The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-02-06

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Special to the PhEadelphIa Ttnes.)
New YORK, January 29.-Chinamen
in New York and elsevherein the United
States will take solid day Of rest to-
morrow es far as asmanual work or money
making business are concerned. It Is
their New Years, the 5075th Of Pouk o
wong, founder OF the Chinese world. It
began silently when all the good and bad
Christians of Gotham were sound OF
otherwise in sleep, at 1890 o'clock TO-
night. There was no bell rung, no whist
ling Of steam engines nor salutes OF war
vessels. Not even as much AZ a tin horn
announced the arrival Of the New Year
of nearly one-third of the entire worlds
population. They simply shot of few
Snail fve-cent fre-crackers.
| Nevertheless, not Chinaunan in al
Chinatown here went to sleep the entire
night. They satup and waited patiently
chewing watermelon seeds and "hitins
the enchanting pipe as anxious for the
arrival of their new year as some Chris
tieD wives waited for their dilatory hus-
bands who went on q fashionable CLUB
expedition.
PREPARING EoR TEE CELEBRATION.
As early as O'Clock tiais evening the
clerks and other employees Of the various
Chinese shops began to bolt for their re- :,
spec.ive apartments to prepare for thelr
great national holiday, and to take their
annual ablution, don clean undergar-
ments and brand new blouses, prepare
tory to presenting themselves before Joss
for the remission of their crookedness
of the entire year, SO that by 8 o'clock
every store was forced to shut down for
the want OF help. The dozen OF more
big restaurants, the fantan and other
sbops immediately followed suit, pulled
down their blinds and barred their doors
and hundreds Of the floating Chinese
population whose only boarding house
were the Chinese erestaursats, were forced
to take beefsteak, oniona and second
handed hash in the neighboring American
restaurants in the absence of delicate
shark-fns sad delicious birds nest soups
Of the Chinese Dsimonics. at about l0
O'Clock Chinatown for the first time In q
year was desolate, dark and silens as an
Egyptian tomb.
But within the tightly closed doors OF
every Chinese establishment we're aglov
with all manner of illuminations. Gas,
kerosene lamps, candles. sweet oil lamps
and lanterns were lavishly employed.
Even the utmost corners Of the Railways
were made glorious for once. Such are
tee superstltions of the Chinese that
they believe that if upon this day . man
czn live glorious and happy the rest Of
the wear is assumed with the same results.
Under these lluminations they hastily
prepare and get into shipshape for the
great midnight celebration. joss Il
pulled out from ''Spiderv1lle" in some
obscure and filthy corner Of the room, 10
duly busted and Strengthened out and
hung up by new string upon the family
or store alter and ready to be treated
once more to o grest elbow out" OF
roasted meats and to receive the annual
homage from its owners, devotees and
general traduces.
WELCOMING TIE NEW YEAR.
At about 1899 o'clock most all tho
houses had things in shape to begin the
new wear, and the celebrants began to
put on their best clothes In which to re-
ceive the incoming year. All the mer-
chants we're attired in blue and yellow
Gowns of soft silks, with black satin
short esp. Their queues were let down
to hang naturally on the back, as IN thelr
own country. A black satin skull cap
with an imitation coral button on top
and red silk tassel hanging on one side,
ornamenting the hesd, and big silk bsggy
pants la Turk upon their lower extre-
mites, completed the new year costumes
OF the elite Of Chinatown.
Precisely at 1890 q few Are-crackers
shot off at the Chinese temple announced
the srriYal of the new year, and instantly
the head of each family began the cere-
monies at the shrines of their respective
house joss. These are the same cerenno-
MES as at the declaration Of the Chimes
TempIs recently, only not 80 long, and
consisting mostly in burning Joss stlcks,
increases and the Offering of wines and
eyeetmeats. When the head OF the
family got through the other members
of it fell before joss in q body and prayed
in silence. After each had poured avs
cups of wine upon the door they arose
to congratulate each otber with sKoca
hi Fab Toy"-''LoDg Life, happiness
and prosperity to you"
MAKING NIaHr OF IT.
At about l o'clock the intimate friends
and relatives began to arrive and to
make New Year calls. These must first
make their .Ko tow" or prostratioDs,
before the family JOSS and then turn
their attention to the inmates of the
house, which consists of each squeezing
his own hands while saying "Koon hi
Fab Toy" After duly changing big ,ed
New Year cards, looking Like country
show bills, they ofesed tea, cigars and
sweet meats.
These early calls are only ABOUT two
minutes long. They will be continued
I'll day tomorrow and next day. II is
not fashionable to make New Year calls
on the third day, although the celebra-
tions last nearly week.
Cinnamon who are fortunate enough
to have children will send them out with
their nurses to make New Year calls, for
tomorrow morning is the Chinese chill
dren's "Christmse," the only holiday
upon which they receive presents. These
presents are mostly IN money, silver or
gold dollars, wrapped in red rice paper,
while the nurses receive only quarters or
sea-cent silver pieces. Chinese etiquette
compels the reci ipients OF these Juvenile
| cslls to make these donations, AID they