28 o 
PARK AND CEMETERY, 
Burial in Westminster Abbey is not a question of money, 
but the interment fees aggregate $500, says an exchange. 
* * * 
A cemetery improvement association is forming at Ellis 
Village, Jefferson, N. Y., to take the cemetery under its care. 
* * * 
The trustees of Elmwood Cemetery Company, Memphis, 
Tenn., have made public a shortage of $13,000 in the accounts 
of its former treasurer, Ferd Trepp. 
* * * 
By the will of the late Philip A. Pyle of Mount Joy Town- 
ship, Pa., besides directing that a monument be erected to his 
memory in the Lancaster Cemetery, he places $1,000 in trust to 
the trustees for the perpetual care of monument and lot. 
* * * 
The annual meeting of the Little Lake Cemetery Company, 
Peterborough, Ont., was held on January 17th. The report 
showed that the greatest improvement for the year was the in- 
stallation of a water supply by agreement with the Peterborough 
Water Company, and also the erection of a drinking fountain. 
The financial condition was satisfactory. 
* * * 
In the annual report of Lafayette Cemetery, Philadelphia, 
the directors compliment the superintendent on the neat and 
clean condition of the grounds. The present superintendent is 
Mrs. John K Betson, who on the death of her husband, in 1896, 
was unanimously chosen by the board to succeed him in that of- 
fice. The special fund for the perpetual care of lots is increas- 
ing, and the report generally is very favorable. 
* * » 
The directors of the Cemetery Association of Salina, Kan.’ 
taking time by the forelock, decided to call upon all the lot- 
owners to join in an effort to improve and beautify the ceme- 
tery. Among the facilities mostly needed is a water service, and 
it may be generally said that one of the principal means towards 
keeping small cemeteries in better shape is a water supply. It 
is a very good sign to note the growing feeling in many locali- 
ties looking to cemetery improvement in the smaller places. 
* * * 
A bill is to be urged in the House of Delegates of Maryland 
to increase the punishment for vandalism in cemeteries and 
graveyards. This bill was inspired by the recent outrages in the 
cemetery at Williamsport. The present penalty is very light, 
a small fine or imprisonment for thirty days in the county jail. 
The new bill proposes to amend the existing law by increasing 
the fine from $5 to $500, imprisonment in the House of Correc- 
tion or jail from six days to two years, or both fine and imprison- 
ment. 
* * * 
Battle Grove Cemetery, Cynthiana, Ky., is being greatly im- 
proved on modern lines, under the superintendency of Mr. J. A. 
Thorn, one of the latest members of the Association of Ameri- 
can Cemetery Superintendents. As soon as the weather permits 
active work will again be in progress. Considerable work has 
been done to permanently improve the roads and driveways; the 
grave mounds will be lowered to about three inches, and corner, 
posts set level with the ground. It is intended to make of Battle 
Grove an ideal cemetery. 
* * * 
The officials at Mount Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge, Mass., 
are asking for permission to erect a building suitable for pur- 
poses of incineration of the dead. The need of a crematory is 
felt greatly. The authorities find that many people wish to have 
their relatives cremated, and believe that it would be advan- 
tageous to have a crematory located in the cemetery. It has 
been suggested that powers should be obtained from the proper 
source to permit the erection of crematories by cemetery corpo- 
rations finding it advisable to do so. 
* * * 
Agitation to close the old cemetery at Revere, Mass., and to 
secure more accommodation elsewhere, is under strong head- 
way. This cemetery, in which bodies have been buried since 
1650, is nearly doubly full, yet the population demands facilities 
for inexpensive burial. Only a little of the pathway is vacant, 
and there are no lots for sale. The superintendent declares that 
he has to make very shallow graves, and that once in making a 
grave he turned up four skulls. Houses are being built quite 
close to the cemetery, and there is urgent need for a change. 
* * * 
The periodical raids of the tombstone vandal seem to be 
in progress, for exchanges report defacement and destruction 
from several points. Justice treats this description of crime far 
too leniently. In the majority of cases it is looked upon as mere 
mischief, and punished far too lightly to act as a deterrent. As 
a matter of fact, it is a serious offense, for while since the owners 
of the defaced memorials suffer some pecuniary loss, the com- 
munity at large suffers in reputation, and a lack of respect for 
the sacred precincts is encouraged by the slight value placed 
upon such delinquencies. 
* * * 
The undertakers of Lowell, Mass., are stirred up over the 
action of the superintendent of Edson Cemetery, who by the di- 
rection of the trustees, has notified them that hereafter a fee of $10 
will be charged for placing the bodies of persons over 12 years of 
age in the receiving vault. The cause of the change of rules is said 
to be due to the practice of some undertakers of putting bodies 
in the tomb free of charge, and keeping them there during the 
winter. This has resulted oftentimes in great inconvenience, and 
in some cases has left it to the cemetery authorities to bury the 
body at expense of city. Edson is a city cemetery, and the rule 
is claimed to be inconsistent. 
* * * 
A bill has been prepared and approved by the lot-owners 
and others interested in the Rural Cemetery, St. Johns, N. B., 
to legalize the purchase of a piece of contiguous property, and 
also the contracts made for the perpetual care of lots and monu- 
ments, and for the preservation of the monies received by the 
association for that purpose. The progressive spirit evinced by 
this company has been commendable to a degree. The report 
said the object of this feature of the bill is: “to promote the great 
principle in cemetery work of perpetual care among the lot- 
holders by affording to them amplest security that the funds en- 
trusted to them will be kept intact and safe under the guardian- 
ship of the law.” 
* * * 
A plan providing for a perpetual care fund to be placed at 
the disposal of the cemetery commissioners at Grand Rapids, 
Mich., and by them invested for the purpose of caring for the 
lots of the person appropriating the fund is proving very popu- 
lar. Bequests are being made by testators, as well as by living 
lot-owners. One provision of the law seems to have caused a 
little figuring on the part of the testators. It is provided that 
where the bequest is for $100 or more an order of the court must 
be obtained for putting the money into the hands of the commis- 
sioners. A majority of the persons who make use of this fund 
wish to devote just $100 to the purpose and to avoid the pay- 
ment of the fee required to get the order from the court they fix 
the amount at $99.99. The commissioners have safely invested 
the gathering funds, realizing 4^ per cent., thus having $4.50 
to expend annually on each lot. 
