Telegram-herald., 1890-01-14
NEIGHBOR JOHNS B0NEs


Ca.uese ID a1s & llt11 states 4El ~ Leg
oountries. hlEher these psop-s have
so1gas & oo.g roo1a. - earn a EYiug-And
one si1Fular tx IA Jchns cslse Las been
Eivea much pFomLnenoe and used a. one
srrong Noiur against hlEl-Lh4 IS the Gus
tom generally C1seIF4d - these people
az conveying tie oolse Of their dad
h4ck across the ocean u repose a their
natiye s1iL Tie object ~ this trans
planting n the dead has perhaps not
been fully understood
Aslts from q sorr - senUmsntality
which inciDes one 20 prefer ta1t hls
bones rePose in The family celnatsry near
g. tbs bones u has fathers, i. makes but
httls difference to tL. majority of men
haE particular spot ~ e-r-h receives
hack gAelr dust. AoI 50 with the China
man IT, L4m this question IS not one Of
sentiment. l- IS one of welfare He be
iisves that after this life IS over, his
soul goes marching or. aud is march
i retarded " assisted much by the CO
operation Of his relatives, and particu-
iariy bis male l.escenIauts
The 80 callel ancestral worship among
the Chinese las grown oar OF this en-
deavor Of th- eiLy % make smooth the
Journey of th ai, The graves of the
dead are kept ~aea bv the male descend
ants through eceeding generations,
rld this fact accounts tor the great mum
bers of wei married aud preserved graves
found everywher- in China.
Once every wear. on a regular date,
the graves are visited and the mound Of
earth. which Is oval instead of o5lOng IS
with us, "a repaired and looked after.
II the tramp 81 feeding herds OF cattle
or buffalOes has beaten down the little
hill, or water washed away the earth. it
Is replaced and put in It's original conf
form shape. Bv the grave thus repaired
are left dainty dishes Of boiled pork. with
rice and vegetables. and also wine. and
these remain untouched bv hung-v beg
gars who pass them by. for the spirit Of
the dead 70 feast upon. The spiritual
portion Of the food only is consumed by
the spirit Il the dead.
Paper clothing in gorgeous colors and
gold and silver Uaper tinsel. are likewise
re',Dced 70 the spirit state by being
burned and are then used BY the spirits
ia the other life The SO called Joss
paper so literally burned around the
dying couch OF Cinnamon, is for this
purpose. The people think the devil, or
+ devils. cannot distinguish imiJs ton from
real money, and IL Is to enable the dead
mans soul 10 Dribe its wav through the
devils kingdom in safety. 1t Is the duty
. OF every Chinamal % perform these post
burial rites at the grave Of his paternal
ancestors annually. and hence if ones
bones are left in a stranger land, where
his descendants viii never be able % per
form these rites. il IS sure % have q lone
~ and unaided Journey through the spirit
land. The reasons. therefore, which
prompt these people 70 convey their dead
comrades back 10 China are indeed pa
thetic.
When Celestial is sick unto death
the family resort 90 all manner Of de
vices. as ludicrous - Intellectual, 10 save
the life of the patient They know but
little Of medicine or surgery, but they
seek either q Drioe or friChten away the
spirits whoare supposed to come to con
vev away the spi-it of the dying.
joss paper Is burned in the hope that
the mercenary spirits NAV Doe satisfied
with a supply Of the bogus coin and
leave the potent. And il this device
fails. the most Internal noise Is made by
firing of heavily charged cannon or
blunderbUs5es. and beating OK goncs and
e. fa-r.- L
away. But all efforts fail. and the sick
dies. They then direct their efforts to-
ward securing the welfare of the dead.
as above described.
Tho dead are prepared for burial by
being clad in their best clothes and the
body Is put into large, square wooden
coffin and packed IN lime. the object of
the lime being q absorb the gases and
water Of the decaying body and prevent
odors
The dead arc often kept unburied for
weeks. or. IN some cases. years-the rea-
sons being MANY. The most common Is
a lack Of funds 20 carry out tho pro
gramme Of paying q Taoist priest for
consulting with the spirit of the dead As
10 where he wishes 70 5e buried and for
paving the owner Of the land IN nose
field the dead may locate his grave. /
have seen hundreds of un0uried collins
each Of which contained q corpse. sitting
around the edge of bamboo grove
awaiting intsruaut And many Of the
collins bad been thare uutI they were
Drowned by the SIN ana rain. and rank
Il g. e. q
taev were weI hi5 and formed a favor
ite cover for rabbits and pheasants.
The custom of lHing tne coffin with
lime appeared % b. generally practiced.
and has been for a ionE time. / once
came across Al opened grave near a
Chinese city and made q startling dis
oovsrv.
Is was thar ths grave had been opened.
and the Ema, now further enriched CT
the decaVed bones, had been carried
away 20 fsrtIhze growing Tr-eta .as,
on1 che th.-'l r.suzs of which the coffin
was mace had ocen broSe0 into small
pieces AMI earned away for fle. fo gze
in cooklnx food. AL that reFaa alled II
tha nacrar whose bones had there de-
caved Ia order - fartl.ze c7aoaz=s, was
hls io1E braided cue. I1e Gssr was aD-
rsreu-ir ~ free from de-a7 as tae dsT
--e man bad died. Is was 'our folr
teet lrE eri braided vth ttree
s-rs0is aEI .r f7st TF IS -al reen
aL -c how many rss
lrss ra gers --ar j.
r-I -1 -ar -ae -r-r-- been
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