The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-15

Confucius they have a feeling that tho
whole truth can be known to none, and
believe Il the part of wisdom to insure
the future on all sides. Priests of these
two sects are accordingly always called
In to say prayers for the dead, even
though the deceased may have had no
faith in their teachings. Rich families
also have in their funeral procession peo-
plo carrying sedan chairs, horses and fur
niture made of paper. These things are
burned after the burial the idea being
that the dead man shall not want for any
of his customary comforts in another
world. There are certain coolies In the
procession also, carrying memorial tab
let's which chronicle the Offices and honors
of the dead man, one for every Office.
After the funeral these are brought back
to the dead mans house and placed in the
hail of his ancestral home. Mourning
music made by the doleful beat of drums
and the shrill plant of pipes and flutes
is also a part of the procession, which Is
often so long as TO take an hour to pass
given point
The choice of a burylng ground is con-
sidered matter of great importance I'M
China. class OF people who have great
influence there are the "Geonlancers,'
whose function ii is to decide whether a
place is lucky for a burying-ground or
for building house. Rich people spend
a great deal of time and money in going
about selecting burial places for their
dead. Sometimes they spend years in
their search. When lucky place is found,
the Geomancer may say, IF you bury
your father here you will be rich your-
self before you die" Ii is commonly be-
lieved that any good luck in the life OF a
person comes as a reward for burying his
parents or grandparents in the right spot
1t sometimes happens that the parents die
before the lucky spot is found and in
that case a little house is hastily con-
structed and the body given a temporary
resting place there No greater crime is
known in China than that of desecrating
a graveyard. Because graves are found
everywhere in China, the first railroad
built there had TO follow circuitous route
in order to avoid them Ii is better
when the people are poor for railroads to
pay TENN 10 move their graves. II the peo-
pie are rich, and money is no considera-
ton, il Is wiser to change the route of a
railroad than to rouse the wrath of the
people.
The graves of the dead are carefully
tended by the living Every year, at
about Eastern time, men of all classes
over the empire ask leave TO go and visit
their graves. They take with them Vo-
tive candles and frc-crackers meat and
wine. A libation of wine is poured on the
ground, and the spirit of the dead rests
satisfied.
There are several public festivals dur
ing the year. when the Chinese join hands
in general rejoicing They bunch their
holidays together and take a month off
about New Years time. The shops are
closed then and the streets given over tn
carnival sights. Houses are gayly dec
GRATED, people are clad in holiday attire,
and there Is an overabundance of eating.
drinking, gambling, juggling and drum
beating. Elaborate. displays of fireworks
are a feature of that festive month.
Strange power of customl To the minds
of most men, what has been is sufficient
reason for what shall be. And yet in the
course of centuries the most deeply-rooted
customs have been known to change But
In China the power of precedent is strong.