Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1915-08-05
Ohe
Peoples Forum
The Superintendent and His Duties
Monuments and Markers.

Monuments and Markers.
Editor Tidings: The success of 9
cemetery is entirely dependent upor
the superintendent in charge. HI
should be selected with great care
He should have absolute control oil
the grounds and all pertaining there
to, subject only to the orders of the
trustees. The superintendent should
enforce the rules, see that all visitors
conduct themselves in a proper man.
ner, supervise all workmen, have full
charge of all funerals when within
the grounds, keep the records, advise
as to the location of graves, the Sc
lection of lots, the design and setting
of monuments, and a hundred other
things of daily occurrence. Few po-
sitions of trust call for such varied
knowledge. To become proficient in
all this work may well discourage
most men. A majority of cemetery
superintendent are careful, pains
taking men. Many have only local
experience, know but little of what
is done in other localities, and too
often look upon their work as a daily
grind. 1t is to be regretted that
there is no school where one might
obtain an insight as to the proper
methods A man who follows this
line of work should have a good gen.
eral education. Also business abil-
ity, a knowledge of drawing, engi-
neering, general horticulture and
landscape gardening. All this would
help. The modern park cemetery is
largely dependent upon landscape
gardening for its success, that a
knowledge of this art is specially i'm
portant to a superintendent. A sue
cessful superintendent must have a
knowledge of trees and shrubs. With
a natural love for natures outdoor art
and observing eyes, much OF this
knowledge can be gained by daily
observation. A superintendent should
know the heights to which various
shrubs grow, in what soil conditions
they will best thrive, the varieties
that will best group together. In
fact, the better he becomes posted,
the better will be his success.
Monuments.-Family monuments
have come into use during recent
years, the headstones of former
times being practically individual
monuments. 1t is now the practice
to have but a single family monu-
ment upon a lot, the only inscription
thereon being the family name-sur-
name only-with a marker for each
Individual grave. Markers should be
set with the top even with the sur
face, so as to allow lawnmower to
pass over them. This means econo-
my in care and greater beauty in the
landscape appearance. With head
stones showing above the surface we
have the old graveyard appearance,
but buried in the ground they do not
appear in the landscape picture, and
we then have a park or modern ceme-
terry effect
All monuments should be of gran
ite or natural stone. limitations
made or sheetiron or any other ma
terial except natural stone are dis
tinctly bad, and should not be al
lowed. Each monument should be of
artistic merit. No monument should
be a copy of another and they should
not be crowded together. 1t is i'm
portant that each monument have a
proper setting to show it off to the
best advantage. This setting should
consist of plenty of grass or lawn in
the foreground, with massing OF
shrubs in the background. The
beauty of the handiwork of man is
thus enhanced by the beauty of ma
ture. With each monument having
artistic merit, properly placed in
natural setting, with no other stone
above ground, and plenty of green
grass giving vistas between the
shrubs and trees, a cemetery is GER
tainly a thing of beauty. There
should be a section of cemetery
where in no monuments are allowed.
Such sections have proved quite pop
ular during recent years, as many do
not wish lots in monument sections,
thinking the lack of a monument
upon their lot would signify poverty.
Where they are given such opportun-
ity they are much better pleased.
s. PERMISSION.
ITO be continued.)