266 
PARK AND C EM ET ER\ 
true and even surface grade to our gravel 
avenues ; cover the entire surface with 
about two inches of broken stone, using the 
smaller size on top for leveilng up and fill- 
ing interstices between the larger, roll it 
thoroughly, but not too much, and apply 
hot Tarvia X under pressure at the rate of 
one and one-half gallons per square yard, 
and immediately before it cools and hardens 
apply a good finishing coat of stone dust 
and pea size together, following it immedi- 
ately with the roller, resulting in a hard, 
clean, dustless and weedless road, which 
with the usual amount of cemetery traffic 
will last with practically no cost or atten- 
tion for many years. I have sent ten-ton 
loads over them on steel-tired vehicles 
without the slightest injury. We intend 
to follow this up until all our avenues 
and broad gravel paths are thus treated. 
A few years ago I installed a change 
in our system of records consisting of a 
wall map of the whole ground showing 
location of all buildings and principal 
features, including subdivision into sec- 
tions made by accurate surveys to a scale 
of fifty feet to one inch. Section maps 
to a scale of twenty feet to one inch and 
then a diagram of each individual lot 
drawn to a scale of five feet to an inch, 
showing besides the lot plan of each 
separate grave, together with owner's name 
and address, the list of interments by both 
name and record number, the dimensions, 
area, location of monuments, grave mark- 
ers and other features like steps, curbings, 
fences, perpetual care, etc., being done by 
typewriter on a card sufficiently thin and 
flexible it is easily and quickly done. All 
this in duplicate. One set is kept in fireproof 
vault at Mt. Hope and duplicates at the 
office of our secretary in city hall. All in- 
terment records are still entered and car- 
ried in indexed and bound books and again 
on cards filed alphabetically in the usual 
filing cabinets. Our most annoying prob- 
lem is that of metal markers which many 
fraternal, religious, social and patriotic or- 
ganizations insist upon sticking into the 
ground upon the graves of deceased mem- 
bers. Beginning with the veterans of the 
Civil War it has been taken up by first one 
and then another of the associations until 
it has become an unmitigated nuisance, 
causing labor and watchfulness on our 
part, with untold annoyance and contro- 
versy with those placing them. Usually 
made of poor quality cast iron they soon 
become rusty, broken and dilapidated. 
Improving a 
The recent rehabilitation of a church 
■cemetery at Valley City, Ohio, shows what 
can be done in the nature of improving and 
beautifying a country cemetery by the resi- 
dents of a community themselves. The 
work done here might well be an object 
lesson to many small communities, where 
Some are being made of bronze, which 
have a considerable old metal value, and 
are therefore stolen from the cemeteries, 
usually at night, for that reason. 1 can 
show rather a choice collection of a few of 
the various styles taken at random, but they 
do not by any means represent the entire 
list. I strongly urge official action at this 
convention looking toward the prohibition 
of these things. 
Although I must have tried your patience 
already I cannot close without asking you 
to study with me comparatively a few of 
the ancient and some of the modern memo- 
rial stones, for it seems to me a fitting time 
and place to do so as we are gathered here 
among these beautiful green hills of God’s 
country where has been erected the home 
of memorial makers. I will not attempt to 
discuss the large range of popular and at- 
tractive structures which have been well 
and abundantly illustrated not only in 
“Park and Cemetery," but in publicity lit- 
erature issued by the manufacturers, and 
which may be seen in any of our good 
cemeteries. Most of the stones now 
standing that were erected prior to about 
1700 were made of an excellent quality of 
probably Welsh slate, cut in England and 
brought over seas in their finished state, 
except the very earliest ones, which were 
made of native green porphyritic stone; 
one side and sometimes two sides were 
smoothed to receive the inscription which 
was more rudely executed in all capital let- 
ters than were those of a latter date, about 
the middle of the 18th century, when lower 
case letters began to be used ; sometimes, 
however, indiscriminately in curious mix- 
ture. Our oldest date so far found is that 
on the stone of William Paddy, bearing 
date 1G38. If there is an older one in the 
country I should like to see it. Among 
those imported prior to about 1750 there 
are many beautiful and well preserved 
specimens, a careful examination of which 
will amply repay the time required. In our 
old grounds may be seen today, after an 
outdoor existence of probably '200 years, 
many beautifully executed carvings of fam- 
ily arms and armorial design, exhibiting 
workmanship of which the well known 
clever citizens of Barre might well feel 
proud to be able to duplicate. Other and 
cheaper kinds of foreign slate were intro- 
duced into this country subsequent to this 
era, of the fine grained, solid unctuous 
Wales slate, coming in rough slabs and cut 
Small 
there is an interest in making their burial 
spots more attractive, convenient and 
usable. 
Saint Martin’s Church is two miles from 
Valley City, Ohio, and is a large Catholic 
church in the midst of a farming com- 
munity. The property comprises the 
here. Marlile, apparently, began to be used 
about 1810, but was not common until 
thirty or more years later. 
Early in the 18th century American slate 
began to be used, as was also sandstone or 
native freestone. This period marks clearly 
the beginning of a retrograde movement in 
memorial stones in both material and work- 
manship, the outgrowth no doubt of the 
same thought of thrift and “easy money,” 
which sends many of our local cutters and 
“mortuary architects” today to the “grout 
heap” of soft granite quarries for stock to 
be had at low cost and easy cutting quali- 
ties with which he can “get by.” Also in 
the matter of design it seems to me there 
is a distinct retrogression. If some of the 
early designs seem weird and abnormal to 
us now, we must admit that they express 
thought, sentiment, sympathy and affec- 
tion. Perhaps the most interesting feature 
of ancient gravestones and one that is gen- 
erally little regarded, which expresses the 
ornamental as well as the mimic art, will 
be found in perpendicular borders on either 
side of the inscription area, three or four 
inches wide ; reduced to simple line draw- 
ings are a few of the forms used, which I 
will show. On the upper corners may be 
found circular ornaments, some are crude 
and simple, but many are artistic and have 
ample authority in rules of architecture, 
here again expressing knowledge, thought, 
study and expressive ability. Let us be 
honest with ourselves and our present-day 
methods, shapes, forms and dimensions. 
Compare the ancient effort and results with 
some of our lately made and erected — what 
shall I call them — monstrosities. They are 
awful, without authority, either in architec- 
tural rules or even endorsed by normal in- 
tellect. I asked the lady how she came to 
select the design. She replied, “Oh, he had 
it all made, and called my attention to the 
beautiful light and shadow effect which 
could only be produced by the design.” 
Here is another made by the same “mortu- 
ary architect.” I suppose he sold this one 
because “the circle is an emblem of eter- 
nity, having neither beginning nor end.” 
Such designs might be suitable subjects 
upon which to place the inscription ordered 
by the chap whose good wife had died and 
he instructed the marker to inscribe on the 
front, “The light of my life has gone out.” 
Six weeks later he had married again and 
going back to order it left off, he was too 
late ; it had been cut, so he added “but I 
have found another match.” 
Cemetery 
church, school, club house, parsonage and 
other out-buildings fronting on the country 
road and the church yard in the rear of 
several acres. 
Two years ago this cemetery was a neg- 
lected, water-soaked spot. It had never 
been graded or drained, was over grown 
Country 
