The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-01
Impressive Chinese Ceremonie!
We're Conducted.
SPLIT AMONG MoURNERs
DISAGREEMENT AS TO POSITION
ING FUNERAL.
Last Rites Disturbed By a Row Be
tween the Masons and Those Out
side the Lodge-Much Desired
Band Was Absent-Great Crowd
Of Spectators Followed Remains.

All the Chinese in town and that
part of the youth of Zion that didn't
line the fence at the football game,
and great many others, witnessed the
burial of Yee Five, the pioneer Celes-
tial, yesterday afternoon. 1t was a
great funeral, but there was no band.
and Chinese funeral without a Chin
csc orchestra loses half its charm.
The non-attendance of the band near
ly broke up the funeral, being the d.
rect cause of a factional split during
the preliminaIies. 1t looked for a time
like zee would not be buried at all,
but the interment did finally take
place. though some of the various fea-
lures were missing. AS stated yester-
day, zee was Mason in high standing,
and quite naturally the order expected
to do the honors. But at the last mo-
ment the commander. of the company
was informed that some of the players
in the band were out of town and that
the others could not get together in
time for the service.
Wanted 1t Done Right.
Yee's friends wanted the thing done
right, and they asked that the funeral
be delayed twenty-four hours, to
give the band an opportunity
to be present and to allow
more time for other preparations.
A confab was held, resulting in the de-
cision that the body had already been
kept too long. after such a siege of
illness, pneumonia being the complaint,
and the order was given to proceed.
But fee's friends could not see the
logic of this, and were obdurate; even
so the lodge commander Consequently
there was delay of two hours. Things
were smoothed over eventually, and
both sides took part in the services.
The Masonic rites were bestowed up
on the deceased in a capacious room
over Hoy & Company's store, Plum
alley. The noises that descended rival
ed those of an Indian sun dance, and
it was right then that the small boys
came in droves to the narrow street,
the Chinese New Year had
begun anew. The first service being
over the remains We're brought down
onto the street, headed by three stand
ard bearers, two with Chinese flags
and the third with a Masonic emblem.
The casket was uncovered, and the Ce-
lestials fiocked around, some kneeling
by the coffin, clad in priestly robes, and
The praying went on for a period of
thirty minutes, while off to one side a
trio of Cinnamon were engaged in dress
ing a pig, roasted whole At intervals of
three or four minutes an enthusiast
would drop a handful of paper, upon
which Chinese characters were inscrib
ed, into the coffin, at both ends of
which burned candles. A bag contain
ing what little money the old man
left, together with handsful OF
nuts, and several trinkets of more or
less value, were placed in the casket
When all this red tape business was
gone through with. and an officer had
opened up a gap IN the crowd, the cas-
ket was put in hearse, and the pro-
cession moved out Second South.
Procession to the Grave.
Six banner-laden mem'>ers of the Ma
sonic company led the way. Then the
hearse. Then an excursion wagon,
well filled, with 4 dirninutive Monaghan
on the seat scattering paper along the
route to guide the deceased back to
Plum alley. By the time Fifth East
was reached. needless to state the pur-
suing throng had all the slips gathered
up, and ''toted' them on towards the
Men, women and children
the cortege of twelve car
riages. and crowded around the grave.
where a fire was built around the pig,
and the personal effects of zee Five
we're consigned to the flames. 1t was a
great funeral. but not SO great as the
pioneer might have had.
A marble slab was placed over his
grave with his name and age inscribed
IN it. Three years from now the re-
mains will be exhumed and shipped to
his family in China by the Masons.
which is special mark of distinction.
This decision was reached at the grand
odge meeting held three nights ago
IN Plum alley, when 1S5 Chinese from
-arious quarters of the state sat
Town to a big spread and held high