The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-05-01
J0SSES LEW, KWAN AND JON
HEATHEN IDOLS woRsHIPED IN
NEW XoRKs CHINATOWN.
Sunday Evening Exercises Held 10
COuntcract the ChristianiZing Ei-
forts Of Metropolitan Ministers.

Sunday Evening Exercises Held TO
COuntcract the ChristianiZing Ei-
forts Of Metropolitan Ministers.
Most of the inhabitants of Chinatown
are followers of either Buddha or Con-
fucius, or both. The endeavors Of DR..
Hall and other prominent divines TO in
terest the Chinese population in the
American Sunday school and church sys-
tenn have been attended by such remark
able success that at least one.quarter of
the 1000 Chinese in New York and
vicinity are attendants at some American
place of worship.
A good Buddhist may indulge to an
unlimited extent in fan tan (or Chinese
faro), policy and opium without losing
CASTE Christianlzed Chinese, on the
other hand, drop these vices the moment
they are converted, and make war upon
the classes who profit by them. The
gamblers, joint-keepers and opium deal
ers of Mott street are, therefore, good
orthodox Buddhists, and do everything
in their power to keep up the native
faiths and to prevent PROSECUTING by
Christian ministers and missionaries.
To counteract the work done in the past
fall and winter by DR.. Hall and others,
there has been what may be termed
revival in Chinatown. Excursions have
been made to Belleville, n. j., where is
the only joss-house east of the Rocky
mountains.
The latest move in this odd warfare is
the holding of native services in Mott
street which are largely attended.
The Sunday evening exercises at 16
Mott street are held in the club-rooms,
which are appropriately decorated. Mot
toes, banners and gay cards ornament the
walls. Portraits or symbolic pictures of
various josses or spiritual powers are
hung in handsome frames or rolled upon
dark wooden rollers. BY the wall at
one end of the room stands large table
covered with an exquisite silk cover en-
brodered in coors and gold bullion. In
front of the table on the floor were heavy
knee mats and cushions for the devout to
kneel upon in their prayers. Last Sun
day about thirty persons were present, of
whom nearly all are old residents of New
York. The priests and worshipers
were engaged in the unreligious task
of eating dried watermelon seeds.
In short time two attendants
brought in large trays containing sacri
fetal goods and utensils. Everything
was arranged in triplicate, the services
being in honor of the distinguished
josses Lew, Kwan and Jon. There were
three pairs of chopsticks, three cups,
three saucers, three bowls, three plates,
three spoons, and many other triplets.
Three immense candlesticks of fantastic
pattern each containing candle which
in size, shape and color looked like
boiled beet, were then placed on the
table and the candles lighted. A large
BONE urn, eighteen inches high, filled
with fine white sand, was then placed in
front of the candlesticks and the sacri-
fetal wares arranged in irregular lines.
The priest turned to the audience and
extended his hand. All arose and ad-
justed their queues, robes and hats. The
priest walked over to the praying mats,
and stood upon the one nearest the mid
die of the table. An attendant handed
him pot of hot tea, which he took and
with which he filled the three teacups
on the table. He then knelt and made
three bows, to the west north and east,
and thereupon from each cup spilled a
few drops of tea upon the floor before
each of the three divinities. The second
attendant brought a delicate porcelain
pitcher of orange-wine with which the
priest went through the same cere-
mony as with the tea. He
then from lacquered tray
lifted a handful of joss sticks, which
after igniting he inserted in the white
sand of the bronze urn. From these a
thick cloud of dense aromatic smoke
rose during the remainder of the cere-
mony ana filled the rooms until all
seemed to be in thin, gray mist. He
then saluted the three divinities each
three times and then blessed the congre-
cation. He next proceeded t o CLAY up
treasure in heaven" by burning imitation
money in a chating dish, This money
comprised trade and Mexican dollars cut
out of silver tinscl, American eagles,
Chinese ccins and ingots from gold tin
sci and miniature limitations of green
backs. Again more bows and blessings.
When the last Y had been consumed an
elder of the congregation came forward
and handed the priest bundle of strips
of red paper on which were written the
prayers of those present and of friends
unable to attend. These followed
the fate of the burned money.
during It's combustion the priest again
knelt and bowed 50 vigorously that his
forehead struck the floor several times
with considerable violence. Rising he
turned, blessed the congregation, and
going across the room joined them.
They then, one by one, proceeded to the
place he had vacated, knclt, bowed and
saluted in about the same manner. When
the reporter left about twenty had gone
through the ceremony. Two hours al
terward the priest was assisting the
proprietor of neighboring saloon in
violating the excise law, and nearly, if
not quite all, of the congregation were
gambling in ad jaccnt tan tan saloons
An illustration of the changes effected
by the Chinese missions is in the diminu-
ton in the number of and more espec-
tally in the business done by the gam
bling houses and joints of Chinatown.
There are now but eighteen of the
former and two of the latter where two