74 
PARK AND CEMETERY 
must pay what the land is worth for cemetery purposes, or 
simply for building lots. 
* * * 
Maplewood Cemetery was recently dedicated at Anderson, 
Ind., with elaborate ceremonies, including an address by Gov. 
Durbin. The tract is one of great landscape beauty and a large 
sum has been spent on its improvement. President Stanton 
and Secretary Sears of the association were in charge of the 
dedicatory ceremonies. 
* * * 
Trouble in the drawing of funds for the improvement of 
Evergreen Cemetery, Colorado Springs, Col., may bring about 
the transfer of that property from the city to a board of 
trustees to be selected by the lot owners. It is argued by city 
officials that the present plan of conducting the cemetery 
under the direction of the city council, involves too much red 
tape and hampers improvements. At present all property and 
supplies and all improvements which may be contracted for, 
have to be advertised in the same manner as in any of the 
city departments. This often results, it is claimed, in the 
payment of more for the advertisement than is paid for the 
supplies. The cemetery also has an endowment fund but it is 
stipulated that the fund shall be handled by a board of trus- 
tees. Under the stipulation it is impossible for this money 
to be used until the legislature shall provide for the selection 
of a board. Chairman Dunbar of the council finance commit- 
tee and ex-Chairman Patton of the cemetery committee both 
express themselves as favoring the new proposition, and it is 
probable that the question will be brought up for decision. 
* * * 
IMPROVEMENTS AND ADDITIONS, 
Ashland Cemetery, Ashland, Ky., is to erect a new shelter 
house to cost about $800. * * A permanent cemetery as- 
sociation has been organized at Fargo, N. D., to improve Riv- 
erside Cemetery. Morton Page is president of the associa- 
tion. * * Spring Forest Cemetery, Binghamton, N. Y., is 
raising funds for the construction of a new entrance, a new 
fence and an administration building. * * Extensive im- 
provements to cost about $6,000 are to be made in the Catholic 
Cemetery at Butte, Mont. A landscape gardener will be em- 
ployed to supervise the work, which will include platting and 
planting of trees and shrubbery. * * Fairview Cemetery, 
Acton, Ont., has recently added new territory. * * A reser- 
voir to supply water for the new water works system has just 
been installed at the Rural Cemetery, Albany, N. Y. It is 
mounted 75 feet higher than the highest altitude in the ceme- 
tery. * * A new artesian well has just been completed at 
Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee. It is 1,316 feet deep and 
has a flow of 350 gallons a minute. This is the third well in 
the cemetery. * * Elmwood Cemetery, Batavia, N. Y., is 
to erect a new entrance. * * An association has been 
formed at Owensboro, Ky., for the purchase and improvement 
of Elmwood Cemetery. The affairs of the company are to be 
managed by a board of nine directors, three of whom are to 
be chosen for one, three for two and three for three years, and 
after that three each year to serve three years. When the 
total amount paid in reaches $30,000, one-fifth of the amount 
shall be set aside for an endowment fund, to be used for im- 
proving the grounds. In' connection with the company the 
Elmwood Endowment association is to be organized. It is 
to have a board of five trustees whose duties will be to collect, 
manage and invest the endowment fund for the preservation 
and ornamentation of the cemetery. * * The commission- 
ers of Brookdale Cemetery, Dedham, Mass., have advertised 
for proposals for building a new gate lodge. Bids were closed 
May 27, and the contract will soon be let. * * The Cisco 
Cemetery Association, Cisco, Tex., is putting in the piping for 
a new waterworks system. 
5fC ^ * 
NEW CEMETERIES, 
Rev. Emery Haitenger, of St. Marie's Slavish Church, of 
Dundee, N. J., has acquired 35 acres of ground in Saddle 
River township, just north of Garfield, to be used as a ceme- 
tery for the foreign Catholics of Dundee. Only 15 acres of 
the property will be improved at first. * * A number of 
secret societies of Springfield, Ohio, are said to be planning 
to establish a cemetery of their own, owing to dissatisfaction 
with the recent action of Ferncliff Cemetery in prohibiting 
Sunday burials. * * St. Mary's Catholic church, of East 
Hartford, Conn., recently dedicated a new cemetery of 15 
acres near Burnside Center. * * The Rozetta Cemetery As- 
sociation has been incorporated at Kirkwood, 111 ., by S. Mus- 
grove, C. E. Duker and S. A. Shields. 
* * * 
RIGHT TO DECIDE UPON FINAL PLACE OF 
BURIAL. 
Ordinarily the right to the custody and to decide upon the 
final place of burial of the body of a deceased unmarried 
person, the supreme court of Nebraska holds (McEntee vs. 
Bonacum, 92 Northwestern Reporter, 633), resides in his next 
of kin, and this right the courts will not lightly disregard, or 
treat as having been waived or relinquished, except .ipon clear 
and satisfactory evidence indicative of a free and voluntary In- 
tent and purpose to that end. Again, it is said in the case that 
the great weight, if not the unanimous voice, of the authori- 
ties is that the right of disposition of the body of a deceased 
person resides in his or her surviving consort or next of 
kin, and that it is thought that this court would be unwar- 
ranted in holding that such right can be relinquished, if at 
all, without some affirmative act evidencing a deliberate pur- 
pose so to do. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule 
that it is the right of a surviving husband or wife, or, if 
there be none, of the next of kin, to have the custody of the 
body of a deceased person, and decide upon the place of its 
final burial, as there are exceptions to nearly all general 
rules ; but they arise for the most part out of some such 
circumstances as would deprive a natural guardian of the 
custody of a living child. The sentiments, sympathies, and 
affectionate wishes of parents and near relatives concerning 
their deceased children and next of kin are not to be lightly 
set aside at the instance of strangers to the blood or distant 
relatives. It is further said that it is very much doubted, but 
not decided, that a dying request by a decedent as to the dis- 
position of his remains is obligatory upon his next of kin 
* * * 
FROM THE ANNUAL REPORTS, 
The annual report of the Machpelah Cemetery Association, 
of Sharpsville, Pa., presents the following statistics of the 
year : Total receipts, $4,866.77, including, sale of lots, $704.75 ; 
single graves, $105 ; interest on endowment fund, $575.75. The 
endowment fund now amounts to $8,723.25, and the chapel 
endowment fund to $1,420.80. Among the improvements 
decided on for the present year is a new iron fence with or- 
namental entrance gates. 
At the annual meeting of the directors of the Pine View 
Cemetery Association, of Glens Falls, N. Y., the following 
officers were chosen : President, R. J. Eddy, M. D. ; vice- 
president, C. H. Hitchcock; secretary and treasurer, Chas. E. 
Bullard; comptroller, James Pardo; counsel, L. L. Davis. 
John A. Wendorph was appointed superintendent — a position 
held by him since the opening of the cemetery four years ago. 
