Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1877-07-31
CHINESE CELEBRATION.

oil OGCdoiOue VI CAtiooiuiiiesiJ lCSGlV-
ties for that peculiar people. About
$4,000 was raised by voluntary con-
tributions to defray the expenses Of
the occasion, and grand preparations
were made to do full honor to the oc-
casion and the patron saint or divini
ty. Our reporter took great pains
to find out as much in relation to
what gave rise to the celebration as
possible; but it is almost impossible
toreach anyde finite conclusion. Some
of the Chinese who speak English say
the saint or divinity was Won Yam;
that she lived upon earth thousands of
years ago; and lived aud died a YER
gin, having never married; that she
was an extraordinary woman; taught
many good lessons by precept and ex-
ample, The heather could not ex-
plain as to whether she had wrought
miracles or not, and to the question of
our reporter as to whether she had
children, replied Indignantly in the
negative, - '-
To describe all the preparation
made to please this being on this, her
natal day, would be impossible for
Christian reporter. 1t is evident,
however, that the lady must be fond Of
much diabolical discordant and damna-
Die noise, for nowhere on earth has
such prolonged, continuous, cussep
collection of noises ever been heard as
resounded through the streets and
around the suburbs Of Idaho City during
that day and night. Even yet the
writer can hear the clang and whang
of 800 gongs, the screams of scores OF
Chinese clarionets, whose notes sound
AS if they emanated from the threats
OF demons III the throes of agonlzed
death, with the pop and whiz and roar
of iire.crackers, Subs and torpedoes,
max ng day and night hideous. Oh,
for the soothing, solacing sound of the
war whoop of Joseph's baud to quiet
our nerves and dispel this spell of
| Chinese bedeuclment. The streets have
been paraded 10y squad after squad Of
Chinese saints bearing roasted hogs,
tables loaded with edibles of every
kind good in the estimation of Chi
naman, peculiar banners, images, enl-
bems, notices and devices, gorgeous,
grotesque, grand and grim; all pre-
ceded, succeeded and interviewed by
bands of music such as already des-
cribed, together with peculiar drums
of all sizes, and all kinds of inharmo-
NOUS, terrible nerve torturlng tones.
On Friday these Celestials COM
mcnced arriving from across the Ba-
sin in wagons, on horseback and on
foot. Saturday morning they came
pouring in and the streets were
thronged with Celestials in pig-tails,
nankeen and silk. The preparations
were carried on all day at all the prin-
cipal Chinese business houses and at
the Joss house, where fat priest Off
ciated with autucratic authority and
I'rartaric dignity.
In the evening, at O'Clock, all,
numbering about four hundred, assem-
bled at the lower end of town on a
long stretch of level sand and the ex-
hibition of fireworks commenced. The
fireworks were kept up for an hour and
q half, and were not very brilliant.
They consisted mainly of rockets that
were ranged round kind of barrel
shaped stand, and discharged one af
ter another. After the discharge Of
rockets central torpedo was exploded
from which large ring was thrown