The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1905-12-29

| CIV IFHNJA
"The emblems on the four corners of
this lot represent the different kinds
of business in which l have been en-
gagged"
So reads the inscription on marble
tombstone in a cemetery at Boylston
erected by George A. Flagg to himself.
| Mr. Flagg is not dead yet. Far from
it; he is engaged in a prosperous bust
ness, alternating and house-building;
but he wanted to have his tombstone
made to suit him, so he had it done
now, in order to supervise the job.
And it is certainly unique.
The heavy block Of white marble
bearing the above inscription stands in
the middle of the lot, while at each of
the four corners there is smaller one
OF almost the same shape. But in the
smaller ones the top is followed, and
within this hollow on the Rrst stone
there is marble representation of a
Pile of cordwood; in the second of a.
COW; in the third of a cider barrel, and
in the fourth house.
1T would puzzle stranger to- fathom
the meaning of this strange collection.
Egyptian hieroglyphics seem, by COM
parison, like a child's primer. Yet the
matter is simple enough; those arti-
cles represent in marble the four Diff
ferent ways in which Mr.. Flagg has
amassed a comfortable fortune He is
Npf 1n~1
believes that one of the most vital
characteristics of man is his method
Of making money. So, briefly, he will
inform the world about himself when
he dies.
In the meanwhile, he is alive, and Is,
willing to- tell all those who ask by
word of mouth His shrewdness, is, still
with him., and he even looks upon the
monument as % bit OF good advertising.
AS he Says, many a stranger has gazed
at the monument, inquired about him
out of curiosity, found he made good
cider, and has ordered some.
He is still young only about 40. He
is rather siiont Of stature, has black
hair black eyes, black mastache
and the rudd& cheeks of a boy.
Flow did happen to erect such a
monasment%' he repeated, in, nsply to
a question put tts him. WE'LL. Hll tell
you. Ever since was knee. aigh to
gnasshopDer' I've BEEN going
Through cemeteries looking MT the
tombatoneS ased to like. 20 read
the Inscriptions, and them wonder
about the men,. On most oa them
there wasn't much but 'Hene Lies
Tom Grant or Here Lies Jim Smith
Now, that doesn't tell fellow much.
What did know of the man when
got Through reading that2' could
have hunted up some of thelr friends
and found aapt, probably, but that isn't
the point. Here was I, a stranger,
just passing through, and naturally
curiOels to know something about the
fellows who had done their work and
retired.
The more got to thinking about
this, the more made UP my mind
that when it came my t,pn I wouldn't
leave anybody who happened to pass
by my tombstone in the same quar-
Diary. II put on just Here Lies
George A. Flagg' they wouldn't know
me from John Smith. So said:5 TN
tell efn something about George A.
Flagg and how he made his money
1T took me long while to think
out how to do this best; to have II
brief and to the point and forceful.
Men don't have time to stop and read
a whole biography, and it wouldn't be
interesting, anyway. Finally thought
OF the scheme Of having little carv-
iHgs made of how I'd earned my
money. reckoned that would tell
'em most about me.
There are Just four ways that I'VE
done this-by dealing In cattle, IN
cider, in wood and In houses. So /
had the things carved to stand for
these four things, and that made Just
a neat block for each corner. Then 1
had the middle block with my name
! on II and the sentence which. tells
a inst what the meaning OF the other III.
There is another thing about that
middle block that people don't know !;
Il 1t 10 just my height from top to bot
tom and from corner to corner.
II had good deal Of trouble In
getting that monument put mp. Three
Tor four contractors figured on 1t, but
they had to give II up because they
lcouldn,t yet the right kind Of marble.
One sof the things III insisted On vas
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