The herald., 1896-10-31
THE FAIR WILL END TONIGHT
A1d the Dragon Will Make His Appear
ance This Afternoon
Last Big Day of the Chinese Festival.
Route of the Parade--Costly Vest
ments, Banners, Equipments

Today will be the last and greatest
day of the Chinese feast of Du Gong
Ok, and this afternoon will occur the big
street parade when the huge green dra-
gon will make his initial appearance in
this city. Yesterday no ceremonies of
special Importance occurred Outside
the main building of the fair an arch
has been erected containing three doors
or entrances. The central one is large
and flanked on either side by smaller
one. This is the dragon arch and is in
tended to carry before the green mons
ter in the parade This is the general
custom, but will not be followed today
because of it's size and weight.
AS the dragon is an exceptionally big
one he had to have big gate, so large
that it is an impossbility to carry it,
To convey the dragon through the
streets some eighty men will be requir-
ed and they will perform the arduous
task willingly and without compensa-
ton, as religious ceremony. Every
company in Chinatown will be called
upon to furnish it's quota of men accord
ing to its numerical strength and finan-
cial standing.
The largest number will be supplied
by the Kong Chow company, the larg-
est and richest in Southern California.
In their joss house on Ferguson alley
they have ready an unique collection of
pixies, swords, battle axes and other
weapons, together with shields and CO.'S
tunes, which will be carried and worn
by their retainers. The expense will be
footed by the company. They will also
"a te.l hot, lot4
ment.
Some of the banners to be carried are
simply marvels of embroidery in gold
and silver thread on the heaviest silk
and are worth from $500 to $500 each.
This is the cost in China, where they are
made and where labor is cheap; here
their cost would be quadrupled. In this
respect the parade today will be out of
the usual line. The marchers will all
be costumed in silk and embroidery, the
dragon is of the most costly materials.
all the curious weapons are either of
heavy brass or of the finest steel, the
banners and flags are all of silk and
nothing cheap or tawdry will be seen.
While to American eyes the decorations
may seem garsh and incongruous it is
well to remember that for the price of
one single costume that will be worn,
often worth from $1,000 to $4,000, whole
regiment OF pOHllcdl SHouleTS cOulu De
costumed and equipped. The money
value represented in the accoutrements
of the marchers and the other features
of the parade will be not far from
100000. ."
At o'clock the line will form on Los
Angeles street alongside the plaza.
Thence they will go south on Los An
geles street to Also, east to Alameda
north to Marchessault, east to the edge
of Chinatown and return on Apablasa
street to the plaza. This march Will
take an hour or more. Then the parade
proceeds around the plaza and south on
Main street to the junction of Spring,
thence along Spring to Fifth street,
from there to Main and north again to
Aliso, down to Alameda or beyond and
disband
1t will be between 10 and II o'clock a t
night when the final ceremony of the
burning of the devils will occur in the
open space on Nigger alley. In antici-
patton of big crowd, an extra squad
of police will be on hand to see that no
one interferes with the celestials in their
rites. Amid the rattle of exploding fire
crackers and the crackle of flames the
bulky figures of the Shon di Low, Con
Joi, Toy Sin, Ma No and other evil spir-
it's will ascend again to the skies and
leave their frail habithtions, well pleased
with the attentions they have received
their anger toward the Chinese race ap-
peased by the offerings and sacrifices
made to remain for another three years
before they again visit the earth COR
norao11y