The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-24
FEAR OF DEATH.
Believed to Be Not So Great Now as
in the Past.


That people stand less in awe of
death than they did few years ago is
the belief of several undertakers of
this city. They say that nowadays
twice as many persons make prepara-
tions for their own burial as genera
ton ago. In accounting for this. one
of them said:
1T is my opinion that the displace-
ment of the gruesome wooden coffin by
the modern burial scaSket. which is not
Offensive to the eye has done much to
rob death and interment of their hor-
rors. Some people, when they are sick
and are fearful that they will never re-
gain their health, sometimes call an
undertaken. or his or her friends do it
for the i'll one, and make all arrange
ments for the funeral, selecting the cas-
ket and designating what kind of hearse
is preferred 1t is the same with some
persons in advancing years. A we'll
TODD man living in this neighbOrhood
went for trip abroad last year, and
before going provided for any con-
tingency that might arise while he was
on the voyage. He is still abroad and
peculiar as it may seem, a few weeks
ago l received a letter from him.
dated at Amsterdam, telling me that ne
was still alive. Of course, he did not
say 1t in those words, but, while he
wrote. me about some trivial affair, /
could see plainly that it was simply a
pretense under which he informed me
die he is to be taken to his native town,
and there buried in a specific ceme-
terry, and everything will be done in
strict compliance with his desires as he
expressed them to me.
Men who are going into hospitals to
have serious operations performed fire.
quently make arrangements with US for
their funeral and burial, should the
operation terminate fatally. Such men
seem to approach the subject with en-
tire calmnesS. But it is different with
the man who is in perfect health, SEEM
ingly, at least, but who wants to make
arrangements for the burial of his body
after DEATH whenever that shall occur,
because he has no relatives or near
friends who he nisa certain will look after
all that is left of IT, or because he
fears he might not have the money at
the end that he has at that time. One
day a middle-aged man came into my
office and approached the subject with
manifest embarrassment. l understood
what he was driving at and pulled
from my drawer score or more of con-
tracts such as he wanted to make, and
he. seeing that he was not the first to
think of such thing although he
probably thought he was when the OBJ
ject first entered his mind, seemed re-
assured, and we proceeded with the
business in a busineSs-like manner.
Some of these contracts I have made
for a certain number of years, the
amount of money sufficient to cover the
expenses and the payment for my serv-
ices being deposited. And it has hap
pened that when that period has ex-
pired 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 OPP
erations performed. OF course, if they
don't die the contract is null and void,
and the patients, regaining their health
on their busy way through life. New
York Times.