Cremation - 1875 Style in Virginia City

The following particulars appeared in the Territorial Enterprise in 1875.

(The accuracy of this piece may be questionable as this is the peak time of Comstock society when tall tales often proliferated.  But this was published in the newspaper)

 

     Cremation proved a decided success in Virginia City through the enterprise of some energetic young men of our city who formed a company for the purpose of carrying on the business in an economical manner. 

     "Edward Chapin, Superintendent of the Petaluma Mill, Gold Hill, and Rube Hobart, of the hardware firm of Doake, Hobart & Co., of Virginia City, desire us to say that they are now prepared to reduce to ashes - at short notice and reasonable rates - any cadaver that may be furnished them.  They have purchased the gasometer formerly in use at the Petaluma Mill for the manufacture of chloride gas and will now use it as a cremation furnace.  It is made of heavy boiler-iron, and is simply a drum within a drum.  The body to be operated upon will be placed in the inner drum, when the space between the two will be filled with charcoal, other fuel, and a strong blast introduced.  The gasometer originally cost $800.00, but Hobart and Chapin, the new cremation firm, managed to get it for $350.00.  In turning out work, the bargain at which they obtained their apparatus will be borne in mind, and the customer will have his full share of the benefit of the same."

PRACTICED OPERATORS

"They desire to say that with them cremation is no experiment.  Last week they purchased two old and decrepit Paiutes, a male and a female, at six bits each, $1.50 for the pair, agreeing to return the ashes - hauled them into town, cremated them separately, and in three hours from the time of making the purchase returned the ashes of the old couple to their sorrowing relatives in two yeast-powder boxes.  The weeping children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of the old folks mixed their mortal remains with a little pitch, and now affectionately wear them about on the cheek-bones, their foreheads, and the ends of their noses."

"Had the company desired to continue their work among the Paiutes they might have been at it yet, as when the price for the old couple was noised about among the tribe a great number of the aged and decrepit were brought in and offered at what was supposed to be the established rate.  One lusty Piute man came all the way from Walker Lake, driving before him four mothers-in-law.  He was much disgusted when he found there was no sale for them.  Before leaving he offered them for two bits each and agreed to shoot them himself in the bargain.  Finally, after peeping about and examining the furnace for some time, the old Piute fellow offered to shoot the oldest and donate her, just for the fun of seeing the machine work.  This was an offer the firm could not accept."

PRIVACY AVAILABLE

"The apparatus has been placed on wheels and, in case it is a man's dying request, his remains will be cremated in private - in his own backyard, and with fuel from his own wood pile, if it should be desired on the score of economy.  The charge for cremation of an ordinary cadaver will be but $15.00.  For mothers-in-law - and here is where the profit comes in - they charge $25.00, a price that any average son-in-law will cheerfully pay.  They are enabled to offer reduced rates in the case of cadavers of such men as have worked long in mills and reduction works, as,  connected with their furnace,  is a retorting apparatus and from such subjects they will be able to obtain from four to nine pounds of quicksilver; and, as this quicksilver always contains more or less some of the precious metals, they will frequently be able not only to make no charge for the cremating and retorting, but may even be able to declare snug little dividends, to be distributed among the relatives."     Territorial Enterprise, 1875  (you have to wonder)

Bet you didn't know that !