The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-01-31
Chinaman's Joss.


ing. The building, which is nearly fin
ished, is II feet wide, 40 feet deep, and
40 feet high, containing two stories, full
of Chinese eccentricities. Above the
entrance is a handsome marble slab,
gilded in heather characters, and bears
the English INSCRIPTION, "Kong Chow
Asylum" The building stands upon
the first piece of real estate purchased
in San Francisco by Cinnamon. It's cost,
when completed, will be $500. 1t is
built by contributions from natives of
the Kong Chow district, China, and, in
addition to being used as place of wor-
ship, will be utilized as temporary
graveyard for Celestial bones bound for
China and paradise, ria Pacific Mail
route The festivities begun last night,
and will continue for eight or ten days,
that time being devoted once in three
years, according to Mongolian. ethics, to
a thanksgiving for good crops of pigs
and failures in the yield of Irishmen. A
large number of curious whites attend
ed The dedication last night, and were
industriously shown about by their
proud brother barbarians. Entering
from Pine Street Pickering light, sent
forth by several dozens. of taper
candles, revealed the height of Chinese
extravaganza in brightly colored paper
ornamentations. A gorgeous embossed
paper picture, representing the son of
the moon taking the salary pledge, es-
pecially excited the admiration of the
leather-colored aristocrats. Several
boots of oddly shaped and expressioned
dolls, arranged in various tragic panto
mines, also called for free approba-
ton. The walls were covered with
flaming red posters, but the reporter,
being pressed for time, did not stop to
read them. Turning short corner, an
other room was entered. At the en-
trance were two fierce-looking giants,
about twelve feet each in height, glar-
ing at the passer-by with all the malig
nifty of female book agents, but not
1.-THE SO dangerous. The same reckless
ness as to high-colored papers was here
displayed as in the entrance, an in adj
dition to the candle lights several hand
some cut-glass septagonal lanterns.
swung pendant from the ceiling. On
an elevated stage at the rear was a
group of heather amateur musicians,
whose muse appeared to have gone on
spree. The thought occurred that
the greatest part of the thanksgiving
was in reality because the band wasn't
larger. The famous "German band !"
would have given up its ghost and brass
horns without mnrmur If the shame
of comparison had been theirs. Sum
Snuff, the leader of the orchestra, per-
formed on the bottom of a brass kettle
with pair of chop sticks, and evidently
considered noise the elimination of har
mony. His partner scraped an i'm
promptu fiddle, made from mallet and
beer faucet, and fastened with shoe
strings, rendering strains that in civil
lied country would condemn him to a
term in Congress-. The third fiend
picked discord from dulcet guitar,
fashioned from pick-handle and the
crown of an Irish-American stovepipe
hat, while the fourth thummed Chi
nese banjo-in China generally used as
an instrument for capital punishment
A laundering gong made up the COM
plement. Occasionally the saucepan ar
fist charmed the company by singing
in high C to elevated q, and was only
prevented from running his voice by the
alphabet running out. In a room
to the left the more Impressive cere-
monies were conducted. The chief altar
was 20 feet high, and the top bore the
Inscription: beware of pickpockets. v
1t was laden with artificial fruits and
sundry substantial delicacies, that would
indicate a cast-iron appetite for joss.
Before the altar the chief high priest
knelt and kept up dreary plant to the
upon all good Cinnamon the next three
years. Beyond him were squatted seven
high priests, four of whom wore brown
jackets, the others blue; all wearing
red-topped caps, always the insignia Of
high Office among the Chinese. Several
Notwithstanding fellows, with
almond eyes to business, lodged around
the altar and kept the tiny lamps filed,
willing to earn stipend from joss as
well as from the president of ward
club. Between the beating of the cvm-
balls and war-whoops of the master OF
the ceremonies a chorus behind the
scenes favored the company with selec-
tons from O. Pinaforer in, several dia-
lects.-San Francisco Alta.
A DIAMOND sinuggler, who was well
known to be engaged in defrauding the
revenue, fol. long time could not be
caught in the act. He never left ship
and he was constantly going back and
forth-without being searched in his
person as well as his baggage, and he
used to twit the officers on their disa.
bility to catch him. At last his trick
was discovered. He hid the diamonds
in the homework of his state-room, 10.
| serting them in small holes, which were
then filed up and painted over. He
engaged the same state-room for voy.
age back, and just before sailing from
New York he took out the diamond:
and gave them to his wife, who came t1
see him off,.
President Gilman of Johns Hopkins
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