Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-02-16
THE YoRkvILLE CEMETERY.
SUGGESTION That the City Council Take
Il In Charge.

Editor Yorkville Enquirer:
The suggestion in regard to names
for our cemeteries calls to mind some
other facts In the same connectioii,
which are equally important. II mas
heen said that the degree OF civilization
In any country or community can De
accurately measured by the attention
shown the graves of its dead. tnis
statement be accepted as true' anu We
have never heard 1t denied, our pin
cinal cemetery, facingg as 1t does one
of the main streets Of the town on one
side and the Southern railway ana
ma ssenger station on another, Is not
Calculated to give the stranger very
exalted opinion Of our culture ana re-
The lack of system in laying on the
lots the crowded condition OF the
graves the narrowness Of the. walks
and their neglected appearance. Mon
uments toppling over, decayed WOODEN
curbing and the whole surroundeo Dy
an antiuuated, unpainted, combination
harbed wire and board fence, are any
thing else but creditable to an other-
wise up to- date, progressive little clty;
This state of affairs cannot be salo
to he due to stinginess on the part Oh
our people or any lack OF reverence
for the dead, for the GROUNDS con
tain MANY costly memorials, and the
n,,mher of unmarked graves Is re-
markably small; but the general sur
Ihoundings give an air or cneaphess "
even a costly monument, whicn Is as
painfully apparent, as II Is unoeserVeu.
These remarks are not 10 pe taAeh % .
reelection on those who have had
charge of the cemeteries. They nave
had TO depend on such voluntary con-
tributions as they could get, for funos
to carry on the little work that has peep
done and have done fully as well as
could have been expected under the
circumstances.
Rut Is II not time the town author-
tiles were taking charge OF this matter
and furnishing the money necessary 10
put our cemeteries in proper conoltlo!a, y
and providing for their maintenance
II is certainly a matter OF genera,
public interest and experience mas
shown that in no other way can sa'is-
factory results be obtained.
Az a beginning, the new part SHOULD
he SURVEYED at once and a plat mace
of same. This plat should snow the
locations, dimensions, and numper Oh
each lot and a marker or some ue
scription showing this number should
he placed on the lot itself. In survey
ing. avoid as much as possible the
checker-board arrangement Oh the oiu
er part. Let some of the lots De OF
double width, large enough Tor ram
ily monument in the center and graves
an either side. Make the walks OF
ample width and provide for an oc.
casional flower bed, or other means OF
beautifying the grounds. Employ a
capable keeper and require him to de-
vote his whole time to the work.
Tear away, at least the front sectlon
of the fence and replace it with an
ornamental entrance-way and a new
fence more in keeping with the pur-
pose for which it is intended. Other
improvements will suggest themselves
once the work is taken in hand. The
important thing at present Is to make
a beginning.
What say you, gentlemen of the town
council and members OF the cemetery
association? It's up to you.
Citizen.