The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-06
SIGHTS IN CHINATOWN.
STRANGE OBJECTS INTRoDUoED
IN MoNGoLIAN CHURCHES

oni1e' .,,s antique Weapons in a
Temple 49,
<,,-~.-,,ndenos Of the philadelphia Inquirer.
Nv YoRK. Aug. S0-Despite the exciu-
=, Ia,,s which congress has enacted, TIE
r. q Monaghan immigration continues
oha.ao and the Chinese population OF
olaOe -, has passed the 10000 mark and
.onidlv running into higher figures.
oIso increasing in prominence, wealth,
- : I'D r,,DuIaritv The best evidence
Po,o -roz.th is found in their churches
"a ,haiT club rooms, although 1t Is very
anu - - te1 the difference between
chinese church and Cnlnese cluo
In both there IS some represen-
80, Of the Deity; in both they wear their
-. smoke cigars and cigarettes, drink ale,
80 hsar. play dominoes, dice and cards,
"a have breakfast, luncheons and dinners
# seems irreliglous to'tne american n III
- the Oriental it IS all right Their
puv ~ 90 we'll summed mp by the Buddhist
W. last in Mott street when he said:
ms .ssd is onr father, and likes his children
Uro"--ao Good time. Like every father, he
- rather have them enjoy themselves
,:Sorn house than i'll a barroom or sa-
Lon 4. for that reason he prefers them to
SrinIz smoke, tell stories, and IN general
enioy Themselves IN cnurcn Ia'neI Inan
anywhere else. -,..,, 49,. 49,,
~ ,bar of novelties that have come
aoross the Pacific and the American con-
49, in the rast eight weeks. One of these
.ln stata umbrella Its handle is about
line feet long and is made OF hard wood
+bat appears to lie half way between oak
SuJ' bicEorv. The umbrella proper is huge
tb 9
ut Ave feet in diameter and the cylindri-
col sides are about five feet in length. 1t is
bard m tell what the material is. SO COM
-Iatalv is it covered with embroidery and
p.obIszonment. The general design con-
sists of golden dragons trying to find
their way through interlaced geometrical
fpures At a distance the effect is
that of rose pink and gold, but close 70 the
work there are SO many colors as to battle
The eve A feature of the embroidery is the
nse of numberess little mirrors, some COL
orad some yariegated but all set in minute
frames of metal highly burnished and al
most as brilliant as the bullion which forms
L a large part of the embroidery. The lower
edge of the cylinder terminates in heavy
and beautiful fringe. 1t is said to have
cost S400 1t certainly would cost at least
that much if made in our own country, but
in China, where labor is cheaper, it probably
did not cost more than S75.
Another ecclesiastical novelty is a war
standard This consists of square banner
attached to a crosS-bar upon a pole at least
ten feet in length. The banner is about five
feet by three, and contains even more en-
broidery than the state umbrella. On either
side great scarf hangs from the cross-bar,
which in its widest part is at least eighteen
inches across The scarfs are green and are
ornamented with golden dragons a foot in
size The amount of work displayed upon
these mythical beasts is simply wonderful.
The LAYING OF the hair is represented by the
LAYING Of fire gold braid of different tints.
The eyes are initiated with diminutive glass
orbs of gold and green: the teeth, fang, and
tongue, by almost microscopic workman
ship in silver, scarlet and snowy white. The
standard is intended to be carried by one
man, but whoever carries it must be veri-
table giant.
A third novelty consists of series of his
toric weapons, of which one is an original
and ten are limitations of those employed
IN long past ages. The original was used
by famous champion who lived in the
pintg2S fury of the Christian era. tits an
!. ak dfGAlberd, about nine feet in length,
whose handle instead of being oak, is hol-
low brass cylinder, initiating large bam-
boo. 1t is two inches in diameter, and the
ribbing and curvatures prevent the shaft
from being pulled from the hands of the
man who uses it. At the top it becomes q
fat blade turned sideways with an edge six
inches N width, and garnished with very
omlnouS points and angles
The weapon weighs about sixty-five
pounds, and must have been welded by
some Mongolian Hercules. Like all old
weapons, 1t has legend attached to it, It's
owner, who has an npronoupceable name,
with 1t held bridge during a very sangui-
nary civil war. He was supported by fifty
men, who volunteered in forlorn hope.
but did all tho fighting himself As the
enemy came across he swept them down
with this terrible weapon, and is said To
have killed 300 warriors in a little less than
i've hours. have no doubt but what this
awful weapon could be equal to such an
emergency, but | graveIv question if anv
human being could WELD it effectively for
50 long period of time.
The other weapons are light, graceful
and fantastic. The shafts are oak. eight
Ieet long, and are painted in the same color
as the familiar firecracker. The heads
might be termed Chinese Lochaber ayes
They terminate in spear points. below
winch are designed the metal, ending in
Snarp points and edges. One of those de-
signs Is huge beetle, whose legs and an
tohn& give the coup de grace to antagonists
IN the battlefield. Another one is an i'm
lnense napkin ring, and clasping enormous
Slarpened pencils The third is a spider,
whose eight legs, hairy and Jagged
make frightful weapon of destrnc1
uon' Two of the weapons have
no parallel in European armor or
warfare. The shaft ends Ia mass of metal
ouapeu something like a dust-pan. and
isGmetning like spoon. 1t is a triangular
olO OF brass and about Is inches in length
anu ~ inches wide at the TOP. The sides
are sharp, and the upper edge comes over
TT'"ard INTO a series of teeth and claws.
Tue mead priest says chat it was used 600
5earS ago, and was intended to answer two
rua poSeS When used with the side edges
was as deadly as an ak, but that it had
secondary use facewise in catching hold of
p9opie- In the latter regard it had two
dizzy dry menus; one for making prisoners
inr. Dattle or siege. and the other saw
4s men from drowning. 1t is probably
.oe most curious weapon TODAY on exhibi-
u9 N IN New York.
ro Inc ne Long Gee Tong or Liberal church has
sl LV o S, behind its chief rival. They have
f. ~ ueiVed into antiquity and brought over
faca; .le Tar east the weapons and armor or
facyo w , that were used anywhere as far
inv as 4oO b. G. All of these are interest
mno a' u, instructive. The shields are very
Of tbo NE ne the Scotch and English bucklers
two we Middle Ages, being steel circles of
II 'eI IN diameter which rise in the center
ara - eesagy and sharp point The armors
amo Un Inherent styles and ages and of any
- 1Al OF variety One Sujt is abo11t al v