The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1880-01-23

The new Chinese joss house, At No.
3l2 Pine Street, was dedicated last even
ing. The building. which is nearly fin
ished. Is IL 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, n bears
the English inscription. "kong Chow
Asylum.- The kuilding stands upon
the first piece Of real estate purchased
In San Francisco BY Cinnamon. Its cost,
when completed, will be $500. II Is
built by contributions from natives Of
the Kong Chow district, China, and, in
addition TO being used a. a place Of wor-
ship. will be utilized As a 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
4 Thanksgiving for good crops Of pigs
and failures in the Weld 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 a 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 moor taking the salary pledge, es-
p~ecially excited the admiration Of the
leather-colored a~ris.ocrafs. 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 a short corner,
other room was entered. At the en-
trance were two fierce-looking giants.
about twelve feet each in height, glar-
ing al 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 ad-
dition 10 the candle lights several hand
some cut-glass septagonal lanterns
swung pendant from the ceiling. On
an elevated stage az the real was .
group Of heather amateur musicians,
whose muse appeared to have gone on
a spree. The thought occurred that
the greatest part Of the thanksgiving
was in reality because the band wasn't
larger. The famous German band n
would have given up its ghost and brass
horns without a murmur il the shame
Of comparison had been theirs. Sum
Snuff, the leader Of the orchestra, per-
formed on the bottom Of a brass kettle
with a pair of chop sticks. and evidently
considered noise the elimination Of ar
mony. His partner scraped an inn
promptu fiddle, made from a mallet and
a beer faucet, and fastened with shoe
strings, rendering strains that in a civil
lied country would condemn him to a
term in Congress. The third fiend
picked discord from a dulcet guitar,
fashioned from a pick-handlc and the
crown Of an Irish-American stovepipe
! hat, while the fourth thnmmed Chi
|, nese banjo-in China generally used as
an instrument for capital punishment.
, A laundering gong made up the COM
plement. Occasionally the saucepan mr.
|, tist charmed the company by singing
in high G 10 elevated u, and was only
prevented from running his voice BY tho
} 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-'
! II was laden with artificial fruits and
/ sundry substantial delicacies, that would
J indicate a cast-iron appetite for joss
! Before the altar the chief high prizes
] knelt and kept up a dreary plant to tn
/ deities that their blessings be showeres
upon all good Cinnamon the e thre'
years. Beyond him were squatted sever
= high priests. four Of whom wore brown
. Jackets, the others blue; all wearin,
~red-topped caps, always the insignia Q
= high Office among the Chinese. Severa
Notwithstanding fellows, wit
r almond eyes to business, lodged aroun,
4 the altar and kept the tiny lamps filled
\ willing to earn a stipend from joss q
4 well as from the president Of q war
. club. Between the beating Of the cvn
: balls and war-whoops of the master Z
the ceremonies q chorus behind tn
scenes favored the company with seles
= tons from .Pinafore = In several dis
4 lects.-San Francisco Attn.