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Dining And Dying

Dining And Dying image
Parent Issue
Day
23
Month
December
Year
1864
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

These - the two greatest luxuries of life - are soon to be " expenses" whic-h nono but the rioh man can aíford I Fortunately, in New York, at present, it is " a tnercy" to most nieu's families (luit they do not die - for it would oost $500 to bury them I The following extract from a letter to one of our country news papers particularizes the sad ststislic: ' Speaking of prieel, wh it a hard placo New York is to die in, to say noth ing of the expenses of living there. An aged friepd sickened and died recently, and if hc had not left ampie weal'h, hisl doctor's bilí and funeral expenses would I have exhausted the purse of his survivinr I Family. I;ess thau two months' illnss cost $500 - the doctore' charge being Í4 per visit. The fuñera! was from an uptown tashiouable churc!), where Ihe price for tnusic was $10, and opening tho building $15 ; carriages, some dozen, over $100 ; sua fs for clergy and p:illbearers inoro than another $100; eoffin, $75; which, with flewers, undeitaker's, j and other expensen, in tho ggrjftte reachöd about $500 ! Verily it is 1 pensive to live in New York, but more expensive to die thertt !" We have long wondcred that litwary and other poor men who cannot nft'urd to die, do not foi m themselvos into what ïnight be oallcd a "Chcap Sprrow Society" or an "Antifuss-making Assofiation,'' ora ' Last remitios Gompany," to i be Kurjed whon thoy die at the oouimoa cost. ïhis would serve, at least to mak death more convenient - leaving the grief of the urvivors, (tears, sadness, eto ,) entirely optional. But - although ihere may bn tbus a " Dying madn-eaay" - It appears to grow " harder stili" with otlier equally indispensable luxury, that of diiung To dine in New York, at present, ia a ítra.'igiual afl'air, both of priviicy and pock;t. To do it at all " like n gentleman" - with private tublo and a bottle of wine, clioice of dishes and civility öf waiter - costs, as evory frequunler ei nu up-town restaurant known, five dollar and upwurd. ïhis price, to which th philosophic inind rationally object, (ai over c!iiiro for comtnodity procurad,) crows daily higher snd higher; and ik vill soon bo out of the reacli of what muy bo callad a "private gulleman:' (if poor) to eveu pretend to dine ; while " Delmonicü'a'1 will be but a remeinbrance faintiy and fondly eherished. Th cheaper foed - tlie "eramble-aud dodge," with tlie clerki), sub editors and sliopbojr geiierally, at tlm eatiug-liouse, down towu - is of eourse done ui'h a complete saeriíice of overytliing like respeetability or privacy - tliough, if one could do it in a tnask, (and why might w not tliua in coy-nify, every ujuu to fec-d privately, if he likea ?) We might get quito as good u djnncr for our ''lií'ty cenia1' dovTn town, as for our "five dollars" up town, Vho will show us how, either to dio

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus