The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-01-14

them were engaged for this recent de-
monstraion. They were apparently as
sisted by seven little boys correspond
ing In function to acolytes In the Ro-
man Catholic church Each youngstel
was merely figurehead attired to rep.
resent the gold button men, or certl-
fled graduatese Of a government schoo
in China. While the head priest was
solemnly chanting and accompanying
his rhythmic delivery with tappings on
a little metallic plate the richly
gowned boys We're cavorting behind him
on the mating, and mature men among
the close spectators laughed occasional
ly in the half hearted, perfunctory way
peculiar to their stole race. Only to
the busy head priest is the ceremony
solemn. He sings drearily on, his
brows puclered his eyes with far
away focus, AT times the other priests
get down on their knees and bow their
foreheads to the mating. AT other
times a hardly noticed clarlonetist
walls peevish accompaniment to the
rappings of the busy but distracted
man, who seated on pigskin drum,
pumps out dull sounds with a little
stick and punctuates them at intervals
with a clashing of cymbals
| A man comes along and relieves the
drummer, who moves off to prepare the
meal for the priests and the altar boys,
and the tapping and cymbal slashing
continues, with the muttering of the
head priest. The little boys poke each
other and grin and frisk about in their
stocking feet. But the priest never hes
itates or turns until he has finished his
duties before the altar.
When the inside ceremony is ended
the priests and boys file down into the
street and begin q pilgrimage of the
stations where the spirits of the dead
within the temple. There are three of
these little curbstone shrines Each
| has erected over it fimsy pole and a
crosspiece, from which is suspended
big Chinese lantern. Punks burn in
| little box at the bottom of the pole. AS
the head priest chants the invitation to
the spirits, his assistants form an ir-
regular chorus, and each clasps his
hands before him and bows to the liba-
ton of tea that q mental is all the While
pouring upon trayful of rice and 9TH
er edibles. Finally the crouching SER
want pours tea Upon a flaming paper
that has served as a sacrifice, and,
gathering up his tray, moves on to the
next station. The little procession, led
by part of a noisy band, follows in a
picturesque column. The head priest
wears long Wine-colored silk gown;
the others are attired in maroon silk.
But the boys, except for their curious
black caps and scarlet crowns, are
nearly all in adversely coored gowns
of rich silk.
Aside from the ceremony and the cos
tunes and the chanting and the unlove-
ly music, the temple is remarkable for
itself. In it are collected bronze and
brass vases OF odd shapes and elaborate
finishing, mammoth ornamental things
of polished pewter and shining brass all
wonderfully finished hand-embroidered
sllken banners and chair coverings,
rows Of ornamental brazen spear heads,
and many other things of interest to the
artist, the decorator and the collector
of curios. One grand urn stands seven
feet high and gllstens all over until it's
surfaces reflect surrounding objects in
the most grotesque shapes. In this big
receptacle are placed the offerings and
from the nostrils of the ugly animals
on top spouts the smoke in its uncertain
way to the ceiling that Is blackened
with the records of hundreds and hun
dreds of burnt offerings.
All about are lesser shrines with ia
pers burning before them, and punks
in beautiful bronze bowls filled with
sand. The air is laden with the per-
fume of sandalwood and aroma tic |
punks. Little columns of blush smoke |
Irvine lazily upward in corkscrew
curves from the different affairs, until
the upper air is stratum of hazy OBJ
security.
Sacred as the inmates of the building
hold this realm on the third floor, they
have but to pass to the story below to |
free themselves entirely from the effects |
in constant sight of fantastic but hide
Gus inartlstic conceptions of Chinese
court scenes, they go to the other ex-
IRENE of Oriental character and nurse
their opium pipes in the little booths
fitted up for the purpose. 1t must be
clearly understood that the Ming Yung
society and the Ming Yung temple are
not ane and the same thing. The tenn
pie is part or the society, but the OPT
UNI den is not a part of the temple
BE it understood, too, that on this Sec
ond floor are the rooms of the officers
To the Chinese visitor in the temple
there is more of interest in the allegori-
cal pictures on the walls and upon the
banners than there Is in the real works
of art in substantial metal. The pic
lures and the heroic figures of men and
horses, made especially for the great
are ridiculous and seem like
the work of another people when COM
pared with the skilful carvings upon
the bronZes that make this joss-house
one of the places of public interest in
San Francisco.-San Francisco Chroni-
Gle.
ARTISTS DRAW THEMSELVES.
An Unconscious Habit into Which |