PARK AND CEMETERY 
431 
■which should inspire the lot owners to unite in creating a fund for 
the perpetual Care of the cemetery. Modern cemetery ideas 
are making strong headway, and need only sustained effort to 
establish them. 
♦ * • 
The annual report of Swan Point cemetery, Providence, R. 
I., shows total receipts $91,206.97 which includes 115,453 from 
sale of lots, labor and material $15,648.01, tomb rent $476.52. 
The total expenditures were 96.323.47 of which $25,414.74 was 
expended for labor and $7,100 for salaries. The average num- 
ber of men employed per month was 50. The number of in- 
terments was 251 making a total to Dec. 31, 1896 of 13,751. 
There were 271 foundations to monuments and tablets con" 
structed. Two hedies, and four curbings were removed from 
lots. Out of the whole number of lots sold to date, 3193, 1409 
are under perpetual care, 529 under annual care and 282 under 
partial care. The perpetual care and bequest fund now amounts 
to $250,235.15.. 
* * * 
The sixty-fifth annual meeting of the proprietors of Mount 
Auburn Cemetery, Boston, was held Feb. 1st. The total re* 
ceipts from all sources for the year were $189,791, which with 
the balance from last year equals $239,007. The expenditures 
were $214,239. 546 interments were made during the year of 
which 36 were removals The total number of interments now 
exceed 31,407. The perpetual care fund amounts to $897,413, 
a gain of 43.441 during the past year. The permanent fund for 
the care of the cemetery after all lots are sold amounts to $364,- 
461. The principal improvement commenced during the year 
are a chapel and office structure connected with it. The chapel 
fronts on Central avenue. The main entrance to the chapel is 
through a covered porch. The extreme length of the building 
from the fronts of this porch to the rear wall of the chancel is 
1 16 feet, and the extreme width across the transept 54 feet. The 
office building has a frontage of 55 feet and a depth of 65 feet, 
and is connected with the chapel by a cloister, which also ex- 
tends along the north wall of the chapel. The English perpen- 
dicular style of architecture as exemplified in many of the Eng- 
lish parish churches built during the early part of the fifteenth 
century has been adopted, and the chapel has been planned to 
meet the requirements of all religious denominations. 
•^}0orre5ponelence.I^ 
Franki.in, Pa., Febuary, 1897. 
Editor Park a?id Cemetery; 
Dear Sir; — I fully endorsed all Mr. Stone said in your last 
about the St. Louis convention. Many of us in our smaller 
cemeteries can scarcely hope for the opportunity of expressing 
our appreciation in the same way; but while I live it will always 
be pleasant to remember thedayswespentinthatcityunder 
the care of Supt. Brazill and his associates. Those in charge 
of the publication of our proceedings deserve the thanks of the 
members. The publication impresses the value of the conven- 
tion on us by affording us an opportunity for home study and 
•contemplation, besides the pleasure of recalling the interesting 
matters of the convention. 
I would like to ask the Ladies’ of the Association of Bloom- 
ington, Ind., through Park and Cemetery, whether they have 
-any auxilliaries, or papers for starting new associations. I 
think our Ladies would join them in such work; they have as- 
'Sisted me in many ways, and are a great help. I expected be- 
fore this to have seen some notes from Mr. Salway concerning 
his trip to the old country. I am sure he would observe many 
things of interest to us, if he had the time to jot them down. 
The citizens of Franklin have recently erected a fine foun- 
tain in the park to the memory of the late Dr. A. G. Egbert, 
and as soon as I can 1 will forward you a photograph and partic- 
ulars. January was our busiest month for the year, having had 
more burials than in any other month of the year. 
C. D. Phipps. 
Supt. Franklin Cemetery. 
Fort Plain, N. Y., January 29, 1897. 
Editor Park and Cemetery. 
Dear Sir;— 1 have no information to contribute to our use- 
ful paper at present, but if you can advise me on the question of 
who has a right to vote at the election of trustees of a cemetery 
association I should be obliged. Of course a person can vote by 
proxy but can anyone who is not a direct lot owner vote on ac- 
count of his brothers, sisters, or any near relatives lot, even if 
the direct owner is away or dead. Any information in this line 
I think would be interesting to all who are not rightly 
posted. 
W. C. Rapp, 
„ Superintendent, Fort Plain Cemetery. 
[The laws of the state usually regulate the descent of heir- 
ship in cemetery property. The question of voting in elections 
of officers, or matters pertaining to the cemetery management 
is subject to the laws of the organization itself. — Eds.] 
Reforms at Funerals. 
The two most painful periods for mourners at 
funerals are undoubtedly; first, when the body is 
being lowered into the grave; the second and 
most trying especially for female friends, being that 
when the earth clods, falling upon the coffin 
as each shovel full is thrown in, gives back such un- 
earthly hollow sounds so unlike any other, and 
which frequently ring in the ears for days. 
It is in the power of the cemetery officials to 
mitigate this feature by not filling in until after the 
friends have taken their departure from the grave 
side. The writer has adopted the following method 
which with the co-operation of the undertakers 
works well. 
Along each side of the grave are laid dressed 
and painted planks 2 in. by 12 in. and 12 feet in 
length, resting at either end upon 2 in by 4 in. 
dressed scantling. These planks make it easy for 
the carriers to deposit the coffin over the grave. 
The remains being lowered, and the religious or 
other services ended, the attendants after allowing 
a minute or two for a last fond look, quietly slip 
the planks over the opening and all is hidden from 
view. The undertaker leads the chief mourners 
away to their carriages, the others soon follow and 
after all have departed, the attendants can fill the 
grave without undue haste. The work can be bet- 
ter performed when there are no onlookers to 
embarrass. 
