The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1888-01-27
LODGE OF CHINESE mAsoNs.

A Native Organization Not Allied Direct
ly to the Well known +. A. NJ.
| Old Masons were until late of the opin-
ion that no such thing as a Chinese
] Mason existed. One gentleman said he
had seen Arabs and Turks who were good
! Masons, but, to the best of his knowledge,
no Chinaman was in the order. Never
theless, there are not only Chinese Ma
sons, but right here in New York there is
a Chinese Masonic lodge in full blast
with membership of over 800. 1t is a
/ native organization, not allied directly to
the Free and Accepted Masons, but said
TO be founded on principles very nearly
! akin.
4 The lodge room is at No 19 Mott street,
second floor, front, and has recently been
ren1odeled and reftted in very good shape,
all newly painted and cleaned. The lodge
furniture is of Chinese design, and i'm
ported from China expressly for the So
ciety at great expense. A tall Flagstaff,
with rope for running up colors, is on
top of the building. Above the door as
one enters the lodge room is q red sign in
native characters signifying ''Chinese Ma
sonic society,"" and down the sides are
two long slips of red paper bearing mot
toes. One Of these is, 'sDo good to one
another" and the other relates to the
business of the order.
The interior is like most Chinese quar-
ters, only lighter, and not full of odd
turns and unsuspected corners. Immedi-
ately on entering, one is led into sort Of
ante room and thence into the main or
j lodge room. At the lower end of this
room is the altar, and a very valuable one
it is, costing in China 81, 500 Above it is
| an alcove in which colored drawing is
suspended. 1t is not the least curious
thing in the place, the design being three
figures, one seated, and two others bend
ing over his shoulder. The seated figure
represents the venerable father of Chinese
Masonry. The face is heavy, placid, ond
adorned with a long black beard The
/ other two are respectively the spirits of
light and darkness, who are supposed to
be giving him counsel. In front of the
altar lamp is hung. 1t is never cXtin-
gulshed, and burns in commemoration Of
the dead of the order. Another emblem
is two sticks Of sandal wood punk thrust
into box OF sand. They keep smolder-
4, ing away and fill the air with o faint but
sweet perfume.
On the wall is q long board and on this
nre pasted q great number of sheets of pa
! per covered with Chinese heroglyphics.
These are the lists Of members voted on in
the New York lodge. Near the roster
hang two books. One of these is sent out
from the Supreme lodge at San Francisco,
and gives q detailed account of number
] of cases of those in distress and sickness
and the whereabouts of each one who
needs help. The other is subscription
book in which the various amounts SUBJ
scribed are entered. At intervals these
two books and the amount raised are
transmitted to the Supreme lodge, from
which the dependent members are re-
lievcd
Meetings are not held upon regular
nights, but at intervals decided upon by
the dignitaries of the order, as the neces-
sities of business may demand The mem
bers are notified of meetings, held gener-
ally on Sunday nights, by the appearance
Of triangular flag at the top Of the pole
on top of the house. The flag is white
and bears the picture of a huge red dragon
with its tail toward the point. There are
grips, signs and passwords exactly as in
an American lodge. ""The travelling card'
! of this society is quite curiosity in it.
self. Its a square Of red silk inscribed
with Chinese characters, and is docu-
ment highly priced by all it's possessors.-
New York World