The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-29
Al Tai, the Celestial Bookkeeper,
Laid to Rest.
r1pos,No FUNERAL coRTEoE.


Al Tai q Celestial Free Mason was b1.-
,ssa "a the Lake tiew cemetery yesterday
.yseruoon with unusual pornp. punk and
.1xssutaI gorrow. de was one Of the prom
sing young rneG OF the Monaghan colony.
s and his departure 20 The Land Of Mystery
vzx sgncereiy incurred. Fifteen Carriages
a. his fellow citizens followed ais body to
,he grave. and salaamed and poured .iaa-
AIMS AZ the coffin was lowered from sight
Cinnamon shew their grief In white and
rs6 and FIRE. inssead OF by customary
sui,s OF solemn black" So All Tai went 10
Iii last resting place under an escort taat
vould have seemed 10 a white man TO be
IL preIminaries of some festivlty Torn
rsxs Of red and white fiVttered from the
,sops Of the carriage tops. In lieu Of rib
hons An Tafs name was pasted In con-
xpscveus Chinese k:arogiyphics on the car
srIase windows, and the noisy timbais aid
Asntic DIES made the route OF travel DUR
aosy.
~ detail TO the picture. 1t was noticea-
bic that the pail bearers hands were
sseathsd la white gloves.
Chinnsown's Largest Funeral.
Tire funeral, which was held under the
auspices OF Undertaken Bufterworth, waS
+ the largest and most notable Chinese fu-
neral held In Seattle for some time. An
Tai, the deceased. was the learned book
keeper for the Chinese fishing firm OF An
How, Kong Wan L1i * Co. and was the
especial forsiling OF the wealthy head Of the
arm. All Hon. his uncle. An How had ins-
ported him from China, where he had ac-
CURED skill In the methods OF Chinese ac-
counts. and where as d youth he had mar
ffed and brought into the world . brace Of
heathen children.
The deceased was but 20 years of ago, In
the best part of his life. and death had
como Suddenly as the result of some mala-
dy which Chinese ply sictans failed 10 dag
nose and Chinese herbs failed = eure His
wealthy uncle and the uncle's two little
grandchildren, 10 whom All Tai was a sort
Of foster brother. were the chief mourners
An How closed up his store and gave him.
eli 10 grieving. Being a good Mclean
nerchan, and a respecter OF American GUS
IONS. ne determined to bury his nephew
with all the honor that could be given to
tho dead.
Accordingly All Tai was laid away In a
handsome casket OF oak. with silver mount
ings and with only tIe traditional peacock
feathers 10 signify that II was son Of
Confucius whose body rested within. On
the crest of the casket was a plate bearing
the English words AT Rest Both Al Tai
and Al How. being members OF the Chi
nese Free Mason society, that organization
was appointed 10 conduct the funeral The
entire local membership of the society turn
ID out In carriages. occupying fifteen In ALL
Motley Procession to the Grave.
The personal effects of the dead headed
the funeral cortegs in covered wagon
ard IN tho rear OF the hearse were the mu-
sicians. two of them piping on the shrin
flies which are characteristic of the Asiatic
peoples. one Changing huge pair Of bro
ken eymbale and "A third beating the tom
TOM These were the nearest approach to
cereal ceremony shown throughout the
funeral. The usual perforated slips of pa
Der which are popularity supposed TO be
thrown out TO oostruct the chase OF the Evil
Spirit after the soul OF the dead marked
the roadway 10 the edge Of the grave
In the cemetery. one would have thought
some white man was being buried such
was the throng OF curiosity seekers-soms-
times called "rubbetneckers''--abo the
grave. With very respectful dignity how
ever the Cinnamon assumed their places
poured out their endless quantities Of punk.
chicken, boiled eggs, candy. cocoanut and
wine, AL began their somewhat protracted
ceremonies. Widely different as the latter
We're nom the American customs and al
most nsrth- provoking as was the extern
sive layout of cold viaiads the occasion
assumed by no means slight impressive
ness and induced aecorous respect on the
part OF the strangers present
AZ the friends OF the deceased under the
gsieance OF an aged Chinaman--of whom
one Of them said. He boss Free Mason.
sshn he say, all men 10 what ne say"-at
fir to innumerable punkS and the aged
felow himself dropped burning papers Into
lie grave Ito scare away the Evil Spirit
Al Tars mortal effects~hss blankets and
cher bedding, and his clothes-were burned
d heap at some distance A ChInaman.
EXPLAINING the latter action said
They All Tars things. Cinnamon no
sen them asy more. c',,nEuen bers al
esai mans things"
lnmedaieiy prior TO the lcwerirg OF ti.e
cskei. paper was spread upon the ground
AID the friends Of the feceas sd. ol,.. after
slosher, sank 20 their knees upon H. bow
"a their heads three times - :hA ground.
NuFssi out lihas.ons Of liquor from .inv
cups and thus said their eternal farewell!
70 me young An Tai
Poignant Grief of the nereaxed.
The last ~ The friends 10 say his farewell
was somewhat elderly man. whose eyes
were swollen with weeping ana wha ncld
~ TIE hand Two quiet bright-eye, ti;sle
eei'dren, Tie had been conspicuous 10 OBJ
servers from the time or his en,ergence
stoa the carriage, and was evidently thu
'7'rt meurner III was the uncle An How
s''0 the stains about his eyes contratttc;cd
frequently the false impression 50 widely
prevalent. thar the barbarian races have no
ga grief No American father could snr-
y" Tor his son more deeply than iia All
gov Ter rs young nephew.
As An How ard hts little grandchildren
aaeN fo*@tNeT at .Ae foot 81 the grave the
saFiu nfes art the cynAa3< auS the ION,
a"'ns struck up their shrieking Charging
a'as'e. tf'e aged bead Msson ordered the
t..'F lowered. ,ae foad that has Aeen p~a-
sa'e7i for tiv possible hunger % ta.. t.sas
vas tar wa nto the gTsve and .ap taaksi
rvs rapidly covered VITA Maths,r f,arth
ne eaytySs~S&y the uncle sad gav
= ms friends withdrew without wai(sne
!eR ne srave - - alled. As the carriages
$50 oai isTuasa tae cemetery Easrs
49, ~orurant WAS provided @ijh a par-
ST o if%~f v- c5gar ~ ssgssc 4el .sary
" y 70 CHERISHED ar So he consumed. y tse.
- ~ as.@nS Practise MIRA the cake ana tae
sif's e sedgrrs