Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-04-28
UNDERTA TAKERS
 CONVENTION Arkansas Funeral Direc- tors Association to Meet in Hot Springs in Month of May.
HARRY I. EOLDERNESS
$ Presidenf-Bill Pending Requiring All Embaimers to Pass Rigid Ex- aminati0n-Thf 4rt oi Embalming Has Fallen Into Decay.

 reputation IS a convention city, Is proven by the fact that the state undertakers at their last meeting decided 70 meet in this city on the 10th, 18th, ITth and 18th of nevr month, says the Hot Springs Bull Ietin. This makes the sixth con 0ention that this city will be the hostess Of during the coming 8nn- mer. An elaborate program has been prepared by the undertakctr which will be rendered during the four days Of the meeting at the old opera house on upper Central ave nHe, The management of this place has offered the use of the house sratutiously which has aided the local members Of the profession to expend money in other ways for tha entertainment of the guests The headquarters or the convention will be at the Arlington hotel.
 The organization was formed in order TO unite the members Of the craft throughout the state into l stronger brotherhood and to dis seminate and discuss the improve ments that have been instituted during each past year preceding.
 It has been planned to have the opening meeting at 3 o'clock on the morning of May 15. Rev M W Manville will be requested to con- duet the opening services, after which will follow the address of Henry HoIderness of Pine Bluff. president of the association. The rest of the day will be taken ID with the reading of the minutes and the transacting Of the various de- tails that have collected during The year.
 The following three days will be spent in reading papers and hear ing lectures on subjects which are of vital importance to the members. pr, Clement Williams, formerly of Chicago, but HOW engaged in the undertaking business at Taxarkana. will deliver several illustrated Iec- zflres upon embaImine Tie prinei- pal subject Of the meeting will be a discussion as to the best methods Of preserving the dead. Many of the undertakers over the state are not familiar with the mysteries of this art and such q course of lee- tures, even a short one would be of untold benefit to them The local undertakers. the majority of whom stand high among their fellow craftsmen in this particular, will also deliver talks upon th subject. It has been thought by many and IS still the opinion of some that The art of embaIming has fallen into decay and that the secret of the art died with the ancient Egyptians Thar this belief is not true can be demonstrated by an examination .iI the work of the modern first cIas- undertaken. The reason that the an cient Egyptian was so eminently sue. cessful along this particular line was that the climatic conditions favored the preservation 0f the body after it had been buried. The aid and the iand of Egypt was at thar time, and is now, very dry, which prevented very little moisture from reaching the body. This fact, coupled with the Use of aromatic herbs and ex- tracts, preserved the body for an in definite period The modern under. taker claims that if he were sur rounded with the same climatic con- ditions he would De equally success ful.
 The officers of the association al the present time are Harry Holder. ness or Pine Bluff, president; Den his heeshan Of Helena, vice presi 1enc; J. F Moore of Fayetteville treasurer. and J. A. Pence of Conway secretary. An election of officers fol the coming year will be held durine Fhe latter part of the meeting.
 For the past eight years there has been an effort made to have a bil passed by the legislature compellins all embalmers in the state to pass rigid examination on the science ) embalming and to keep on file 1T their office a license. issued by the state. certifying the same. So far tn, efforts to effect the passage of sucf 2 hill f,aya haan f11t;Tn