Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-10-16
THE LATEST COFFIN.
It Is Sota Caskct-A Pink Funeral
Some Curious coffins.

Two men We're talking N low tones
amid the gloomy display \of a West
Side undertaker's shop. O1e of them
was leaning with his hand against the
black panelling OF the wall. Fe touched
a spring. Instantly the wah opened.
and something. pink and pretty, swung
down as though on hing. and
stretched itself half way across the
room. The effect was startling. 1t
was as though bridal garmentwere
cast suddenly into a place of mourning.
That's the latest triumph of the
mortuary art-the sofa-casket." Sid
the undertaken. "Ain't it a confee-
tom"
It looked very beautiful and very like
n sofa It's width was generous, and
near the head it rose up with a sweep
ing curve. The undertaken paused for
moment. and gazed at it with pride.
Then he went on.
Whenever l look at that / think of
a funeral saw at Mankato, Mimi, in
80. There was a beautiful young lady
living there. and invitations were out
for big pink tea. to celebrate her en-
trance into society. But two days be-
fore the tea the poor girl died OF pneu-
nOnia. IneIl II SUI dIlSt hciity s'Si-NH
her mother.
adele can't have her pink tea, but
she'll have a pink funeral. she SAID.
| so they had a pink casket. and the
| young lady was dressed in the very
| pink frock she would have worn at the
reception The six girl friends wh9
were to have poured tea acted as pall-
| bearers all gowncd in pink. and the
| guests were requested TO wear the
| dresses they had prepared for the tea
| The room was decorated with pink
flowers. and the white horses that drew
! the hearse had on pink rosettes ana
| streamers.
The sofa -caslSet was certainly thing
of he.uty. II was covered with pini
silk plush, full of lights and shadows
and was lined with delicate pink satin
i elaborat tely shirred and trimmed WITT
Nace The lid was really the whole up
pr half of the coffin. fitting down upof
it SsmethinC after the fashion OF pii
, box. and when it was off the lower par
| was scsrcely recognizable as a CONN.
| You Ae:' said the undertaken, IT
5 particularly suitable for beautlfu
2 young bride She would have on ne
} wedding dress and veil. and the eitec
would be fine. We can make them III
' in baby blue. hehatrope, lavender, pur
\ pie. or any color bats wanted. It's
r far cry between c>ffin like that ant
= the art casket they had 40 years ago
have n picture Of ona of them. l
was made of iron, painted black ant
O.. hing with silk drapery, b,t it has |
I yrotesoue resemblance to a. -huma
hoav and was altogether too grewsom
:. 90 ,,s, There are other queer cetfirl
= now made of glass, wire, potters t'"'
a ool,,,,o;d hard rubber and all KINDS
: ,ar;,,s nut they are seldom use
!. n,,,;,, ,,ood still remains favorite. Son
: ,eonle buy coffins made of wickerwor
;, 70 facilitate dissolution, and OF
;nvan,ed a casket made of giu
4 WHITING and resin, which would me
> ,o,n after burial. l never heard
- .ha,, heing used. But there are
> ,orts NJ nersonal eccentricities with
Is gard to cofiins. ,.,i
-, -. hoard was that of a very @
- E.o.,;,,man who served in the Fren
4 u.are under Lord Nelson. and afterwa
p ,va,. n Canada and settled, tnihh
,s victoria Il. C. In his leisure moniei
ne he constructed a model OF the ii'ss
III victory. 1t was eight feet long ana n
n al Tic masts. sails. rigging and ca
mons which Nelson's ship had.
to ala man took the greatest pride IN
er and in his last days used to watch
a ror ours at a time. He was We
MT small man. and when he died some
ms his Old sailor friends lifted the deck
NJ the victory. and had the inside
d, holstered. Then they put the oid III