The Delta independent., 1891-01-06
CHINESE JossEs IN NEW YORK.
Tho Old Ono Has Lost His Grip and His
Name 10 Dennis. "

Tho Old Ono Has Lost His Grip and His
Name Is Dennis. IA
One of tho most interesting an
nouncements that has recently como
from that unique locality in New York
know rs Chinatown was to the effect
that the Chinese laundrymen of New
York were getting up subscription
for the purpose of sending to China for
new joss, whose business it would be
to watch over laundrymen exclusively,
and not over merchants. gamblers.
highbindcrs, and other persons. rs the
old josses in Chinatown have been in
the habit of doing.
This multiplication of josses in New
York's Chinatown is rather an inter-
esting episode, says the Mail and Er-
press. 1t is not so long ago that one
joss was good enough for Chinatown.
He was not much of joss. and only to
the eyes of his followers was he an i'm
pressive object If ever joss had
soft time of it he did. 1t is true he
had to listen to the appeals of nearly
10000 Cinnamon who live in and
about New York, but, as he never
complained, it must have been all
right.
This may have been for the reason
that being of wood he was not much
given either to small talk or to undue
animation. He had multifarious duties
though. 1t was his business to keen
the police away from the ''fan.tan"
houses and opium joints in and around
Mott street-manifestly u difficult task
even for Chinese god to undertake.
to bring business to about 1000 Chinese
laundries, and in fact to look after the
interests of Chinatown generally.
1t did not seem to worry the joss
very much. He sat under rich canopy.
inhaled the incense offered before him.
md conducted himself generally in a
very dignitied way. In one respect he
was something like some of our poll
ticians; he made no promises. So if
he didn't do everything he was eX-
pectcd to do no one could charge him
with having acted in bad faith. How
ever. no such charges were made
against him. If it seemed apparent
that he had granted tue prayers of the
faithful he was treated with special
consideration by the lucky ones. If
not, well and good.
On certain occasions lie was treated
to vast quantities of roast pig. chicken,
aud other delcacics. He never ate any
of them. Wooden josscs don't run to
roast pig as rule. However, it was
placed before him, and if he had con-
cluded to cat it there was nothing to
prevent it.
On the occasion of certain great
ceremony or rather n series of great
ceremonies, in Chinatown some time
, I,,l hot
stirred it as it has rarely been stirred.
The ceremony had been going on for
several days and vast quantities of food
had been placed before joss. No matter
how much WAS placed there it disap-
peared. Chinatown got excited. its
oldest inhaLitant had yer before.
heard of a joss with an appetite like
this one. The ioss-house was thronged
and the matter quietly discussed.
The joss displayed not the slightest
Interest in the whole matter. Neither
did lie show the slightest effects OF
overeating. There were no signs of
indisposition or dyspepsia. or of the
contcntment that good living IS said to
bring. He was just standing Pat and
saying nothing. The thing went on
for several days and then there was an
explosion.
One OF the high priests, in inspecting
the joss-house, saw under platform
'shat looked like an old shoe. He
pGl!ed on it. 1t was an old shoe. and
attached TO it was man. He was a
ragged specimen of u man and stood
in need Of washing and shaving. but
lo was decidedly sclf-possessed.
Nell. my yellow jaglels," ," he said.
airiiy, the game is up. is itP Yes?
Well, I'm sorry. / amt lived so well
since me and Gould used TO dine to-
gether. Ta-ta." And with these
mockine words the profauer of the
temple left just in time to save his
skin. which was fairly well filled with
the dainties intended for the joss. The
joss appetite has been more closely
watched since this unfortunate oc-
cur'ence.
But the old joss has fallen upon evil
times. When the rich men of China
town got brand-new joss-house they
decided that the old joss was not quite
up to the new mark. So they sent to
China for a magnificent god. warrant
ed to be sound in wind and limb and
to be gentle and obliging in harness.
He is doing all the high-toned business
in Chinatown now, and the old joss is
reduced to doing business with high
binders, gamblers, and the like, and
even these are loosing respect for the
old gentleman, for the police have been
giving them good deal of trouble Of
late, and they think that old joss is
losing his grip or this could not be.
nhn nj TO bnr