Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1879-08-15
A New York Laundryman Oelestially
Buried,

| Wee-Ka-Yung, a New York laundry
man of Chinese anteceden.s and faith.
was buried on Monday afternoon near
Belleville, suberb of Newark, with
all the peculiar ceremonies of his ma
tive and terrestially celestial land, but
oddly alternated with the prayers of a
Christian minister. He badbeen some
time i'll with consumption, ard the doc
tors here told him that nothing could
be done to save his life. Last Sunday.
however, he determined to vlst a little
Chinese settlement which is near Belle
vile and obtain some Chinese Medicine
that he believed would prove effica.
clous. The fatigue of the journey from
New York out to there, however, ,ployed
too much for him and he died among
his countrymen that same evening.
The Cinnamon who were employed at
Cassebolt's laundry near Belleviile, de-
termined to give him a good funeral
and bury him with the peculiarities of
the Flowery kingdom. Accordingly
some of them went to Newark on Mon
day and procured handsome coffin
with silver mountings in which to in
close the remains. The funeral took
place about five o clock in the afternoon.
the fifteen Celestials of the laundry. the
Rev. Mr.. Strong, of the Reformed
Church in Belleville, the undertaken.
the superintendent of the laundry. two
or three other gentlemen and FIVE la
dies being present. The visitors were
ushered into a room off the main en-
trance OF the Chinese quarters, the walls
OF which were hung with Chinese pa
pers with strange devices, interspersed
with such notices as God Is Love-"
'' Simply to Thy Cross 1 Cling" etc.
From the centre of the room was sus-
pended Chinese lantern. The BODY
was not then visible, but after waltiaS
about ten minutes it was carried into
the hall and placed about the centre
and the company were invited TO walk |
out. In the hall were several Celes- |
tials standing near the coffin. viz.
the body was seen clad in the regular |
habiliments worn by the race. Rev. |
Mr.. Strong, standing near the coffin, |
offered up brief and fervent prayer,
during which a representative of the !
tribute money, pieces of thin brown pa !
per about four inches long with Chi
nese characters cut in them. The |
prayer ended, the casket was
carried out by four laboring men
and placed in an open wagon drawn by
one horse, and covered with blanket. |
A tin pan, containing burning incense,
was placed in the vehicle in front of the |
coffin. Following the wagon was a
a man carrying large market bas-
ket containing brown paper pack |
ages, and man carrying strips of pa;
per, which he strewed all the way to |
the grave. Behind him came the rest
of the Cinnamon and then the visitors,
Not word was said during the march |
to the grave, which was at the top of |
the hill spoken of above, and on reach.
ing the place of interment, where there
Buried, f6ee foGfrT fT65sa 6earefsf f ttgd e6hR
from the wagon and silently lowered it
into the grave. Rev. Mr.. Strong then
made brief prayer, committing the
body to its last resting place, 'earth to
earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust"
The grave was then filed and mounded
up, and when this was done hole was
made at the foot and in it was placed an
earthen jar, the contents of which were
concealed from the knowledge
Of the visitors. The man with the
basket came forward and from it were
,aken packages containing candy, nuts,
ETC., which were opened and their con-
-ents poured over the jar. This was
Ill covered with earth, when tin pan
little earth, in which were
stuck white taper, number of lighted
incense sticks, which in burning gave
1ut a fragrant odor, and also some Pc
,uliar red and white tapers were placed
IN top of the earth. Then plate con-
aiming meat, small birds and dressed
chicken with the head on and arranged
he foot of the grave. Near this pan
we're chop-sticks, bowl of rice and a
bowl of tea to sustain the deceased in
his journey to the spirit land. The
grave was partially surrounded with
lighted candles and burning Incense
sticks, and the papers in which the
candles were wrapped were burned on
he grave-the Pickering light of the
apers, the flame of the burning papers,
he smoking incense, the picturesque
costumes of the Cinnamon, and the
iaisy-clad field forming a strange and
weird picture not soon to be forgotten.
While these were burning Mongolian
advanced to the grave, made number
If prostrations, his forehead touching
he earth, and then poured tea from
,owl upon the ground. Tea was poured
v ain upon the earth, and all the Celes-
ials then made profound bows toward
he'grave with their hands outstretched,
md then turned away; and thus the
uneral services were concluded. The
'ffects OF the deceased, as is usual with
hese people, were burned after the
uneral.
M