Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-11-01
NOVELTIES OF THE OcClDENT.
Joss-Stfcks, SandaIwood Perfumes, and
Chinese Eirestrings.

Joss-Sticks, Sandalwood Perfumes, AID
Chinese Firestrings.
The oddity and general excellence of
things Chinese have long been recog-
niZed by us ''barbarians of the West, !"
says the New York Mail. The demand
for silks, china, porcelain, bronzes,
! metal-work. and curios from the flow
/ cry empire increases from year to year.
/ and Is the basis of business well up
in the millions. Every now and then,
| some feature is introduced which, how
! ever time-hOnorcd in the orient. is a
great novelty in the occident. Among
late arrivals of this class are the Joss
or incense stick and dried sandalwood
/ chips used on the affairs of the Chinese
houses of worship. Moy Yuet Sing. a
banker and importer, said: The joss
stick is very old institution. Origi-
nally we believe it to have been a torch
used by the superstitious to drive away
evil spirits, and even to-day it is oc-
| casionally so employed by some of the
dying churches which try to conserve
| all the ideas and practices of remote
antiquity. Afterward the ioSS-stick
was made fragrant, and was used as
an incense in divine worship. Then it
was employed as purifier and disin-
fectant. | hardly know if it does have
much power in thisrespect, but its per-
fume is very penetrating and grateful
to the nOstrils, and it covers up all
other odors. even if it does not destroy
them. You find it in every sick room
| in the old country. Gamblers burn
immense numbers of joss-sticks for
luck, not only in their own homes and
gaming-houses, buteven in the church.
es. 1t is common sight fora devotee
of hazard to enter joss-house, burn a
few sticks to his joss, few in honor of
dead ancestors, dead friends, and dead
relatives, few in token of his mis-
deeds and contrition, and a great many
that he may be successful the week
through in every game of chance he
may play! They are made largely
near Quan-Tung-Foo, and are very in
expensive. Grass straws or thin splint-
ers are stained dark red and then en-
| crusted with paste made of sawduSt,
inter, benzine, and few spices. You
| light it the same as ordinary punk, and
it burns the same way. They are put
in envelopes, twenty to an envelope,
and ten envelopes to package. This
retails at from Is to so cents package,
according to quality, perfume and fin
| ish.
''Sandalwood is taken from the trunk
and roots of the tree. cut into convent
ent pieces, and thoroughly dried. 1t
| is fine yellowish-red wood, looking
like cedar in color, but resembling
cherry in grain and strength. 1t is
used chiefly in prayer-urns. These are
small brass or bronze vases filled with
white sand and fitted with perforated
| top. You light q half-dozen pieces of
sandal wood, and when they are in a
hot blaze you bury them in the sand
| just below the latter's surface. Here
they shoulder for a long time, and
send up rich, thick, white smoke,
which fills a large room with its frag-
rance in a few minutes. 1t is also
cheap. You can buy enough for a
dime to last you a fortnight.
''The firestrings are very popular
| toy in many parts of China. They are
| made very much like frecracker stems,
out of inflammable paper slightly
charged with powder dust, and half
filled in one part with a mixture OF
powder, steel filings, and some other
substance, whose exact composition is
trade secret with the manufacturer.
You ignite string, holding it with
your fingers, and it burns slowly until
it reaches the filled part. 1t burns in
to flame, blazes rapidly, and the filling
changes into little white-hot, semi
liquid ball, which boils a moment, and
then throws out minute sparks, stars,
and corruscations, which explode and
blaze up in turn. In dark room the
effect is very striking and very beauti-
full. They are not at all dangerous,
and may be used by small children
without any risk whatever. They are
extremely cheap, costing from 3 to %
cents hundred. Here Moy lit one.
hanging it between his thumb and
foretinger. The lighted end consumed
slowly until the filling was reached,
when it famed up furiously and then
died out, leaving a red-hot little globe
on the end of the string. This seemed
to boil and revolve a second, and then,
without any noise, threw out scores of
golden stars, edged flames, and lines
| of silver light. Outof curiosity the re-
porter put his hands into the current
of flame and spark, and to his surprise
found it stone cold.