“We, the undersigned, do hereby agree to become members of the cremation society now being formed in San Antonio, Bexar County, Tex. Each of the undersigned hereby agrees to pay 50 cents down, as a contribution to the fund for defraying the preliminary expense in forming the society.”
This list was signed by 107 persons of both sexes, and $53 were collected to pay for printing, etc.
After this, another meeting was called in the latter part of May, and the company organized permanently. The organization is called the “San Antonio Cremation Company,” and has the following officers: E. B. Hadra, M.D., president; M. F. Corbett, vice-president; F. Groos, banker, treasurer; A. Maverick, secretary.
The company was incorporated on the 18th of June, 1885. The amount of the capital stock of this corporation is $50,000, divided into 5000 shares, of the par value each of $10. So far, $1480 have been subscribed by 60 shareholders.
An acre of land was donated to the company by Mr. A. Maverick. It lies east of the city, on a hill, in the neighborhood of the cemeteries; but the property lies east of them, so that the east and southeast trade winds, which blow in San Antonio during the summer, reach the place first, and, consequently, do not fetch any bad odor from the graveyards.
The grounds will be beautifully laid out and planted with trees and shrubs in the near future. The view from this site is very fine. Toward the north may be seen the government depot, with all its stately buildings, about two miles off; toward the east and southeast is visible a beautiful valley terminated in the distance by the picturesque blue mountains.
In the beginning the company was opposed by a Baptist preacher, who was soon silenced by the following declaration in one of the daily newspapers:—
“I have no doubt but that my good old Christian friend is in this world for doing good; but, by opposing cremation, he not only does harm to us all as long as he lives, but continues to injure us after he is dead and buried,” etc.
The cremation movement in the state of Michigan was begun by the author of this volume immediately after he returned from the incineration of his mother. By repeated newspaper articles I continued to awaken a lively interest in the reform at Detroit, and was supported in my undertaking by all the leading newspapers of the city; even a publication only a few days old declaring in favor of cremation. None but the purely religious journals opposed the scheme. On the 7th of August, 1885, a meeting was held at a public hall in the City of the Straits, for the purpose of discussing the question of cremation and of forming a cremation society. The meeting was well attended, nearly 100 persons being present. Dr. J. H. Carstens was chosen chairman, and Dr. H. Erichsen as secretary. The meeting was opened by Dr. J. H. Carstens. Two plans, he said, had been proposed for the consideration of cremationists; one of these was the building of a crematory, the other, the formation of a society, each member of which would pledge himself to provide for the incineration of his body.
I then made the address of the evening, giving the main arguments for incineration as opposed to earth-burial. My statements were followed by remarks of a similar nature, made by several of the gentlemen present.