The evening times., 1896-02-12
JUBILEE OF c[lESTIlLS
New Years 'Characterist ally
Celebrated by Cinnamon.
FIRST DAY OF FIRST MOON
Laundrymen and Their Friends Ate.
Drank and Made Merry at the Pass
ing of '95-They Paid Their Bills,
Wrote Letters, Feasted IA nd Prayed
No Firecrackers.

All the Cinnamon had jubilee today. q
1t was not celebration such as might
have occurred in the Au,ip, des, wherein
tom-tcms and gay professions figure; tom-
toms are too noisy for comparatively un-
| denoOstrative America AID brass hands
| are not approved or by our Celestial
brother.
Even firccrackers, the tiny nuisances
| that bring joy TO the hearts or the almond
eyed humans, have been denied them BY
Mr.. Pusb's police regulations, and but for
vocal efforts, inspired by sucn jags as only
Chinese whisky can cause, their blowout
, today was "A noiseless one.
But they ate. drank. spoke speeches ard
made merry in their blaLd and chiId-likc
way, lor II was the first DAY OF the first
moon oi the year, aud New Years Day in
far-off China.
New Years Day is the one great national
holiday OF tue celestial empire Just as
Christmas Is in this country. II is not cal
cuIatcd, according to the Christian manner
or reckoning days and dates, and the
ChlhS depeLdS entirely upon the moon 10
Know when he is justified d in c,.lebrating
SO far the orb OF Diana has never been
known to go back on him. owing TO the
fact. however, that the moon finds it impos-
slbic TO get around on the same date a { the
beginning OF every year. the peculiar China
man Is compelled to celebrate each year on
different day. Last year he grew JOYOUS
on the 9Th OF the present month, and this
time he is three days later. Notwithstand-
ing these little dra wbac cks and uncertainties
however, the occasion is never allowed to
slip by without being properly commemo-
rated.
PEACOCK FEATHERS AND PAINT.
As soon as the first day OF the first moon
HuDrDucl,.S Eel "a finps ra
lordly peacock is stripped of his tail feathers
anu they are stuck up around the laundries,
joss houses and Chinese stores.
Fresh coats OF red. yellow and blue paint
are added 10 the pictured representatives OF
the JOSS that stands sponsor for the par,icu-
lar feast and TO whom the devout followers
OF Confucius address their petitions for
more shirts to wash during the ensuing year.
Supplies of all sorts are laid in. and 1t Is
the bounden duty OF every good Chinamanto
write to every other good Chinaman he
knows, and, If he don't want TO blow him
self for present. he must at least wish him
many happy returns OF the day.
The night before is always one of ex-
cited hustle and hurry. and last night was
a lively one in the local Chinatown. The
Chinese restaurant In that interesting To-
cahty was running at full blast, and
Philip. the Fat and lovial proprietor, coined
wealth.
Huge pots of tea surrounded by little
bowls stood all around, and anyone who
wanted TO quench his natural thirst could
do so for nothing. The small tables In the
back room We're filled with a gabbling
throng all night. but in the front room big,
long table taking up nearly all the space,
was set for the banquet of the patriarchs
OF the settlement, that took place today.
Down stairs in the big supply store OF
Quong Song Lung everything was Just as
iy-..lr- \ sNft
town were paying up their bills as in
Chinatown every old score is supposed to
be- wiped out before the old year goes the
way OF all old years. In one corner OF the
room an deliberately arranged table had
been spread with various things, very much
Chinese. In front OF n painted joss.
A TABLE FOR JOSS.
In the center OF the table was a big earthen.
dish, on which was arranged in five sec
lions various food products OF China.
Around this was arranged little bowls con-
tanning decorative candies, and at the back
on either side stood big metal vases, in
which Were stuck designs of paper flowers,
silver sheen and peacock feathers.
In the center, behind the dish, stood a
big metal urn, on top or which rested a
golden dragon, with a very jovial grin on
his expansive countenance. An arn of burn
ing wood, that filled the room with a
pungent smoke was placed on n corner, and
JOSS sticks and little printed prayers Were
scattered. AROUND in profusion. Designs
OF paper flowers and peacock feathers were
stuck up all over the room. The rush kept
up until late in the night
Bright and early this morning the good
Celestials who wash the shirts of the null
titudc finished their toilets, locked up
their laundries and started to Chinatown.
Life had few cares for them today, and
they worried but little over such trifles
as shirts and collars.
They scattered around among the va
rious big resorts, and their peculiar chatter