The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1921-11-18
new CEMETERY
ENTRANCE GATE
PRESENTATION
improvements Completed with Dedi-
cation of New Gate.

cation of New Gate.
No doubt there are a number of
subscribers to this paper and others
who may have chance to see it,
whether they reside in New York,
Chicago, or some of the smaller cities
nearby, who will take considerable
interest in the article under this
heading. We refer to those who
have relatives buried here either in
the old City Cemetery or East View.
For some eight or ten years we
have had an organization known as
the City Cemetery Association, COM
posed exclusively of number Of the
good women of Union City. We might
as we'll mention some of those who
have been active in the work of GEM
etery improvement, viz: Mrs. F. w.
Moore, Mrs. j. F. Howard, Mrs. John
r. George, Mrs. w. H. Swiggart, Mrs.
J. A. Prieto, Mrs. A. B. Morgan, Mrs.
Selmo Harris, Mrs. w. M. Mailing,
Miss Birdie Waddell, Mrs. Fannie
Driskill, Miss Ella Whipple, Mrs.
Henry Hassler, Mrs. John Elan, Mrs.
H. T. Robinson, Mrs. w. c. Farris,
Mrs. Mamie Beck, Mrs. j. P. Verhine.
These good ladies effected an or
ganization as indicated and set about
first to restore the waste conditions
of the older portion of the City Gem
etery; then to improve and beautify
the entire cemetery reservations of
both the City and East View GEM
eteries.
The older portion of the City Gem
etery is the western section, which
was filled up by early settlers. begin
ming with the sixties. The larger
number were buried there during the
epidemics of cholera and yellow fever
and these graves were dug hurriedly
without regard to alignment or
walks. Hence the problem of the
work contemplated. First the rela-
tives must be located and then they
must be enlisted as subscribers.
Much of this kind of work was
connected with the new addition to
the City Cemtery and to East View,
and it was indeed an unpleasant
task, one which Judge Moore re-
marked in his address dismayed and
discouraged the male population en-
tirely, but the ladies, with more love
and zeal in their hearts, undertook
the work and pursued it with unre-
mitting toll until the final capstones
of the new cemetery gate were laid
a few weeks ago.
The meeting last Sunday afternoon
was for the purpose of dedicating the
new gateway and making formal
presentation of same to the city.
There was a very good attendance
despite unfavorable weather condi-
tions.
The new construction work COM
prises four large limestone pillars,
with main entrance and entrances
on both sides fianked with these pill
lars and Joined with steel structural
gates, double swinging gates for the
center driveway. This work COM
pletes a series Of years~of general
cemetery improvement, and the serv-
ice on Sunday afternoon was not only
as dedication, but a liv-
ing monument to the names of the |
who have made the improve
ments possible.
Judge Joel B. Waddell presided at |
the meeting. A quartette, DR.. and
Mrs. j. d. Carlton and Messrs. A. L. |
Garth and w. E. Hudgins, led the
singing. Rev. W. B. Cunningham
invoked divine blessing.
During the ceremonies a detach-
nent of Company K, N. G. T., stood
guard at the gate. Judge F. w.
Moore was introduced and he re-
,ited some of the early history con-
lected with the City Cemetery, re-
'erring to the fact that the first
burial was probably in 1859. Others
with an absence of system
md order until the old yard was al
most total waste. The ladies, as
mentioned, recognizing
he blot and shame of the conditions
It the silent city, took up the work
With success after years of hard
work.. They did this work when the
men had faltered entirely, and the
and blessings of every
itizen and everyone, wherever they
nay be, are due and this. day are
manifested in these exer-
ises.
The new gate structure is there
ore presented to the city in the name
+ these good women.
Mayor Pittman accepted in behalf