The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-04-19
CHINESE JOSS HOUSE.
Where the Oily Johns in New York Burn
Incense and Handle the Chop-Sticks.
By Leaore Sherwood Marble.

I went with New York Journalist, who
knows all of the ms and outs of the great city,
to Chinese joss House
If it had been a bright. balmy Spring day
believe my courage would have failed me when
we reached the crooked streets of the old Five
! Points District, but the rain, mud and wind,
my old clothes, and the umbrella which held
in front of my face, seemed TO inspire me with
the true spirit of adventure and investigation.
Leaving the Bowery at Pell street. we walked
up the little narrow lane, with its rows of
| tumble-down frame houses, breathing out dense
! fumes of opium smoke from the squalid, ILL
smelling apartments, to Mott street, wider
but more densely populated street.
There was not an American in sight, only
! swarms of Cinnamon walking in the street and
| on the sidewalk, standing in groups in front of
some faVOrite den or going in and out of shops
whose windows displayed Oriental wares, or
! supplies of rice pipes, ard sweetmeats.
They brushed against you at every step with
their bland, expressionless faces but their keen,
! subtle eyes peered into your face. They seemed
| to look over, above and in at the sides of your
umbrella, and their leer of gratfed curiosity
made my blood run cold.
| There was no confusion on the street, no
| boisterous laughter or loud talking. They
passed and repassed each other in an almost
noiseless procession with scarcely an audible
word The very quiet was forbidding; you
wished they would fight, or scream-anything
but that awful gloom and suggestive stiffness.
THE JOSS HOUSE.
The Joss House is on the top floor of an old
tumble-dOwn brick building In the basement
is an opium den, on the next floor grocery and
tea store on the next Chinese restaurant,
and over all the temple. We walked up The
dark, narrow. crooked stairs, uneven and worn
and wet with rain and mud, brushing past
grinning Cinnamon, who crowded the stairs
with bedraggled clothing that emitted deadly
order of filth and opium, until we reached
the restaurant. Here they all stopped, and we
climbed the last fight without meeting with
anyone. At the door OF the temple priest
met Us with one hand extended. He grasped
the dollar given him and ushered US in with
good feeling and grace.
There was no one there but the attendants,
so we had perfect liberty to examine and tarry
at our own pleasure.
The room is about 40 %, lighted by two
windows in front. The walls are hung with
deliberately embroidered banners and tapestries
and large strips of highly-colored letters; also
daggers and swords. Flags unfolded and long
spears fastened to the soor form line around
the room, and at either corner is suspended
pagoda covered with beautiful embroidery in
gold and silver.
In the center of the room is large altar ex-
tending to the ceiling. The base is of marble
and holds large brass and gold urns full of pow
dered incense
The top of the altar is deliberately covered
with NEUROLOGICAL figures, and the whole deco
rated with set flower pieces and peacock feath-
ers in the most elaborate designs.
At the end of the hall, opposite the window,
is another altar. There is a large table
tanning urns, and back of it, covering the en-
tire walls, is a miniature temple of gold of most
elaborate workmanship. Behind the pillars of
this temple are painted the heads of man and
woman, the gods whom they worship.
- -
the three urns in front of the gods; one set to
propitiate the gods of the past. one the gods of
the present, and one the gods OF the future. /
made wish and watched them burn, and, of
course my wish will be gratifed.
HANDLING THE cHoP-sTIcKs.
At a table in front of the window the priest
and party were eating. Under pretense of ad-
miring the decorations, we made our way over
to them and found them quite inclined TO be
talkative.
The priest differed from the others only in
the manner in which he wore his hair. 1t was
shaved as far back as his ears and then braided
They all wore embroidered jackets of differ
ent colors, short trousers, and sandals, which
they took off during the meal. All of this time
was pretending to admire the walls, but secretly
looking at the table and watching them eat.
The table was bare and entertained no plates,
knives, forks, spoons. Large bowls of flaky
rice fried eels, chopped cabbage, fish sasce.
pieces OF yellow cakes, preserved ginger, and
nuts which look like our raisns. were placed
on the table; ALSO large bowl of pale tea
They all ate from the bowls in common with
chop-sticks, and the only thing individual were
the cups for tea about as large as good-sized
thimble. 1t is wonderful the way they eat with
these chop so rapidly and expertly.
l watched one man in particular He took
up some rice, then some eels some cabbage and
some fish sauce, and put the whole in his mouth
without dropping thing.
Everything seemed clean and really savory
and was actually hungry. l wanted to be in.
vited to dinner, but was not.