The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-31
JOSS is GOING TO MOVE.
A New Temple Erected for the Wor-
shin of Buddha.

ship of Buddha.
NEW York, Dec. 29.--Within two or
three days of the opening Of the New Year,
according to our calendar, the Chinese Joss
house, or Buddhistic temple Of New York
city, will be removed from No. 10 Chat
ham square, where il has been for many
years, to No. is Mott street, where spacious
and appropriate quarters have been pro
vided. The Chinaman is according TO
American notions, queer bird in many
respects, but in none more so than i'll the
manner Of his worship A temple is to
HIM, not only place for prayer and votive
offerings, but sort of club room as well.
The old room, used as temple, faced on
one of the noisiest quarters OF the city. IL
was almost under the Chatham square sta
ton of the Elevated railroad, and the de-
votees have long been tired of the place,
Accordingly they clubbed together, as
they do for all purposes, and raising con-
siderable sum they purchased the double
lot at No. is Mott street. and set about the
erection OF building that should be all
their own. They have put up n five,story
tenement house on the usual New York
plan AID have devoted the lower part to
business aud dwelling purposes, while the
top story j. set aside for a temple. The
entire expense of buying the land and
erecting the building is a little more than
$50, 900, and not less than $1,000 has been
devoted TO the fitting up OF the temple itself,
ready for the occupancy of the expensive
and beautiful god who now inhabits tho
old temple. Probably $4,000 will be nearer
the exact figure when the furnishing is all
done.
The entire building below the temple
floor Is already occupied. the Chinese hav-
ing already established there restaurants,
boarding houses, private establishments,
opium joints, and fan-tan shops or gambling
rooms No other tenants than the Chinese
themselves, and the Irish American women
who live with some of them as wives, are
in the building, and it is probable that none
other will hire apartments there.
The temple floor at the top OF the build
ing is divided into four rooms, which serve
as church, sacristy room in which tho
high priest lives with his assistants, ccun-
Gil room, and a smaller one, which is 10 be
"A sort of committee room. The church room
is of course the largest, and Is not less than
a hundred feet long. and about % feet in
width. AS in the old room, tho god HIM
self will occupy one end. and the altar will
be set directly in front of him.
Joss is Il trinity Three images Of tho
most gorgeous character imaginable by
the Chinese mind sit serenely watching
the operations at the altar, while the high
priest keeps a sharp lookout for the offer
ings that are laid before the altar. Re-
spendent with gaudy colors, rich vest
ments of embroidered silk, jewels and
silver and gold. the trinity sits in a shrine
of oriental magnitlcence. Shrine, altar
and all, will bo carried to the new temple
ON January 3. To prevent the bearers o
the god from treading on heathen ground,
n scarlet carpet of costly cloth will laid
from the door of the old temple through
the halls and along the stairways to tho
edge of the sidewalk before the god starts
ON his journey. Tho sacred fire that must
always burn before him will be left burn
ing while he travels When he is settled in
bis now home the sacred fire will be lighted
in front Of him, and the one in the old
place will be extinguished.
Thereupon will begin feasting, such as
the Chinese only know how to arrange
The rooms will blaze with magnlfcence
and color The luxurious chairs and mas
sive tables are to be OF ebony, inaid with
mother-of-pearl, and carved in tho iatri-
cate and grotesque patterns that only seem
possible TO Chinese artist The walls
will be ablazs with color and rich with
paintings--water colors on silk for the
most rt-and gorgeous mottoes 10
queer fire-cracker characters. On the
tables will be dishes Of the weird and won
derful viands of the Chinese larder. There
will be preserved fish and candied pickles,
dried fruits and picked eggs, sweetmeats
and tea, with queer little bottles Of liquor
so frey that it can only be drank from
thimbles The feast will be spread for the
devotes, the contributors to the expense OF
the now temple, and their friends.
An orchestra of awful instruments, tom
toms, devil flddles, and the like--will make
the atmosphere dizzy with vibrations,
while the merchants In the neigh
borhood will set Off firecrackers as
only a Chinaman can do, by the 100, 900
at once. Seven hundred thousand fire.
crackers in single string isa common and
favorite amount for grand celebration,
and when thirty or forty wealthy men each
start string ~ this kind there is a noise.
Altogether it may be predicted that when
joss moves there will be a stir In China
town. DAVID A. CURTIS.