The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-29

you 90 SO IL you tullk uilu u
fool. Make your most friendly advances to
him, and say the kindest and most reassur-
ing things that suggest themselves to you,
and he will probably look you steadily in the
eye with no more expression than there is in
a wooden horse and say: mo sabe." Yet he
very likely knows English quite well enough
to understand all you are saying. Why does
he pretend not tol Because he suspects an
tagonism in the white man, and is cunning
enough to retain every advantage.
Never has the large Chinese population OF
New York been so stirred from its inmost
depths as now. John reads tho papers and
knows that his interests are debated in con-
gress, he understands that his countrymen
are already prohibited from joining him in
America, and the question now is: will he
some morning be himself invited to return to
tho Celestial empire! He does not feel him
self competent to grapple with this conun-
drum. He prefers to carry it to one who he
thinks should know all about it, and who
can-and if properly approached, will-give
him authortatively warning, consolation or
reinsurance. That one is the great Quong-
Tai-Gong, or Quong- He-Say Gong, the Chi
nese Deity. Both titles belong to him.
The irreverent American shortens his name
down to joss" Before his affairs in the two
temples that Chinese New York maintains,
there has been, since the Chinese question
was taken up by congress, Al unwonted
amount OF devout sacrificing Of joss sticks
and anxious consultation OF the divining
strips Of bamboo.
There is no hour at which the devout Chi
nese worshiper may not approach the shrine
with confidence that Quong- Tai-Gong is pre-
sent in spirit to receive his alteration, and
that a priest will be ready to aid him, if de-
sired, in his questioning Of the future The
manner of that questioning is very interest
ing. Let us observe it as conducted in the
principal temple that on the third floor Of No.
10 Chatham square, New York.
1t is desirable, but not absolutely neces-
sary, that the shrine should be in the north
of the temple, and the ever burning flame,
symbolic of the light Of immortality, in tho
south. That however, Is not practicable
here. Yielding to the architectural necessi-
ties Of the situation, the figure Of Quong-Tai-
Gong sits in the west About him is a won
drous mass Of carved, gilded and painted
wood wo. k, seemingly merely decorative,
but actually full Of the deepest symbolic
significance, in every bough, and leaf, and
tiny figure Of bird, beast and fish. Before
him Is great high table bearing bronze ana
chin bowls filled with sand, emblematic
dragons of bronze and other objects. To the
right, little in front, bowl of sand is
placed upon the top Of stove. To the left,
little less advanced, upon the floor and I'M
derneath table is another bowl Of sand.
Before the center Of the shrine, at q little
distance, in a pendant lamp Of bronze, burns
the light of immortality.
Either from smiling Muy Box in the store
below, or from priest in the temple the
worshiper supplies himself with "joss
sticks" They are very slender splinters of
bamboo, about foot long, three-quarters Of
their length coated thickly with peculiarly
fragrant incense composition, and are done
up in red paper sheaths, gorgeous with fire.
cracker lingo printed in gold. Twenty-Five
cents buys ten packages of them, from 10
to 200 in all.