Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-08-05
HOW A CHINAMAN DIES.
A CELESTIAL MERCHANTS DEATH
IN HIS NEW YORK HOME.
The Pious Task Of Cheering the Dying
Man and ATinistering to His Physical aad
Spiritual wants-Attractivc Interior Of .
Chinese Home.


Spiritual Wants Interior Of .
Chinese Home.
nome, 1T No. Is PeIl street, on Friday morn
ing. Although he WAS 50 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 tire same far.aily.
no matter how remote the kinship, and tie
manner of his death was as Il ws,uld have
been he had died nj home. his name Is
Hong Toi. and he is q cousin CT wealthy
Chsnaman who keeps grocsry az No. N
Mott street He had just been taken away
from Boston 10 die n this city Accounting
TO certain Chinese superstition il is unlucky
TO allow man 10 dio II the same house where
he lived Consequently, as soon Us the 1T
tending physician pronounces the case hone
less, u room elsewhere Is hired for hun 10 die
in, as was done in this CASE
Hong Toi was born in Quans-TurS-Fc IN
1868 and came 20 America when be was -
years of age. Like SO ulSny OF his country
men, when he arrived here be sought employ
nent in a laundry, and set himself 70 mako
fortune HIS savings after time were
large enough 10 enable him 20 buy an interest
II q grocery, and before he died be had laid
up $4,000. His hopes ami plans, however.
all persisted with ham. Four months ago be
contracted an illness common among the peo-
pie OF his race. be coughed, grew thin and
lost his appetite. The American physician
whom be employed at first pronounced the
trouble malaria, but his treatment did tho
patient little good A Chinese doctor was
consulted later and be declared the trouble
to be pneumonia This proved correct, and
the disease soon proved fatal
Within the last two weeks Of his lie he
was never left alone. His friends and cousins
relieved one another in the plous task Of
cheering the dying man and iuinis;ering, in
their heathen fashion, to his spiritual IS wei
as his physical wants They read long pas-
sages to him from their national books such
as the works OF Confucius and Mencius, tho
Tripiteka 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 os
home when be was strong enough 10 listen
Then, as the end came nearer, they brought
out snd spread around him numerous queer
looking objects, such rs had been familiar -
him iii bis childhood, evidently seeking as
they might amuse u tired ennd, 10 bring
some pleasant memory or happy thought into
his mind while yet life might be made 10
brighter
They spread out little squares OF sugar
candy, looking not unlike the butter SCOTCH
American children Ike so well Queer cakes
We're laid around on tables and chairs, and
even on the bed, some with fruits and some
with spices in them, some With meats aud
some with unfamiliar ingredients 10 the Cnu-
casian; very few OF them were alike. Then
they brought even dolls, fashioned nearly
after the baby hood of China as the pictures
of their native artists are like nature
grotesque, quaint and richly CARRIED, odd and
pretty. From the ceiling they hung kites
and queer umbrellas, aud some of the ele-
CANT fantastic paper lanterns that aesthetics
delight in. A smile would sometimes come
over his wasted features. but for the most OF
the time his face was calm ana grave, as Is
the wont of Cinnamon. IL is a look not I'M
like that OF babies, wise beyond their DAYS,
who look at all things with quiet attention
that seems to speak tolerant half approval
His bed was 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 EN-
stood for verses from the poets. Over the
mantelpiece were religious pictures not un-
like those that hang over the affairs in the
Chinese temples. In the center was n repre-
sentation of God as the Chinese picture hiin.
seated on a throne Of barbaric masnificonce,
while on either hand were pictures OF the
beings whom they suppose TO personify the
powers Of destruction and PREPARATION. On
b. tt - 81.
Christian hymn, Nearer, my Cod, 70 Thee "
On the mantslpece underneath the religious
pictures were dozen or more artistic photo
graphs OF ballet girls in the extreme nude-
ness Of the modern stage
Ia ono corner was a bamboo table, on
which were pots OF coal kept constantly
burning, and Of tea kept always not Other
smaller tables supported bronze Waves some
OF them very costly and all artistic, bronze
bowls OF clean white sand, in which were
stuck joss sticks. TO DO burned from time to
time ia devotional exercfses, and some forty
or fifty volumes If tho writings Of Chimes
poets. These were huge and cumbrous but
Of rare workmanship, and must have bsen
expensive purcha5cs
The sick mans coT-u-rc was a simple hoglae
dress, somewhat resembling the pa jarnas that
within the las few pears. he were "a biou...
loose and without any approach 70 a g.,
made Of yellow muslin. and a pair q ,rCt-
sers Of the sans material. only reaching -
the ankle. and oa his otberwhss naked feet
wore pair Of ioose slippers. TINS was Ia his
Boston home. a few days ago. has phyxi-
cians having pronounced his case hopeless, bs
was removed n this city, a. stated above
he confronted as.fh with all tbn caf-,
courage Of the true fataIist. evidently Ia full
Possession Of all hi. mental faculties and trra
ia his Oriental faith There was not tbs
faint1-t evidence % any fear tn his manner
or his words nor dad taers seem 90 b. any
longing for hfe or desire 10 Etipplicats Tor IL.
To an American whom 10 kn@~ well, and
whom Es bad LEARNED 20 rsgarri a. a good
fries.d, be sd, as be graxped Il. hand 10
day befors h del:
"Mayksp die oDe week, r1ayts one roo-rA:
de alice sasnsa. - 18By myss;t All hight.
SoAy Ely raotssee, = fsafhse-
To one Of hlz Ca. es. ,r.slsds hs said only
few hogrs bsis-e z Lsoathed Ia lss-. al
when tss was sly-.c Idle % ariicslIases
think sss Tbs &-sTt.z7 II wa toe las. b.
sid Sooa after e AJAX into what s4z.ffs.I
peaceful ssee2 cad sarinz fer his L.bo.ed
breathing be gave 10 further eTizieace Of tzf-
fs-inz. Slowly AID mere slowly hs br.a.asss-
untl! with rag gsspinS SIGH ID gave 20
the struggle aid rsSzs4
There vas 10 i1Dsu:a.s1n, mr. aovsrs-
esncs u grSf, taouGa IL vas plain .rsouxa
tAa. 10 May II rs trends Tia xosag was =
real sorros. Five or zr Il tlsese fr.s.ss
vere IA tks room wien he passed. away. asai
- SOFA IS they ssw that be was DEAD th~y