Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1901 — A CHINESE CEMETERY. [ARTICLE]

A CHINESE CEMETERY.

Neglected Spot in New York City Used for This purpose. It would be difficult to find hereabouts -a more neglected burying ground than the Chinese plot in the Cemetery of the Evergreens, says the New York Sun. It is situated in the northwest corner, over again st Ridgewood, and was set apart foi the purpose about 15 years ago. Tlh» plot contains peihaps half an acre. No attempt ha> ever been made to improve or beautify it. It has neither tree, nor shrub, nor flower, and grass grows only in patches. The graves are constantly littlered with refuse from frequent feasts and ceremonies; the headstones are streaked with grease. The stones which mark the graves are mostly uniform in size and appearance. On each are inscribed, in Chinese characters, the name, date of death and place of nativity of the person buried. The Chinese are particular about the inscriptions, and to insure accuracy give the marble cutters facsimiles oft paper, which are pasted on the face of the stones and the inscription is cut out through the paper by following the lines. Each headstone with an inscription costs from five to twelve dollars. The cemetery authorities get four for opening or reopening a grave. This is a source of constant revenue, from year to year. No matter how many interments, there will always be room for more. Seven or eight hundred persons have already been buried in the plot, yet the number of graves docs not exceed ten score. This is explained by the fact that these reslingplaces are only temporary. When means and opportunity permit, the bodies are exhumed, and the bones are packed in boxes for shipment to China, where they will finally restby the graves of their ancestors The headstones are then removed and new ones soon appear in their places. Thus a single grave may at various times have btjen a receptacle formanybodies. Recently more than a hundred bodies were exhumed and prepared for shipment.