The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-09-03
TIE CHINESE In NEW YORK.
A Funeral In Mott Street.

After q due season OF mourning OF
from three to seven days, according to
conditions, preparations are made for
tue burial All the blankets and house
hold effects are given away, the blank
cts generally to the undertaken to whom
the burial contract is awarded, and the
wash-tub, sad-irons and other vessels
! and Instruments distributed among
friends. The pipe and quantity of
opium are placed in the coffin for solace
in the tomb. All the coins Of the de.
nomination of ten cents left by the de-
parted are gathered together and exam.
ined by the committee. Those without
flaw or tarnish are neatly done up sep
arately in pieces Of red tissue paper,
placed in box and intrusted to the
care Of one Of the mourners. Another
takes charge of the candles and punk,
| and the funeral cortege sets out for the
cemetery The number OF carriages
forming the train depends entirely upon
the worth or rank Of the dead man.
"Not long since" said Bowery I'M
dertaker to reporter, "tle funeral cor
tege consisted only of hearse and the
transfer omnibus TO convey the mourn
! crs. But / have seen n funeral where
sevcnty-ive carriages have been found
Necessary.
When the funeral line is drawn up,
with the hearse at the head, and the
coffin and it's contents are placed in it,
one of the committee Of arrangements
mounts the hcarse box by the side OF
the driver and the procession is in readi-
ness. When the start is effected the
man riding with the driver Of the heGrse
produces a block of white tissue paper,
and, tearing of slips at intervals Of n
few seconds, throws them from the
hearse to the ground, never ceasing
until the cemetery is reached. 1t is
Chinese tradition that the devil is in
pursuit Of every corpse, and to keep
him from Selling the spirit of the dead
before the coffin is lowered into the
grave these strips OF paper are dropped.
The devil, the tradition goes, is imbued
with great curiosity, and suspects each
one Of the blank slips Of paper, and only
by that method is the spirit preserved
from his clutches. All stoppagcs on the
way to the grave are attributed to the
evil one, and the mourEers do not rest
easy until the remains are buried. When
the coffin is lowered by the grave dig
gers, the Chinese mourners draw near
and throw earth into the hole, while
half n dozen Of their number unload
from basket the dead mans clothing,
several red candles, large bunch Of
slow matches and box containing pro-
visions. The clothing is rolled into
| bundle and burned. The candles and
/ slow matches nrc set firmly in earth at
the foot OF the grave and lighted. The
box is then opened, and bowls OF rice,
broiled chicken and plate of lean
meat produced thercfrom. These are
placed beside the freshly-heapcd mound
that the disembodicd soul may feed
upon them preparatory to taking its
| flight to the realms Of bliss. The chop
sticks are never seen to move, nor is
there any perceptiblc diminution in the
quantity Of the viands yet the China
men seem to firmly believe that the
spirit passes that way and partakes Of
the banquet. After a mat has been
spread beside the grave, the mourners
go up in twos and thrces and, standing
or knecling on the mat, salute the dead
man for the last time. The salute con-
sists Of raising and dropping the clasped
hands three times, accompanying each
movement with nod of the head, then
dropping on NIL fours and ducking th1
head three times more, the face almost
touching the ground. Each person
after finishing his salute emptios upon
the ground cup of weak tea. Candles
aud matches are burned to keep the
devil off, and cigars are distributed
among the mourncrs and they re-entel
their carriages. The place is deserted Q
few minutes later. The grave is visited
on the anniversary Of the death by the
friends OF the dead man, who observe
the day rs holiday