The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-11-04
FEAR OF DEATH DIMINISHING.
Undertakers' Customers Less Afraid Thar
Formerly.


Formerly.
That people stand less in awe OF
! death than they did few years ago
is the belief of several New York uu.
dertakers. They say that nowadays
twice as many persons make prepara.
| tions for their own burial rs Il genera.
! ton ago. In accounting for this, one
funeral director said:
at is my opinion that the displace.
| ment of the gruesome wooden coffin
by the modern burial casket which is
not offensive TO the eye, has done much
to rob death and interment Of their
horrors Some people when they arc
sick and are fearful that they will
never regain their health sometimes
call in an undertaken. or his or her
friends do it for the i'll one and make
all arrangements for the funeral. So.
lectinS the casket and designating
what kind of q hearSe is preferred
1t is the same with some persons IN
advancing years. A wcll-to-do man
living in this npighborhood went
abroad last year, and before going pro.
vidcd for any contingency that might
arise while he was on the voyage. He
is still abroad. and, peculiar as it may
seem. n few weeks ago ! received
letter from him. dated at Amsterdam.
telling me that he was still alive. OF
course he did not say il in those words.
but. while he wrote me about some
trivial affair. l could see plainly that il
was simply preteuse under which he
Informed me that he had not died yet.
When he shall die he is to be taken
to his native town. and there buried
in n specified cemetery, and everything
will be done in strict compliance with
his desires rs he expressed them to me.
"Men who are going into hospitals
to have serious operations performed
frequently make arrangements with
us for their funeral and burial. should
the operation terminate fatally. Such
men seem to approach the subject with
entire calmness. But it is different
with the man who is in perfect health
seemingly. at least. but who wants to
make arrangements for the burial of
his body after death. whenever that
shall occur, because he has no rela-
tives or near friends who he is certain
will look after all that is left Of "1"'
or because he fears he might not have
the money at the end that he has ut
that time. One day 4 middle-aged
man came into my office and APP
preached the subject with manifest
embarrassment. | understood what he
was driving at, and pulled from my
dra wer n score or more of contracts
such as he wanted to make. and he,
seeing that he was not the first to
thinl; Of such n thing although prob
ably he thought he was when tie sub
iect first entered his mind) seemed re-
assured. and we proceeded with the
business in a business-likc manner.
"Some of these contracts I have
made for certain number Of years,
the amount of money sufficient to
cover the expenses and the payment
for my services being deposited. And
it has happened that when that pc
riod has expired the other party to the
contract has decided that he isn't going
TO die, or that he needs the money. and
he takes the prepayment and goes on
his way rejoicing. 1t is the same way
with those who go into hospitals to
have operations performed. OF course.
If they don't die the contract is null
and void. and the patients, regaininS
their health, seem to forget it entirely
ns they 20 on their busy way through
life New York Times