Catholic Cemeteries in and about Paterson.—The Orphan Asylum at Lincoln Bridge.—St. Joseph's Hospital.

The histories of the Cemetery of the Holy Sepulchre and the Catholic Orphan Asylum are so closely connected that they will be treated together. The history of the cemeteries in and about Paterson was written some years ago by Mr. William Nelson and published in pamphlet form. To this history the author of this work has little to add. The following are such selections from Mr. Nelson's history as concern the burial places of dead Catholics:—

"Paterson is one of the very few cities in the country—perhaps the only city in the Eastern States—where it has not been usual for the churches to be surrounded by grave-yards. No church has ever been built here, since the city was founded, in 1792, with this appendage, so universal elsewhere. The old Dutch burying-ground at Totowa met the needs of the people in this respect for twenty years after the town was established. The First Presbyterian church being organized in 1813, the Trustees looked about for a suitable cemetery, and with wise forethought selected a spot far remote from the built-up portion of the village. In 1814 they obtained from the Society for Establishing Useful Manufactures, a triangular plot of about half an acre, at the corner of Market and Vine streets. This became at once the burial-ground for the whole town, and people of all denominations, Protestants and Roman Catholics, were interred there. In the course of the next ten years or so, the Methodists bought a plot on Willis street, 121×333 feet; and the Roman Catholics secured a burial place, 100×175 feet, on the north side of Willis street, near William, by gift or purchase. In 1826 the Presbyterians bought of the State (which in 1816 had taken 300 acres of land at Sandy Hill and thereabout, in exchange for $100,000 of stock in the S. U. M., subscribed for by the State in 1792) three acres adjoining the first cemetery, the sale being authorized by act of the Legislature of December 28, 1824. In 1835 the Society U. M. sold to the Reformed church a burial plot on Willis street adjoining that of the Methodists, and in the same year the Episcopalians bought of the State (by virtue of an act of February 14, 1833), five acres of land lying at Sandy Hill, between Oak and Cedar streets. Under the authority of an act of February 2, 1838, St. John's R. C. church bought of the State three acres adjoining the Presbyterian cemetery; and the First Baptist church bought three acres near by. In 1851, the Methodists enlarged their cemetery on Willis street by the addition of a plot about 143×333 ft., bought of the S. U. M., and adjoining their first burial ground. Their old cemetery not being popular, in 1854 the Presbyterians bought another tract of 3.74 acres, on Market street, north side, a short distant east of their first purchase. This completes the history of the location of the 'Sandy Hill' cemeteries."

"The deed for the Roman Catholic plot on Willis street has not been found on record.[B]

"In the Roman Catholic cemetery there are 871 lots, 9 x 12 ft. in area, all sold, and containing fully 3,000 graves.

"The Roman Catholic cemetery at Sandy Hill being filled, and all the lots sold, the authorities of The Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist bought, January 30, 1866 for $21,000, what was known as 'the Lynch Farm,' sixty-nine acres, at the southeast corner of Market street and Madison avenue, for a cemetery. One or two interments were made, when, March 27, 1866, an act of the Legislature was approved prohibiting the location or establishment of cemeteries or burial grounds 'within the distance of six thousand feet from the street monument, as established at the corner of Market and Willis streets,' in the city of Paterson, and the proposed cemetery was abandoned, and the property sold. In the Fall of the same year, on September 7, 1866, Mr. William G. Watson bought at an auction sale of the estate of Cornelius P. Hopper, deceased, 24.92 acres of land, on the east side of Haledon avenue, and north of East Main street, and the next day conveyed it to the same church, for $10,770, the object being to locate a cemetery there. A few interments were made in the new grounds, but an act of the Legislature, approved February 26, 1867, prohibited the location or establishment of 'any cemetery or burial ground within the limits and boundaries for the city of Paterson,' and further prohibited the use 'for the purposes of burial,' of 'any cemetery or burial grounds established within one year within said city.' May 1st, 1867, the church bought of Bartlett Smith and wife, of $15,500, three adjoining tracts of land, embracing 73.19 acres in all, at Totowa, just west of the city line, and near the Lincoln bridge, extending from the river back to the Preakness mountain. Here was located the 'Cemetery of the Holy Sepulchre,' tastefully laid out, containing 3,208 lots (1,126 consecrated and 2,082 unconsecrated), and ornamented and improved as well as the exceedingly sandy soil will allow."

The interments in this cemetery in 1867 were 17; in 1870 they had increased to 216, and at present they are about 300 per year.

The farmhouse situated on the property purchased from Mr. Smith was changed into an orphan asylum; since that time a number of alterations and additions have been made. There are about eighty children in the institution which is under the charge of the Sisters of Charity. These Sisters first came to Paterson in 1853 from Mt. St. Vincent, N. Y., and an orphan asylum was established in Church street. After the removal of the orphanage to its present location the building was changed into the Catholic Institute.

St. Joseph's Hospital, also in charge of the Sisters of Charity, was founded on September 11, 1869, the day on which the Sisters bought from the late Alexander P. Fonda a tract of land lying on the east side of Main street, just north of the Newark branch of the New York, Lake Erie & Western Railroad. The tract of land had an area of nine and three-quarters acres, and only a fraction of the purchase money was paid in cash; the balance was secured on mortgage. In 1875 the Sisters, by hard work and economy, had reduced the mortgage to $46,000 and at the present date it is $41,000. When the property was bought there was on it a three-story house, 45×45 feet in size, which had been used as a residence. This was changed into wards for the sick poor, sleeping rooms for the Sisters and one room was changed into a chapel. In addition to this building there was a small barn. In 1871 the Sisters erected another building, two stories high and 130×24 feet in size. The good done by the Sisters in this city for the poor unfortunates who found themselves sick and homeless has been incalculable and has been exceeded only by the zeal and perseverance with which the good Sisters devoted themselves to their truly heroic work. In the first year after the establishment of the hospital 170 patients were cared for; in the past year 740 were received and treated. The money needed in the hospital for the care of these many patients is derived from the pay received by the Sisters who belong to the order and who are engaged in teaching school, and from collections made by the Sisters, as the institution has no endownment. Persons who cannot have the care they might desire at home in times of sickness and who can afford to pay for nursing and treatment may be received in the hospital, but experience shows that less than three per cent. of the patients received pay their board. The sick receive the attention of the ablest physicians of Paterson, who take turns in visiting them; in addition to this there is a house physician who resides in the hospital and who is annually appointed by the Board of Physicians after a very severe examination and who is generally some young physician. The physicians receive no pay for the work they do and thus form an able and very acceptable corps of assistants in the noble work of charity. The total expenses of the institution amount to $14,000 annually and for nearly the whole of this the Sisters are compelled to depend on their own individual efforts. The largest sum ever received from any one source came to hand a few days ago in the shape of a legacy of $1,000 from a Mr. Van Arsdale, who died a short time ago on Long Island. Mr. Van Arsdale was an almost total stranger to Paterson. Several years ago he visited some friends residing in the upper part of Passaic County and while there his attention was called to the noble work done by the Sisters; he paid a visit to the hospital and was so favorably impressed by the workings of the institution that he bequeathed it $1,000. Several months ago the Sisters also received $500 from a gentleman on condition that his name be not published, so that the present year was an unusually fortunate one for the Sisters. Large sums received in this manner are always applied towards paying off the indebtedness on the property. There are at present nine Sisters employed as nurses and in other capacities about the hospital and three are employed in teaching in St. Agnes' school which stands on a portion of the original plot purchased by the Sisters in 1869. St. Agnes' school belongs to St. John's congregation and was erected a few months ago, the congregation having purchased four lots from the Sisters for $2,800. The school is a handsome brick structure and it is expected that in a short time it will form the nucleus to a new congregation.