26 
PARK AND CEMETERY. 
ways of the average legislative Solon 
are peculiar. In the staid and con- 
servative old Commonwealth of 
Massachusetts a few years ago, 
through a printer’s error in a bill, 
the serving of liquid refreshments 
after 11 p. m. became illegal. Instead 
of correcting a manifest error, the 
whole of the “uplift forces” were uni- 
ted in making it permanent, so that 
the stranger within the gates of Bos- 
ton was offered the hospitality of the 
“hot dog” man on the street corner, 
and the aseptic drinking cup of the 
Common. Another error seems to 
run through nearly every cemetery 
bill enacted of late years. In the 
bill passed in 1835, incorporating Mt. 
Auburn Cemetery, that corporation 
was empowered to “take and hold 
any grant, donation,” etc., and apply 
the income thereof “for the repair, 
preservation, or removal of any tomb, 
monument, grave-stone,” etc. This 
language was for years followed in 
nearly every bill of a like character, 
but because, it is supposed, the word 
“removal” was misprinted for “re- 
newal” in a rather cheaply prepared 
law book, it has been enacted by the 
legislature that various cemeteries in- 
corporated may make contracts for 
the REMOVAL of monuments. No 
one familiar with the architectural 
features usual to New England ceme- 
teries will question the desirability of 
the amendment, but it is to be doubt- 
ed if the owners of such structures 
will willingly pay money for even so 
laudable a purpose. 
Hardly a dissenting voice was 
heard at the meeting of cemetery offi- 
cials, representatives of the clergy, 
undertakers, etc., held in St. Louis, 
Mo., in February, on the proposition 
to abolish Sunday funerals. Mr. J. A. 
Schmiemeier, superintendent of St. 
Matthews Cemetery, writes to us that 
the “characteristic features of the 
meetings were fraternity, unity, har- 
mony, courtesy and good will.” We 
had the clergy with us; the undertak- 
ers pushed the more “and provided 
funds.” Two years ago the idea was 
laughed at; one year ago grave 
doubts were entertained as to suc- 
ceeding, and at the last meetings 
there was hardly a dissenting voice. 
A notice card has been issued that 
after March 1, 1912, there will be no 
more Sunday funerals except in the 
cases of contagious diseases. The fol- 
lowing cemeteries are named on the 
notice: Bethania, Bethlehem, Cal- 
vary, Concordia, Friedens, Green- 
wood, Mt. Olive, New Pickers, St. 
Matthews, St. Paul, St. Marks (old), 
St. Marks (new), St. Peters, St. Trin- 
ity, St. John, SS. Peter and Paul, Val- 
halla, Western Ev.-Luth., Wesleyn, 
Zions. 
A Seasonable Notice. 
Following is a form usually mailed 
to lot holders during the month of 
February by one of the leading ceme- 
teries of Chicago. 
THE OAK WOODS CEMETERY 
ASSOCIATION 
193 Michigan Avenue 
Cor. Van Buren Street 
We received your order last season 
for work on Lot No Div Sec. 
. . . ., amounting to Will you favor 
us with your order for this season? If so, 
kindly sign and return the enclosed card. 
(Making any changes you may desire.) 
Very truly yours, 
THE' OAK WOODS CEMETERY ASS’N. 
Accompanying the circular is a self- 
addressed post card which reads as 
follows: 
The Oak Woods Cemetery Ass’n. 
191 . . 
Please do the following work on 
Lot ..., Div.., Section .. for the 
season of 191.. 
Cost. 
Name 
Address 
“Cash must accompany all small 
amounts.” 
From the Cemetery Reports. 
The 80th annual report of Mount Au- 
burn Cemetery, Cambridge, Mass., for 
1911, shows marked prosperity for that 
year, the condition of the cemetery 
having been exceptionally satisfactory. 
The total receipts, including a balance 
of $35,166.59 from the previous year, 
amounted to $149,103.21, which includ- 
ed $19,765.27 for sale of lots, and 
$73,524.28 for labor and material on 
lots. The expenditures were $114,019- 
.65, which covered $48,494.11 for labor 
pay roll; $22,800.32 for materials, and 
$3,107.02 for repairs, building and 
fences. Salaries and office expenses 
consumed $19,338.94. The Permanent 
Fund is now $574,418.92. There were 
450 interments during the year bring- 
ing the total in the cemetery to 38,485. 
During the year 283 cremations were 
made, making a total of $2,224. There 
were 267 headstones and 45 monu- 
ments erected. The Perpetual Care 
Fund from 1835 to Dec. 1894 reached 
a total of $812,216.82; from 1895 to 
1911 inclusive, during Mr. J. C. Scor- 
gie’s superintendency $945,620.73 has 
been added making the present total 
$1,757,837.55, a very excellent showing. 
At the annual meeting of the West- 
field Cemetery association Westfield, 
Conn., it was shown that the associa- 
tion is in good financial standing, the 
perpetual care fund amounting to 
about $10,000, and the general fund to 
about $7,000, this latter fund accruing 
principally from the sale of lots. The 
income from the fund is used in mak- 
ing general improvements about the 
cemetery and in beautifying the 
grounds. An improvement made from 
this fund during 1911 was the instal- 
lation of a gasoline engine for pump- 
ing water from the Quinebaug river, 
skirting the cemetery, to insure an 
adequate supply for all cemetery pur- 
poses during drought periods in sum- 
mer. The treasurer’s report showed 
a growing tendency to take advantage 
of the perpetual care of the associa- 
tion and the fund used for this pur- 
pose is constantly increasing. The 
payments for perpetual care are $50 
or $100, and more according to size 
of lot. The growing number of lots 
cared for under this fund makes the 
cemetery more beautiful each year, a 
fact that is coming to be more and 
more appreciated. 
The annual report of the Riverview 
Cemetery Association, Portland, Ore., 
showed that during the past year 163 
lots were sold including a lot to the 
State of Oregon as a burial plot for 
war veterans. In the same period 
$13,000 was spent in improving roads 
within the tract and $16,000 in de- 
veloping the water supply. In the 
ensuing year it is proposed to spend 
$7,500 on the roadways. The receipts 
during 1911 were approximately $44,- 
000, of which a little less than $40,000 
was expended; the sum remaining is 
added to the endowment fund which 
now aggregates $102,000. The officers 
of the association are W. M. Ladd, 
president, and W. R. Mackenzie, sec- 
retary. 
The fifty-eighth annual meeting of 
the Newton Cemetery Corporation, 
Newton Center, Mass., was held at 
the chapel, February 7th, at 4 o’clock 
p. m. The report of the treasurer 
shows a Perpetual Care Fund of $180,- 
668.62, Farlow Fund for care of the 
Bigelow Memorial Chapel, $10,000, 
and a Perpetual Renewal Fund of 
$1,450.00. The Perpetual Renewal 
Fund is a new fund, established dur- 
ing the year, and should appeal 
strongly to lot owners, as it guaran- 
tees the perpetual repair and renewal 
when necessary, of all monumental 
work covered thereby. The natural 
beauties of the cemetery, combined 
with the excellent care of the grounds 
and lots, guaranteed by the Perpetual 
Care Fund have caused many ot New- 
ton’s leading citizens to take an ac- 
tive interest in the administration of 
its affairs. There are now 1,947 lot 
owners and 7,720 interments. The 
