The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1884-04-04

"Me no wantee you Gomez lound hea.
Stay away" and Celestial frown was
bestowed upon the unheeding reporter
from q square aperture in the door of
a dirty and rickety building on jackson
street.
ats all right, John; 1 want to buy .
joss"
The rough door was pushed open and
the reporter entered the room where the
jossmaker-for such the man was
piled his peculiar vocation. Here were
seen. unsu5stantial idols of all descrip-
tions, ranged around the room in a pro-
miscuous fashion and with what seemed
a lack of reverence on the part of the
manufacturer. Then there was the raw
materisl-gilded and colored paper.
rough framework and other accessories
-strewn about the place, odds and
ends, dirt and disorder being every
where visible.
"You paintec MANI" asked the joss
maker, rs he picked up scrap of blue
paper, probably intended for the robe
of q god. and which the reporter had
sacrilegiously trodden upon. "Some
paintee man buy joss; makee pictua-"
NO, i Ill uOt al al tfSl, Dut wfou
to price the goods. What IS this one
worth?" and q blue, red and yellow
idol, with staring countenance and
with the conventional Chinese head
dress, together with paper robes,
stuffed with cotton, was pointed out
"Twenty-f dolla," was the reply
Assuming that the price was salts
factory and pending an imaginary
transfer of the property, it was found
BY putting few quest ,ons to the Mon
golian that quite trade in these idols
is carried on in this city, though, OF
course, the chief buyers are worshiperS
of joss. When finished, the joss, if il
is one which has been made to order
for a wealthy Celestial, or which is to
take its place in temple. must first be
consecrated by a high priest, who. with
his acolytes, goes through a prolonged
and apparently reconcile ceremonial,
winding up by daubing a little red paint
in each of the black eyes of the joss,
who is then enabled 70 see into
the mysteries of this world and
the hereafter. 1t is the dying wish Of
every Chinese who can afford it that a
joss NAV be burned for him after his
death, and this proceeding forms a part
of all we'll regulated funeral ceremonies
another cause for the great demand
on the eiligy manufacturer and con-
sequent source of revenue to him. The
head being of WOOD or pliable card
board. and the body of cheap though
gaudy material, there is nothing about
one Of these images which may be con-
sidered of value; the ingenious work.
manship. in which such q display of de-
tail is made, may be noted as of IA.
mere consequence than the useful or
extraneous stuff which goes to make up
the potent and mystic joss. Even the
paper finger nails of extraordinary
length. are finely curved and the thick
seized shoes and fan are not omitted. A
half completed jOss.is one Of the queer
ess-looking sights TO be seen in the
Chinese quarter, work being commenced
from the feet and the inside portion of
the body being plainly visible.
The sub ect OF the proposed purchase
was again brought in by the Mongolian.
and while he was j:bbering away re-
garding the merits. of the life-sized inn
age which the reporter had singled out
and telling what good luck it would
! bring the buyer, another Chinaman.
lesding child, entered the apartment
The little heathen was down on his
knees and had bumped his little head
against the floor before the joss, while
> youthful pigtaif trailed IN the dust,
before the reporter knew what to make
of the scene Jerking the youngsser to
his feet. his guardian snapped out some
thing in his native tongue, wheraat the
child began to cry.
The reporter saw an opportunity 30
Withdraw. but the jossmaker followed
him to the door.
lyon habbee him ten dolla-"
mo. III call again.
'.Sixee dolla
But with ''Good-day" his visitor
had fled the scene.-Sogs francisco
CltrOnicte.