Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-11-11
Chinese Temple in San Francisco.
Singular Mixture or Business and
Superstition.

The San Francisco Bulletin has The
following account Of a wonderful temple
just completed in that city By the Chinese
residents:
1t may mot be known TO all onr readers
that there srs ia California SIX inHuntial
and wealthy Chinese companies, which
ere partly commercial associations and
partly benevolent orders, and with which
ell the Chinese who come hithsr are in
some sort connected. These companies
are known - the Son Yep, Yeong, We,
See Yen, Ming Yeong, Hop Woand Yen
Wo They all have their headquarters in
lhis city. Every Mongolian who
comes to this coast is either consigned to
the care or indeptured 10 The service of
ons of thUss companies
They have complete registry Of the
aAmss and whereabouts Of their country
men, and are bound to look after then
in sickness so long as their connection
with ths company is preserved, and if
they die here, to rstarn their bodies 70
China They are not unlike, in their
character aud objects, those great com
mereial Rnd eoloniziBg companies that
sprang up in Europe after the discovery
/ OF America, and that furnished smigrants
and slaves TO the new world, which they
Waited in search Of gold and furs, for the
purpose Of establishing settlements and
| trading posts, and sometimes avuwsdly
10 convert the heather.
The system of the Chinese companies,
is however, more thorough their motives
and transactions generally more regular:
and they also mix thsir religious ele.
| meat with their business in different
manner, no seeking TO proselyts 'out-
side barbarians, but furnish temples
wherein the members OF their gnilds may
worship the wooden gods Of their swn
Celestial Empire and burn Josh sticks
and holy paper. The See Yup company
have long had e temple on Pine street
i in building which rustic visitors to ths
city during the smallpox visitation Of
1868 used to be waggishiy nisinformed
was q pest-houss. The Ming Yeoug
company have recently built large es
! Establishment on Dupont Alley belweer
Pacific street and Broadway, which has
been popularly reported to be pagar
temple, wherein all manner of idols ar
warshipped and mystic rites performed
Popular reports partly right aud partl.
wrong.
rzE DEDICATION oF THE TEMPLE.
The Ming Yeong company, which j
said TO be the largest and richest IN tn
State, and to have = total membership
in California Of eighteen thousand, erect
ed new building for its business hsad
quarters mainly, ct cost of about $40,
600, the furniture Aad oat6t costini
mary thousand more It's reeent com
: pletioa has been made the occasion Q
grand festival, continuing throng
manT days aud nights, in which all th
Chinese in the city are Participating an
to which many Americans have been in
vited. The ceremonies began with
Chinaman going about blowing waite
from his mouth up in the furniture an
into the corners Of the rooms; and thi
queer proceedings was followed by s..hid
eoas outburst of bArbaric music, the barr
!, lag incense, blowing before Josh, visitinl
: and fsasting.
A great many Outside barbarians
have improved ths opportunity to stud,
N OnlQeSe CNAtoH. anu 70 tusbcCt tue MS
! temple cftrade and superstition, which
J worth describing. The main building
! of brick, about twenty feet front, fort
, feet deep and three stories high Th
! |, front is a recessed arch under a squar
: eornice, the windows opening upon irol
8 rallied balconies built within the arc
and outer square line of the building
: This sdifee is approached through
: : square ons-ssory brick, opening into 8
: inser court
THE REGEsTER CT THE DEAD.
8, The 6rst floor of the main building
Is divided into several small reception ar
10 smoking rooms at the entrance to whis
Is stands = police officer, who admits VII
o, ever has one of the Invitation cards j
OF sued By the company. In these room
q visitors are sometimes handed cap
,y tea, some fried cakes or paper sigs
y and Cinnamon may be seen reclining {
lounges and smoking pipes of wood al
IN metal, which emit very villinous sme
as Back Of the reception rooms is 3 sort
ul altar, covered with guilt and red han
ng ing, the front bsing open and showil
to what resembles succession of ami
X steps or shelves, which are covered wi
to Chinese characters This is the regisi
d. of the dead Hers are inscribed I
re- names Of sh the members Of wards