that OF my lady's gown.
Perhaps the earliest form Of memorial
to the dead was the sarcophagus and
il is IN. a modified form the style which
is most in favor in this country at the
present time. Originally it was huge
stone box, fashioned TO contain the
mummies Of Egyptian kings and per-
sons Of high degree. Later ii was
utilized by the Greeks, and was high
ly ornate and frequently work of
art Then it was adopted by the
Btuscans. The best preserved sarco-
phagl of the Eruscans are Of terra
Gotta. which Is practically ndestruct-
ible Upon the top were often mod
eled the statues Of those whose re-
mains were deposited therein, usu-
ally in a recumbent position. The
Romans also adopted the sarcophagus
as a memorial to the dead, and that
of Scipio, preserved in the Vatican in
Rome, is one of the most beautiful
of ancient or modern time.
The obelisk which, until within a
few years has been regarded in this
country as the standard design for
pretentious monuments, was first
erected by Egyptian monarchs to COM
memmorate their conquests, and it
was not until comparatively recent
times that it was adopted for memorial
purposes. SO great was the vogue
for obelisks, but a few years ago, and
so enormous was their size, that some
portions of our American cemeteries
resembled manufacturing districts.
The earliest tOmbstones erected in
the United States were Of slate, and
many remain standing in the older
States which were erected 200 years
ago. Sandstone was frequently util-
lied for this purpose and ii endures
the trying climate of the North better
than marble. Forty years ago marble
was the material in almost universal
use for tombstones and monuments.
But it was discovered that IL was
very destructible, and that within "A
generation or so it would crack and
disintegrate Since that time granite
has come into general use for monu-
mental purposes. 1t is composed of
mica, feldspar and hornblende, crys-
talized and fused by heat and pres
sure, and is so dense that q cube one
foot square weighs 40 pounds and
is practically impervious to water
Space largely determines the char
acter Of monumental structures. The
modern American cemetery, a beau
tiful park, is unknown abroad, conse-
quently our great burial places are
unrivaled in beauty. There has been
a wonderful evolution in tombstones
within few years. The use Of gran
ite has changed their character, and
as the park idea has been more fully
developed higher class of memorials
have been evolved. The first attempts
at important monuments Of this ma
terial outside of the conventional OBJ
elisll or shaft, were in most cases the
apothess of ugliness. The hardness
and stubbornness Of the material rem
dered carving with the primitive tools
of the stonecutter extremely difficult,
but the demands of the trade and the
invention Of the pneumatic tool has
to great degree overcome the diff
ficulty, and now beautiful forms are
rendered almost as deftly in granite
as in marble. A higher order Of talent
has been called into requisition and
memorials are not uncommon which
are artistic both in design and execu-
tion.
The mausoleum was so named from
the Emperor Mansolus, who built him.
self gigantic tomb of this form,
fragments of which are preserved in
the British Museum. This form of
memorial is rapidly coming into favor
among the wealthy classes in America.
The old-fashioned side-hill, damp and
gloomy vault is a thing of the past.
The mausoleum of to-day is, or should
be, wholly above ground, perfectly
ventilated and lighted, and attractive
without and within. The care which
we bestow upon the last resting place
of our loved ones is wholly a matter
OF sentiment, and there is a growing
inclination among those who can af-
ford it toward preserving the remains
of their friends from the all-absorb-
ing earth.
The largest mausOleum in the world
is the Campo Santo at Genoa, Italy.
1t is a gigantic rectangular structure
of marble situated upon a hillside
about six miles to the east. 1t is
one Of the most famous Of the show
places of that beautiful city. The
building consists of wall OF white
marble from the quarries of Carrara,
which are but few miles away.
Upon this is a roof which on the in
side is supported by square columns
connected by arches. The interments
are made through the floor There is
line of stately monuments against
the wall aud another between the
arches. The semi.tropical climate per-
nlits the use Of marble and the mod
ern tendency to realism in italian