Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1882-08-31

! VIII bc Just US HappN' loo' Us inc sun
in-law of monopolist with 4 bad
cough They would never be content,
ed in any other calling, even if it paid
them $4,000 Il year and iircwOod. All
Others should keep out of the Journal
istic field
The Cost of Dead Relatives IN China.
In an entertaining, illustrated article
in the september Century on "Ningpo
and the Buddhist Temples Miss Con
stance +, Gordon Cumming, describes
as follows the great expense TO which
the living are put in China on account
of the dead:
Great indeed are the expenses en-
tailed on the living by the dead. In no
land can the loss of Il kinsman be more
seriously felt To begin with, there are
heavy funeral expenses. The body
must BE- dressed in fine new clothes,
and another good suit must be burnt,
as also his boots and shoes, most of his
wardrobe, his bed and bedding, and
the things most essential to his comfort
when living for he is supposed to re-
quirc all these in the unseen world: and
though paper representations are useful
later, the real articles are needed for
the original outfit. Then Il handsome
coffin is essential, and the priests must
he largely paid for funeral services at
/ the house of the deceased and again
| for their services in asccrtaining the
lucky day for burial while professor
of tURg SbWmuSt also be paid to choose
the exact spot where they may safely
prepare the grave 50 that the dead may
he shielded from the evil influences
which proceed from the north, and en-
compaSscd by all the good which
hrcathcs from the south. From the
10th TO the 18th day after death the
priests, whether TaoiSt or Buddhist,
hold services in the house, to protect
the living from tn" inroads of hosts OF
spirits who are supposed TO crowd i'll,
in the wake of their new friend, and rs
all relatives and friends of the family
must be entertained, rs well rs the
priests. this is another heavy item
of expense. In short, many famil-
les are often permanently impoycr-
ishrd bv the drain to which they
are thus subjected. and which in the
form of masses for the departed
and offerings at his grave or before his
tablet. are certain 10 rccur again and
again. To omit them would be to in
cur the anger OF the Spitcful dead. who
are now in Il position to avangc them
selves ON the living, by mllicting all
manner Of sickness and suffering
Besides, if the priests know that there
is any possibility Of extracting money
from family by playing on their feel
ingS, they pretend TO have had rcvcIa
tions from the spirit-world, showing
the unfortunate dead to be tortured il
purmatory. and that the only means by
which he can be cNtricatcd is by Il frcSI
course of costly services in the house
The price to be paid for these is liNeC
at the highest sum which they Judge il
possible to extract say thouSan,
, dollars, and though the family may rc
monstratc and cndcavor to make bet
ter bargain, it generally ends in thci
/ raising every possible coin, and even
selling their Jewels to procure the nee
cssary sum which shall free their dca,
from suffering, and also secure his pro
lection and goodwill. The sums thu
expended in connection with tn
; worship Of the dead are almost incrcd
iblr. heard II calculation once mad
! by one well entitled TO know what h
! spoke of. TO the effect that fully thirt.
million dollars are annually cXpcndc,
: in China at the three great festivals il
honor of the dead; while, in addition
!, to the above, by calculatingthc avcrag
I expenditure of each family at Il dolla
! and half year, he computed tina
! fully Il hundred and fifty million do
lars are annually spent in quoting til
! SniritS.