PARK AND CEMETERY 
315 
of Superintendent George W. Creesy. The chapel which has 
been illustrated and described in these pages was dedicated 
with impressive and appropriate ceremonies in the presence 
of about 30 members of the association, accompanied by a 
number of ladies and a large local attendance. 
Arthur W. West, president of Harmony Grove Cemetery 
Corporation, gave a complete history of the cemetery, be- 
ginning with the meeting in 1837 of several representative 
citizens of Salem for the purpose of talking over the project 
of forming an association for the purchase of land for the 
establishment of a new cemetery, the available space in the 
Salem burying grounds being then limited. On Feb. 19, 1840, 
the cemetery was incorporated, and the dedication took place 
June 14, 1840. President West then gave an interesting 
resume of the several officers of the corporation, recalled the 
names of many of the prominent people buried within the 
cemetery, gave a description of the new chapel and told of the 
many improvements made in the grounds. Rev. Alfred Man- 
chester, pastor of the Second church, delivered an interesting 
address on “Burial places,” and a program of special music 
was rendered. 
At the regular business meeting ten new members were ad- 
mitted, giving a total membership of 46. 
A very enjoyable shore dinner was served at Salem Wil- 
lows in the evening, at which 39 guests were present. 
It was voted to hold the next meeting at .Evergreen Cem- 
etery, Portland, Me. 
OHIO CEMETERY OFFICIALS MEET IN CLEVELAND. 
The gathering of Ohio Cemetery Officials at the Hotel 
Euclid, Cleveland, on June 14th and 15th, was a very pleas- 
ing departure from the conventional routine of such meet- 
ings. The business sessions each day opened with a luncheon 
in the private dining-room, which was charmingly decorated 
with cut flowers and potted plants. The business was trans- 
acted after the luncheon with the members and guests loung- 
ing cozily about the tables. Apparently it was the thought of 
the program committee to counteract as much as possible the 
grave aspect of the gathering. There were present at the 
opening session thirty-five members, and numerous guests 
from Cleveland and vicinity, among the latter being Monsig- 
nore Houck and Rev. O’Connell of the Catholic Diocese of 
Cleveland, and Rev. Harris R. Cooley of the Board of Public 
Service of Cleveland. After the repast Mr. Frederick Green 
introduced Mr. Cooley, who, in behalf of Mayor Johnson, 
who was at the bedside of his mother, welcomed the dele- 
gates to the city. 
Mr. Green, as president of the association, then read the 
president’s annual address, in which he urged a closer union 
of cemetery men and advocated the formation of a league of 
cemeteries and the employment of a consulting superintendent, 
who should frequently visit the cemeteries belonging to the 
league, and in closing introduced Mgr. Houck as the “Father 
of the Funeral Car.” Mr. Green’s address was a happy com- 
bination of valuable suggestion and genial welcome, and did 
much to infuse the spirit of family reunion into the meeting. 
Mgr. Houck told of the ups and downs of the early days 
of the funeral car, of the consternation it created among 
“certain people,” and of its present popularity, which is such 
that, to use his words, “People are dying to ride in it.” Mgr. 
Houck also told of the initiative in this city by Bishop Horst- 
man in the abolishing of Sunday funerals, a problem which 
has now been successfully solved. Further addresses were 
made during the afternoon by Mr. F. B. Case, president of 
Norwalk Cemetery ; Mr. H. M. Farnsworth, president of 
Brooklyn Heights Cemetery ; Rev. O'Connell and Mr. Dix of 
Cleveland. At four P. M. the whole convention drove in 
auto touring cars to Riverside Cemetery, where many cour- 
tesies and privileges were extended. Under the management 
of Mr. Dix this is taking rank with the most beautiful ceme- 
teries of Ohio. After a general inspection of the grounds, 
refreshments were served by the host and hostess, after which 
a visit was made to Brooklyn Heights Cemetery, which is 
just being laid out and improved. 
The evening session opened with a dinner, after which the 
treasurer made his annual report, which showed a balance of 
$54.15. Addresses w'ere then made by Rev. O’Brien of To- 
ledo, Mr. J. C. Cline of Dayton, Mr. Whitaker of East 
Liverpool and Mr. Hartman of Troy. Rev. O’Brien talked of 
numerous cemeteries he had visited in this country and the 
Old World, and dwelt with special fondness on the beauties 
of Campo Santo in Genoa, Italy. Mr. Cline’s paper consisted 
of a very elaborate treatise on the Revised Statutes of Ohio 
affecting cemeteries. Mr. J. J. Stephens of Columbus read 
an interesting paper, entitled “Why Should I Be a Member of 
the State Association,” in which he instanced the benefit re- 
ceived from the National Association and pointed out the 
good that has come to the cemeteries of the country from 
the association. The discussion following these papers proved 
to be very interesting to the delegates and it was a late hour 
before the session adjourned. 
The next morning at 8 130 a street car was taken for Lake 
View Cemetery. The car was switched into the cemetery 
grounds on the track used for the funeral car. The dele- 
gates were first shown the several implements, tents and 
other devices in use in Lake View Cemetery, as well as 
numerous exhibits of lowering devices, debris baskets, corner 
markers, etc., on exhibition by the various manufacturers, a 
part of the cemetery grounds having been set aside for that 
purpose. The delegates were then shown the Administra- 
tion Building, the Wade Memorial Mortuary Chapel and re- 
ceiving vault, the Rockefeller Monument and the Garfield 
Memorial. Carriages were not used, but the delegates leis- 
urely walked over the grounds, examining lawns and roads, 
catch basins and water hydrants, etc., in detail. Through the 
courtesy of Superintendent Frederick Green and the Lake- 
view Cemetery Board the visitors were shown the actual 
working of the cemetery force in excavating. Arranging dirt 
cover, and grave linings, lowering casket, disposal of surplus 
dirt, erecting tent over grave, arrangement for placing flow- 
ers, curbing to prevent caving, etc., the underground pipe sys- 
tem for watering lots, the bell call system for calling and 
locating men for the different duties, and many other inter- 
esting features of the cemetery, which is one of the most 
progressive and best managed in the country. 
.'\t the afternoon session at the hotel the subject of arti- 
ficial or cement burial vaults was discussed, as was also the 
operation of cemeteries for profit, as well as the different 
methods of organizing lot owners and their rights. Mr. 
George Gossard of Washington Court House was elected 
president for the ensuing year, Mr. M-. Whitaker of East 
Liverpool, vice president ; Mr. G. C. Anderson of Sidney, O., 
secretary and treasurer ; Mr. J. J. Stephens of Columbus, 
delegate to the National Convention. Executive Committee : 
Messrs. J. J. Stephens, George Gossard and William Salway. 
After adopting resolutions on the death of Mr. A. H. Sargent 
of Akron and extending a vote of thanks to Messrs. Dix, 
Green and the other local officials who had so handsomely 
entertained the visitors, the convention adjourned to meet in 
Columbus, Ohio, on the second Wednesday and Thursday in 
June, 1906. 
