New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-04-17
Encourage Simplicity IN
Funerals, Nor Exfrox'-
aSGnce, Says F. f.
M0CkaY.

HJmlet's famous eoilOqUy might have
been amended had he lived in New York
City in 1910. Perhaps he would not so
pEiIosophically have insisted that Ito be or
not to be was the question for hand IL
hand with the high price of living has come
the high price Of dying. and for man
of Hamlet's pomp and Circumstanc i
should think that nothing less than a 5000
automobile f-neIaI could fo~ one instant be
con: emplated
Now. II is possible To- die in New York.
I've cmbalmed. provided with nice black.
cloth covered coffin and a substantial pine
outer box, together with perfectly Sood
grave IN perfectly respectable cemetery.
with transit uy train one way and -hearse
and carriages waiting at the cemetery 70
sc TO the grave. for the modest sum of So
that is il you 20 IL the right undertaken.
1t is possible. | say. 20 die in Gotham for
the modest sum of So exclusive of doc
tors bills. but if you attempt such thing
in all probability the neighbors will Sneer
az your family for being .'stingy" apd de
eide that You were probably Il nuisance
around the hotse anyway AMI, thar your
wife and chilJIen were only too glad TO
get rid of yOu.
1t might he better for you 10 Try "spe-
ciaT complete adult funeral for $50
marked down presume bly,. from SEQ / am
not quite sure of what you Will get for $50
but il leaves the neishrors less opportunity
for unfavorable comment.
For 500 a beautiful csshtt. four carriages
for the mourne~s and other pleasing scces-
series are provided to make up to you for
being dead
Bu, 10 speak seriously on rather seri-
Gus subject there has been much talk
lately Of the high cost ot living. and. un
failinEly. the cost ~ dying has kept pace.
There has been "a charge frequently heart
that unde~takers were cNtortionate i'm thei
prices. that they ,eok advantage Of the
grief of the oereaved AMI their desire 90
do honor To their dead 20 pile On the
charges ami that even in the. ease - the
very poor where there was insurance IL
was all eaten nv in this way by the uu-
scrupulousness and rspscity of the under
taker.
II is never safe 10 base deductions on
mere surmses. - ! went to sec a big cor
pora;ion that undertakes in West 25d
street. in order TO ind out something aboI,
prices.
The manager said briefly that the charge
varied, that naturally the LARGE. establish
ititA4lSF WHO Nt~N tbuit HlpNltt iATkeIs
more expensive and snowy funerals. coulI
also provide cheaper funerals. because the
had 50 much more custom ana could buy
materials more cheaply.
The $50 funeral described is the cheapest
price for burial. II cremation is desired
instead the same funeral will cost si7. the
crcmating alone costing So
We stopped moment at this point 10
discuss cremation the practice fot which Is
growing rapidly. averaging - PER cent OF
tie whole. as against 10 per cent five or
ten years aso. I ASKED him what the p.in-
cip1l objection Co 1t was. ana We decided
that ~ was best expressed by the average
Persons shiyer and remark: I Just can
bear the thought Of IT,
l knew that the @reWsome ceremony al
the ,rematory used To- chill and hOrrify
people when the beloved body was taken
out OF is cofnn aud put into the crematory.
but that IL NO longer done. and the cerc-
mOny Is a. simple as at the grave.