Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-06-29
The Devil i'm the Guise of n Black
Hog.

has son. lf
The Devil i'm the Guise of Black
Hog.
From the Virginia .(Nevada) Territorial En-
terprise, June 10.
The Chinese residents of the eastern
part of this city last night, had another
musical tnssle with the devil--a tussle
of exceeding great vehemence. A large
drove of hogs, nearly all black, was
lately brought from California by the
Alexanders, the well-known stockmen,
and turned into vacant lot near China
town. The first day that the hogs were
put into this lot the fence was constantly
lined with Celestials, feasting from with
out their pig,eyes upon the pigs within.
Some rolled rocks against the high and
tight plank fence, and standing tip-toe
gazed longingly upon the plump one Of
the herd; others doubled into the form
of the figure four, and went one eye upon
the grand display of pork in the raw
state, through such fayoring cracks and
knot-holes as they could find. The heads
and .tails--above the fence wagged to
the heads-and tails-at the knot-holes,
and there was a power Of goose-talk and
gesticulation. The many pairs Of gilt
tering eyes, and the broad mouths that
trinkled as with brown gravy, BODIED no
good to the more favored in flesh among
the occupants Of that big pig-pen; for
though aChinaman will, any day or night,
barter his liberty for a yellow-legged
hen, he will unhestatingly sell his
soul for fat hog. From all the tumble
down shanties in Chinatown came the
celestial inhabitants, great and SMALL
male and female came they, as the ami
mails wentinto the ark, all gaze through
cracks and knot-holes,a and over the fence,
and feast their eyes on that drove Of six
hundred and odd fat pigs. A greater col
lection of blueshirts, round and umbrella
hats, dangling queues and bird of Para
disc head-dresses, or a more animated
assemblage has seldom been seen. All
the afternoon, and till the sun had dip
ped behind the peak of Mount Davidson,
this scene continued, and then the great
priest of the Joss-house, arrayed IN his
long-blue robe, was seen coming from the
temple, bearing in his hand an incense
pan, from which was spread upon the
evening air the aroma of burning sandal
wood. This wise disciple of Confucius
and big dog of the Buddhist lanyard
walked in odoriferous silence about the
inelosure, gazing intently through vari-
Gus cracks and knotholes. at the stolid
porcine herd. At length he uttered a
loud, wailing cry, which was taken up
and echoed in every tone and accent of
terror by men, women aud children. He
pointed out a particularly large, particu-
larly black, and particularly wise and
vicious-looking hog, dropped something
into his ineense-pan which created a
dense smoke and a stencil which the
very breeze seemed 10 hasten to leave
behind, when he set up chant, and
swinging his incense-pan back. and
forth began craw-ishing from the place,
safely guarding the rear Of the now
thoroughly-frightened and retreating
mob. That night there was n great up
roar in Chinatown, and above all could
be heard the tinkling cymbals and sound
ing brass, which always announces that
His Satanic Majesty has been unearthed
Every night since the most strenuous
exertions of the whole musical portion
of the Chinese population appear to
have been required for the intimidation
of "Auld Clottie." Last night the blue
robed big gun Of the pagoda had all the
people in front of the institution, where,
in the yard to the eastward of the gate,
stood, large as life, the image Of a black
hog. This image was stuck full Of burn
ing Joss sticks, and as they were slowly
consumed q great howling and pound
ing of gongs and kettle-drums was
kept up. At length the high priest,
rightly timing the burning of fuse,
entered the temple, and returning
with one of their biggest wooden
gods, stuck full of peacock feathers, NUT
tered short prayer or exorcism, when
he elevated the idol, and, with dull ex-
plosion and abominable stencil, the
image of the hog was blown into a thou
sand fragments. The priest rushed into
the temple with the idol and slammed
the door, and the people scattered amid
a great noise and lone grand stink, as
Frenchmah would say. The hogs are
now nearly all sold and gone from the
pen, and the explanation of this whole
affair seems TO be this: The cunning
priest saw in the drove Of hogs q great
temptation set before his people; unless
he exerted himself they would be sure TO
90 to hog-stealiRg and get into trouble,
and in order to prevent this he went out
to the hog-yard in their presence and de-
tected. the devil in one of the beasts.
He kept them in terrible fright until
nearly all the hogs were gone when by
blowing up the image of the black hog
he sent the devil and all their troubles
"kiting," taking unto himself and his
ugly god all the glory of the achieve
ment.