Eureka weekly sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1887-1902, 1890-02-08

The Closing FestivitIes-HOw the
loss House IN supported-Iheir
Superstition Regarding GOOd
Iuek.

The Closing FestfvitIes-How the
Joss House IN supported-1heir
superstition Regarding Good
I.uek.
The festivities of the Chinese New
Year wound up last Saturday with the
usual din of gongs, drums, flutes,
bombs and firecrackers. Early in the
afternoon a procession was formed in
Chinatown, which marched to the
open ground at the rear Of the Mata-
moras furnace to compete for the
bomb rings, and there the general
scrimmage Of the Celestials, as they
scrambled rough-and-tumble for the
coveted prizes, reminded one Of an old
fashioned game OF football, being
rough but at the same time amusing
to the spectators. They ran, tumbled
over one another in the snow and
struggled with all the ardor and
strength imaginable. Some two hun
bred persons of both sexes and
nationalities congregated to see the
fun.
From Charley Sling, who does
chores at the G. Z. Brewery, and who
is the best English talking Chinaman in
town, we obtained a fair idea OF the in
centive for the competition for the
bomb rings and how the Joss house is
supported. The outside heather
knoweth not the ways of the Celestials
Of the Flowery Kingdom, so for general
information we give CUR readers the
benefit OF what Charley Sling tells us.
JOSS was a great General and a
valiant fighter. He was also a hero
and a noble man to whom the
Chinese, at the time he lived and
hourished, some twelve centuries ago,
were indebted for many great public
benefits, and in his honor the joss
house is named. This is their place
of worship. 1t is looked after and
kept in order by one Ct the old and
dependent men of their number who
is appointed every year to fill the
position Of keeper. In small places
this officer derives only a meagre
support, which comes from the few
half dollars donated to him by those
who 90 to the Joss house to worship,
but he occasionally wins a few dollars
by gambling which helps to procure
some of the Injuries of life. Among
the worshippers are those who gam
BILE, and to aid them in winning, go
to the Joss house and pray for good
luck. The largest winners are US
ually the most liberal donators, but
even they seldom donate more than a
dollar, this being considered a liberal
amount. In large cities where the
Chinese are rich and it costs thousands
of dollars yearly to support a grand
JOSS house, the donations run from
five to ten dollars and sometimes
much larger sums. The keeper has
TO turn over a sufficient sum out OF his
income to the Chinese merchants of
the town, who act as wardens or
supervisors, to defray the expenses of
keeping the joss house in repair, etc.
The scramble for the bomb rings
has nothing whatever to do with the
Joss house, as is popularity believed by
the American heather, but simply
enters into the New Years celebra-
ton, and the money contributed for
this purpose goes to defray the ex-
penses incurred in the purchase OF
bombs, irecrackers and holiday out
fitting. The Chinese are a superstiti-
GUS race, believing the capture Of the
rings will bring them good luck dur
the ensuing year. Hence companies
are formed in advance, the members
pool sufficient money in equal sums to
pay for the prizes and the highest prize
is supposed to bring the most good
luck. The first prize in Eureka this
year brought $50, and was won by the
Yik Lung Company, who, according to
custom, paid the highest named sum.
In the evening the Joss house, decor
ated with q number Of holiday en-
blems, was turned into a hall OF
pleasure and there a number OF China
men had assembled TO enjoy them
selves. They INDUCED in comic
dialogue, music and songs peculiar to
their race.
The fireworks and holiday para
phernalia this year in Eureka cost the
Chinese four or FIVE hundred dollars
every cent, in fact, that the greater
number Of them have accumulated
during the past year.