The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-09-16

and the little idol, while three musicians
Hldrch forward and occupy the points of a
triangle designed by the astroIogers.
winch includes the grave, the music and
ali the members of the procession.
Inc moment they reach their post they
/ execute a series Of musical or non music
I d sounds, while the coffin moves on
ward to the grave. They repeat this IN
vi the earth has covered all evidences of
death
After that, If the deceased was a person
OF any prominence whatever. or was a
father leaving issue, his name is inscribed
with some complimentary remark upon
the tablets IN the ancestral hall of his
former home and also of those in the halls
OF the family and clan temple. Thereafter
az least once year on the Ghost Gods
DAY the family so out to his grave ana
tnere spend the day. When they reach
the tomb they clean il of moss and
weeds and the debris which gathers in
the open. If the colOred lettering has be
come damaged they touch up the color
until 1t is new and bright. They
trim the grass around the grave and
/ clean the ground of stones, brick and
tiles. This done, they bring out their
little stores of food and drink and first
serve his allotted quantity to the dead
/ ms consists of three cups of tea, three
glasses of wine and plates of cold
cnlcken, cold pork sausage and dried fish
!resh hsh, preserved eggs, sweetmeats,
| fruits. ginger aud other delicacies Then,
| while the spirit is supposed to be enjoy
| ing1ng himself, they light joss-sticks and
| insert them in the grave and decorate
II with tinsel artificial flowers and
| imitation paper money. They then sit
| down and eat their tiftin, finishing up
with the contents of the dishes that
were set aside for the ghost.
| The popularity of funerals can be esti-
mated from the fact that they have the
| right OF way over everything else, includ-
| ing ambulanCes, mail carts, fire engines,
police and soldiers. They also carry with
them a legal right which is unknown 10
| our own civilization, and for which there
is no name in either English or any other
| modern language This may be described
| as the right to carry coffin or march a
| funeral procession along a certain path,
| line or road. II might be called the right
! of thoroughfare
! This right IS so strong that when once
| esta blShed 1t creates an easement which
! belongs TO a family and descends as a
hereditament to the end of time. Thus
| for example, man died in 1892 in the
city of Annoy. There had been no death
| in his family since 1874. In looking over
| the family records it was found that in
! conducting their funerals the body had
oeen taken along certain path adeSlg
mated by the astrologers in the early part
of the century, from the front door tC
the clan burial ground But in 1880 q
wealthy merchant who had purchased a
piece of and in the neigh borhood erected
large and handsome house on it so as
to completely cover the path for some
hundred yards. His house had beer
built with the approval of the
neighbors and the officials The title
deeds and other munments had been
| properly registered and all taxes and as
sessments had been paid up TO date The
title was faultless. Nevertheless, when
the head of the family in which the death
had occurred submitted the facts to the
highest judge in the district, the latter
| held that the funeral right-of-way was an
ancient right which preceded and domi-
mated the ownership of the land, and he
gave Judgment compelling the owner Of
the new house to cut great doors in the
front and rear walls of his garden and the
front and rear walls of his home, and t
move all the furniture away so that the
! entire procession in following the ancient
way might march through the parlor and
dining hall OF the luckless fellows man
I