The Newtown bee., 1879-07-30
A Chinaman's Queer Burial.

Wee-Ka- Yung. Chinese laundryman working in New York, died at little Chinese settlement near Newark, N. J., and was buried there. The funeral took place about five o'clock in the afternoon, the fifteen Celestials of the laundry the Rev. MT. Strong, of the Reformed Church in Belleville, the undertaken, the super intendent of the laundry, two or three other gentlemen and five ladies being present. The visitors were ushered into a room off the main entrance of the Chinese quarters, the walls of which were hung with Chinese papers with strange devices, interspersed with such notices as "GodSs Love-" Simply to Thy Cross 1 Cling" etc. From the cen ter of the room was suspended a Chinese lantern. The body was not then visible, was carried into the hall and placed about the center, and the company were invited to walk out. In the hall were several Celestials standing near the coffin, where the body was seen clad in the ordinary habiliments worn by this race. Rev. Mr. Strong, standing near the coffin, offered up 8 brief and fervent prayer, during which a representative of the Flowery Kingdom stood near scat tering tribute money-pieces of thin brown paper about I,ur inches long
 
 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 con- taining burning incense was placed in the vehicle in front of the coffin. Fol lowing the wagon was a man carrying large market basket containing brown paper pack lges and a man carrying strips of paper, which he strewed all the way to the grave. Behind him came the rest of the Chinamen and then the visit ors. Not word was said during the march to the grave, and on reaching the place of interment, where there are already several of these people buried, the four bearers lifted the coffin from the wagon and silently lowered it into the grave Rev. Mir 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 filled and moundcd 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 carefully concealed from the knowledge of the visitors. The man with the bas- ket came forward. and from it were taken packages containing candy, nuts, etc., which were opened and their con- tents poured over the jar. This was all covered with earth, when a tin pan con- | taining little earth, in which were stuck a white taper, number of lighted incense-sticks which in burning gave out a fragrant odor, and also some peculiar red and white tapers were placed on top of the earth. Then a plate containing meat, small birds, and @ dressed chicken with the head on and arranged in a sit ting position was deposited at the foot of the grave. Near this pan were 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 1 surrounded with lighted candles and burning incense-sticks, and the papers in which the candles were wrapped were | burned on the grave-the fickering light of the tapers. the flame of the burning papers. the smoking incense, the pictur- | esque costumes of the Chinamen and the daisy-clad field forming strange and weird picture not soon to be forgotten. While these were burning a Mongolian advanced to the grave, made a number of prostrations, his forehead touching the earth, and then poured tea from a bowl upon the ground. Tea was poured again on the earth, and all the Celestials then made profound bows toward the grave with their hands outstretched and then turned away, and thus the funeral services were concluded. The effects of the deceased, as is usual with these l people, were burned after the funeral.