Evening star., 1933-09-10

DBCENILY while travelling ON an ocean liner
~ tho writer made the acquaintance Of
New Jersey undertaker-or funeral director, il
that sounds better. He told many things
about the scientific end Of his business, but
nothing he said quite as interesting as a
gondOa funeral on the Grand Canal
in Venice a year ago when the body of boy
Of tender age was on its way to the burial
place in red gondola. Since nearly all gon-
dolas are of dark color, naturally one of any
other shade would attract attention. But per-
haps the greatest signt We saw which had
anything to do with the final end Of man, was
the Stagliens Cemetery at Genoa marvel
for its vast amount Of white marble sculpture
work of great technical beauty.
It covers a large piece of ground and hun.
dreds Of expensive and artistic monuments in
some places are crowded together This, Of
course, Is unfortunate. but unavoidab BILE. Many
of the larger pieces are placed on high sloping
ground and include tombs in imitation of not
able churches, such as st. Peters, in Rome
Some are quite as large an ordinary dwell
ing. and the work is Of an exquisite character
Near the entrance is what appears to be
more OF, a mausoleum, the bodies being placed
in the wall of the building and sealed and the
floor is used in a like manner. In the section
for the rich, or those who can afford it, monu-
ments and statues are erected; some even to
the living, for when a man loses his wife, or
woman her husband. some ether close reia-
tive. monument is often erected by the sur
vivor, which not infrequently includes the one
still living.
A monument Of this character to be seen
there was erected by an elderly woman TO her
self some years before she died. and designed
to represent her in life In her early days
che had sold nuts baskets, laces and other
small articles. and by thrift and great economy
had saved enough money SO that when she
reached the age Of rs she was considered
wealthy.
She was a maiden lady and lived with her
relatives, and as the story goes. they would
not have been displeased if the old lady had
shutfled off and left them her fortune. This
she sensed, and she determined to have one
gloriously good time before the time for her
departure Should Gene. She rented villa
site not far from Genoa. bought carriage and
fine horses and had a man to drive her around
town whenever she wanted to. She even took
her meals at swell hotel, and indulged her
sell in other seemingly eXtravagant ways. How
ever before her money gave out she hired
sculptor to make lfe-size figure of herself;
she bought a place in this wonderful cemetery
where she had the statue erected, and here she
came every day and placed floYers in an urn
provided for the purpose She died at the ad-
'vanced age of s. years, and when her affairs
were settled up, she was found to have quit
this earth even with the board Her relations
were greatly disappointed and regretted ex-
ceedingly that they had not treated the old
lady more kindly.
There Is poor section to this cemetery where
a grave may be rented for five years. after
which the body is disnterred and placed in
grave large enough for all the poor Of the
cemetery.
Nearly all Of the sculpture work in this won-
derful metropolis is modern. but the carving
of lace shaWls and other decorative wearing
apparel ON the statues and figures to be seen.
is just marvelously executed.