Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-07-11
BUILDS WALLS
OF CEMENT TO
FOIL GABRIEL
IOwan Plans Grave in Which
He May Be Laid Away
Securely
SUPERVISES THE WORK

7. whitney, wealthy retired farmer and
one Of the few survivors of pioneer days,
10 arrange every detail Of his funeral
when life. which he regards as a mis-
fortune, shall have ended for him.
Whitney, for years a close personal
friend Of the late Theodore Vail, head
Of the Bell Telephone Company, and Of
Mark Twain, the numorist, has been
character of no little note in his own
community because OF his strange views
70 both life and death.
Il wish to be laid away so securely
that I shall never hear Gabriel when
re blows his horn" said Whitney. who
personally supervised the digging OF his
own grave ia ElmwOOd cemetery.
The grave is of regulation depth.
semented with a layer OF solid concrete
sides and bottom 10 a thickness Of eight
Inches. The men who did he work have
been paid and dismissed, but the boss
II the job is under written contact to
construct cover of cement six inches in
thickness and this in turn 10 be over
laid with two layers Of brick placed on
edge snd soHdly cemented.
DOESN'T WISH
TO HEAR HORN.
Il am being placed in that hole to
sleep" Whitney told the workmen as
they prepared his last resting place.
sAnd I an not going to have anybody
disturbing me by blowing a horn
around here some day"
Whitney is au unbeliever In religious
matters but he isn't taking any chances
On the biblical quotation that the angel
shall some day come with his horn to
lwaken the faithful
plain white marker has been placed
at the head Of tho empty grave On top
OF the stone is cut the word Father. %
and the date of birth. ISIS The date OF
death wiz be cut by q workman who has
already received his wage
No minister shall be present when the
BODY is consigned to its last resting
place Whitney mas already prepared his
own funeral sermon.
SAYS LIFE OPEN ROAD.
DEATH STONE WALL
Life is an open road-death is a stone
waur he has written In this unique docu-
ment lie holds out no hope for the life
eternal hut qualities this by adding be
would not take one mOrsel Of expectation
from those who hope in an eternal life
beyond deaths black walls.
Music. IL any, at his funeral must be
brEhe, gay and cheerful, and there must
be no flowers.
The funeral manuscript IS to he read by
close friend before the casket leaves
the house. The text now rests in q little
tin box at the head OF his bed. the key
fastened securely around his neck Vith =
BIT Of ribbon.
When the prairies Of Iowa doomed witt
the wild flowers OF pioneer times Whit
ney was among the first TO make his way
west and build a home along the banks
OF the Cedar river. be married early In
life, loved his wife dearly and when 3
son. WHOM he christened Arthur, was born
his happiness was complete.
His work often led him long dis
tances from his dwelling, but he was
happy in his labor. for it was one Of
love
SUNSHINE PASSES
FROM HIS LITE
Then one day the sunshine went ont Of
his life. He returned 20 bis home unex-
bectedIy and found his wife ia the arms
Of another man, a neighbor he had
trusted and 70 whom be had Tered at
all times the hospitality Of his home.
terrific battle was wazed within
his heart for days. Honor won the fight
and for the sake of the little son the
husband and father forgave the wife.
who had broken faith with the man she
had vowed before God to love, honor and
obey.
4 hopeless wanderer for years. fell as a
thunderbolt from q clear sky-the little
son was found dead IN bed-he had
smOthered to death beneath the bed com
forts
Whitney. broken hearted, discussed
things with his wife. He built her q
little home within the city OF Waterloo,
provided her with cash, got a legal sep
sration and then set out for the then
little known West.
His team finally brought him to an
Indian settlement on the eastern slope
Of the Rocky Mountains. The Indian
chief lorded it over an area OF about 400
square miles. Whitney became a friend
of the Red Men, lived their life for years
and nearly forgot the PAST. Nesrly-but
not quite
MOUNTAIN FEVER
COMES TWICE.
Then the mountain fever struck him
twice. He feared q third attack would
prove fatal He decided TO leave that
part Of the country. When the Indian
chief learned OF his decision he paid the
Iowan a visit. He offered him valuable
concessions 70 stay and ordered that on
a certain day every Indian Of his tribe
would be brought together. Whitney
was to have his choice Of any squaw on
the premises upon this occasion to be
his wife
Again q battle was waged within
his being He hated his former asso-
Citations because they reusnded him of
those things he wished above au to for
get He hated his former home be
cause OF the heartaches he had ex-
perienced there and he had come TO
Ike his red frieads.
Then. as he Wss about to accept the
easy road toward the future one night
he remembered the words of a former
friend Never mix the blood of your
ancestors with that OF another race"
the friend remarked Whitney's horse
that night carried him still farther into
the West and a week later he was in san
Francisco and had engaged a berth on
ship bound for Panama.
During my many years in the West
among the Wild animals" says this man
who has always been a close student OF
things in general, Il have observed their
habits and methods Of living I have
never seen the male Of any OF these
animals engage in a fight with the
female Of the species. 1t is only man
and woman. the highest order Of crea-
ton, that fight and quarrel"
NEAR VICTIM
OF MONITOR.
Whitney's life in Panama failed to
satisfy him. He decided to return to
bis native country. He shipped north
on q vessel during the civil war when
the Monitor was the terror Of the seas
The vessel had a run-in with the Monitor
but escaped through possession OF
superior speed.
He eventually returned to Waterloo.
At IS he met and married smother woman.
She was SO years Younger than ba