The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1911-05-26

have sold for as high as 10000, yet
the average first-class lot can be rent
ed for period of seven years for SIG,
or perpetual right can be obtained
for $3.50. In the second and third di-
vision. this price is greatly reduced.
Practically all of the graves taken
in the first division are for perpetuity.
while in the second and third, the re.
verse Is the case. When the seven
years have expired on the rented
graves and no renewal has been
made, all monuments and marks are
removed and the grave leveled with
the ground A record of the grave is
kept, however, and when fifteen years
has passed from the date of the for
mer burial it is again rented. 1t Is
found that, by that time, all vestige OF
the former body has been destroyed.
In many places inches are made In
the walls surrounding the cemeteries
into which the bones are placed after
the expiration of the seven years. BY
law all bodies must be inferred for at
least this length of time, after which
the bones may be removed from the
ground and placed In the inches, II
the relatives so desire. Oftentimes
one niche is used for an entire family.
The bones are carefully removed from
the grave and, after being placed IN
small box or urn, they are deposited
in the niche. The opening is then
closed in such a way as to render the
space alright. The usual lettering is
placed on the exterior, giving the
name of those whose remains are
within, together with the date OF their
birth and death, much the same as the
inscriptions on tombstones.
The average rental for niche Is
s25, which pays for the perpetual use.
no rentals being made on any other
basis. This method is used more gen.
orally by people Of the middle class
who are not able to buy perpetual
right In the first division of the bury.
ing ground, but who generally rent
grave in the second or third division
and at the expiration of the seven
years move the remains to the inches.
In the city of Oaxaca, in the south
ern part of the republic, inches were
built for the first time more than six
ty years ago. Shortly after they had
been built an epidemic of cholera
made great ravages on the population.
People died so rapidly that it was i'm
possible to prepare a sufficient num-
Der of graves to bury them. In order
to stamp out the pestilence by COM
pIetely disposing of the remains, the
bodies were placed in the inches and
the opening closed and thoroughly &C.
mented. The wall containing these
inches stands today, being the west
ern wall of the first division In the
Oaxaca cemetery. Last year 1t was
discovered that one side of this wall
was sinking and great crack had
appeared, passing through some OF the
inches where the cholera victims had
been placed. Many people were frigh.
tened lest another cholera epidemic
should ensue. The authorities hastily
closed the opening and consulted emf
nent authorities as to the possible dan
ger that might result.
So many years had passed since the
appearance of the cholera, and with
the continual sunshine peculiar to OAK
AGA. the wall containing the inches
had been bathed in sun nearly every
day for the entire period. 1t was the
opinion of the medical authorities con-
suited that no better place could have
been found for the cholera victims, as
the germ of this disease lives only SO
long as moisture is available, but once
thoroughly dried no danger can come
from it. The sections at the cemetery
had unknowingly made the best posi-
BILE disposition of the bodies and this
perhaps did much toward checking
the spread of the dread disease.