The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-09-15
SALEM'S
FUNERAL
PARLORS
New Departure by An Enter
priSing Undertaken
The Modern Way of Conduct
ing this Line of Business

thb thlo Llnt VI Duolucoo
Today the writer was shown
through the undertaking establish
ment of MIR. w. T. Rigdon, on Court
street, at the rear of the /. o. o. f.
temple. The building was put up last
March expressly for Mr. Rigdon's
use, when he entered into ten years
lease with Chemeketa lodge for the
use Of this property as an undertake
ing establishment The whole interior
construction of the building is accord.
ing to Mr.. Rigdon's idea, and II would
seem to the visitor to be most admira.
bly, arranged for the purpose for which
il is used. In the front, there are dou.
BILE parlors nicely furnished and neat
ly arranged, and also connected with
these by a double doorway is a show
room for the display of the finer class
OF goods. This room is nicely car
peted and neatly finished with hard
wood cases about the walls, making
a handy accompaniment to the parlors
and largely increasing their capacity
for the holding of funerals. At the
rear of the corner parlor commo-
dious Office is so arranged that II can
be entered also from the street with
out passing through the parlors.
This arrangement was designed espe-
cially to accommodate the many call
ers on business not connected with
funerals.
In the rear of the fine show room
is a room used for the display of the
large line OF vanished and childreu's
goods which are constantly kept on
hand. When you enter this room
nothing is in sight but wall cases and
fixtures, and you wonder where the
goods are. But upon opening the
many cases closely fitted and dust
proof you find everything needed In
which TO prepare for the simplest or
most elaborate funeral. Il is the am
bition of Mr. Rigdon to keep his
goods all out of sight, so as not to
shock the finer sensibilities Of any
visitor, to keep the goods entirely
from the dust, and still TO be able TO
display them on moments notice.
The next room you enter is the
trimming room, where goods from the
wholesale houses are unpacked and
prepared for the dust.proof cases,
also goods are trimmed in this room
and made ready for the customer
Connected with this room Is commo-
dious carpenter shop whore the lum-
Der is kept and worked into the rough
boxes Also from the trimming
room you enter nice. cool morgue
or embalming room, where n corpse
can be kept for any length of time In
seclusion, II desired, and in a per.
feet state Of preservation. This fea-
ture OF the establishment is most
attractive one for those who desire
for any reason 10 defer a funeral for
few days or longer.
The house is so arranged that a
funeral and a coroner's inquest car
proceed at the same time without
interfering with each other or with
the ordinary business of the office
II is told by travelling men that the
establishment OF Mr. Rigdons is ex
celled only in the larger cities of the
country and not by nearly all OF them
The people OF Salem as well as Mr.
Rigdon. are TO be congratulated upon
his success in arranging for the people
OF this city so neat and commodiOua
place for their accommodation and
comfort In the hour OF trouble and
bereavement. This article would
hardly b complete without some
mention of the proprietor. He has
been an almost continuous resident
OF this county since the day of his
childhood, and has lived within a few
miles OF Salem nearly all this time.
Thirteen years ago he moved his fam.
lily 10 town. and ten years ago pur-
chased the undertaking business OF
J. A. Rotan. and has enlarged II to its
present proportions
Mr. Rigdon says kindness. courtesy,
consideration, sympathetic treat
ment. and the carrying out in a pains
taking manner Of every detail for the
comfort of the bereayed is the best
advertisement OF the undertaken
Another point he considers as an In
dispensible requisite Of the success
ful undertaken: That IL absolute re-
liability IN word and deed coupled
with alertness and promptness." Al
though you may not see his ad. In tho
papers you may expect 10 find hin
for the next ten years, barring acci
dents and IN health. al ll2 Cour
street. where his sympathetic treat
ment will tighten the burden Of many
sOrrOwing friend.