The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-02-17

were pressed to partake, and the fat gen
tleman, not TO be outdone in politeness,
rashly started in, chewing everything
sugared cocoanut, then some article that
looked like peeled almonds, and tasted
pretty we'll This emboldcned him, and
he next tackled some stringy little things
that looked like rats tails fried in rancid
lard. This did not 20 down SO easily,
and the smile on his face changed to Il
look of grim determination us he looked
at the articles yet untastcd. The next
thing on the list laid him out, however, II
wormy little nut that tasted like a we'll
rotted peanut soaked in a quininc solu-
ton. He strangled little, turned pale,
and, eXcusing himself to the ladies, went
out to look at the scenery from the rear
balcony. In the rear Of the room was the
altar, behind which was large picture of
the chief JOSS, with feminine deity at his
right hand, and on his left a tiendish-
looking parsonage with black whiskers
and IA ruddy complexion, looking some
thing like the picture Of lnOd-thirsty
pirate on the exterior of II dime novel
The altar was ornamented in every con
ceivablc way. Pyramids Of lemons and
oranges, wax fruits representing angels
peaches,' artificial flowers, pyramids Of
cube-shapcd flour, cakes painted in Il
variety Of colors and dressed with imita-
ton dragons, lizards, bugs, butterflies,
81, I,l.
colorcd vases, cups Of tea, and what was
called holy water, though it bore the un-
mistakablc evidence of bug Juice; in
short, everything Catahlc and drinkablc
that joss who had been well brought up
could ask for or desire. The altar was
lighted with colorcd lamps, the air was
freightcd with the o0Or of burning pinks
and incense, and the whole scene made up
in picturesque strangcncsS what ii lacked in
artistic taste. The Joss houses proper We're
throngcd with visitors, the Americans be
ing quite rs devotional as the Chinese. In
the large house on Jackson street, above Du-
pOnt there were a bakers dozen of various
images, representing the gods OF war, of
E~'''N'N''7N''
of the sea, of domestic ailliction, etc, and
the devils who represent the various sins
that make up the Chinese character. The
gods and goddcsscs were placed upon
thrones, dressed in silk and surrounded
with glittering tinscl work. In front of
them were huge stands of tin, answering
to the candelabra of other altars, holding
long punks which. burned cndlCsSly away.
The devils were not treated So Ccrcmo-
niously, being stuck into little nichcS i'll
the wall, with very little ornament or at
tentiOn save Il punk or two. II was no
ticeabe, however, that the Chinese paid
more attention to the Satanic representa-
tive than to those from above, for they
never failed to pass one of the former
without placing the hand frantically upon
the stomach and doubling themselves up
like Jack knife, in an@ulshel devotion.
Fearing that the "dCitics" in question
would miss their accustomed homage III
the shape of fire-crackcrs, a substitute was
instituted in each Joss house in the shape
of drums and cymbals, which made such
an unearthly racket as to cause each vlsl-
tor to meander off with his fingers in his
ears, signing for the comparatively sooth-
ing note of pack Of fire-crackers. The
deities evidently exercised their influence
upon their friends the weather gods, for
not cloud hid the sky nor drop of rain
fell on the silkcn caps and CloakS and
lowered pantaloOns and shoes that filled
all the available space in the Chinese
portion of the town, all uniting in cclc-
brating, as the gamins call it, Chiny Moo
Yercs "-.San Francisco Chronicle.