Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-11-02
APPEARING THE GODS.


lanterns extended along the front of build
| ings on 1 street, from Second to Fifth Those
Mongolians who are able to indulge In such
luxuries moved about arrayed in all the
trappings of celestial holiday apparel, or
Toasted in brilliantly illuminated apartments,
where burning incense and tapers filed the
/ air with PECULIAR Oriental odors. At night
and far into the morning the din of from
bones and fddles and tamtams emanating
from bands station ed in recesses along the
street, the crowds Ct apparently edited celes
tials attracted by the discordant sounds,
tie brightly lighted temples or headquarters
of the gods, the long lines of illuminations
and gorgeous display of images and char
acters in gold and tiEsel, and the almost i'm.
possible combinations of colors, told plainly
enough that the occasion was one of extreor-
] binary import. There seems to be secrecy
| envelnping the ceremonies on occasions of
| this kind, and it was only with the greatest
! difficulty that information concerning the
| demonstration or its meaning could be ELECTED.
| 1t is a cardinal principle Of Buddhism, of
which the religion Of the Chinese is but
modification, that the spirits of departed
mortals have both the power and the inclins-
ton to return and bring trouble TO those
they left behind. This peculiar Influence il
exsrted by one or more of numerous deiiies,
snd 1t Is to sppease these angry gods that the
demonstrations referred to were instituted. II
ia thought necessary by the orthodox China
man to propitiate the celestial ire at least
once year. and any neglect at Cancellation
is deemed to be an inevitable cause of dire
disaster or misfortune to the race. So firm is
this belief that large amounts of money are
annually expended in the ceremonies which
are designed TO allay the godly wrath. IRE
amount expended in this city will aggregate
81, 600, which is some $500 less than the cost
Of last years demonstration. The custom il
represented to be as old as the doctrines of
Confucius, upon which the popular religious
| belief of the Chinese is based.
A large number of Caucasians were at-
tracted during the week by the strange and
! inexplicable proceedings. But neither the
presence of uubelieving and hereticai out
| siders nor the embarrassment of strange faces
| deferred the faithful from going through the
| prescribed forms of worship. This occasion
is known among the Chinese as Dai Jhta,
| and the ceremonies take place about the sarae
time each year, being regulated by seer
who designstes the particular time at which
they shall be held. The necessary funds are
raised by subscription from merchants and
wealthy men, who choose a board of mana.
gers called Ghec Use, to make the necessary
arrangements. The service of two priests
from San Francisco was obtained, who CON-
Quoted all The devotional exercises. These
consist of sacrifices of fruit, flowers, in.
cense, eatabes, confession of laymen,
conservation Of sacred water, sacred bath of
baptism, benedictions, etc. At about s A NJ.
OF each day a procession marched forth from
the temple on l street, near Fifth, headed by
band" Next came the priests, dressed in
pontitcals somewhat resembling the Catholic
bishops, followed by the temple keeper and
three Chinese boys carrying the records Of
the names of those who subscribed funds,
These were followed by four others, called
Su Gee. carrying refreshments for the evil spir-
its. This procession moved down I street,
amid a scene of exploding fre-crackers and
bombs, to special temple, near Third street,
fitted up for the occasion. This temple is
filed with all manner of images, banners and
allegoric representations. Opposite the en-
trance is the sanctuary. with the altar and
images Of the gods. On the altar tapers
and incense are kept burning continually.
Charts representing the different degrees and
forms of punishment inflicted on the souls Of
the uDrighteous adorn the walls Near the
entrance is an almost Efe-size image of
horse, near which, holding the rein, stands the
rider, whose mission it is to carry the news of
the proceedings to I'rdyastrimsas, who is the
the highest Buddhist god At the conclu.
sion Of worship the procession returned to
I the temple, where the members lay appar-
| ently dormant until about $3.50 P NJ, when
! the same Proceedings again occurred, At
various times durisg the day and night other
| idllatrous conciliations-such as feeding
! fish-were indulged in, and last evening
the sacrifices having been completed, lighted
| tapers were set sh,st on Lake Como }"
for the purpose of lighting the evil spirits TO
their abode. where, il the sacrifices have
been sufficient, they will remain for another
| year. Yesterday Chinaman, describing q
/ group of iusges snd desig mating each one,
said This oLe ale same Judge Henry
| this, Tournv Andersen this. Misser Jones
this, Chief < archer; ard tits (poin.ing to 5
small, Inferior looking inagel, he ale came
Francisco lriests will so 10 Foisnm, VIII. re
they viii insrgurate another sacrifice emol g
| the Chinese IN thai plscs.
! ELECTION RETuRNs.-1n pursuance OF the
custom Of the RsCoRD-UNIoN the election
returns will be displayed ia front of this
! ctice on the evening of election day and up
| TO midnight. The returns will be thrown
upon fourseen-fooS screen by the aid of
! powerful ls.rtern. The letters will he of
such size rs to be easily seen and read from
the corner of Third ard or Third and K
streets. As rapidly IS returns are received.
by telegraptic report and Otherwise, the suL-
stance CT the same viii be flashed upaa the
screen. Thsse Will be interspersed with one
hundred and fifty views IF scsDery in the
| United STATES, France, England, ireland
and Germany, portraits of contesting candi.
dates, prom nent citizens, and distinguif h ed
/ men o! the nation. There will also be shown
for the entertainment If the people who may
attend to await receipt of the election news,
a number Of humorous views. The pictures
for this occasion have been selected from a
collection of LOCO. and are all of very su-
| perior character, ard have not heretofore been
shown here. This iutel lection of views is in-
tended to be relief to the necessary waits"
that must occur in the receipt of election
news. As twenty.three States Of the Union
hold elections next Tuesday, the returns will
be Of unusual interest. To avoid confusion
and interference with the work of the Office
information will only be given of the char
scter Of the returns by the means indicated.
The SIsNAL SERVICE REPORT - The
barometer is rising rapidly at O'ympia and
Portland. 1t is well known with those who
are intimate with the barometer, that any
rapid change in it, whether rising or falling
| is sure sign of unsettled weather but
the barometer south of Portland is chargir q
| very slowly, there need be no fear of the uu-
settled state of the weather in WASH lgtou
| Territory affecting the weather st this point
| The wind is south and southeast from Olym-
pia to Visslis, which is the direction that in
dictates the storm has not fully decided to
leave us vet. Tais wind being fight, that is,
less than five miles per hour, is good sign
/ that the atmospheric equilibrium Is nearly
reached, and westerly winds may be looked
! for The rainfall at Sacramento during the
present storm, up to SP NJ. last night, was. II Of
an iach, making 3.S7 inches for the season to
date. The season If 1878 gave to CORE.
spending date .7S of an inch season of 1873 9
gave "a of an inch season of 1S79-S0 gave
SO of an inch; season of 1891, none sea-
son of 1872 gave .S5 of an inch. The aver
age rainfall for the past six seasons to corre-
spending date is l. IL inches, which shows the
present season of 1928 to be, up to date, 2 &c
inches ahead of the average for six years past,
| which is quite large excess so early in the
season.
THE FIRST WARD SUPERvIsoRsHIP.-The
general expression of voters in the First
| Ward gives the friends of Bernard Steinman
every assurance of the election of that gen.
| tlemsn to the SuperYisorship of the First
| District. Mr.. Steinman has been for thirty
! n ras;dapI IF fbis c;tr and all his inter,