St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-01-31
Chinaman's Joss.

The new Chinese Joss house, at No.
312 Pine Street, was dedicated last even
ing. The building, which is nearly fin
lShed, is II feet wide, 40 feet deep, ard
40 feet high, containing two stories, full
OF Chinese eccentricitics. 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. Its cost,
when completed, will be $500 It is
built by contributions from natives of
the Kong Chow district, China, and, in
addition to being used as Il place of wor-
ship, viii be utilized as a temporary
graveyard for Celestial bones bound for
China and paradise, ri0 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 pics
and failures in the yield of Irishmen. A
large number of curious W hites attend
ed the dedication last night, and were
industriously shown about by their
proud brother barbarians. Entering
from Pine Street q 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 expres>ioned
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 we're two fierce looking giants,
about twelve feet each in height, glar-
ing at the passerby with all the malig-
nifty of female book agents, but not q
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 Oh
spree. The thought occurred that
the greatest part Of the Thanksgiving
was in reality because the band WASH t
larger. The famous ''German band y
would have given up its ghost and brass
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 a mallet and
a beer faucet, and fastened with shoe
strings, rendering strains thatin civil
lied country would condemn him to a
term in Congress. The third tiend
picked discord from q dulcet guitar,
fashioned from a pick-handle and the
crown of an Irish-American stoyepipe
hat, while the fourth thummed a 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 Z, 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. -
1t was laden with artificial fruits and
sundry substantial delcacies, that would
Indicate cast-iron appetite for Joss.
Before the altar the chief high priest
knelt and kept up a dreary plant to the
deities that their blessings be showered
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
high Misunderstanding fellows, with
almond eyes to business, lodged around
the altar and kept the tiny lamps filled,
willing to earn a stipend from Joss as
well as from the president of a ward
club. Between the beating of the Gym
balls and war-whoops of the master OF
the ceremonies chorus behind the
scenes favored the company with selec-
tons from " Pinafore - in several dia-
lects.-S0aa Francisco Alt0.
A DIAMOND smuggler, who was well
known to be engaged in defrauding the
revenue, for a long time could not be
caught in the act. He never left a 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 joiner work of his state-room, in
serting them in small holes, which were
then filled 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 diamonds
and gave them to his wife, who came to
see him off.
President Gilman of Johns Hopkins
University makes a statement in
reference to the students of that institu-
ton that is probably unprecedented in
the annals of any collegiate institution
in the world, viz, that during the three