The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-03-16

Nsw isAfs AmonR the Chinsse.
SACRAMENTO, Jan, 90. 1897.
rs nm Epsrcas q rsr Gaar-rrr 4

Il
tiNtties often continue Tor several weeks
Roast pig, chicken ssd fre-eraesefs are
brought into active service, aud |, is sup
posed that Contucius, the founder OF the
Empire, looks down upon them With ee-
n,en pleasure, and bestoWs hls blessing |
upon them for this araa ebrs,iau.--
This IL not, as with e Tristan people,
mere joyful welcoming 10 the New Year,
but il made general ssuarfag up OF all
worldly matters. debts, accounts, &e.
Great sacrifices are mate 10 their Gods,
"A atonement for their negieet throughout
the year, prayers and revetences arc made
q their dead, Ne, SC,
The trsi preparation made toward this
great anniversary. is q geacfst clearing up
This is not conn ned TO lew. but TO every
0Re throughout the whole al Chins SO that
any one ylssuns thsi country in the early
part OF the year, would think them an ex-
ceedngly clearly people, while 10 visit
them at any later period then opinion would
be diame.sicslly opposite, for this is the only
cleaning up they have during the year
! The next thing, ID general settling up
! OF all accounts. so as 10 begin the new
year, clean and free A custom which We
| Ghristians would be benefited much by I'M.
itating
Yesterday morning was awakened long
heiole day by the hoise OF Chinese gongs
and ire crackers. This has continued witt
little intermission to the present moment
aud will continue | suppose Gill Tomorrow
night. After supper, | went down int
Chinsdam, on /. street. Here were crowds
OF iong-cued Chinese, letting off hrecr ack
ers box full at time, from nearly every
house or store, bile from the upper port
co Of the large Chinese store or hotel, an
other company were discoursing melodous
sounds BY aid Of gongs, tin kettles, and
species OF split clsronet, limited TO three
| shrill notes. In the meantime throwing
,nnumerable packs Of fre.crackers down
! below.
They also had crackers made into a con.
tinued band, containing from ten 10 fifty
dozen packs. They would light one end q
these and hanging over the Portieo. they
would Keep up most incesaant popping.
| In Canton they have immense binds Of
these crackers, on New Years, fasten one
| end on the top Of the tsliest tree, then
| lighting the lower end, they keep up per
feet battery Of popping crackers. for hours.
Many think it singular, thus mixing mp
Gre-eraekers with Mi their holidays and
sports; but it is actually portion Of their
religious. or rather superstitious ceremonies.
They are fred of, aad the gongs beaten
Tor the purpose Of driving away the innu.
merabLe "iittle degilsn and "eEii spritsh
which abound in the air at certain times
and Seasons Some who are too poor to
fire crackers, close tight their doors and
stop all the cracks and holes to keep these
evil spirits out, but this is only an imperfect
remedy. One Chinam4n, who not having
the fear Of bis wooden god in his heart, re.
fused to settle up his debts ST the begin
ming Of the year His creditors told him
f he didn't settle up, they would induce all
the little devils and evil spirits, on another
street, to come around to his house and tor
ment him. To protect against this he bar
ricaded all bis doors, but his unrelentjng
creditors came and pred them open, upon
which he begged them to send away the
evil spirits and he would pay 4 his debts,
which be did
Mr. Shuck, the Chinese Missionary, mas
assured me that he has seen after New
Yeara, in the streets Of Canton, thousand
! bushels, without exsggeration, of burst ifag
mepts Of crackers These are collected
BY the farmers, and hauled of for manure
During The holidays. ell are dressed in
their best, while in their native country, no
| Chinamsn Is so poor, but that he can rent
for few days fine suit. thus being able
10 make good appearance, on borrowed
spital, and make his New Years calls 10 a
respectable manner Many OF the young
| men who were to be seen on the first 0.
January, making their New Year, cali.
would look upon the Chinese with nothing
hut the most supreme contempt Yet the
we're but carry ing out an old Gust ON, origin.
ely borrowed from these Chinese.
But It is true, the custom Of making New
Years calls was originally derived from the
Chinese. Many years ago, when the Dutch
owned the Island of Java, they noticed this
way Of making calls among the Chinese,
and adopting it, they carried it home with
them to Amsterdam, from thence il was
| brought 10 New Amsterdam, afterwards
called New York, But The Chinese in ma.
king their GALE, carry their cards" with
them Zone Of which enclose) this, con,
tanning only their name, they hand to the
person upon whom they call
Another portion OF this custom We can
als9 with much advantage copy; That is,
wherever they called, nice little china
cup Of tea was offered them, and no where
! ''N0 MY VIM -Gt NHN ~ NAiS part Di tue
custom were also followed by we enight.
ened Christian people, there would not be
quite 80 many booty .pated, noisy men New
Years night nor qsite So many blue faces
neat morning.
MI Shuck, upon whose authority give
some Of these incidents, read in lecture
a shoFt time ago, an ancient or rather The
most ancient temperance address in exist
eEce. II was written by Woo Wong 1920
years before Christ, and embraced similar
arguments 10 those used BY temperance
lecturers Of the present day Also saying,
use ~i1e sPanngly in your sacrifices" p
The Chinese also give and receive New
Years presents 10 the sans manner that
we DO
In every kitchen Of Inc Chinese, On a
little shelf IS small wooden image, This
+ their Kitchen God Al the end Of the
year. he il taken down from the shelf where
he has stood unmolested for = whole yeBr,
the accumulated smut and dirt carefully
wiped a, and then he is put in the FIRE,
thence he sriaes with the smoke to heaven,
and appears there a. q yItaars of All thst