Show HOWD HOW'D fD YOU LIKE LI TO BE THE UNDERTAKER EERIE THINGS HAPPEN AT TIMES THAT SHAKE THE NERVES EVEN OF MEN HARDENED TO THE BUSINESS BY LIFELONG EXPERIENCE I The average undertaker or his assistant assist assist- ant is not frightened by the swaying of ofa a mantel cover in the room where they are working with the dead nor arc they startled at the sudden suddon opening of adoor n a door falling of an instrument to the floor floor or overturning of a n chair but on the other hand undertakers have h been frightened frightened only mind you at occurrences which in many instances probably would have haye turned a n timid outsiders outsider's hair ray gray or caused him to drop dead in his tracks Before the apprentice has worked ed long on ong under the tho direction of his em- em he has become moro more or less ac ac- with sudden relaxation of muscles mus mus- des cles and other peculiar contortions of dead bodies but it is more than probable probable able that even enn though he practiced the profession sion for years he ho would meet one or two scares tho the very verO thought of j which occasions a shudder A Kansas City undertaker not long lonz V ago ao had bad occasion to prepare two bodies for burial within a brief period of time Both were accident cases and the corpses one a man well Wen past mi middle e dl-e age the other a young joung man reached the undertaking un tin establishment simultaneously The assistant had the day before been granted a vacation and the tho other man who on occasions such as this thi was wont to lend his a assistance was ill It re remained remained reo re- therefore that the work of embalming em em- both bodies was up tip to the I old oldin old in man a n How It Happened I The Tho operating room was WiS large Jarge and ventilated by means of several large larce windows Owing to the exceedingly hot weather both operating tables sup sup- supporting porting tho the bodies were moved near neara a a. window and the tho work begun The body nearest the window being finished the customary shroud consisting consisting consist consist- ing of a large white sheet was thrown o oyer oer er the grim countenance and work on In the other started Between the two tables was waR a space of probably two feet in w which ich the operator wo worked from time to time as occasion required On the outside a brisk summer wind was blowin bowing blowing while within there thero was deathlike silence broken only by b.- the soft tread of the tho undertaker as he ho worked The hour bein being late no sounds rounds came from the street streett and within the I confines of the operating room the accidental accidental accidental ac ac- ac- ac fall of n a pin seemed E to produce produce pro pro- duce an echo All was by bO no means a novelty to the undertaker He Ho had done donA doneit it before under uDder similar conditions Ho was as an outsider would ay ar hardened hardened hard hard- ened to it he worked between between between be be- Suddenly however as tween the tho two tables table his back to t the e window and the body nearest it a gust gustof gustof of wind picked flicked up the white snow-white shroud and blew it in n such stich a manner as 35 asto asto to allow it to drop directly over the operators operator's head So sudden did it happen hap hap- pen pen well well a t. t few seconds later that undertaker un undertaker un- un till still struggling with the white shroud was wa's was in the middle of tho the thor thor- in front of his bis place of business bust busi ness where he was assisted bv br two pas pas- sers Later he became recomposed but the unfinished body was not touched until morning Hit by Dead Man Another undertaker on one time had hart an experience with relaxing muscles of 01 ofa a corpse which he will wilt not soon forget The subject was a man who during durine life 11 had bad d been employed as ns an nn iron molder who died suddenly from heart failure The body was removed to the undertakers undertaker's undertakers undertaker's under under- takers taker's for preparation for burial During the tho process of embalming tho the arms generally are crossed on the tho breast Som Sometimes times they tho are arc tied in position sometimes not In this particular par case caso the they were not Tho The operator opera tor had about finished his work when an instrument which he ho was using fell t to the floor a distance of some three feet from the surface of the operating table and a all as ho he stooped to pick it up the rj right ht arm of the tho corpse corpo relaxed bringing tho the ponderous knuckles of the former iron Hon molder in contact with the theby theby by br that time uprising h head ad of tho the operator op with sufficient force to fell him to the floor Ob Oh yes tho the undertaker was scared cared It was not for several minutes that he undertook to rise rise from his recumbent position to ascertain just what had happened hap and then he be failed to re regain in his nerves sufficiently to permit of his finishing fin isbin his work Practical Jokes That Hurt Practical jokes anion among undertakers undertakers' employees especially where coroners coroner's subjects are being bein bein cared for are arc numerous numerous nu nu- nu- nu and of toe the truo true hair raising type trpe In ono undertakers undertaker's office not a arent great rent distance from Kan Kansas somo time ago ao was played a n joke which almost resulted in the victim dying from fright The body of a man wan who died suddenly sudden ly had been embalmed in hopes that relatives could bo be notified After a time the corpse bc began a showing signs i ns oi of decomposition and ana it was decided to bury bur it Before the interment however however how how- ever tho the joko on a green een young man who desired to learn the undertaking under under- taking business and had been working d J about the place for several days das was played The body of the dead man was covi coy cov- i ered cred up Ut to the neck with a n white sheet and put in a n closet where almost everything every thing necessary in the profession was kept The corpse corpse was leaned a against the closed door at such an angle as to cause it to fall outward should the thedoor thedoor door loor bo ho open opened d. d 1 Say Hank said the time leader of tho fun fun w when en all who were to share in inthe inthe inthe the results had gathered in the front ollice ce in the closet back in the operating oper room you'll find one ono bottle of that old oll fluid we wo are aro not using I wish to send scud it back bach Will you OU please get it for me nie Hank without hesitation went back to the semi lighted room but at the end of five fhe or ten minutes as he did not return re rc- re- re turn it was decided deci ed to make an in es I When the crowd reached the tho back backroom backroom backroom room thc they found Hank on the floor unconscious unconscious unconscious un un- un- un I conscious while lying bing on top of him was tho the body of the dead man Oh yes Hank camo canie to but he left town too and aud probably never has bas been near an undertaking shop since Kansas Kansas City I J Journal I |