The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1888-02-11
CHINESE 'NiSUNS.
4 Curious Lodge Of Them i'm New
EorL-ThCir Meeting Place.

Old Nasons were. until late, of the
opinion that 10 such thing rs CHI
ncse Mason existed. One gentleman
said he had seen Arabs and Turks who
were good Nlasons, but TO the best of
his knowledge, no CEinaman was III the
order. Nevertheless, there are not only
Chinese Masons, but also IN New lork
there is Il Chinese Masonic lodge III full
blast with IA membership of over three
hundred. 1t is II native organization,
not allied directly to the Free and Ac-
cepted Masons, but said to he founded
on principles very nearly akin.
The lodge room is at No. IS Mott
street, second floor, front, in New York
city, and has recently been remodelled
and retitted in very good shape, oil new
" painted and cleaned. The lodge fur
niture is of Chinese design, and i'm
ported from China expressly for the So
ciety, mt a great expense. \ tall flag
staff. with a rope for running up colOrs,
is on the top Of the building. Above
the door as one enters the lodge room is
a red sign in native characters signify
/ ing "Chinase Masonic Society, anu
/ down the sides are two long slips OF red
paper hearing notices. One OF these IS
40 good to one another" aud the other
relates robustness of the order.
The interior is like mos, Chinese
quarters. only lighter, and MT IUli OF
odd turns and unsuspected corners.
immediately on entering one is lei INTO
q sort OF antc-room and thence into the
main or lodge room. 1t the lower end
of this room is the altar. and very val
liable one it is, costing IN CHINA 81 $50.
. Above IL is an alcbvc III which Il cOlOred
drawing is SUSPENDED. II IS no: the
least curious thing III the place, the de
sign being three figures, ono seated and
two others bending over his shoulder.
The seated figure represents the veneer
able father of Chinese Masonry. The
face is heavy, placid and adorned with
long black beard. The other two are
respectively the spirits OF light and
darkness, who are supposed to be CIV
ing him counsel. In front of the altar
lamp is hung. 1t is never extinguish.
ed. and burns in commemoration ri the
dead of the order. Another emblem is
two sticks of sandal-wOod punk thrust
into box of sand. They keep smoul
dering away and fill the air with a faint
but sweet perfume.
On the wall is long board, and on
this are pasted n great number oil sheets
of paDer covered with Chinese hero
nlvnhics. These are the lists o! mem
bers voted Oh in the New York lodge
Near the roster hangs two books. One
OF these is sent out from the Supreme
Lolge ut San Francisco, and gives
! M off,, a. q
those in distress and sickness, and IN
whereabouts of each one vino need
help. The other is subscription book
in which the various amounts slbscnbe'
are entered. At intervals these tw
books and the amount raised are trans
mitted to the Supreme Lodge, iron
which the dependent members are rC
lieyed.
Meetings are not held upon re9ula
NIGHTS. hut at intervals decided upo
hv the dignitaries of the order, as tn
necessities of business may demand
The members are notified of meetlng'
held generally on Sunday nights, by tn
appearance of n triangular nag at - I'll
top of the pole on top of the house. IN
, flag is white and bears the picture OF
huge red dragon with its tail towarC
the point. There are grips, signs an
passwords exactly as i'll an America
l LODGE. "The travelling card OF tn
society is quite curiosity in itself.
8 is a square of red silk inscribt
with Chinese characters, and Is
document highly priced by all its Pc
) SCISSORS.