Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-10-20
CHINESE FUNERAL EXTRAOR-
BINARY.

The Eureka Sentinel of the 18th contains
the following interesting description of the
funeral of high Chinese functionary: A
novel and interesting ceremony, connected
with the last rites bestowed on a defunct
Celestial, took place in Chinatown yesterday
afternoon, and attracted large crowd of out
side barbarians, who watched with curious
eyes the heather obsequies. The deceased
was a partner of Fat Sam Kee, and dis
tinguished member of the Chinese community,
hence the honors bestowed on his remains.
The coffin, an elegant metallic casket, in which
Chong Yet (the departed) was deposited,
occupied one of the sha mites on Monroe street.
The mourners, robed in white, and their
heads banded with drapery of the same color,
stood around the coffin, each holding num-
Der of lighted tapers, that gave forth villain
Gus and suffocating odor, and appealed sensi-
bly, to the olfactory organs of the visitors. We
understand that they were hired for the oc
casion, and their mournful howls, although
not genuine outbursts of grief, must from
their vehemence and inspired anguish, have
given satisfaction to their employers Outside
of the tenement mat had been spread in the
street, and here the lighted tapers abounded
in lavish profusion. The master of ceremon-
les, Cenfucian divine, knelt piously on the
aforesaid mat, Keeling of monotonous dis
course, highly laudatory of the eminent viz
tues of the deceased, pausing occasionally to
burn a written prayer addressed to the evil
spirits who are supposed to be lowering
around the cold corpus. This, we were in
formed, was the object of all the jargon and
very necessary part of the rites, as by the
means adopted, the devil and his cohorts were
allowing the soul to travel On it's
way to glory and peace and quietness. The
most interesting to an outside barbarian, was
a row of tables fronting the house, on which
were spread a feast of good things, Funeral
baked meats as it were), comprising roasted
porker, baked sheep, rice and various other
lelicacies peculiar to the Chinese cuisine. |
The viands were demolished by the crowd of |
nourners at the conclusion of the ceremony
much to the disappointment of throng of |
hungry Piutes, who supposed it would be
placed on the grave, as is the usual custom
hat obtains in ordinary funerals. This how
,ver, was an exception, as the late lamented
vas sent to California on this mornings train,
where he will be transferred to shipboard and
inally deposited in the earth of his own
lative Flowery Land. We believe that it is
nly distinguished moguls, men of rank and
landing, who are made the subject of the
bove unique proceedings. Ordinary deceased
cinnamon are temporarily buried in the
round set apart for them on the hill, and
hen there is sufficient accumulation of
ones they are shipped back to c nina at the
Expense of the company to which they belong
is a terrible mixing up process, and if the
was one of their religious beliefs,
ould be productive of bewildering con-
lsion on that day. AS that tenet does not
btain in their theology, the budding together
the remains of their frail tenement is
latter of Indifference, the only thing neces-
Try to insure their future welfare being the
,turn of their bones to the land of their
ativity ,
A RABBIT DRIVE.