New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-01-16
THE FEAST OF KWONG COON
THE CHINESE DEITY HAS EVIDENTLY A
QUEER APPETITE

Los Angeles letter In The Chicago Times Her
aid.
The Kwong Coon festival has Just been cee-
brated by Ceestials OF the Pacific Coast OF all
the 1853 divinites OF the Fowery Kingdom
none Is held with such dread on this side of the
water as the mighty king of evil spirits, the
great joss. Kwong Coon. Terrible is his anger
If unappeased Dire is his vengeance If neg
lected. once in every three years a great feast
Is prepared by local Chinese as Offering to
the dreaded train Of demons who emissarieS
and servants Of the great god.
Preparations for the feast had stirred China
town for many days Pg-tailed coolies chat
tered irreverently on street corners and TESTED
at the expense OF Kwong Coon, Priests tasted
In seclusion Then the morning Of the festival
dawned.
1t is related among the Mongollans that
Kwong Coon once. when neglected. caused his
demons to devour all the fish in the sea Some
Of the fnny inhabitants Of the water escaped in
the turmoil and hid IN the dark caverns Of the
ocean. The few which survived multiplied and
saved the sea from depopulation. Since then
every third year CelestialS embark upon the
water and hold their festival to Kwong Coon
there to pacify him and to keep his anger within
bounds.
Down at the waters edge crowds OF Ceestlals
gathered They buried their long nailed fingers
within the folds OF their voluminous sleeves and
eyed the bay and the ocean suspicously. They
were awaiting stolidly the arrival Of Whan Ii.
he who Is high priest to the god The yellow
junk. Fungi lay at anchor 1t was to bear
Kwong Coon upon the bosom OF the waters
The sky gray and sullen. The day seemed
unpropitous when at once the sun. as IL favor
Ing especially the rites Of the Mongolians
beamed out upon the ripping rolling bay just
as Whan Ii. with eight attendants in full canon
icas, dashed up to the wharf in hack.
Behold the mighty god. Kwong Coon. with
hateful brazen grimace. borne in a common
place cab to the place Of high festival by a more
commonplace jehu Of Irish extraction. 1t was
ludicrous. 1t was an affront to the gods dignity
But the procession which followed! Shades OF
Confuciust That was an affront to the dignity OK
the whole Flowery Kingdom.
First players Of squealing reeds rent the air
with prolonged diabolica shrieks. 1t seemed as
IL all the furies of Hades had been let loose But
the police rarely ever interfere with Monaghan
antics. They seem to resent IT meany. so they
are treated as spoiled children and permitted 10
murder the peace.
Then they bockaded the sidewalk far as
the eye could reach with single file procession
Of the feast bearers. Each man bore huge
platter, upon which were piled high rare and
toothcome viands. Most Importantly came tho
sweetmeat bearers They carried their burdens
on line with the nose and only glimpses of in
describable daintics came to the eye. only the
curious would have cared to taste But the eyes
Of the watchful Mongolians fairly gloated.
Behind the observation-disclosures came the hon
ored intrusted with the roast pigs fat
young pork. odoriferous with oil and spices and
garlanded with crowns OF roses. And then the
roast ducks. What grotesqueness. There they
stood upon the immense plattrrs. balanced on
one toe. curving their necks in nasty leerS.
without regard to decency These were the at
titudcs which expressed the epitonc OF religious
fervor
And sometimes when the duck-hearer himself
became too fervid the bird. on a line with his
nose topped over disgracefully. Then wild
ana hemas poured from the lips Of the Celestial,
as he loudly proclaimed the female ancestors OK
the wrctchcd bird to have been miserable SER
wants OF sin.
Such was the ensemble Of an Americanizcd
Chinese pageant. 1t moved majesically toward
the Junk. with the noble joss In the lead. 1t
stopped at the edge. Then at n signal from
Whan Ii the sacred image lifted into the
Junk and placed against the mast The feast
was carried aboard and placed at the feet Of the
Idol Punk sticks were lighted and yards OF
prayer papers placed on the imprOvised affairs
The ropes were cast off and the yellow FunS-
HI tossing her gaudy lanterns and tinsel. noated
out on the golden bay. Intense silence reisned
as hundreds OF Celestial eyes followed the sea
journey Of KwOng Coon.
An anchor was east at a quarter or n mile, ana
then began the true business Of the occasion.
The pigs. the ducks. the rare sweetmeats, all
were cast with profound Obeisance and religious
muttcrngs upon the bosom of the waters. They
were cast into the gluttonous nav Of Kwong
Goon's evil spirits.
The pigs the ducks. the rice the vegetables
noated around on the surface, mussing up
the clean sway OF the wafer. OFT in the
distance on n wharf horde OF street urchiHS
had gathered waiting for that feast To float 10
their expectant arms At last nice fat porkling
rolled up against a pier hook and line was In
readiness. and it was hauled ashore.
There was a grOan. Those eager urchins fell
back \ miracle had taken place. They spat
upon the thing and tossed it overheard Paplcr-
mache stuffed with cotton and painted IN de-
ccptivc colors. was its makeup. kMong Goons
demons must have snorted when the CelestlaS
fed them paper pigs and ducks. Trust China
man to practise deception. 1t is his birhright