CHAPTER XVII 



CEMETERIES 



THE cemeteries of the present day that are located 

 in the suburbs of large cities came into existence from 

 a desire to have burials at a distance from the centers 

 of population and in places with beautiful surround- 

 ings. They are often called "rural cemeteries." 

 The first one in the United States to merit this name 

 was Mt. Auburn, near Boston, Massachusetts, 

 founded in 1831. Since then the idea of having 

 burial places park-like in their character has been 

 spreading until they contain today some of the most 

 beautiful landscapes developed by the hand of man. 

 The wish to have in the cemetery the beauty of trees, 

 shrubs, lawns, and flowers has gradually led to the ab- 

 olition of fences, coping, and other lot inclosures, and 

 a reduction in the number of monuments and the size 

 of headstones (Fig. 54). Many persons now believe 

 that the last resting-place should be surrounded by 



the quietness and beauty of these features of nature's 



290 



