Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1876-08-11
CELEBRATING THE BIRTH OF A CHINESE
GODDESS.

"
sic, consisting of wind instrument
resembling a clarionet and blown in
the same manner, drum and cymbals.
A wagon containing two fine paint
ings of the Goddess Quon Yum Pc
Sart, followed by twelve men carry
ing large cylinders. They marched
to the sand fat across More creek
south of town, where the grand hub
bub took place. There we met
Charley Cum Wo. He is a Chinaman
well educated in English, and China,
and a good historian, from whom we
gather the facts of their peculiar cele-
bration and what it all meant.
The cylinders were the principal
features. They were made of differ
ent colored paper, two feet in diane
ter and five feet high. Around the
top rim were several kinds of rockets.
The principal ones were fastened to
small cane sticks two or three feet
long, and went up to a great height.
The Chinese, of which there were Jour
or five humid; ed, were greatly excited,
and as the time approached for light
ing the fireworks they began to roll
up their sleeves and get ready to con-
test for the prize. 1t was in one of
the rockets, and is valued above ev-
erything else by the heather Chinese.
Their superstitious belief is that the
company who is lucky enough to OBJ
tain possession of it will have extraor-
binary good luck in all his business
transactions while on earth and eter-
nal happiness in the world to come.
| It consisted of a small tube attached
to a ring. Everything being in read
mess the fuse leading to all the rock
cts was lighted and they began to
shoot up. The one containing the
prize was thrown from the top of the
cylinder, but failed to explode. Be-
| fore reaching the ground it was
grabbed by fellow who seeme' de-
termined to hold on to it. A long and
excited scufIle ensued. All the means
allowed were used to get the ring
from him, such as biting his hands,
pulling his cue, and firing him ont.
The scuffle lasted about ten minutes,
during which time couple of pugilis-
tic exercises were engaged in. In
the confusion the fellow who first
grabbed the ring made good his es-
cape and started at lively gait for
the Joss House, where lie received a
certificate for the painting The same
performance went on till the prizes Ill
the six cylinders were obtained, but
not with the same enthusiasm as the
first. There is a dispute about the
third prize, which arose by the tube
and ring becoming detached. and OBJ
tanned by different companies. The
tube being considered as the main OBJ
iect. the holder Of it will most likely
come out victorious. After the per-
formances on the fiat were over we
paid a visit to the Joss House. 1t
was we'll lighted and decorated, and
filled with smoke. The smoke was
created by the burning Of some kind
of hard wood brought from China.
The pictures having been left there
the lucky competitors deposited their
checks and carried off the pictures,
followed by the band The paintings
represent the Goddess, surrounded by
two other women, a child and man.
THE painting had been executed III
China, aid was a wonderful produc-
ton. Every line was perfect and sus-
tains their reputation as skilled paint
ers.