An Urn And A Niche

"Cremation this afternoon at 2." These words are lefctered on a sruall sign that swings in a shop window on Honston streef, where several curious urns are displaj'ed. This is the New York office of a suburban cemetery, where are cremated the bodies of those who prefer that their remains .shall be consnmed by fíame rather tlian to let na ture take its course in a cofíiu six feet under the sod. A World reporter dropped into the office and had a t:dk wifrh the youug man in charge. It was too late on that afternoon to witness a cremation, but ordinanly the crematory people are glad ;o have spectators when the interesting process is going on. Economy is always considered by most people, and cremation is cheap. It is also cleau, aud what is cleaner for a last resting place than a white metal vase? "You know how much yon would ha-ve to pay for a plot at Greeuwood?" said the yoting man. "At our crematory $25 will buy a niche in which you niay place au urn large enough to hold the ashes of an entire family. " There is something sentimental in the ashes of "two souls with but a single thought" being put together. There are no rules against buying a row of niches. This, howover, is more expensive, and the line of names on the separate urus stiggests the search for a name on the bells of a fiathonse. Yet there are often as many as 12 niches bought in a row. Eacb niche is decorated by the creiuation corapany every Memorial day. It is on this occasion that the crematory has its greatest number of visitors. When the young man was asked what class of ptíople favored cremation, he replied: "No particular class of people. ín New York the Germans perhaps are the most uumerous advocates of it. It appeals alike to the poor and the wealthy. The cost to-cremate an adult is $35 and $25 for a ehilcl. An urn large enough to contain the ashes of oue person can be bought for $6, and this, witb the price of a niche, does not bring oremation beyond the reach of the poor man. "What are the urrss inade of? Mostly of bronze and white metal. Here is a beauty of serpentine stone. " The "beauty" was only 20 inches high, but it cost $45. Thereare aboutadozen different designs in urns. Often a dead person's relativas may desire to keep the ashes in a parlor va.se. Tbc young man was asked if all the ashes of thosecremated were kept at the cemetery. "Just about one-half are," he answered. "Soroe are taken away and placed in safety vaults, and some are always kept near the person who most loved the deceased in life. I know of or.e lady who always carries the ashes of her lmsband wherever she goes. They have been to Enrope and back several times, aud have had many trips to the seashore and mountains. "No one bnt myself ever handles the ashes after they leave the fireman. They are sent to me from there, and I seal each jar and keep them here nntil they are sent for or until I have too many on hand. In that case I notify the relativos. If they want them transferred to an urn, I do it bymeans of this great glass funnel. Do they all pass through the saine funnel? Of course. What's the dinerence? I clean it after each separate lot of ashes. ' ' He then wen t over to the big office safe, and, fixing the combination lock, opened the iron door. There was exposed a row of black jars about the size of dmary (ornato cans. Euch jar was sealed ■with black vax and tape, and pasted ou the front was a label. The young nian took out one of the jars and set it on the hand of a woman who wore a nuuiber five glove. She held it easily and reac the label. Inside of the jar was all that remamed of a large sized man who haá been cremated three weeks bef ore. -