Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-11-10
SACRIFICING TO DEVILS.

SACRIFICING TO DEVILS.
Tie annual Chinese festival or exercises,
COMMONLY deuominated by the heather
American as " devil driving" closed in China
town yesterday morning at about 4 o'eiock
with great pomp and daafening din Of bombs,
frecrackers and hidecus amounted Chinese
classical music, Brought forth from the
various implements of music peculiar to the
Celestials. st about 10 e'clccls yesterday
forenoon the last touches of the demolstra-
ton were celebrated by burning the paper
horse. which was dona upon the street in due
forra and ceremony under direction of the
priests and amid shouting Of the surrounding
crowd, the incantations Of ths priests and
the beating Of musical sJrains, which beat
ANYTHING for discord, terrestrial or beneath. zs
a visit to the rude quarters whera these
ceremonies were in progress, accompanied by
;n intelligent Chinese Interpreter in the per-
son Of Lem Chung, enabled the cleaning OF
some interesting facts as to the idess and be-
liefs entertained by those who engage III these
appeasiag demonstrations. The interpreter
states that the term 81 deyil-driving" used by
Americans DOES not convey the proper mean
ing Of the festival, and that 1t is rather sacri-
ficiog to devils than driving them, for during
the five days and nights in which this demon
stration is in progress the devils, or evli splr.
It's, are supposed to be surfeited with the best
food and drinks that can be set before them,
and that this is so effectualiy done, and their
favor 60 firmly secured, that they will cease
to modest any Of the fsithful subjects and be-
levers in the idols for q year TO come. AT
least il viii come so near this that the priests
can procure immunity from further annoy
ance through appealing to the idols, which
they can be procured to DO at any time upon
a sufficient donation made TO the priest IN
good things to eat and drink, and some
money-all Of which tie priests lay before
these heather gods, and as these presents
aays disappear, and without the priests
knowledge. of course the eatables are eaten
by the idols and the money is placed by them
in their waistcoat pockets.
The two images made Of paper, and about
the size of an ordinary man, which hanked
the front entrances, and before whom were
burning tapers, amidst good supply of
cooked rice, vermicelh and other eatahies,
and cups of tea, were described by the guide
and Interpreter to be superintendents, hayi-
ments to the devils, which are sap
posed to be hovsriag around. a eau
tious placard is placed over these dis-
pensers heads, in Chinese characters, which
suggests to the devils not to eat and drink SO
much as to hurt themselves. This shows
that the devils can read Chinese, for they say
these incriptions are read BY the devils as they
come up'to eat.
The image between the two front doors was
described rs representing the Final Judge,
and is intended to make the worshipers
thoughtful and serious as they pass by to do
homage to the idols which are arranged in
rows in the rear portion of the temporary
temple The two giant images which stand
nearly ten feet high at the right
and left upon the inside, are guardians
of the peace, and their presence is ex-
pected to be ample to prevent or overcome
any disturbance which may occur during the
time Of sacrificing to the satanic maiesties.
AS q mark Of their authority one had q foot
reeting upon leopard, and the other was
crushing o scorpion in his stately tread. To
make them more impressive, their eyes, which
are hideous enough upon general principles,
are fixed upon pivcts, with mice placed inside
for the purpose that as the mice move the
eyes will turn upon the pivots, and as was
explained, give them ga lifeGke expression"
Upon each side of tie room, arranged in
groups and cases, wers sixty to eighty images
standing or sitting as arranged. and which
the interpreter stated were not idols, as gen.
erallv supposed by the American people who
V1slG bte IEsL1Nal- Du6 Tet'iSsS1o eIo AoSS1 al
cestors Of the Chinese, whom they point back
to as the great and famous men of the En-
pire. s. The only real idols" said he, are
those standing there in the rear before whon
there is go much food and drink. There were
fourteen Of them at this time, and most of
them were brought from the Joss-house on [
street, between Second and Third streets "
IN addition to the extensive amount of choice
eatables and little cups of tea placed before
-. IL III. le-- Tls
and cutlasses of different descriptions, which,
It was said were kept there to frighten the
evil spirits away from the idols.
Not the least important part of the para.
phernalia necessary to successful work in
this festival and the work of sacrificing to the
devils is the paper: horse before referred to
and his gallant rider. The horse this year
was of much more perfect construc ion than
usual. He was of about the ordinary
covered with layers of white paper
which Tapped over each other in shisgle
form, with the tapping edge slitted in a kind
Of fringe to represent hair. A saddle was
upon its pack. of apparently very costly pat
tern, and from the bride, made Of red paper,
a gay cavalier. standing at the head of the
steed, held the bride lines ready for service
at a moments notice. The importance OF
this small platoon Of Celestial cavalry is that
this rider is supposed TO ply during the festi-
val between this temple of worship on L
street and heaven with whatever messages, as
to good deeds Of the worshipers or of sins
forgiven, the gods on the back shelves
may wish TO communicate to that
fer-off land. The trips made by the steed
and It's rider upon their eErards OF love and
mercy are supposed to be SO quick or instan-
taaeous that the horse is never seen to move,
but actually makes innumerable tIips every
day. The making of these visits heayenward
are supposed to continue until the festival Is
entirely closed, and hence the horse and rider
ara kept until eli the ceremonies are closed,
and then burned TO prevent their falling into
the power CT evil spirits while waiting for the
next annual season Of sacrificing.
WHOLESALE BUTcHERIYG.-JaoobA Arnold
was surprised yesterday morning, in the gray
dusk of dawn, 10 fad that he had partner
in the butcheriBg business at Second and n
streets, Of whom be had not previous llnowl-
edge The fellow was making away with
mutton by the wholesale. While Arnold on
the Inside was slsshing through the faLted
sides of some dressed porkers on his block, he
heard noise on the outside, and stepping to
the door was just il time to see a stout fellow
lift sheep carcass from the outdoor hooks
and make of with it in the direction of the
Gilman stable. Arnold pursued, but the
thief changed his course, dropped the mutton
and made for the lumber yards, in the laby-
rinths of which he was lost TO his pursuer.
Arnold returned pretty well blown, juat in
time to fiud two other men anxious to take
on the responsibility Of part Of his stock,
and preparing to disappear with another
sleeps carcass. He VOWS that of mornings
hereafter he viii chase mutton thieves with
some of the largest grains Of salt selected
from his strongest pork brine, and propelled
by powder in the barrel Of ready shotgun Of
extra large oaliber.
THE GROUNDS OF DRoRRE.-In connection
with the divorce of Mrs. Harriet N. Nolzes
from J. A. F. Nokes. it may be stated that