The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-04
CELESTIAL JOSS.
WOoDEN-HEADED TIE SEEMS TO THE
CAUCASIAN INTELLIGENCE.

| ny Luek Card. nnd the Fau OF Obione Stick /,
| the Supcrrtitious Chinnr,an Seeks to
Learn His Future-Incense and Humbue.
The Chinaman's religion from an American
! point OF view seems to be belief in inspired
luck. This is the way It looks to any one who
has visited the joss house in Mott street and
| had the aged and ld-hended Chinaman in
| charge 60 through the services for his edia-
| cation. SO much does 1t seem TO be a matter
| ofluck. that policy players and others who be-
lieve in luck and superstitons have begun to
| make visits to the JOSS house to Ind out from
tho bones and the sticks what to do to win.
This joss house Is UP stairs at IL Mott STRAIT
in one OF the old high-stoopcd three. story
brick houses which date back to the TINA
when Mott street was eeml-fashionabl.
neighborhood and the grandiathers nnd great.
grandfathers OF present New lork's distIn.
guishod citizens lived there. The house has
been allowed to run down steadily since. III
doubtful II any money at all has been sront
on It for repairs since the Chinese tenants
came in. The stone steps arc worn
and Clipped. the iron railing Is 40
weak and rcksty that It is not to be relied on.
there are holes in the floors. and tho stair.
cases are wabbly. lopsided. and Uncertain.
Pasted on the outer wall are layers OF thu
light-red paper used by tho Chinese for official
anu TcuRlCub uOtlCes. Obo hotiCo mas Deen
pasted over the other until there is a little
bulge on that section OF the brick from the
successive layers OF paper.
Within there was o Chinese shop on the nrst
floor. a Chinese restaurant on the second floor
and the JOSS house on tho third floor The Chi
nose restaurant and shop is one OF the ordinary
Chinese shops TO be found around Mott
street. with it's different grades OF tea.
it's dried meats and fish. and its curious
dried vegetables which are not raised
in truck gardens near New YORK. but are i'm.
ported from China as is almost everything
else in the shop. Two or three Cinnamon OF
that uncertain indication Of age which comes
into the face Of every Chinaman as soon as he
ceases to BIO positively young man sit around
this shop smoking tobacco and opium while
they wait for customers
This is one OF tho many Chinese restau-
rants. with its high tables. broad-legged
stools without backs, and its Chinese loafers
lounging in the corner and smoking opium
as do the American loafers who hang around
the corner saloon. In this way the Chinese
restaurants correspond to q New York saloon.
for it Is club house and loa6ng place for tho
idle and disslpated. When an unknown Amer
lean enters the restaurant the opium smoking
is stopped and the pipes are hid behind the
cushions which lie on the broad bench along
rant In Chinatown nor the biggest. for there
are several larger and moro famous ones. es-
pecially the restaurant across the street. but
this one is fair sample and the prices are az
moderate as ut Beefsteak Johns.
Up another eight Of stairs Is the Joss and
his hiding place The house in which the
joss lives must have been rather better than
its neighbors. for there is a balcony on the
third floor made Of iron work which must have
hhn hate I'm fhA In ia ftFpn nd
rotten and broken. The entrance to this bal
Ss S ys 81 in as sn wseS
looks like. flower pot. filled with earth and
sHsntS e Piopts the 0s ioss
t. E,o PS good spts to enter
breed Chinese children. an occasional woman
crowd Of white men at the end Of Mott street
around Chatham square with the elevated
The Regular form for s services in tho
Joss house includes the Joss sticks. the ser
sses the Ss a d
ioss covered with carved figures ana tapestry:
a little tray with holes 70 holdthe pink WaIta.
joss sticks. A large frame shuts on the view Of
tho Joss from across the street. In this frame
Of %a the
principal events. In the corners Of the room
a.out eight feet in diameter and f little shrines
where also JOSS sticks may be burned:
lar order and numbered. On every ono Of
those hooks there is a package Of pink paper
are about 81 inches long BY t two Wide. With
five rows OF Chinese charaoters and SUPER
seed4s H to ce shs sooi. ss eg are
On either side ofthe pots In which the loss sticks
ong strips Of Wood and ID Ivory several e inches chez.
longer than the cylinder. But In front OF tho
semblInG In appearance a largo red banana
split In two.
Wits %sfe he been w npa
9 ARE dEunins iG The Zig t5sy es.tnf At
e. two ,oSbone pieces Of wood ard throws
a, general way tho luck Of the Applicant One
side OF each is round and the other fat. For
III hsr at tn SIDE anoHes
Eta ana round nd, and one fat aide
Tie Joss should or should not se do What he has
In mind and came to consult about
can consult the IVORY and wood site ks in the
I'm cylirders. Tho officiating attend ant twlrs
Wv ,cyiiiiuer rounu rupluly until the centrll-
ugal force causes one OF tho sticks to fall out
OF the cylinder and drop on the floor In front
OF the Joss. The number Of this stick corre-
spends to a number OF u hook In the wall. The
attendant goes to this hook and takes from it
acters. or the luck card. which tells In moro
detail the luck OF the applicant to the JOSS, He
Will also translate this card II ne will confess
to hs know edge OF English
fee OF 2? cents pays for this. It Is An In
terestinG visit to mako to JOSS even II ons
does not believe that the divinity has ad-
vanced Information about what is to happen.
All Fong's Eleven Daughters.