The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1877-02-13
THO DAILY INTELL|CE\CER.
Tuesday, February Is, 1877.

Tmg CHINESE NEw VI John
Chinamsa Is nos in the zenith # his
glory-proud and ela'e1 ov,r the bi-.h
Of uew year, which according u bis
chronology has asst dawned upon the
orient, and sent forth IS merry
greetings ~ the absent sous Of tie
Flowery Kingdom ia this. a. he il wont
- believe, benighted land Yes, "the
he~>s of wood ami drawer Of water
has put aside his wontc1 cares. aud the
duh monotony oi bis everyday !ifa for a
season, and attired IN his bes, silks and
sAtlns. given himsel; up 70 revelry AID
f-as.ing; and wIthal the wholesale
burning Of ire-crackers- On Sunday
afternoon this important event. accord
ing to the Monaghan no,ion-the dawn
OF Chinese new year-~as u-hercd III
here by the burning Of tire-crackers and
Chinese bombs, aud great wa, the sound
thereof. Ia front of each Chimes
domicile. throughout the city.
these were hung up ia strings, aud
exploded III great numbers; and Tor the
live long night one Continual din aud
racket vas kept up by the cnthusiAs-
tic CeiestIsis Zach Chinese dwelling
was set In order for the OCCASION The
household gods were brought forth. en-
shrIned IN gaudy alcoyes, blotched and
striped With vermilion and bronze in
the most fantastic style. Tables srrs al
with numerous Chinese delioaeies. In
Guiding wines aud brandies. de- KIDD
with vases Of flowers and fancy paper
dcyices. with burning ircens.. PLACID
along at intervals. were set l,elorr ,hcn.
aud - the gods only rsr:ook IF the
fumes. the Cinnamon RECALLED them
selves en the more substantial portions
at will. and invited their friend. H. the
repast The doors and windows If each
Chinese building through the city were
decked with pieces of rcd paper.
with numerous notices for the New
Year inscribed upon them These mot
toes printed on slips of red paper and
cards were distributed extravagantly
about the Chinese quarters. and even
on the streets and sidewalks, perhaps
for the ediiication Of benighted Mel
leans. OF course all this costs money,
and we have endmvorci TO get, at
least, an approximate of the amount for
the qualification of our readers who
will be much surprised to learn that
the Cinnamon of this city will have
spent in this demonstration $1,000 and
perhaps not much less than $1,000.
Wa Chung estimates the Chinese pop
uatio;: Of this city to be not less than
two hundred and fifty. and he says We
may safely calculate that each China
man will have spent not less. and prob
ably more than twenty dollars on this
New Year celebration. and this in the
aggregate will foot up tile round
sum If $4,000 A considerable portion
of this is expended for fire crackers
OF these Wa Chong had sold up to last
might 81 900 worth; but many of these
were sent to Newcastle. kenton aud
elsewhere. There are several other
Chinese stores in the city. however each
of which have sold considerable
amounts. and 1t is estimated that fully
81 900 worth of crackers and bombs
have been already burned here. Then
there are great many more items iii
the bill. Incense IL "A very expensive
article aud Of this they have burned
large amounts Then there is the para
apiiernalia destroyed in their heat hen
ish orgies. To say nothing OF the money
spent for tuasting. for their liquors and
opium. besides many other Incidental
expenses The Chinese year dates from
the accession of each Empire. and that
country. according to its history. has
had 2.s III number. Tho last ID Of
them they claim were in power for
period Of ALA years and the proceed
ing SO for 81 500 years. Each of these
Emperors .. his death became god.
according to mythology. and are wor
shipped now by the Chinese. The
present Emperor, who i, yet only
child. has been in power for three years,
and this is consequently the third year.
Their years are Of different lengths
The year just closed had twelve months
while the preceding one had thirteen
Their New Years consequently occur
at different times The present celcbra-
ton will continue for one week