The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-04
HOW A CHINAMAN DIES.
A Rich Celestial Merchants Death in
His New York Home
Fron, the Mem York Herald.

From the Mem York Herald.
A heather died $4,000 miles away from
home, at No. Is Pell street, on Friday
morning Although he was so far away
from his native land, he was tended in his
dying hours by some of his cousins" for
in China the cousin is any member of the
same family, no matter how remote the
kinship, and the manner of his death was
as it would have been if he had died at
home.
His name is Hong Toi, and he is a cousin
of wealthy Chinaman who keeps a gro
cery at No. 26 Mott street. He had lust
been taken away from Boston to die in this
city. According to certain Chinese super
stition, it is unlucky to allow man to die
in the same house where he lived. Conse-
uuently, as soon as the attending physician
pronounces the case hopeless, a room else
where is hired for him to die in, as was
done in this case. Some relatives of the
diving man hired second floor back room
on Monday at the above number in Pell
street, and cousin" was set to watch him
die.
HIS EARLY STRUGGLES AND PROSPERITY.
Hong Toi was born in Quan-Tung- Foo In
1868 and came to America when he was 90
wears of age. Like so many of his country
men, when he arrived here he sought en-
ployment in a laundry, and set himself to
make a fortune. Half his princely wages
for such they were to him-he sent to
China, the other half he laid away, for the
scanty allowance he made himself to live
upon was hardly to be counted as deduc-
ton from either half. He was an enthusi-
astic Harrison republican.
Unlike large proportion of his compa-
triots who learn to like America, and who,
relinquishing the hope of returning home
which they all have when they first come
here, adopt in some degree American ways
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fast in his purpose to return wealthy man.
His savings after a time were large enough
TO enable him to buy an interest in a
grocery, and before he died he laid up
$4,000.
His hopes and plans, however, all per-
ished with him. Four months ago he con-
tracted an illness common among the peo-
pie of his race. He coughed, grew thin and
lost his appetite. The American physician
whom he employed at first pronounced the
trouble malaria, but his treatment did the
patient little good. A Chinese doctor was
consulted later, and he declared the trouble
to be pneumonia. This proved correct, and
the disease soon proved fatal.
PREPARING FOR DEATH.
Within the last two weeks of his life he
was never left alone. His friends and
cousins relieved one another in the pious
task of cheering the dying man and minis
tering in their heather fashion, to his
spiritual as well as his physical wants. They
read long passages to him from their ma
tional books, such as the works of Confu-
cius and Mencius, the Trpiteka of Buddha
and the verses of Lao Tszee and other
famous poets They fed him with the strange
and delicate dainties which the Chinese
only can concoct, and talked of home when
he was strong enough to listen. Then, as
the end came nearer, they brought out and
spread around him numerous queer looking
- L..
in his childhood evidently seeking, as they
might amuse tired child, to bring some
pleasant memory or happy thought into his
mind while yet life might be made lite
brighter. A large picture of Benjamin
Harrison, his favorite candidate for the
presidency, hung over his cot.
They spread out little squares of sugar
candy, looking not unlike the "butter
scotch" American children like so well.
Queer cakes were laid around on tables and
chairs, and even on the bed some with
fruits and some with spices in them, some
with meats and some with unfamiliar ingre-
dents to the Caucasian; very few of them
were alike. Then they brought even dolls
fashioned as nearly after the babyhood
of China as the pictures of their ma
tive artists are like nature-grotesqu
quaint and richly CARRIED, odd and pretty
From the ceiling they hung kites and queer
umbrellas, and some of the elegant, fan
LdSUlC paper lanterns DIldU dtSUQ6J5S uellRnG
in smile would sometimes come over
his wasted features, but for the most of the
time his face was calm and grave, as is the
wont of Cinnamon. 1t is a look not unlike
that of babies, wise beyond their days, who
look at all things with a quiet attention
that SCENE to speak tolerant half approval
The rooms, like those of all well-tO-do Mon
golians, were bright and pleasant, and
adorned with many things fantastic both
in form and color, even before the toys
were scattered around.
IN THE SICK ROOM.
His bed was a narrow bunk, covered with
white mating, and the pillows were long,
narrow boxes, covered with upholstery.
They looked not unlike the foot rests in an
old English church. Around the walls
hung silken banners of vivid scarlet and
rich embroidery tracing the hieroglyphics
that stood for verses from the poets. Over
the mantelpiece were religious pictures not
unlike those that hang over the affairs in
the Chinese temples. In the center was
representation CT God as the Chinese picture
him, seated on throne of barbaric mag
nifcence, while on either hand were pictures
of the beings whom they suppose to per-
sonify the powers of destruction and repa-
ration. On the opposite wall hung the
words of the christian hymn Nearer, my
God, to Thee" On the mantelpiece under
meath the religious pictures were a dozen or
more afIlSJlc Photographs OF Dalleu girls IN
the extreme nudeness of the modern stage.
EVIDENCES OF WEALTH.
In one corner was a bamboo table, on
which were pots of coal kept constantly
burning, and of tea kept always hot. Other
smaller tables supported bronze vases. some
of them very costly and all artistic; bronze
bowls of clean white sand in which were
stuck joss sticks, to be burned from time to
time in devotional exercises, and some forty
or fifty volumes of the writings of Chinese
poets These wore huge and cumbrous, but
of rare workmanship, and must have been
expensive purchases.
The sick mans costume was a simple
house dress, somewhat resembling the
pajamas that have grown into popular favor
in America within the last few years. He
wore a blouse, loose and without any ap-
proach to a fit, made of yellow muslin, and
pair of trousers of the same material,
only reaching to the ankle, and on his other
wise naked feet were pair of loose slippers.
This was in his Boston home. A few days
ago, his physicians having pronounced his
case hopeless, he was removed to this
city, as stated above.
He confronted death with all the calm
courage of the true fatalist evidently in full
possession of all his mental faculties and
firm in his oriental faith. There was not
the faintest evidence of any fear in his man.
80 de ta no