The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-13
THE DOG CEMETERY.
Luxurious Burials for Canine Pets
$4,000 Marble Vault.

A wealthy woman's dog died. Fido
had had every luxury while he lived, and
his mistress naturally wanted him to have
,ment in the back yard would do. Besides, |
she didn't own back yard; she lived in
hotel
But fortunately she dwelt in New York,
and in New York you can get anything
you want, and pay any price for it. No
opportunity or calamity is so great or so
unusual that New York has not anticpat
ed it. So it developed that there were
variety of expensive caskets waiting
for Fido, and beautiful cemetery where
We could be buried in state
This cemetery lies on a suburban hill
side, far from the clamor and confusion
of the city, with sturdy iron fence to
shut out the rest of the world. In winter
its neat lockwood hedges give it quaint
old-fashioned atmosphere, and in the
spring it blossoms out with yellow pansies,
red geranlums and many roses. Over g.
600 dogs are buried there
Although it is supposed to be strictly
dog cemetery. one headstone has been
erected over the grave of a cub lion and
another over the grave of pet hen. Mrs.
Irene Castle also has her monkey buried
her-the one who used to accompany her
on the stage-but these are only intruders
in an otherwise wholly canine cemetery.
In the grave with the monkey are also
two of the famous Castle dogs.
The most elaborate memorial in this
| cemetery for dogs is a marble vault.
which is said to have cost wealthy WON.
an $4,000. This womans dog died in
Italy, but she did not want to leave him
buried there so she erected this costly
tomb and he'd her pets remains shipped
back TO America
While all the tombstones are not so
| elaborate, most of them are lavish in ex.
lipresslons of affection. Indeed. these en-.
thuslastic epitaphs to dogs would compare
more than favorably with the dignifed ex-
| presslons of regard found in most human
cemeteries. Some of the stones even have
pictures of the dogs pasted on them and
| protected by beveled glass. Most of these
pictures are of Pekinese, Boston terriers,
collies and Pomeranians. According to
the caretaker of the cemetery. MANY of
the dogs buried there are very old and
7 decrepit when they die One dog was %
wears Old and very great number were
IL and Is years old
The caretaker, by the way, is one of
the most interesting features OF the Gem.
petery. He is large, bulky man, who
! looks about 45 or 80, but who admits that
| he rs "a. Born on a large country estate
IN England, he learned to like animals in
his early years. and he has never lost
his high regard for them His esteem
COR dogs, IN fact, transcends his esteem
Tor the majority of mankind Animals.
he believes, have superior sort of insight
in Judging the human species "They
know who likes them and who don't" he
declares positively. "Now, I've handled
I'LL kinds of animals in my time, and I've
never had one to snap or kick at me-"
The cemetery he takes quite seriously
He keeps it in excellent condition, attend
ing to the graves as reverently as if they
contained human dead He lives with his
wife in an attractive little house on the
place, and every night during the cold
weather he covers with a rubber sheet
all graves that are decorated with per
lshable flowers. 1t is a sacred trust tc
him. Not long ago party of innocent
sightseers happened upon the cemetery
found the gate open, wandered through
he lockwood bordered paths and evidcntl,
found a great deal of humor in the man,
rows of tombstones. Their levity was no
at all appreciated by the caretaker. H
came very near ordering them off tn
place.
!. The cemetery is by no means a fad 70
=; wealthy people Many poor people hav
: dogs buried there. Not far from the gray
of dog belonging to Hetty Green, 70
example, is buried dog that belonged t
a poor laboring man. At the time hi
dog died this man was earning so
week in the corps of the city ashmen
y 1t is impossible to estimate the averag
$ number of dogs buried in the cemeter
: every year. 1t varies widely. But las
e winter it was SO cold that it was impo:
!. sble to dig the necessary graves, and tn
!. candidates for burial had to be held i
I. ifhe cemetery vault until place was read
!: for them. When spring finally came ther
7. was a pile of 60 boxes in the vault-1Eret
i, eric J. Haskins in Springfield Union.