Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-06-21
GONE TO CON.FU-TU
6. Il. Taylor Describes a Chinese
Funeral.

The following interesting description
OF Chinese funeral il given IN u letter
from Geo. II. Taylor, now Temporarily
resident, with his family. III Portland,
Oregon. 1t may be- explained that "Gone
to Con.fu.to means gone to Confucins,
or gone where Confucius, the great CHI
nese teacher, the Jesus Of their faith is,
namely to heaven.
Portland, Ore, June II, 1901.
To the Editor OF the Enterprise:
AS | sat at the table near an
open window, writing my atten-
ton was suddenly diverted by
noise such as one used to hear in
boyhood when the people over on
the next place were out with tin
pans ''swarming" bees. l looked
and out across the open space OF Il
city block l saw procession OF n
hearse and string OF cabs, tol-
lowed by u rather rickety city ex-
press wagon. On the windows OF
each OF the cabs was strip OF
white paper having u line OF Chi
nesc heiroglyphics. Il was n
Chinese funeral procession. ln-
yiting Sharon to join me, We took
short cut and reached the corner
of the cemetery assigned to de-
ceased "heathen" before the fun
eral cor,ege drew up. When j,
did SO there commenced one Of the
most novel aud noisy perform
ances l ever witnessed within the
proverbially quiet precincts of n
graveyard. The musicians did
not leave their cab nt first, but
they kept up most hideous racket
upon big bass drum and small
wind instrument that seemed to be
something Of n cross between an
American clnrionet and n Scotch
bagpipcs. As music it was posi-
lively excruciating. But ones mind
was diverted from the music soon
by watching q score Of Cinnamon
tumble over one another in what
scenes mad rush to take a hand
in the obsequies. Part Of them
hauled the coffin from the hearsc
in most unseemly haste while
others got the sticks across the
grave opening. Still others rushed
forward with n piece Of India mat
ting and spread 1t on the grass
while other couples bundled the
relatives Of the deceased out OF
the cabs and brought them to
kneel on the mating. The Chi
nesc reverse nearly all our occi-
dental customs, and SO these chief
mourners were dressed in white,
not black. In addition to the Gus
tomary smocks and trousers, worn
by men aud women alike, the
extra ndorning for the funeral
occasion was i'll the shape OF n
white flour sack ripped open up
one side SO TINT when thrown over
the head bottom up it formed n
chapeau with the corner of the bag
projecting at the crown of the head.
The chief mou-ners on this occa-
sion seemed to be an aged father,
widow, three somewhat grown
children and babe. They were
each carried forward from the cab
to the mating by two helpers aud
seemed to be expected to bow
themselves almost double and
hang as Imply rs possible in the
arms OF their attendants. while
also giving vent to the most agon-
izing wailing. The old man car
ried with him n pot of earth in
which small plant was growing
and this he watered with his tears
as he knelt oh the mating. The
widow did nothing but wall and
peep out from under her mourning
bag to see that the two older chill.
dren were keeping their heads
bowed and their faces hidden
under their bags, rs well as doing
their share of weeping. This was
expecting too much. for any young
ster wants to see what is going on
when ceremonials are proceeding.
and are more apt to do their real
mourning in the loneliness of the
home when they 90 back to it. So
the mother on this occasion had
some difficulty, in her crouched
position, III keeping an eye on the
kids and doing the regulation
amount of wailing herself. BY
turns she would grasp desperately
at the youngsters head coverings
and pull them down closely about
their faces. hit them n slnn nm fba