St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-27
CELESTIAL FUNERALS.
Some Of the Curious Customs of thu
Chinese in Burying Their De-
parted Friends.
"A Big Chinese Funeral in San Fran
c1sco--The Funeral Feasts and
General Chatter.
sacr1hg1ous Hoodlums Who Rob the
Grave of the Dead China
mans Lunch.

The recent death and burial of a Chinese
iaundIyman in this city calls to mind the sll-
perstltlons OF that race, and the services
usually employed to properly bury their
dead. respect for those who have departed
this LIE IS characteristic of ali classes of
people, whether the most debased and saw
age tribes of the South sea islands. or the
more enlightened members of the highest
civilized communities, and many of the
burial services of different sectS and socie-
ties are both beautiful and impressive.
| lnere are none OF them, however that Dos
sess the Darbaric splendor or the interesting
nature OF those employed by the Chinese.
A graphic account of a Chinese funeral that
occurred three years ago in San Francisco
was told a reporter of the GLOBE by Mr..
w. ii. Harris of the Nickel Plate show. He
is a gentleman that has encirced the world
with his enterprise, and has exhibited in
nearly all OF the inhabited countries
OF the Globe. Although he had spent
| short term in China, he had
never witnessed burial service in that
| country.
During the winter of 1885, said Mr..
Harris. while sojourning in San Francisco.
was the spectator of Chinese funeral
which for grandeur and splendor had never
been equaled in that city. a prominent
| Chlnaman, who had met his death at the
hands OF a fellow Celestial, was buried.
The mourners and friends occupied num-
Der of carriages which formed cortege
nearly mile and a half in length, which
was preceded by a dozen large express
| wagons transporting the elaborate feast
which had been prepared by the friends of
the deceased to appease the appetite of the
departed spirit upon its long and wearisome
| tn 1N INV1 -. I.
the corpse was placed in the vehicle that
was to carry it to its final resting place, it
was deposited upon bier in the streets,
where preliminary exercises were INDUCED
in, punk stick burned and other services
performed, to the continued din of their in
descrlbable music. to appease the evil spirits
and drive them away.
THE HEARSE
was preceded by half dozen carriages con-
tanning friends of the deceased or members
OF the society to which he belonged, who
were busy distributing a small printed
paper OF Chinese characters, which repre-
sented kind of currency, to enable the de-
parted to pay his way as he proceeded
along his journey to the other life A con-
tlnual beating of gongs, clashing of GYM
bols and screeching Of horns and fiddles,
making horrible din and confusion, which
was calculated to frighten and drive away
the devils who might be towering about to
seize the spirit of the deceased. Following
the hearse were three women clothed en-
tirely in white, with their heads and bodies
| covered with loose sacks that had been
thrown over them. They were the widows
OF the deceased and were led or supported
along the long line of march to the ceme-
terry. After the wives OF the dead man
came about forty or fifty women who
| were employed as mOurners, and whQ
earned their money by continually moaning
and waiting at the great loss of him for
whom they mouIned The weather. the
man or the higher his standing the greater
is the number of these hired mourners.
Following this band of fearful maidens
came the carriages containing the friends,
and which completed the procession which
moved slowly up through Chinatown, into
Market street and out to the cemetery at
Lone mountain, where the interment took
place.
1.-The ceremonies at the grave were quite
lengthy and interesting. All of the articles
required for the personal use of the deceased
IN life had been placed in the coffin with
him, so that he could properly prepare his
toilet before entering the portals Of para
disc when at the end of his journey. and
also quantity Of coins to enable him to
pay for all services required upon his trip.
| These latter, however, were comparatively
valuelesS in this material sphere as they rep
resented in the value of our coin about the
one-hundredth part of cent. The praises
OF the dead were chanted upon the yawn-
ing brink OF the open grave by solemn
yisaged Mongolians and many testimonials
and tributes of respect paid to him for his
worth and excellence while in the land of
the living and then the grave was filled in.
| The edibles which had been brought out
and which consisted of roasted pigs,
chickens, ducks and the good things of life
generally were arranged on the grave and
placed around it, after which the mourners
and friends returned to the city, leaving,
however. guard to watch the feast left
behind and at evening bring it back to
| Chinatown. where it is presumed it was
appropriated by those in the life for their
comfort and satisfaction.
I'm former years, it was the
| custom to leave these edibles on
the grave and such is the custom still MAIN
tanned in the FloWery Kingdom, but in San
| Francisco and all of the towns of the Pa
cific coast the tramps and hoodlums used to
gorge and enjoy themselves at the expense
of the Chinaman, and being without their
fears and superstitions would have fine
feast on the good things provided for the
celestial appetite. The discovery of this
| led the Chinese to so alter their ceremonies
as to prevent the tramps from sacriligiously
despoiling their funeral bouquets. and now
the viands are always brought back with
them from the cemetery"