Los Angeles herald., 1890-05-12
CHINESE FUNERAL.
The Last Ceremonies Over Fong All
Sing.


At about noon yesterday tom-toms
and gongs sounded in Chinatown, and
cortege. consisting of over a score of
carriages, began its journey to Ever
green cemetery, escorting the body of
Fong All Sing, the Chinaman who
was killed in the battle last Wednesday.
The body was placed in the hearse and
covered over with scarlet cloth and
punches of artificial purple flowers. In
the carriage following was placed an or
chestra consisting of a man who welded
a pair of enormous copper cymbals
fully three feet in diameter, player on
a species OF flageolet, and beater OF a
copper drum or double gong; then came
the carriages with the mourners, fol-
lowed by an express wagon filled with
curious cooked dishes, among
which were two pigs roasted whole,
and a carriage containing musicians
similar to those in the first conveyance.
The drivers of the hacks seemed to be
made self-conscious by the ridiculous
noise made, and smoked their cigars
and cooked their hats over their eyes,
with an air of saying "We are well paid
for taking part i'll this tomfoolery, and
we don't care what they do" There
was none of that assumed air OF
lugubrious sympathy which hackmen
invariably wear at similar occasions
when the chief actor is a white person.
They urged their horses on at trot, as
if anxious to get through with the Job.
On entering the cemetery the process
sion drove to the Chinese plot, which is
in the far southeastern corner, and
formed a circle around the curious little
stone crematories, not used for body
burning, but for other purposes, which
will be alluded to.
The coffin was placed on two supports,
and the lid over the face removed to
the LETT and in front was spread the re-
past, consisting of the two pigs,
several plates OF what ap-
peared to be dumplings, sweetmeats,
bottles of brandy and other dishes of
which description could not be had
on the ground at the head of the coffin,
innumerable joss sticks were kept burn
ing. In the little crematories quantity
of fuel was fired, and fresh pork and
whole rice paper volumes OF the precepts
of Confucius were consumed.
A priest armed with pair of the i'm
mense cymbals, stood at the side of the
coffin, intoning verses of Confuciana. A
Chinaman who spoke some English was
asked by the reporter to translate one of
these, which he did as follows:
Him preacher; he say man dead,
belly good son, take care his fader, you
sabee when man who killee him go
die, all faders thisee man helpee makee
him go hellee."
An assistant priest knelt at the foot of
the coffin with several tea pots by him
and small cups. Then the mourners
came two by two and kow-towed three
times at the foot of the coffin with
clasped hands, then they knelt and
bowed three times to the ground; the
assistant priest then handed them a cup
holding teaspoonful of tea, which they
emptied on the ground. Meanwhile the
player on the fiageolet-like instrument
kept piping strident melody, all in the
minor key and full of the quirks and
eccentricities of oriental harmony, still
possessing @ definite air recognizable by
Saxon ears. At last all the mourners
had paid their respects and the pail
bearers took up the coffin, headed by the
bearer of a yellow forked pennant, and
uldrCneu 10 Une grave, WHICH, was ulS-
tant a few yards. Here two OF the
grave-diggers belonging to the cemetery
came forward, and one of them, with
the brutality so often Characteristic of
one Of the eastern to his inferior Of the
western world, called out to the banner
: bearer Come now, how much time do
you want, hurry up there" But the
procession preserved its slow progress,
the participants showing no sign
in their manner of having heard
the remark At the grave the two
white men took charge of the coffin and
lowered it into the grave and immedi-
ately commenced shoveling in the dirt
with so much force that some of the
spectators averred that they heard some
clods break the coffin, which was a
fiimsy affair.
AS soon as the body was out of sight
the cliief mourners threw all the dishes
and their contents into the larger crema-
tory, in which fierce fire of pork was
raging; fine lacquer trays and curious
China platters and cups were all tossed
into the flames, the two roasted pigs
alone escaping, they being carefully