Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-01
THREE INCHES LONG.
The Size Of a Chinese Brides
Feet.
She Is an AristOcratic Golden
Lilly Girl.
Festivities Which Are Under Way
in Chinatown.
Sam Yuen United to Pretty HON See
Cham-Ceremonies Regardless
Of Expense-A Unique
Bill of Fare

The Chinese quarter of Los Angeles
for the past three days has been alb
sorhed with the most notable social
event that has taken place in Chinese
circles in Southern California since the
first Chinaman arrived here. The event
in question was the marriage of Sam
Yuen, one of the most prosperous mer-
chants of the Honn company and Ham
See Cham, the 17-year-old daughter Of
Wong Ah Toy of the Wong company,
one of the richest merchants of the San
Francisco Chinese colony. In fact. it is
the first Chinese marriage that has
taken place here with the tull ceremoni-
als as observed in the wedding Of a
mandarin in China. The ceremonies
have taken up the past three days, be-
ginning with series of feats on Satur-
day, and reaching high state of jubila-
ton Sunday evening on the ar
rival of the bride from San Fran
cisco. She was accompanied on
the journey by her mother, Mrs. Wong
All Toy and her young brother All Yon.
The premises at 33l Marchessault street
had been engaged for the occasion, and
were beautifully decorated with ban
ners. When the carriage containing the
bride arrived the street was thronged
with Celestials, for the bride was re-
puted to be a most surprisingly beauti-
full daughter of Cathay. In addition she
was true child of the moon, possessing
the famed and much admired "golden
lily foot" for by that process begun
at the cradle her feet had been dwarfed
until now they are only three inches
long. On alighting from the carriage
she was found to be closely muff1ed in
robes of crimson silk. She was placed
on the back of her brother and carried
into the building amid the fizz and
crackle of a myriad of tire-crackers. She
passed the day and night in strict retire.
meut.
Yesterday morning at II O'Clock the
most important and eliminating cere-
monies of the wedding took place. At
that hour groups of gaily dressed China
men, clad in resplendent robes of laven-
der, green, blue and yellow silk, made
their way to the ceremonial hall on
Marchessault street. Here rich carpet
was spread on the floor with three mats
the apartment an altar had been erected
before an image OF the joss, in front of
which stood a roasted pig, surrounded
by Chinese lilies and censers in which
incense was burning. Sam Yuen, the
groom, stood at the right of the altar
and his friends were seated around the
room. Greetings and obeisances were
exchanged, and finally one by one the
members of the company, who were
richly robed, decked with hats bearing
plumes of silver and gold, passed up to
the front, and each in turn extended
his congratulations and then suspended
a crimson sash over the shoulders of
the groom, until he was fairly clamorous
with the vivid red color. Now and
anon Sam Yuen would make profound
genufexions in front of the image of
the joss and then would gravely pass re-
freshments around among the company.
Shortly after this ceremonial, the bride,
Ham See Cham, arrived in carriage
accompanied by her mother, Mrs. Wong
All Toy and Mrs. Wong Chez, who acted
as an attendant of honor.
The bride was attired in rich garnet
silk costume that was beautifully en-
broidered with green and yellow silk,
and decked with elegant embroidery of
cloth of gold. Her tiny little feet, that
would have enchanted the fancy OF Sir
John Sucking, were incased in pink
silk slippers three inches long, beauti-
fully worked with pearls. Her ears
and neck were decked with mas
sive gold earrings and su-
perb necklace. Her entrance into the
room was the signal for another tre-
mendous explosion of fre-crackers, and
then the Chinese orchestra played
sweetly pretty sonata, by All Kee Chow,
a famed musical composer OF Canton.
Immediately on entering the apartment
the bride, Ham Lee Cham, turned her
face to the wall and uttered an invoca-
tion, while the entire company came
and made deep bows. Then All Chowng,
the front nlaI, and the bride turned and
bowed her head thrice to the floor. The
bride and groom then stepped on the
second mating and the same ceremony
was proceeded with. Next they pro-
ceeded to the third mat. Here the
genuhexions were more frequent and
more pronounced. They then exchanged
their vows in dulcet Chinese, and
all arose and saluted them, and the
orchestra again broke out in the highest
and most approved form of Celestial
melody. The bride then returned to
the carriage and was taken to the home
of Sam Yuen.
In the AFTERNOON Sam Yuen enter
tanned all of the leading merchants of
the Chinese quarter. An elaborate ban
quet was served at the two restaurants,
Bin San and the Hong Farl Ong. The
great spread before the merchants,
through the liberality of Sam Yuen,
will be long remembered in the annals
of the sons of lCathay of this CITY. In
variety it would have tempted Lucullus,
while Brillat-Savarin would have been
charmed by the exquisite menu. Tur-
ties, cells and fishes of various kinds
had been imported alive from China
in casks for the occasion, and
two dozen Chinese geese and ducks
were also brought over alive for the oc-
casion. The banquet was served at 5