The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-16
KNOCKING DOWN h GOD.
Big Price for the Rental OF "A Warranted
Wool-Dyed Chinese Deity.

The proudest and happiest man on Mott
street is Mr.. Ong Hong Tong. He has become
the sole possessor for the space of one year of
a genuine Chinese god. to-wt, Lone Wung
Sha. aud can pocket every cent OF proht he
can make out of the god for that period
Mr.. Ong Hong Tong Is Il Chinese sport.
He knows a good thing when he sees It. lie
will work the god for all it Is worth, and as he
has never been worked before the chances are
that he will make barrel Of money out OF him.
The god--or rather the privilege Of using
him for one year-was put up at auction at
the Temple of Joss No. 20 Mott street. The
competition was great and the bidding brisk.
As an event it dOuble-discounted the big
BraytOn-iyes sale. The first bid was $4,000
and the last "A 800, at which price the god
was knocked down to Mr.. Ong Hong Tong.
There may be, there undoubtedly are great
many Confucians who never heard OF the god
Lone Wing Sha. He IS not god Of lofty
Lineage. like the great deihed general Gong
Shaw who smiles a smile of deep and bitter
meaning upon the Cinnamon who do him wOr-
ship in the Temple of Joss, No. 20 Mott street.
No Lone Wung Sha is a self-made god.
who bv strict attention 10 business and great
amiability. is winning for himself name IN q
polytheistc Walhalla in which all good Con-
fucians pray. His owner, Iung Lung, brought
him here from China some ten years ago. lie
Francisco in basket. and when the custom
house officials asked him what the thing"
was Yung Lung bIidledhis anger and said, "A
dolce babee"
And the great god stood this indignity with
out rs much as saying word. SO lung Lung
brought his family god east and settled down
III tht laundry business III Belleyllle, y. j.
At first Lung kept his god strictly as a
family affair He erected an altar 10 his
divinity in the little room behind his laundry
and sometimes an acquaintance dropping in
10 see Lung would leave nm orange or an
apple OF a peacocks feather before the holy
shrine. Soon the rumors ran that all China
men who with pious intent gave the humble
little god an offering were Immediately
favored in the most striking manner, either
in their legitimate calling or in outside specu-
latiOn, such as plunge at the fan-tan table
or an investment IN policy tickets.
SO the number Of oranges and apples and
peacock feathers that were deyOutly placed
at the foot of Yung Lungs unostentatlous but
hard-working little godgrew surprisingly, aud
lung Lung became fat and sleek and happy.
He soon sold the orange and apple seeds
which Lone Wung Sha left after devouring
his favorite fruit at five cents apiece; then he
raised the price 10 a dime, and still the cred
ulous buyers came from all over Chinatown
to bespeak a blessing for whatever business
enterprise they may be embarking upon.
Ine beard OF Lone NuDR Sna grew long,
and the lucky Yung Lung grew rich. But
neither grew proud. The god did business
just as before he became popular. and condo
scended TO advise Cinnamon on the most
trivial matters, provided always that the ap-
plicant far his fovor had satisfied the demands
Of lucky Yung Lung, who stood at the door
and took in the money
Three years ago 10 the great grief Of the
Jersey railways, which were doing a big bust
ness in transporting Cinnamon from Mott
street TO the shrine IN Belleville. the god was
transferred to New York and put TO work in
nice new temple all to himself at No. 20 Mott
street. Here a rush Of prosperity came upon
him which is unexampled in the history of
Mott street. Young Lung worked day and
night taking IN money at the door. Lone
Wung Sha worked day and night taking in
prayerful pilgrims, who came from the right
and the left-from everywhere-an now the
god that three years before had besn glad to
get stray apple or orange is fed every day on
bird s-nest soup.
lung Lung now determined 10 retire from
buslness-that is. he thought he had earned n
retirement into dignited ease aud unlimited
bird's-nest soup. while somebody else ought
70 manage the god. 80 he put him up at auc-
ton and let him out at 900. 900 for the frst
year. Last season 1t is estimated that the
lucky Spectator who purchased him cleared
over A,O0o.-New York Herald.