328 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
HANDLING THE CEMETERY PATRONS 
An address before the Missouri Cemetery Improvement Association , 
by /. A. Sclimiemeier, Supt., St. Matthews’ Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo. 
It is to our own interest to do every- 
thing in our power to obtain and hold the 
approval and good-will of the board; but 
it is not always the best policy, in the in- 
terest of the cemetery, to work solely and 
exclusively to have the board’s approval 
when, in our better judgment, a deviation 
from the trodden path would be in the 
cemetery’s interest. It would be our duty 
to familiarize our employers with facts and 
conditions. We should point out the way, 
but remain in the background; arouse their 
pride and seek their co-operation. Prog- 
ress might be slow, but common sense 
and perseverance would bring success, and 
success would strengthen confidence in our 
ability; increased respect would be ours; 
future suggestions would find a willing 
ear. We should never try to force mat- 
ters by employing means unworthy of a 
man. We must aim to be in harmony with 
our officials, nourish their pride, create an 
ambition for betterment, keep our self- 
respect and the even tenor of our way in 
everything that is good and noble. We 
must work, think, study and strive for our 
cemetery, and we will find the approval of 
our boards, that of our conscience, our 
patrons and the public. 
In handling the public we should never 
forget that it is composed of individuals. 
Sooner or later we cemetery people will 
have dealings with the individuals of this 
public. We should handle all with cour- 
tesy, treat them gentlemanly, create their 
respect for us and establish in their minds 
the fact that we are decent, honest, well- 
bred men, ever ready to be lenient with 
their shortcomings and quick to acknowl- 
edge good manners and behavior, and to 
welcome their presence when their good 
demeanor justifies us to do so. One fea- 
ture that taxed our self-control to the 
limit at times is the so-called mob-gather- 
ing that congregates at the cemetery when 
some prominent citizen is buried — conspic- 
uously so on Sundays. Since the Sunday 
funerals, however, have been abolished in 
St. Louis, very little trouble has been ex- 
perienced in this line. Never lose your 
temper. A cemetery man cuts a very sor- 
rowful figure when he loses his self-control 
in view of hundreds of people. By cour- 
teously appealing to them in a manner cal- 
culated to arouse their sympathy and by 
requesting them to respect the dead and 
the sacred place where they rest, we will 
usually obtain the desired results. 
The handling of our patrons is really 
the most important part of our subject. 
Success or failure largely depends on the 
manner, method and knack of the ceme- 
tery man. The first impression we make is 
usually a lasting one. The cemetery man 
needs an abundance of tact, common sense 
and courtesy. In greeting the prospective 
patrons we should not fail to extend our 
sympathy. Interest in the departed, his or 
her family, will usually be welcomed by 
the patron to be. Still, exceeding care 
must be exercised not to transgress cer- 
tain boundaries. We should never become 
inquisitive. The little trip to the place 
where the lots for sale are located will 
give ample time to elicit such information 
as is needed to direct us to lots that will 
suit and fill the particular wants. 
Truthfulness in our statements must be 
our guide. Never say anything that, later 
on, we are unable to back up, nor ever 
take any advantage of the patron’s present 
state of mind. Things necessary for the 
buyer to know should be explained in de- 
tail. Attention must be called to certain 
customs and usages in vogue. Valuable in- 
formation for the future can usually be 
gleaned on the trip back to the office. Let 
the buyer leave with the conviction that he 
has had dealings with an honest, straight- 
forward, sympathetic man. If we succeed 
in gaining his or her confidence we will 
probably have easy sailing afterwards. 
In the large cities many people bury in 
the single-grave section, or public grounds, 
even when they are abundantly able to 
purchase a lot. This section might be des- 
ignated as the real, genuine republic of the 
dead. The pauper and the well-to-do are 
here buried side by side. All are treated 
alike. It matters not whether the deceased 
is followed by many mourners or whether 
he is brought out to the cemetery in a 
manner described by the poet when he 
says : “Rattle his bones over the stones, 
for he’s a pauper whom nobody owns.” A 
large percentage of my burials would have 
no ceremonies performed were it not for 
the writer of this paper. The request is 
usually made to say a few words and a 
prayer. This is at times a very delicate 
affair and requires caution and tact. The 
meager information gathered in a hurry is 
practically all one has to be guided by. 
All that is said must be true ; still, many 
things true should and must not be said. 
Never judge, but leave judgment to Him 
who is the only just judge. If one has 
succeeded in saying the appropriate thing 
at the right time, he has performed a good 
service for the people which they will re- 
member. From that time on they are 
friends and a large part of their confidence 
has been gained. It paves the way in do- 
ing business with them later on. 
And now the business end of our work 
has arrived. We must all live. In man- 
aging a cemetery there are two ways of 
doing it — the salary and the commission 
basis. The former is usually pursued when 
the receipts justify it and adopted when 
the indications favor it. Nearly all the 
large cemeteries follow it. The other 
method is to elect or appoint a sexton or 
superintendent, giving him carte blanche 
to make out of it what he can, on the 
principle of “Root, hog, or die.” In the | 
majority of cases the “hog” will root, and 
root for dear life. 
This plan will force the man on the i 
cemetery to employ all his energies and 
skill, not only to make “both ends meet,” 
but to try to “make hay while the sun 
shines.” It forces him to employ methods j 
and means pleasing and satisfactory to his 
patrons, otherwise they can get “back at 
him” by withdrawing their patronage. If i 
he has ability and knows how to handle 
the people to get the business and to hold j 
it, he will probably have success. 
He can take advantage of many so- 
called knick-knacks, such as selling flow- 
ers, decorating graves on various occa- 
sions, such as on birth and death days, 
Christmas, Easter, Decoration Day, etc. 
He may even be lucky enough to have a 
dollar now and then slipped into his pock- 
ets after a burial ceremony performed by ' 
him. By doing his full duty and perhaps 
just a little more, he will acquire friends 
who will assist him very materially in in- j 
ducing their friends and others to also put 
their lots in his care. 
The spirit of betterment and improve- J 
ment will be aroused. However, his own 
work must be his main solicitor. It must 
be his aim to get as many lots under his i 
care as possible, on the principle that if 
the lots are cared for the cemetery will 
take care of itself. One advantage for the 
sexton or superintendent in this manner 
of managing a cemetery is his independ- 
ence. He is not hedged in by strict ac- ! 
counting to his board for all moneys re- 
ceived and expended, nor for everything 
he does or leaves undone. He can use his 
own judgment and act unhampered in a 
greater degree than his brother under the 
salary basis. 
The main drawbacks of this system are 
the uncertainty of the revenue and the cer- j 
tainty of the expense and the fickleness of ; 
the public. The whole thing is more or 
less based on the good-will of the people, j 
By having and holding that, he will be able 
to accomplish much ; by losing it he will be 
sorely handicapped and might as well give 
up his job. 
In conclusion : The art of handling the 
people is the basis of success in all public j 
and quasi-public affairs. The cardinal 
principles at the bottom of it are the same 
that underlie every successful and endur- 
ing undertaking. 
They are hard work, justice, fairness, 
honesty, uprightness, self-control and 
good-will. If these are the basic princi- 
ples of our life we are bound to succeed j 
in our dealings with our fellow-men. 
