Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-05
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH:

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH:
NEW YORK, March Am the valley OF
the Silver Moon, beyond the mountains of
the Rosy Glow, nurtured by the holy tides OF
the Singing river and attended by the con-
secrated hands Of priests, there blooms the
perfumed cotton plant, called of the gods
Sam Shee. AT this season OF the year, ap-
preaching the festival of the New Year,
this flower forever sacred, takes on a double
significance in China and in whatever part
of the world Chinaman may roam.
From its delicate floss is spun the soft,
spongiose, yet slow-eonsuming, wicks that
sustain the eternal fires that burn in joss
houses 1t is rare and costly, as may be
imagined. and the genuine article is so
scarce in America that it is only in the few
weeks preceding and subsequent to the New
Year Day that it is employed at all. The
gods are customariiy placated with a
cheaper and more easily obtainable fabric.
CAUSE AND EFFECT.
No rivalry is SO strong in all the faction
al feuds of the great six companies as the
race for the real Sam Since at each new year.
1t was this rivalry that brought the fire
apparatus rattling to Grand and Clinton
streets to-day, and stirred a vast tumult
in the neighborhood, terminating in the ar
rest of two heretofore well-behaved young
Cinnamon.
In the basement of the building on the
''flatiron" point at this corner is a laundry
conducted by Sam Lee. In the rear of three
rooms constituting the Establishment is a
large shrine for the worship Sam and his
fellow-iraternity men in the exalted order Of
the DO Sin Seer.
The shrine is boxlike structure about 6
feet high, draped in red cloth and spangled
in gilt and silver. Within this bower sits
the patron joss of Sans friends, hIdeous,
squatting figure in a gorgeous costume and
with a beard OF genuine hair. At his feet
and before the shrine is set a table spread
with smouldering Joss sticks, bits of strange
preserves. other queer articles and a large
bowl-shaped lamp of peanut oil.
TIE IMPORTANT FEATURE.
From this lamp a small but mellow
flame, is shed by the light of the eternal
fires that must burn in every well-equipped
josshouse. 1t was to furnish this lamp that
Sans experimenting priest to-day gave
him niece OF the Sam Shee. The Bo Sin
Seer Lodge in New York had received a
choice consignment Of the sacred wick.
The Bo Sin Seer has a formidable rival In
the Gi Sin Seer, and it is in the course of
their many vendettas that most of the So
called Highlander crimes are committed.
The Gi Sin Seer was it appears, this wear
unable to secure any of the sacred wick, and
gloomy is the wrath in their hearts.
An order has gone out from their lodge to
all the faithful, bidding them seize wherever
found, all the Sam Shee that the hated Bo
Sin Seer has obtained. About o'clock this
morning two young Cinnamon, who work in
Sing Won's importing house in Mott street.
dropped into Sam Lees basement as though
to pay call Sam knew that his visitors
were of the rival lodge, but thought nothing
until they suddenly darted into the back
room. Then Sam knew what was up. With
loud cries, he and his helpers leaped in pur-
suit, gathering up sad-irons and other i'm
plements as they went.
FIGHTING FOR FIRE.
The two intruders had seized the lamp
and Sam and his friends grabbed them. A
terrible struggle ensued, but, brief as it was
savage, the lamp was spilled and blazing oil
thrown in every direction. In a moment
the room was in flames. The clothing of
one of Sans men was also burning, but
with rare presence Of mind he ran into the
laundry and ducked himself in a blueing
tub. But, woe to the shrine. The oil fell
upon the portly figure of the joss and
kndled his whiskers and his robes.
From this light and inhammable material
the flames leaped to the tinsei hangings of
the shrine, and in a minute the fire was
merrily in progress, and black smoke and
scared Cinnamon were rolling into the
street. A single chemical stream put out
the fire, but not until the shrine had been
whollykdestroyed, the poor old joss done to
a turn and the whole place was filled with
smoke. Not vestige of the Sam Shee was
found, and Sam Lee took out a warrant in
Essex Market for the arrest of his two in
vaders, who, he AYERS, got away with the
wick