PARK AND CEMETERY. 
81 
at that time, but the suggested change 
might avoid controversy should a lot holder 
or his attorney refuse to concede the prop- 
osition 1 hare just stated concerning the 
binding effect of after-established rules. 
Since the term "Warranty Deed" and 
ether similar expressions commonly used 
to indicate absolute property rights are 
apt to induce lot holders to believe that 
they have fee simple title to the lots, I am 
inclined to advise companies and associa- 
tions, whenever practicable under the pe- 
culiar circum.=tances, to adopt some such 
form as this : 
"Cemetery Lot Holder's Certificate. 
"Whereas, , of , has this 
day paid to the undersigned Ceme- 
tery Company, of , the sum of 
Dollars, for the purchase of the herein- 
after described lot situated in the ceme- 
tery of said company ; 
"Now, Therefore, This Certificate Wit- 
nesses : That the said , in considera- 
tion of the premises, is the owner, for the 
purposes of interment only, of Lot , in 
Block , as shown by the plat of said 
cemetery, recorded in the office of , 
on the day of , at book , 
page ; sulrject to all laws, rules and 
regulations heretofore or hereafter adopt- 
ed, pertaining to said cemetery. 
"In Witness Whereof, the said 
cemetery company has c; used its corporate 
name and seal to be signed and affixed 
hereto, and the president and secretary 
thereof have hereunto subscribed their 
names, this day of , 191 — 
Here should follow blanks for signa- 
tures and for acknowledgment when neces- 
sary. 
But, as above intimated, it does not 
usually make any vital legal difference 
whether the instrument be designated and 
worded as a deed or as a mere certificate 
of lot holding. The law on this point is 
well summed up in the following language 
used at page 717, 6 Cyc., and supported by 
numerous court decisions : 
"The purchaser of a lot in a cemetery, 
though under a deed absolute in form, does 
not take any title to the soil. He acquires 
only a privilege or license to make inter- 
ments in the lot purchased, exclusively of 
others, so long as the ground remains a 
cemetery. Such privilege or license is sub- 
ject to the police power of the state, in 
the exercise of which not only future in- 
terments may be prohibited but the re- 
mains of persons theretofore buried may 
be removed. Therefore, when by lawful 
authority the ground ceases to be a place 
of burial, a lot holder’s right ceases, except 
for the purpose of removing remains pre- 
viously buried." — A. L. H. S. 
Designing the Monument to Fit the Lot 
The various steps in studying out a monument 
design to fit a given lot, by J. IV. Wyckoff. 
ItiEAS SUGGESTED IN OUTLINING THE FORM OF THE DESIGN. 
P.\RK .\Ni) CEMETER^• has prcx iously called 
attention to the fact that in the ideal con- 
dition of cemetery art every monument 
would be designed for its own particular 
lot, and every lot selected to give proper 
setting to the monument. 
Great public monuments are planned in 
this way ; beautiful homes and public build- 
ings are planned in this way, A cemetery 
lot and its monument is just as much of a 
problem in artistic development as a pub- 
lic monument or a house and lot. 
This ideal of having the monument and 
its surroundings in carefully studied har- 
mony is not by any means a dream, for 
there are numbers of instances where it 
has been realized to a remarkable degree. 
In studying out a design for a given lot, 
one should give careful attention to first 
principles in order to get the proper start. 
It must be remembered that any size or 
shape, or any color of stone will not be 
suitable for any cemetery lot. Some forms 
and some colors will not be at all in keep- 
ing with the lot or surrounding structures 
or with the form of the landscape which 
surrounds the lot. After one has heard the 
customer’s views about a suitable monu- 
ment for his lot, it is the duty of the de- 
signer to visit the lot in question. He 
must study the size of the lot first to see 
how large a stone would look well there. 
He must next determine if the stone should 
be a low', massive form like a sarcophagus 
or one in which height should predomi- 
iiate. There are several points to con- 
sider here. If most of the surrounding 
monuments are low, he should see at once 
that on this lot a higher model would have 
added interest by its variety, and yet it 
■diould not be so high as to be out of 
harmony with surrounding structures. If 
'd'l? lot is small, it should suggest a small. 
'.'pright type. Where the customer liked 
cross memorials, this might give the de- 
signer an idea for a "cross" composition. 
kiuther thing to consider is whether the 
monument should he light or dark in color 
effect. If the lot were on a hill where 
there w'ere no trees in the background, the 
color should be dark. When making this 
arrangement, one emphasizes contrast of 
color, namely, the dark stone against the 
light sky. If the foliage were light, having 
numerous willow trees for the background, 
it would suggest a dark stone, or if there 
were several light colored monuments be- 
hind this lot that would serve for a back- 
ground, one might still use dark stock. 
Supposing the landscape to be dark trees, 
as oaks, evergreens, cedars, etc., light stock 
would offer contrast to the background ; 
if there were dark monuments behind, light 
stone would he preferalile. 
