Morning journal and courier., 1882-06-07
Chinamen as Masons.

Chinamen as Masons.
 But Not Allowed to Enter Lodge Rooms
 Here-Ceremonies Somewhat Similar. From inc New York sunI
 Although it may not be generally known. | the Chinamen of this city have instituted 8
 Masonic lodge. On several occasions mem bers of the Chinese lodge have sought to fra ternize with members of other Masonic lodges, but on every occasion have been re- pulsed. The Chinamen were considered | members of clandestine lodge and as such, not worthy of notice. The Chinese lodge is less than two years old, but it now has 3Os
 members Its formation was due largely to the efforts of Deputy Sheriff Tom Lee and the Chinese interpreter, Jean Bsptista aided by eight other Chinamen less publicly known
 than they.
 It is fairly well understood now. however.
 by students of Masonic ritualism. that there | is Grand Lodge of Nesons in the Celestial Empire, and that the Emperor, as well as his Grand Secretary, who did the honors to Gen. l eral Grant, and lately introduced the first | telegraph line into China with many others about the court are Masons. As to just how
 near the ritual adopted by the Grand Lodge comes to the ritual in vogue among Masons in the United States, and how and when Ma sorry was introduced into China, there is great diversity of opinion Some authorities incline to the belief that the ritual adopted by l the Chinese was the one used by Eastern Ma sons at the beginning of the present century.
 Another authority says that Free Masonry has become so widespread, and publications | of 8 Masonic character are bandied about so ! loosely, that it is not difficult for anyone to | become familiar with the secrets and his in- | ference is based on that. Other authorities | say that Chinamen have been initiated into l Masonic lodges in the East and in the course | of time have fallen out of them, and thus | used their experience and knowledge to l good account in forming lodges in their own | country Those who have this opinion count | a great deal on the initiative faculty of the Celestial rather than on a well balanced, re- | tentiye memory. If such be the case, Fres | Masons would expect to find 6 similarity of | signs, symbols and forms ln the lodges of the | Chinese, rather than in the words or names of officers. The lodge in this city was insti- tuted by request from the Grand Lodge of | California, which got its charter from the
 Grand Lodge in China Lodges are estab- | lished in towns wherever there is a consider | auie gathering 0f Ohinaraor. In Ho-uza | they are numerous. In Chicago and St. Lou | is 1t is thought that there Is one each, if not
 more. In the principal cities of California l there are many.
 The Master who organized the lodge in this | city under authority from the Grand Lodge | is Yong Hin Iii. He Is now absent from the
 city, having been in the Western States on | business for over three months. In the ! meantime the Deputy Master acts. Yong | Hin Iii was chosen Master for a second term, it is said, because no member had yet | become so familiar he with the mysteries
 of Masonry The lodge has now arrived at
 that period when the members believe that | they can do better by enlarging their accom- | modations. There is not room enough, the | officers say for the large number that come | to the lodge room, and there is desire to | secure some large house ID Mott street, but l there is none to be had Property in that | neighborhood is leased to Chinamen, but 10 part of it is large enough to accommodate | the lodge. Jean Baptista, the interp eter, | says that the ceremonies in the lodge are al
 most similar to those in lodges of other Ma | sons in this city. He does not know where
 in they differ except possibly in the naming | of the officers.
 l that curiosity is aroused There a tims ! in this country when it was supposed by non | Masons that one MEscn was expected to do l almost anything that another asked him to | do consideration of the by-la<s of the 1 Chinese will go great way to make that sup
 position good A Chinese Mason must do all ] in his power to help a brother Mason He
 must not establish laundry within tso | blocks of brother, and must dissuade every l other Chinaman from doing SO If he should 1 be so unfortunate as to fail in business, be
 must be helped and put on his feet. If non- | Masons crowd him, they must be talked to | and requested to wait the coming of better
 times for the payment of their claims l Should they still persist, payment is made by
 a wealthy member, or out of the lodge funds. | No one has been known to be recreant in this trust. If a Chinaman who is a Mason should | stab or otherwise assault another ChinAman
 who is also a Mason, everything in their | power should be done by the members of the | lodge to tide over the difficulty and secure
 the release of the Chinaman- The large
 force of Chinamen that asked permission of Justice Kilbreth to speak with the assAilAnt | of Gam Wah and hls wife, some time ago, had no other motive than to know his stand
 ing in China. and whether he was Mason Should Chinese Mason owe brother Ma | son any sum, he must rot sue in the courts ! for the recovery of that sum, bat he must
 put the matter in the hands of the Arbitrs-
 tion committee of the lodge. If the creditor
 insists on prompt payment, and the debtor
 has it not, then he Is to receive it from the l lodge The latter course has seldom been 1 resorted to- Chinese Masonry inculcstes l among its members feelings of kindness,
 goodness and fraternity It is not alone a
 Masonic by law, but it is general consjdera-
 ton with Chinamen that they help one an-
 other The Chinese Mason must believe in Q
 God the same as B Christian. All of the 3oS
 are members of some church. Most of them
 are Methodists, but there are Presbyterians,
 Episcopalians and Baptists among them.
 Baptista did not know it for a fact that the
 highest court officials of China are Masons.
 He had only heard of it, but to his mind il
 was one indication of the progress made by
 Christianity. A favor might have been ex-
 tended to the Emperor's court officials The
 lodge has lost only two members by death.
 Wong Gong was buried from 60 Oliver street
 with great funeral pomp on August Is, 1881.
 Like honors were extended to Dek Took oi
 Division street in the latter part of April last.
 With the burial rites of their country have
 been embodied some rites instituted by Ma
 sorry. A feature of the Chinese Mason's
 funeral is a brass band and band of tom
 toms Another is the cooked meats. Anoth.
 CT is the strewing of bits of white paper over
 the ground to ward of evil spirits, who are
 supposed to be very curious, and will pick up
 the papers and thus be kept from following
 the dead. There other ceremonies at the
 funerals but they have not attracted more
 than passing notice. The bodies of China
 men pot MasonS simply buried. Besides
 paying funeral expenses, the lodge puts aside
 a certain amount for the support of widow.
 children relatives relying for maintenance
 upon the deceased Mason. They also send
 word to friends in China of the disposition
 of the remains. and care for his effects, if hs
 has any, under the eye of the Public Admin i istrator's office.
 Note paner and EuyeIOnes