The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-22
CHINESE NEW YEARS.
Ii Began Last Night ard VIII lie Con-
tinued To-Day-Prayers offered
the Great Joss


The Chinese Of the city began last
evening the celebration of the new year
IN compliance with the edct issued some
time ago by the Chinese minister at
Washington notifying the Chinese that
inc GhlneSe government had decided to
Grange the date of the coming new wear
from the 2lst to the 22nd of January
to make the Chinese calendar conform
with the European one. The change
Drought the new year in at II o'clock
last night, and at that hour firecrackers
began TO pop and the Chinese to pray
me JOSS house on Galena street was
brilliantly Illuminated and the old loss
himself sat surrounded by innumerable
candles, tapers and punks, and the Mon
golians humbled themselves before him
IN characteristic fashion, only more de-
voutiy than usual. The increased SOL
emnity of the occasion was due to the
proclamation issued late in December TO
fend off the wrath of Providence il was
feared would fall upon the Chinese en-
pre-, because of the fact that an eclipse
or the sun was scheduled to occur on
tnat day, according to the Chinese
prognost1cators. The proclamation re-
cited that twice during the previous his
tory of the empire an eclipse had fallen
on New Years day and dire calamity
had befallen the nation during the wear
Because of these historical facts it was
reared there would be a repetition of the
past disasters and the emperor. Quopg
Sue. petitioned his people all over the
world 60 make their obeisances before
ana their prayers to the joss on this
New Years day, which il is dreaded
VIII be fateful one, lower and more
profound for the safety of the emperor
As soon as the midnight hour struck
iast night the Chinese who adhere still
10 the neathen religion, and most of them
do, began to go before the joss In twos
they would kneel down. go through the
peculiar rites and then get up and burn
the customary money Offering The
money was only in the form of some
KIND OF brown paper, but the ceremony
was Just as solemn as though it had
peen genuine Had it been, enough
money would have gone up in smoke
Iast night to go a long way toward
building the Chinese emperor a good
sized navy, which would enable him to
stand off the greedy nations he fears
VIII partition his country. All night the
ceremony was kept up and will be to-
day, and very little attention will be
PAID to business in Chinatown for those
VINO are not praying to the Joss will
be celebrating by calling on their
friends, which is also a New Years
ceremony with the Celestials, quite as
much as it is with the Americans. Every
Chinese place of business has a spread
OF Chinese nuts, oranges, lemons rice.
Wnlskey, etc, and all who come are well
come to taste. A great many white Deo
pie visited the Chinese quarter during
the evening, but they saw but little,
Tor the celebration was not on until mid
night, and as the times are too hard
with the Mongolians this year. they saw.
70 warrant them celebrating as they
nave done on previous years 1t was due
10 TINS fact that the new wear came in
quite soberly for Chinese one, and only
occasionally were the volleys of fire
crackers heard The celebration will
continue until this evening, when the
Chlnese Will wind UP the event with a
big feast :