Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-01-21
Chinese Worship in Sacramento.

sacritice Is not cOnflned 10 any set time
or season for approaching the-to him
divine presence. When one is about to
engage in q business enterprise, or is
sick. or desires information, such as Joss
alone is able to give, recourse is had to
! he Temple, or Josshouse. Worship, for
I he sake of worship and for the love of
II or from q sense OF devotion or adora-
zion. does not constitute the chief part,
II any part, of their devotion, by any
neans The Chinese are intensely prac-
tical-in their intentions if not in the
plan by which they put them in practice
and hence the wisdom OF their Great
snint-Joss lis invoked often to assist
the devotee in gaining the almighty dol
ar. and, in general, in the practical af-
fairs in life. Form, and not spirit, dis
tinpuishes the Chinese worship, and their
religion is the religion OF blind chance,
ike their gambling:
The Chinese temples are elegant and
costly rs compared to their abodes, but,
oomnared To any Mclean" mans
Standard, they are cheap and filthy af-
fairs. In our tour of observation we in.
snected the two temples in which the
chinese of Sacramento worship their
strange gods. Ii must be remembered,
however, that every house has its special
Guardian deity, before whose shrine a
faner and incense are ever burning The
one first visited is built over the slough,
in the midst of a lot of wash-houses, re-
Winding person of the quotation about
the proximity of cleanliness and godli-
ness. The building is rude wooden
structure, and contains, as the temple
nroper, single room about fifteen feet
nv twenty. The outer door stood invit-
;nply open, but facing it was a wooden
screen, very suggestive of similar ar
ranpement seen in many of the temples
Of Bacchus. The screen has an inscrip-
ton to which we gave the free uansla-
ton .Walk in" In the left corner
stands q frame some six feet in height,
supporting quaint Chinese bell, the
use of which is to summon, not the wor-
sinner to the presence of the god, but to
cali the attention of the latter to his duty.
And lest perchance the god be such a
GREAT way of or is SO sound asleep that
ihe hell does not bring him 10 time, an
odd.looking drum, which is placed above
the hell, is also beaten. The right-hand
corner of the room is occupied by a case,
somewhat resembling a writing-desk
and hook case combined, in which sits q
deity of aldermanic form and benign
countenance, before whom burns a pot
of incense.
The principal object of attraction is
the altar, occupying, with its parapher-
MALTA, the further end of the room and
opposite TO the entrance. -Four deities
grace the altar-three of them lords of
creation, if they may be spoken of as
mere men-and the fourth representa-
tive of the softer sex. The images are
about two feet in height, are wood,
clothed in paint and parti-colored dra-
pery, have boards Except the represent
alive Of the beardless sex) and have
countenances suggestive of bon viUants,
which are lighted up by a pot of incense
burning before them. The costume of
the idol at the right is blue, and his left
hand holds a red ball and his right a
purse. The parsonage next in order is
aa-wearing of the green" and sports a
military looking belt about his person.
The. female comes next, and is dressed
like woman" but her skirts do not
conceal the fact that she sits in a posture
which in man would be described as
cross.legged. About yard in front OF
the idols is what may be called the front
altar, or altar-rail, on which stand
tapers, candlesticks and rude, dusty and
shapeless bouquets of artificial flowers
and next to this is common deal table,
covered with gaudy oilcloth, for the re-
ception OF offerings of fruit, roast pig,
and whatever else may be used to in
cline the gods to bestow blessing, OF
forgive sin, or tell "John" how he can
make dollar. Upon the walls of the
room are few Chinese inscriptions, and
overhead there is some ornamental work
resembling the colored paper often put
up in barber-shops for flies to roost upon
The Chinese consult some one or more OF
their deities in every affair of life, from
the commission of murder to the pur
chase of coat
The abode of Joss, the chief of the
Chinese gods, is near the slough. 1t is {
Dolly Warden of building viewing i
from the outside. 1t is more pretentiou
and is heater and more wholesome in ap
pearance than the temple devoted to thu
lesser gods and goddesses. 1t is located
on an island in the slough. Its entrance
is through latticed portico, in which
hangs spiral piece of punk, burning
and emitting fragrant odor Abou
the door leading to the main room, thu
Holy of Holes, are Chinese inscrlp
tons, of which we are unable to give tn
meaning, but were told they were invi
tations to enter, pray and be good. En-
tering we find ourselves in room abou
fourteen by twenty feet. Four larg
lanterns are suspended from the ceiliH
overhead, which probably serve to throy
light on occasions that are to be mad
more than ordinarily brilliant. Tn
walls are papered, and in places adorne'
with inscriptions. The same genera
characteristics in arrangements that ar
found in the lesser temple are seen ais
In the Joss house. Here, however, Their
are five idols or images, Joss havin
two upon either hand. They are niue
the same as those before described
and the great joss himself is nc
distinguished by any noteworth
marks. 1t may be remarked, howeve
that he has no beard, while most OF Tn
Chinese gods wear full beard. Upo
the wall above and partly behind tn
image are specimens of Chinese fame
work, resembling on their outer surfac
paper wall-pockets, such as are found !
the abedes of " Mclean" women. A ger
temanly Chinanian who came in, an
who was inclined to instruct us in Ceie'
tlal things, gave these articles the nam