American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-11-09
A Chinese Temple i'm San Fran
cisco

cisco.
! The San Francisco Bulletin has an in
teresting account of a wonderful temple
just completed in that city by the Chinese
residents
d" 1t may not be known to all our read
ers that there are in California six inhu-
ential and wealthy Chinese companies,
which are partly commercial associations
and partly benevolent orders, and with
which all the Chinese who come hither
are in some sort connected. These COM
panies are known as the Sam Yep, Yeong
Wo, See Yep Ming Yeong, Hop We and
Yeu Wo. They all have their hoadquar-
ters in this city. Every Mongolian who
comes to this coast is either consigned to
the care or indenture to the service of one
OF these companies They have COM
ple,e registry of the names and where
abouts of their countrymen, are bound to
look after them in health and sickness So
long as their connection with the company
is preserved, and if they die here to re-.
turn their bodies to China"
"These Chinese companies also mix the
religious element with their business, not
seeking to proselyte us outside barbara
ans, but to furnish temples wherein the
members Of their own guilds may wor-
ship the wooden gods Of the Celestial
Empire, and burn Josh sticks and holy
paper. The See Yey Company have long
had temple. The Ming Ycong Com
pany have recently builta large establish
ment, which has been popularly reported
to be pagan temple, wherein all manner
of idols are worshiped and mystic rites
performed. Popular report spartly right
and partly wrong.
1.-The main building is of brick, about
twenty feet front, forty feet deep and
three stories high. The front is recess
ed arch under square coruice, the win
dows opening upon iron-railed balconies
built within the arch and outer square
line of the building. This edifce is APP
preached through asquare onestory brick,
opening into an inner court The first
floor of the main building is divided into
several small reception and smoking rooms,
at the entrance to which stands a police
officer, who admits whoever has one of
the invitation cards issued by the company.
In these rooms visitors are sometimes han
dcd a cup of tea, some fried cakes, or a
paper cigar, and Cinnamon may be seen
reclining Oh lounges and smoking pipes of
wood and metal, which emit very vii
famous smell Back of tho. reception
rooms is sort of alter, covered with gilt
and red hangings, the front being open
and showing what resembles a success
sion of small steps or shelves, which are
covered with paper and inscribed with
Chinese characters. This is the register
of the dead. Here are inscribed the
names of all the members or wards of the
Ming Yeong Company who have died in
California. In front of this costly record
lamps are kept burning night and day.
"The furniture of all the apartments
on the first floor is of the paincst dcscrip-
ton. On the second floor is the COM
pauy's business room, or exchange, where
the president or Sing Song. whose name
is Wing Ga, and his head manager, All
Wee, sit and smoke and talk, receive Wis
itors, preside over meetings of the com
pany, and direct its ordinary concerns, re-
lieving the tedium of these occupations
with an occasional tune oB some of those
thrilling two-stringed instruments for
which Chinadom is so famous.
But the wonder of the whole build
ing is the temple in the third story, The
first glance at it reveals only confused
heapsof gilt, crimson and blue cabinets.
brass ornaments, crimson hangings a.nd
| L., a. = l..
warm and sickening odors. A more care
full survey extracts something wonderful
and systematic from this inelange of bar
barrie tinsel and furnitare. The walls and
ceilings are nearly hid with the huge
crimson, blue and gilt signs, each bearing
four large lettars-supposed to be a motto
OF some sort-and some an inscription in
smaller characters on one end. These are
said to be presents from other companies
and from friends here and in China
Across the centre of the room are placed
three cabinets, each about ten feet long
by two feet wide and four feet high, made
of exceedingly dark and heavy wood, and
the fronts carved in high relief in the
most grotesque and elaborate manner
Some of the carvings represent the interi-
or of houses, with figures of men, beasts,
birds and insects in strange juxtaposition;
while others consist Of trees, vines and
scroll work-all gilded, the background
being the original bark color of the
wood.
son the top of these massive cabinets
arc large braziers filled with incense or
containing live Goals, in which sticks of
sandal wood are slowly burning; fantastic
wax tapers; sticks of punk three feet
high and four inches thick lofty vessels
of metal like tin, whose use is not ap-
parent; small images; peaked yellow flags;
pyramids, or fan-shaped punches or arti-
fetal flowers, peacock tails and insects,
mixed with tinsel ornaments; blazing
lamps; carved and gilt sticks of sandal
wood, &c Along the sides of the room,
at the end of these cabinets of embroi,.
dered silk, round aud square and fringed;