Arizona republican., 1896-01-25
A CHINESE JOSS HOUSE.
The Beautiful Temple of the Gods
 in Los Angeles.
Kwan Kung, the God of War, and His Exalted Position Among the Celes- tfal Deities--Interesting Fea-
 lures of the Worship.

geleS, the meJrOpO11S or southern Cdll- fornia. It was erected three years age and is the property of the Kung Chow company. The entrance of the build. ing bears the Chinese inscription: ''Pu- rify thyself by fasting and self-denial.'
 On the first floor, says the New Yor'::
 Herald, is the assembly room, or guild hall of the company, over the door o1 which is a gilt inscription, reading
 Honesty is the bond of association ; The proper place of worship is on the second floor, constantly guarded by an old g1ay-hairea Tao priest. On the veranda, over the door, is a red tablet, bearing the inscription: "Leet Shing Kung," or, Pantheon of the Holy Gods ,
 Worship offered at this temple is ac- cepted by all the gods. On either side of the doc. are three red tablets, with gilt inscriptions. One chandelier and two lanterns of enormous size hang from the ceiling. In a corner stands the furnace where paper money and other sacrifices are burned.
 Entering the temple from the veranda
 
 that is never opened except when the idol is carried forth in procession. Over the door hangs magnificent monumental gateway piece of carved and gilded woodwork. It is a most artistic composition of miniature tenn ples, festooned with flowers, amid which are throned the principal gods and goddesses of the Chinese Pantheon. Behind the folded doors are two altars, bearing the utensils of sacrifices, the joss sticks and the five sacred imple- ments, consisting of an urn, two can dlesticlzs and two vases. The fronts of the altars are set with elaborate carved work. representing scenes of feudat times, the pageantry of royal courts or figures of sages and kings, illustrious generals and statesmen, mingled with gorgeous peacoclzs and fabulous birds.
 The walls are adorned with bright colored tablets bearing euloGistic in scriptions to the gods. Che ia crimson reads: "Thy grace abounds like ocean waves-' A purple tablet says: ''The breath of the gods fills Heaven and earth"
 A Chinese temple has no fixed time for religious services. The worshiper comes when he has something to pray about. Family sickness, adverse for tune or some risky business under taking drives him to the oracle. As he enters he lights his candles and in- cense, kneels upon a mat in front of the altar, and calls upon the god by name three times. The priest then takes up two semi-oval blocks cf wood called Yum Young Puey, bows toward the idol, says his itany and losses them up. The success Of his supplica- tions depends upon the position in which these blocks fall. If they both fall in the same position the god is not at home or is in a bad mood. If the blocks fall one with the flat side turned up and the other with the fiat surface turned down, the god is sup posed to be ready to listen. The wor- shiper now knocks his head three times three upon the floor and offers up his petitions. This done, the priest takes a cylindrical bamboo pot contain ing bamboo slips about fifteen inches in length, each marked with number These are called sticks of fate, and are shaken together with the ends turned to the idol, till one is jostled out The priest or temple keeper looks at the number, consults his books, and hunts up the answer given to the mans prayer The drum beats and the bell tolls.
 Of all the gods worshiped by the Can tonese in America Kwan Kung is the most popular He is the hero of their ballads, novels and dramas, the embod- iment of Chinese patriotism. In life he was distinguished general, who, dnr- ing the reign. of Emperor Lau Pey, con- quered the various tribes then inha bit ing the country, and welded them into one great Chinese empire, called the Middle Flowery Kingdom. It was not until eight hundred years after his death, however, that he be- came god. The occasion of his canon ization is said to have been the drying up of the salt wells in the province of Shan Si, calamity that caused wide spread misery. The emperor and his ministers are said to have prepared written prayers, which were burned and conveyed to Heaven in the smoke. !! An hour had scarcely elapsed when, as the legend says, Kwan Kung, riding his red charger, appeared in the mid heaven, and informed his majesty that his petitions could not be granted till a temple was erected to his honor No, time was lost; hundreds of masons were set to work, and when the top stone was set in it's place the wells once more yielded their supplies.
 It is said that during the rebellion of 1855 the hero appeared to the com mander in chief of the imperial forces, !