Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-09
THE GRAVEYARD'S RAKE0FF
SOME FIGURr Az THE BILLS
Enormous Annu spcnditares sus-
sess Retrenchmeat and Crema-
tion--what the Money
Would Do.

Accepting the Manhattan death rate as
basis for figuring. II will be found that
of the approximately seoooeoe people In
the United States i.ssaoo die each year
The Manhattan death rate averages
about ls.i thousand.
The enormous sum OF at least ssc7.coo.ooo
Il spent by the people Of this country
every year for burying their dead. This
is based on $50 funeral. Acknowledged
by undertakers to be a conservative easi-
mate
or this great material wealth thus
placed In the ground every year q per-
centage easily estimated goes TO pay for
the lumber TO build the collins. Each
coffin and outside box will average 100
feet OF timber. The totai lumber re-
aulred for all the funerals In the United
states In ono year Is iis,sls.oco feet.
II is difficult to conceive what TINS
means. Perhaps some idea OF II can Dc
obtained by reducing II 10 carload lots
There are 5000 feet d lumber to q car
load, which would give us i.ts1 freight
cars II these cars could be coupled they
would make a train over thirty-flve miles
long, or nearly 80 separate trains Of
twenty cars each.
This lumber costs an average Of Us FOR
Zach 1000 feet. so for this item alone the
funerals OF the republic for one year
mean an expenditure Of S,iis.ooo,
a tree one foot in diameter and thirty
feet high will supply sixty fftsen-foo'
boards one inch thick. or enough for foul
funerals. There are therefore required
each year. taking the size Of the tre'
mentioned as q basis OF estimation
| 1850 trees for collins.
The wood most frequently used Ia tina
OF the chestnut tree. II these trees wer'
ali I'm one forest, and not more thar
twenty-five feet apart, about 400 acre'
Of timber would be cleared each year fol
this gloomy purpose
Burials are occurring more rapidly THAI
the trees can be grown, and II u dues
ton whether cremation may not become
Imperative In a comparatively short time
To each coffin there are used abcu
three and one-haif yards OF broadcloth
al nm average cost 10 the undertaken OF
say. % cents a yard. For this Item Their
is spent at least t,SS.so.
Each coffin includes six yards Of sill
for pillow, etc. at 80 cents yard, which
accounts for another N.iss.oo annual,
spent to be placed under the soil.
Candles TO the average number OF thirtl
are used TO each funeral. costing ta.sso |
i figured at 10 cents apiece. shrouds at :
each amount to ss.@oooo, although per
haps not more than one-half OF IN
bodies are dressed In burial robes now.
When shrouds are not used the hodie
are clothed in dress suits or gowns tina
would represent an expenditure OF per
hans SIS at the lowest estimate. AT thi
figure tho value OF the cloth put under
ground would equal ss4.76S,oop
IL is estimated that flowers cost not les
than $40 TO funeral. or sil,sso.oo a year
ana n another indirect expense Is figured
tina, on an average OF IS for music, a
additional ss.ssoooo should be taken int
account
A very conservative amount at whic
10 estimate the money spent for monu
mente il 500 funeral, according to
high authority in such matters. Althoug
countless graves have no monument
erected over them, there are other case
WHARF hundreds OF thousands Of dollar
1 are spent for one vault or shaft Al VI
the money mounts TO the imposing SUI
OF siss, 10000 a year.
VAST as are the fortunes Of some OF on
VIGOROUSLY wealthy men. IL may be see
how worse than paupers most Of thei
would become II compelled to pay the Z,
. neral expenses Of the country Tor oni
! one year.
Taking the 1907 ,soo.oco mentioned in II
first paragraph, We have a total e.
. pepdtture conseryativeiy figured. Jul
. for buriaIs alone. that would more tina
pay the total disbursements OF the go'
eminent for pensions Tor the war OF n
! reyolution. y7o.0o.ooo: war OF lsls, 1850
ss. Indian wars. s1o.si7.iIs: Mexican wa
, ~. sSTss, and the war with Spain an
che ,usurreetion In the Philippine island
so,lsi,Tz. THESE aggregate only szoes7s
, IS. The sums mentioned Ia eonneeuo
with the war Of isi2 and the Indian an
. MEXICAN wars are on account Of servie
, without regard TO disability.
. The total appropriations by congress
+ J,,ns %, 1910. for the gigantic task
, building the Panama canal amounted
. szo1as.4 ss. The maintenance cost Of II
! regular army last year was only f5,i4o
5 81 and the navy a3i. tlo.5ss. the two con
. bined amounting to only little more
such figures 90. than the sum spent iS
|. funerals for one year In this country.
! New YORK Citys budget for next year
. less than 500. oooOo.
The aggregate value Of the LOO sea-
, | on The New York Stock exchange Va
! computed a year ago at aas.ss.es,
: about half the sum spent for rnateria
: that are buried out Of sight each year.
: The government disbursed last year
pensions as5.7sseoo. in the consular ar
diplomatic service. A.ils.ssl. In carryfr
; on the work Of the Agricultural depar
{ nent. s1s.ts7. SIS; for forts and fortifici
: t,ons, ssh, 20. for the military academ
In.Ss 20, and for the legislative. executi'