New-York tribune., 1909-01-03
CUT RATE BURlALS
In BALTIMORE
UNDERTAKERS ENGAGFu
FUNERAL WAR
Billboard, Streetcar and NezespqDr
Advertising Reminds Citizen,
That They Mast Die

Baltimore, jan Burial doesn't cost nr.A .
Baltimore now As the result OF an undsr-.I.-l =
war. burial is $50 below the scheduled rsts
the competition lasts much longer trading So -
good for tombstone. may be thrown - Ss
shrewd undertaken has made such inroads - =
business OF the others that all bava -, 10
against the original price cutter, and il Ia -,
the death To use the bargain counter o.,
adopted by the rival interests prices ara s-Ss -a
down below cost They have dropped fror, ',--s ,-
or $50 to Si9 '0S
When the conservative Ba!ttmorea1 sriss.
morning he finds the bnIboards athvvar+ -. = = us
scape ornamented with coffns and legend, - -
IN erect say. Try my funerals. and Won v-1r -
no others As he rides downtown IN b,.tu
placards In the cars announce that oDa ,-
I@heF ihciudes various unusual items IN his cu+ -
prices And when he unfoids his raornf,s .- -@s
paper ne finds glaring advertisements IN blz -
| two columns wide. in which the rivals ds,~l -
one another as robbers IN such vigorous a,4 rs
| coiored language that II seems a t-noq--tsV
Donnybrook fair The rivals set forth The -
tages OF their funerals attractiveIy that
gi2s to think that after ALL there NAV - =
pieasure IN the final rites over the dead Ard -
merits OF their wares are set forth i,
straightforward way, Ike the departmsnt 80
with sale of tooth powder or kitchen soan - -.
one has the purely mercantile part OF the - "a
nnony impressed upon him Just as one % go
reconcfled to the spirit OF the modarnfstz a, -
undertaken business there comes another ~, =
| prices and another crash OF Ioud-tongr1ed a.
tisements. and finally 1t gets on ones nerves
SHOCK FOR THE CONSERVATIVE
For long time even the big drygoods sto-.
Baltlrnore used only dernure-loOking advertise
| In business 1t was years before a banIzar -,
| do such daring thing as appear In rba ,,s-.
prints As for the undertakers. they we-s r-
| posed to SIT far back in dark sbop with d
4 blinds IN 1fr,,I
reaper to send them business They uro-. -
neckties always. and seldom spoke above v5tg~s-
The only thing they dared IN the way OF sdvs--t.
ment was naneboard that seemed 10 sbrfnk -.
| into the recesses Of the store window and 49,
gize FOR It's presence To make anything Ike
noise meant social ostracisnn- The bill was never
| questioned II all were quiet and respectable
Then new undertaken came on The s-...
| He was young and vigorous. and he said tbtrg,
were all wrong, He announced IN stentorian .o,s,
| that the widow and orphan were being robbss
He said SO on biTboards IN the streetcarg ana a,
the newspapers. He said that tbs Old undsrtaE-
ers were charging about $50 too much for t1uers
| He made such a noise about II that ths TOW,
| had to sit up and take notice although Il Aapr.
| Gated such hustIing business methods whers Tia
| dead were concerned An iulftator next sutsr.5
/ the arena. and soon there was a war OF words m
the public print as to who was the only ortgira!
/ price cutter.
| The conservative undertaken stood aghast Z,
| was as visibIy shocked as the spinster AZ her
/ nrst ballet He raised his hands IN horror but
| did not redUcs his prices. He said this shouting
/ from the housetop5 sacrilege. He felt that
| GRIEF stricken family wanted q noseIess under.
taker. regardless OF the cost. and that the Goths
| and Vandals who had sprung Up overnight wers
| using ruthless hand with sentiment Es had
| consented to install a telephone and this was
sufficient concession TO the business spirit CT the
age. But the tnnovators kept denouncing the con.
servatives as robbers OF the widow and orphan
| They did not nlnce words
FURNISH COMPLETE SPECIFICATIONS
| They published a list OF all things necessary FOR
a complete funeral-much Ike the specifications
for yacht or dance hall-and named their pricss
| Ia big type They gave the choice OF four dfsr
ent styles OF cofins. They would furnish not OulY
any colored hearse, but as an inducement
| shuttle OF this mortal coil II was 70 have rub
| Der tires, and the carriages for mOurners wsn
heated Then their burial suits OF sIuul5er robes
were becoming And half dozen pairs OF gloves
were furnished for the paII5earers- That the cut
price also included the doOr5eu Grape. csrrtags
tolls. opening grave. advertising. candelabra cru
cihx. rugs, chairs. with no before altar
was set forth 10 prove that their So funerals vEa
as compets as the 500. SIS and $50 funerals.
Then the conservatives found the business si7-
ping from them Anonymous advertisements ap-
peared IN the newspapers attacking the methods
OF the young progresstves reDrehensible. sun
the business kept going TO the men who were
shouting from the hOusetOpS- The advertisement
grew larger Then new company appeared o.
the scene. 1t was supposed 10 represent gToue
OF the leading conservatives. They announces
complete and refined funerals So The leaGG
OF the innovators came back with funerals al -