The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-13

unless, by some alteration
In the building or change in the "lay Of
the land" he shall succeed in appeasing
the locality's geomantic powers
This superstition takes the deepest
hold upon the Chinese peo-
pie, from emperor to pauper. "Only q
few years since" the author says, "a
number Of Chinese officials united in a
petition to the throne asking that a stop
be put to mining coal and iron at Il
point forty miles distant from the i'm
perial tombs, upon the plea that this
mining would disturb the bones of the
empress, who had recently been buried.
A few years earlier the viceroy at Foo
Chow formally reported to the emperor
that permission ought not to be granted
to certain foreigners to erect buildings
upon the slope of hill within the walls
of the city. He based his objection upon
the asserted fact that a great dragon
rested underneath Foo Chow and sup
ported the foundations of the city; that
at the spot named the veins and arteries
OF the dragon came near to the surface,
and hence that the weight Of the build
ings, If constructed, would impede his
circulation"
Quite as interesting, in Its way, is the
trouble experienced by the government
officials in deciding upon burial place
for the remains of the emperor Tung
Chih, who died in January, 1875, and
was unable to find satisfactory rest
ing place, until the following October.
The custom had been, up to that time,
to bury imperial bodies alternately In
an eastern and in a western cemetery,
In the hope that by this exact counter
balancing of mortuary honors the "feng
shut" of each cemetery would be afford
ed no reason for Jealousy. Inasmuch
as Tung Chih's father had peen inferred
in the eastern cemetery, the general
opinion properly was that Tung him
self ought, in common fairness, to be
deposited in the western place of burial.
But the court astrologers declared, as
result of their divinations, that no
place could be found there where he
might lie without injury to the state,
and hence that he must be buried else
where. Months of investigation, re-
peated references to different boards
and departments of the public service,
and numerous commands from the new
emperor followed, until, after nine
months of effort, 1t was finally decided
that he positively could not be inferred
In the western cemetery, where he be-
longed, but with certain precautionary
and conciliatory measures he might be
put under ground in the eastern. This
was done as the lesser of two evils The
whole empire had been stirred up over
the question; 1t had been the vital topic
at numerous councils of state, and a
large sum of money, estimated at $780,
900. had been expended, all to determine
at what spot the remains of worthless
and vicious young man might be put
out of sight"
In consequence Of the ultra -fastidi-
BUSINESS Of the "feng shut" of Chinese
cemeteries, millions of occupied coffins
are today unburied They are placed,
Theoretically sealed. in temples or par
lors, pending an adjustment of the diff
ferences between the surviving rela-
tives and the spirits of the burial
ground. The methods by which the
"feng shui' are finally placated are
simple in the extreme. An astrologer
Is consulted-and presented with a fee
-; he goes into a pow WOW with the
inhabitants of the invisible kingdom
and brings back q message command
ing that a tree be planted at a speci-
fled place in the cemetery. a stone
added or removed, or some equally
trivial alteration made. This done,
the trouble ends, unless a second mes
sage. communicated through the as
rologer-likewise, for consideration
shall necessitate additional propiti-
atory offerings. This Typographical
superstition of the "feng shui' Is actu-
ally recognized in the statutes of the
empire. A Chinese may sue and re-
cover damages at law against another
for any action which can be shown to
the satisfaction of the judge to have
unfavorably affected the "feng shui'
Of his house or place of business.
Years ago." Mr. Holcombe tells us,
"the secretary of the Chinese treasury
refused to permit well-known Ameri-
can who resided next door to him. and
who was in the service of the Chimes.
government, to build any chiE.leys to
his house. as they would affect the
'feng shui of the secretary's residence.
In consequence. the American could
have no adequate fires in his
rooms during the cold winters.
Later, the construction of high
chimney for some gas works in the
capital reduced by more than one-half
the value of all structures within mile
of the Objectionable work" 1t Is evil
dent that such superstition, to which
the whole people are committed, must
operate as a considerable barrier to
commercial and individual progress:
Belief in the "luckiness' of certain
days obtains throughout China. The
merchant will not begin business or the
lover marry until the astrologers have
named a favorable day. Every weighty
enterprise must be undertaken in ac-
cordance with the advice of those who
read the stars. In time of drought, II
ordinary incantations will not bring
thC CIhpCioi,
character as head of the religious sys-
TEN Of China, must go to the sacred
altar of the Temple of Heaven, to which
he alone is privileged to penetrate, and
there make sacrifices and supplicate
for rain. If after three such pilgrimages
the emperors prayers are tot an
swered, he at once proceeds to play his
trump card. Several hundred years
ago" says the author, "a piece of iron
was found in well in a temple en-
closure several hundred miles to the
southwest of Peking. 1t was declared
to have dropped into the well from hea-
ven, and has since been kept as a sa-
cred relic in the temple. The emperor
sends a commission. headed by an i'm
perial prince, to the temple to receive
this bit of rusty iron from the priests
and carry 1t to the capital. There it
is deposited with elaborate ceremonies
in a temple, and on al day named In ad-
vance by proclamation, the emperor