507 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
? I WANT TO KNOW ? 
Bell and Telephone System for Cemeteries 
Editor Park and Cemetery ; “I 
Want to Know” — Question No. 5, in 
the January issue of Park and Ceme- 
tery, tempts me to answer. 
I have a system of bell signals and 
telephone answers that I believe to 
be almost perfection. The North 
Burial Ground, Providence, R. I., of 
which I am superintendent, is a very 
long cemetery, nearly one mile from 
the entrance and office, to the ex- 
treme end, and about midway there 
is a Chapel, on which there is a large 
bell. This bell' is constructed to be 
struck from the office in regular" Fire 
Alarm style, simply by pressing a 
button a given number of times to 
give the signal desired. These can be 
arranged to your own satisfaction, say 
one blow to call the superintendent, 
two blows to call foreman, and so on 
as you may desire. I have certain 
signals to call grave-diggers to cer- 
tain locations, when a funeral en- 
ters the grounds. 
I also have six telephone booths, or 
stations, in different parts of the cem- 
etery, connected by a private tele- 
phone system, and by answering the 
several bell calls, by the proper per- 
sons, many miles of traveling and 
hours of time are saved in a year. 
These telephones and electric wires 
are all laid in a lead cable under 
ground, and have never been of any 
expense since put down. 
James Warren, Jr. _ 
Providence, R. I. 
Promoting Perpetual Care 
Editor Park and Cemetery. In the 
column headed “I Want to Know,” I 
see F. S. M. asks. How Can We Edu- 
cate Lot Owners to Provide Perpet- 
ual Care in a Cemetery Consecrated 
Fifty Years Ago? 
We are up against the same propo- 
sition. Our cemetery was conse- 
crated in 1857. The following is a 
letter that we are sending out to lot 
owners with which we are having 
very good success. We also never let 
an opportunity pass to call attention 
to our perpetual care provision, espe- 
cially when estates are being settled 
up. We also get notices “in the way 
of news items” in the daily papers as 
often as we can. The papers will 
usually print anything you want if it 
is properly gotten up, as the com- 
munity are always willing to read 
about any improvements made in old 
cemeteries. 
Following is the letter referred to: 
Tour attention is respectfully called to the 
proposition of this Association to establish a 
fund for the purpose of providing for the 
perpetual care of such lots in the Ottumwa 
Cemetery as may be designated by the con- 
tributors thereto, which lots are in consider- 
ation of the payment of $50.00 upon a full 
lot, or a proportional portion of that amount 
upon parts of lots, to be permanently re- 
leased from payment of the annual dues that 
are at present collected for the care of lots. 
The fund thus established and which has 
already reached a considerable amount is, bv 
an irrevocable order of the trustees of the 
Association set apart to be invested at the 
best rate of interest obtainable, in mortgages 
upon satisfactory real estate security and 
forever kept intact, except as to the income 
therefrom, which shall be applied for tne 
perpetual care of the lots which have con- 
tributed to the fund. 
If vou wish to avail yourself of the advan- 
tages of this proposal olease communicate 
with me secret^^ of this Association, Leroy 
Christie, No. 1236 N. Court street, in person, 
by letter, or New Phone No. 242. 
J. H. MERRILL, President. 
Leroy Christie. 
Ottumwa, la. 
More on Cemetery Names 
“I notice in the January issue of 
Park and Cemetery Mr. W. N. Rudd’s 
letter on the naming of cemeteries. 
The point is very well taken and it 
would be well to have further printed 
matter on the subject. The writer 
knows of a Greenwood (not Mr. 
Rudd’s) that has not a particle of 
woodland on it and several so called 
“Lawns” that are a disgrace to the 
name. There are a few noticeable ex- 
ceptions to the well worn names that 
are worthy of example, as for in- 
stance, “Lakeview,” “Kensico,” “Pax- 
tang,” and the original Spring Grove. 
The first as its name implies is from 
the view obtained, the next two from 
historical names of the surroundings, 
and the last because of a grove wa- 
tered by many springs. The latter 
has been much abused by imitators in 
which the name did not fit the sur- 
roundings. 
As a suggestion for further im- 
provement in this line the projectors 
of a new cemetery should first find if 
some local name in the vicinity is 
suitable, and if not try for some past 
or unused name connected with the 
surroundings on or near which the 
cemetery is to be located. One of 
the two will invariably bring results.” 
Buffalo, N. Y. Bellett Lawson, Jr. 
* * * 
Other questions asked in this de- 
partment last month, are here repeat- 
ed, and superintendents who have 
had experience along these lines, are 
invited to answer them: 
1. Do any cemeteries prohibit 
placing flowers in the public receiving 
vault during the winter — J. W. K. 
2. What provision is usually made 
on sections to take care of the snow 
water resulting from a sudden thaw? 
-J. R. 
3. How can we educate lot owners 
to provide perpetual care in a ceme- 
tery consecrated fifty years ago? — F. 
S. N. 
4. What is the best way to mark 
lots and graves so that strangers can 
find them without assistance? — H. B. 
* * * 
LEGAL NOTES 
The North Arlington, N. J., com- 
mon council has granted permission 
to the Diocese of Newark to estab- 
lish a Catholic cemetery after a long 
fight in the courts and the State Board 
which decided against the borough 
authorities that at first refused per- 
mission for the establishment of the 
cemetery. 
Although the plot of ground at 
Eighteenth and Des Moines Streets, 
Des Moines, la., that the city intends 
converting into a park has had no 
care for more than ten years and 
there is not a tombstone, a mound or 
a board to mark the last resting place 
of fifteen people, remonstrances were 
raised when it was announced the old 
cemetery was about to be converted 
into a park. 
Morris Kortz, it is announced, will 
bring suit against the Hebrew Cem- 
etery in Denver, asking $5,000 dam- 
ages for the removal of the body of his 
wife. The body was taken from its 
last resting place by relatives of the 
dead woman. Kortz built a brick wall 
around the grave which he says, was 
broken down without his consent. It is 
said that a family quarrel is behind 
the whole affair, in which the wife’s 
people ordered the cemetery associa- 
tion to remove the body, which was 
done. 
George G. Freer, of Watkins, N. 
Y., has brought a suit in ejectment 
to recover title to the village ceme- 
tery which he gave to the town 40 
years ago. The land was nearly all 
divided into lots and used for burial 
purposes. A part of the land was not 
suitable and it was sold to the Glen 
Springs company, who erected a san- 
itarium on the. lot. The plaintiff 
claimed that the disposal of a part of 
the tract violated the conditions 
[Continued on p, V///) 
