80 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
and all that, and then know that in 
all that throng there were only a few 
who really had sorrow in their hearts 
and tears in their eyes, the five or six 
or half a score or score who gatliered 
round the casket, then I say here is 
a place where of all others there 
needs to be reform in our funeral 
customs. I tell you I have seen many 
a Sunday funeral that was more of a 
Sunday circus, a free show, a free 
ride for a lot of people who would 
not have attended if it had cost them 
a nickel of money or an hour of work- 
ing time. It is said that the most 
hilarious and care-free place in all the 
world is in the last carriage in a 
long funeral procession.” 
Sunday Funeral a Time-Honored Custom 
Within the past few years much 
has been said and written looking to- 
ward the abolition of the Sunday fu- 
neral. There have been many most 
sound and sensible reasons advanced 
why such funerals should be discon- 
tinued; but it would seem only just 
to this question, to seriously con- 
sider and very carefully ponder the 
fact, that the Sunday funeral is one 
of our sacred and time-honored cus- 
toms. 
What has brought this matter so 
prominently to mind at this time, is 
the action of several of our largest 
cemeteries, as has recently been re- 
ported in these columns. One of the 
prominent cemeteries that recently 
abolished Sunday funerals gave as the 
reason that it was “to preserve, as 
far as possible, good order and proper 
decorum in the cemetery; and to pre- 
vent the unseemly and offensive 
gatherings of crowds, who by the ex- 
ercise of their idle curiosity, at and 
about the open graves, interfere seri- 
ously with the rights and privileges 
of those who mourn, and who at the 
same time render themselves and their 
presence most objectionable, by de- 
stroying the privacy and sacredness of 
the burial service.” 
The abolishment of the Sunday fu- 
neral may or may not be a good prac- 
tical move, but be that as it may, the 
writer feels sure that the reasons for 
discontinuing this old-time custom as 
given above will not be satisfactory to 
the lot owners of any cemetery as a 
whole. If good order and proper de- 
corum cannot be maintained by the 
authorities of any cemetery on Sun- 
days, what better chance have they to 
keep out the makers of disorder on a 
week-day? The answer will, of 
•course, be that crowds of such a class 
of persons, who by the exercise of 
their idle curiosity at and about the 
open graves, interfere seriously with 
the rights and privileges of those who 
mourn,” will not gather nearly so 
much on week-days, on account of 
their various occupations. I will 
grant at once that this is a fact, but 
it is only begging the main ques- 
tion, which is, that owners of ceme- 
tery lots have a right, and this right 
is tacitly vouchsafed them when they 
purchase their lots, that good order 
shall be maintained within the cem- 
etery limits at all times. As com- 
pared with the admission that it is 
impossible to keep order in a ceme- 
tery on Sunday, and therefore funer- 
als on that day should be abolished, 
one can contrast, in my mind, the 
very thoughtful, and many will say 
amply sufficient reasons, for doing 
away with Sunday burials; as ad- 
vanced by the Ministerial Association 
of Sioux City, la., some little time 
ago. Four reasons were given why 
the Sunday funeral should be abol- 
ished, as follows: First, that Sunday 
is a day of rest and worship, and fu- 
nerals necessitate labor which should 
be done on some other day; second, 
that observation shows that on an 
average from fifteen to twenty men 
are employed to conduct a funeral, 
and in many cases a far greater num- 
ber; third, that Sunday funerals tend 
to ostentation and display which is 
contrary to the spirit of the occasion; 
and lastly, that Sunday funerals de- 
prive many from attending public 
worship, and are detrimental to the 
regular church services. The above 
four reasons why, Sunday funerals 
should be abolished, deserve serious 
consideration; but it does not seem 
that because any cemetery manage- 
ment declares itself unable to keep 
proper order within its grounds, that 
for that reason such an old time-hon- 
ored custom as having the funeral on 
Sunday should be abolished. 
It is not very many years ago that 
the universal custom was to have the 
funeral on Sunday, if it could possibly 
be so arranged; and especially was 
this true of New England. We all 
of course must realize that in these 
strenuous times, when the tendency 
is to do everything quickly and so to 
speak in a strictly business-like way, 
that it is but natural that these 
changes should extend themselves 
even to the burial of our dead. But 
to my mind the sacred custom, that 
has so long prevailed, of a quiet fam- 
i’y funeral on the peaceful Lord’s day 
should not be abolished without a 
good and sufficient cause. 
Many of us may feel that other 
days are more adapted for funerals 
than Sundays, and if that be the 
wishes of many in a community, why 
not do as is being done in East St. 
Louis, 111., • in endeavoring to dis- 
courage Sunday funerals. I under- 
stand that there influence has been 
brought to bear upon the Undertak- 
ers’ Association whereby a reduction 
of $15 in its services for week-day 
funerals has been made, the price for 
Sunday funerals remaining the same 
as before. 
The large number of persons in 
this country who all their lives, and 
their fathers’ and grandfathers’ before 
them, have cherished the custom of 
the Sunday funerals, should at least 
he given good and adequate reasons 
for its abolition M. B. Faxon. 
REDUCED RATES TO CONVENTION 
The Transportation Committee for the 21st annual convention 
of the Association of American Cemeter}^ Superintendents to be 
held at Providence, R. I., August 20-22, 1907, will endeavor to 
secure reduced railroad rates, but when making application they 
must know at least approximately what the attendance is to be. 
All members, and those who contemplate joining, or who ex- 
pect to go to Providence, are requested to inform Mr. George 
M. Painter, Westminster Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pa., or Mr. 
H. A. Derry, Everett, Mass., at once, how many will be in their 
party. It is important that this information should reach the 
committee promptly to insure time to confer with the different 
railroad passenger associations. Write to-day. 
Every member of the association should co-operate with the 
Membership Committee in making this the banner year in point 
of additions to the membership. 
The local committee is preparing an excellent program and 
“Swan Point” alone is worth going miles to see. 
