Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-03
Dedication Of a Joss House.

The new Chinese joss House, at No. SIP Pine
ing Which, Ta1 IS Scarcely finished, IS il feet Wds.
| 40 feet deep and 40 feet high. containing two
| stories, full of Chinese eeeentricities. Above
| Tn heather characters, and bearing the English
inscription, ''Kong Chow Asylum The build
| ing stands upon the first piece of real estate
purchased in san Francisco by Chinamel.. It's
cost, when completed, will be s., 500 1t is built
| by contributions from natives Of the Kong
| Chow District China, and, in addition to being
| temporary graveyard for Celestial bones bound
for China and Paradise, via Pacific Mali
sronte. The festivities begun last night Will con-
tinue for eight or ten days, that time
being devoted once in three years, acc )rding to
Mongollan ethics to Thanksgiving for 90 ID
crops of pigs and failures In the yield of Irish
| tended the dedication last night, and were in
| dustriousy shown ABOUT by their proud brother
barbarians. Entering from Pine street flick
ering light sent forth by several dozens of taper
| candles, revealed the height of Chinese eXtrav-
agance in brightly colOred paper ornamental
| ttons gorgeous embossed paper picture,
salary pledge. especially excited the admiration
| of the leather-colored aristocrats. Several
| booths OF oddly-shaped and expresstoned female
dolls, arranged in various tragic pantomimes
also called for free appreciation. The walls
were covered with flaming red posters, but the
reporter: being pressed for time, did not stop
other room was entered. At the entrance were
| two fierce looking giants, about twelve feet
| each in height. glariEg at the paSSerS-by with
all the malignity OF female book agents, but not
a 1.-THE so dangerous. The same recklessness
| as to high-colored papers was here displayed
as in the entrance, and in addition to the candle
| lights several handsome cut glass sep
| tagonal lanterns swung pendant from the cell
| i2g. 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 m1rmur If the shame Of comparison
had been theirs. sum SnUf, the leader OF the
orchestra, performed on the bottom OF a brass
kettle with pair of chop sticks, and evidently
considered noise the elimination of harmony.
His partner scraped an impromptu fiddle made
| from mallet and beer faucet. and sastened
| civilized country would condemn him to
term in Congress; The third tiend picked dis
Irish-American stovepipe hat, while the
fourth thrummed Chinese banjo-in
China generally used as an instrument for capt.
the complement. Occasionally the saucepan
| artist charmed the company by singing
in high to elevated q, and was only prevented
| from running his voice by the alphabet running
| out. In room to the left the more impressive
ceremonies were conducted. The chief altar
was ten feet high and at til, the top bore the In.
| laden with artificial fruits and Sundry subttan-
tial delcacies. that would indicate cast,iron
appetite for joss: Before the altar the Chief
| high Priest knelt and kept up dreary plant
| to the deities that their blessings be showered
upon all good Cinnamon for the next three
priests, four of whom wore brown jackets, the
others blue; all wearing red-topped caps, always
Several highbindef- looking fellows, with almond
eyes to business, lodged around the altar and
| kept the tiny lamps filled, willing to earn q
stipend from joss as well as from the president
OF ward club. Between the beating of the
cymbals and war whoops Of the masters OF the
| ceremonies, a chorus behind the scenes favored
the company with selections from "Pinafore" In
several dialects.-(iSdn Francisco Atd, Dc. 81.