The morning call., 1894-07-23
WEPT FOR WONG.
A Great Funeral From
Chinatown.
MOURNERS ROBBED IN WHITE.
Forty Carriages Filled With the
Sorrowing.
MOURNERs ROBBED IN WHITE.
THREE dRIEF-sTRlcKEN WIDOWS
One of the ForIorn Is Little.Footed
Woman - Wake at the
Family Josshouse.

The hand of affliction fell heavily on
the great family of Wong last Tuesday
night. Wong Que Chez, whose pigtail
the frosts of tifty-nine winters had silvered.
was called to join the shades OF his fore
fathers. His illness was brief, and he had
barely time 10 set his household in order
and prepare a list of his debtors for the
use of his heirs, when the doctor made
room for the undertaken, Blue lanterns
were hung in front of the dwelling at $50
Clay street that had been his. and the
josshouse on Brenham place, owned by the
family of which he was a member, was
made ready for a period of mighty mourn
ing and lamentation.
For nights the body lay on bier in front
of the altar, while the relatives, loudly
lamenting their bereavement, marched too
and fro. The family priests position was
any thing but sineCure. Hour after Eour
during the first nights of gloom he cnanted
and prayed and preached over the body,
while the musicians banged their cymbalS
and blew their pipes and tried to feel the
sorrow they were paid to express.
The jossbouse within and without was
brilliant with lights, and strangers unia-
miliar with the ways of the Chinese
thought that they were celebrating some
event which had filled their somber lives
with joy. In the gloomy dwelling on Clay
street Wong's three widows mingled their
tears. One of them is little-fGoted
woman who was imported regardless of
expense five or six years ago. Her advent
was made an occasion for great rejoicing,
and envious tongues declared that such eX-
travagance would inevitably end IN rain.
She wepJ with her less famed sisters, and
with them lifted her streaming eyes to the
motto over the mantels, what is home
without husband?"
The funeral was held at noon yesterday,
and the wailing, the ceremony aud the
pomp were On scale commensurate with
the importance of the deceased. Hired
mourners, robed in white. marched round
and round the coffin, beating their breasts
and telling in a low, mOnOJOn0us chant the
good deeds of the dead. The widows
marched with the subsid zed tear-makers.
stunning the table on which we're the
chopsticks and teacups which The deceased
had used while in the flesh. On the same
table lay the two elliDtical pieces of wood
with which Wong told his fortune.
At noon the cortege moved from the
temple, and the funeral baked pig pro-
vided for the occasion was distributed
among the needy. A herald carrying The
gorgeous banner of the family marched
ahead of the hearse. Behind were car
riages filled with musicians and those who
were employed to scatter title pieces OF
paper along the road to the grave. The
pieces of paper were covered with char
acters designed to give the evil spirits fol-
lowing the procession the IDEA that it had
gone some other way. There were forty car
riages in the procession and many mourn
ers on foot The services a. the grave
were prolonged until a late hour in the
afternoon, aud at night the grief that
suffused the hearts of the Wongs found ex-
preston in a banquet held in the big res
taurant on Dupont street.
Wong Que Chez was a man of wealth
and influence. whose career will stimulate
the ambition of his descendants who dwell
on this inhospita BILE shore. His parents.
it is said, were rich but honest He left
them early in life and came to this city,
where be soon achieved distinction by
winning $500 in a lottery. With this
money he started lottery of his own. and,
in spite of the faithful police who some
times raided his place and the unfaithful
who never missed him while they were
passing the hat, he became wealthy. At
the time of his death he was an importer.