The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-04-18
A Chinese Merchants Funeral.

A recent letter from San Francisco to
the Chicago Tribune describes what the
correspondent calls "the most extraor-
dinary Chinese funeral ever seen in
America" The deceased, says the writer,
was Loo Muck, Chinese merchant, who,
thirty-five years ago, founded the Gsee
Kung Tong Lodge of Freemasons in this
city. The general impression among the
thousands of American people who gazed
wonderingly at the funeral procession
was that it was pageant of one Of the
powerful societies of highbinders. Ameri-
can Freemasons who witnessed the cere-
monies, however, recognized in the dis
play formal funeral of a brother Mason.
Loo Muck founded the order in San
Francisco. Masonry has spread among
the Chinese 80 that there are now, it ap-
pears, 1S, 900 members of the order in
this State. Delegations had come from
all parts of the Pacific coast to attend the
funeral. The procession took an hour
and a half to pass. A band of Chinese
Masons in long blue gowns, with long
black swords in their hands and bands OF
red, white and blue ribbons tied across
their foreheads and streaming down their
backs, led the way. Then came q COM
pany of several hundred Chinese soldiers
in bright blue tunics and carrying short
broad-swords and highly ornamented
shields. A band of cavalry in red, green
and orange uniforms, with quivers of
arrows and long double. edged swords
slung across their backs, followed. Then
came in long array some foot soldiers,
spearsmen and warriors with broad bat
tle-axes, warriors on foot, mounted war
riors riding with short stirrup feathers,
numerous bands of Chinese music in
hacks, and finally the hearse, drawn by
four black horses. On top of the hearse
was a gorgeous catafalaue of paper and
tinsel in the Chinese style. The coffin
bore upon its sides the square and COM
pass, with theIetter ''G"in the centre. The
Standard bearer who preceded the hearse
carried the Masonic emblem. Prelimi-
nary ceremonies were all Masonic. Pre-
cisely as the bell on St. Mary's Cathe-
dral, contiguous to Chinatown, had an
nounced midday the Deputy Grand
Master gave the word that the hour OF
nigh twelve had arrived. On this the
officers of the Grand Lodge lifted the
casket. The display of corn, oil and the
pot of incense, with other signs only
known to the craft, were fully under
stood by American Masons in the great
crowd of spectators. The blowing of
the trumpet by the high priest and the
incantations, with certain signs well
known in the higher degrees of Free
masonry, showed that the Chinese have
a knowledge of the craft that would
gain them admission to an American
lodge if they only understood our
language.
The display astonished American Ma
sons, many of whom followed the strange
procession to the cemetery where the
dead Master was inferred in the orthodox
Mongolian style, the banners and badges
of the mourners being burned in a great
bonfire at the gates, while liberal
feast of roast pork, poultry and drinka-
bles of many kinds was spread before
the tomb for the spirit of the departed
to entertain his friends. As each car
riage-load of mourners passed out from
the cemetery Chinese stationed at the
gates handed them money, while dimes
and nickles were flung into the fire to
establish the financial credit OF the de-
parted in the other world. Altogether
the pageant was indescribably strange.