The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-06
HE WAS HIRED TO PAY
FOR OTHER cHINAMEN
Ling Ming Cox lnterceded With the
Joss For His Country.

Ling Ming COX Interceded With the
Joss For His Country.
With the death, few days ago
inhabitant in Chinatown, was brought
to light a character so weird and
strange as to almost surpaSs belief
Lung was the "chinsin" of China
town, that is, the caretaker of the
sacred joss house He was hired by
the Chinese of Philadelphia to pray
for their sins and their souls.
The task kept him busy, for he spent
his whole life in prayer.
Morning, noon and night he invoked
rhe omens by proxy for devout China
men all over the city and state. AS
+ he lived, so he died-in an attitude
of devotion in fropt of the joss at
whose shrine he had knelt thousands
of times since he was elected to the
high and honorable position of chin
sin.
Lung Ming Gok's death, in the joss
house, at the shrine of the celestial
deity, within the sacred portals of the
temple, high UP on the top floor of
the somewhat bizarre building on Race
street, amid the silence of the oriental
environment, with the air radolent with
the peculiar odor of burning punk, was,
to the Chinese way of thinking, an
ideal one.
No peering white devil ever invaded
the sacred Sanctum while the joss
was being propitiated by the almond
eyed chinks, while Lung was in charge
of the temple; no prying eye or listen
ing ear of the unbelievers was near.
On days when the joss house was
thrown open to visitors the same Lung
Ming COX was there, smiling, bland,
yet dignifled, willing to explain to the
curious the meaning of certain Chinese
symbols, or, If the question was about
the great joss himself, the old priest
would instantly lose interest at once
and plead ignorance of the question
under the guise that mo Speakum
Yinglish."
The Chinese trusted him implicitly.
To his guardianship hundreds of them
gave the keeping of their future spir-
itual welfare. They placed the high
est confidence in him to make GER
tain offerings to the joss, at certain
times for a nominal sum per year,
month, week, day or prayer, accord
ing to the agreement. No prayer was
too short, no stipend too meager for
Lung Ming Cox to refuse, as long
as it was commensurate with his Ia
Dor, and no offering too arduous or
contract for proxy prayers too long.
Ever since he was elected to the
office, which he secured by overbid-
the sum of $40 for the concession and
all its emoluments, there was not one
note of complaint of recalcitrant pray
ers or of omitted offerings. Since the
dead priest took charge and made his
hundreds of offerings for his many pa
irons, joss smiled on the true believers
and all was prosperity.
Cinnamon who were struggling
against adversely to get along, threw
off the yoke of debt; laundrymen who
barely made expenses at the wash tub
and ironing board, began to lay up
snug sums of money; gamblers who
invoked the smile of the great deity
for good luck at the gaming table by
proxy through the mediations of Lung
Ming Cox, made unheard of winnings
and paid the old chinsin we'll for his
intercession.
AS chinsin, Lung Ming Cox had all
he could do. Cinnamon from within
radius of 100 miles of Philadelphia
were his patrons, and from morning
until night the venerable chinsin was
busy man, offering up their prayersi
to the joss at so much per.
The average Chinaman is devolt
refigionist, either in reality or by
proxy. So long as they are done
and placed to his credit with the
deity, it is all right. If the China
man does not care to do his own pray
ing, little note, sent to the faith
full old chinsin, is all that is necessary,
and the offering is made by proxy.
Every Chinaman contributes liber-
ally to the temple, paying generally
on the first and fifteenth of every
month. But it is aside from that that
the chinsin reaps his harvest. Every
one who worships in the temple tips
him generously and this, with his
proxy business, makes the position
worth at least $1,000 year clear of
all expenses.
Lung Ming Cox made a good living
from 1t and had neat bank account
when he died. He was immensely
popular with those of his race, and all
his patrons were glad to be called his
friend. There is superstition. among
the Chinese that the chinsin can work
harm against one through the joss, so
every one paid him all obeisance.
AS propitiator of the joss, as an in
termediator of the deity, as chinsin
who never omitted prayer or skipped
an offering, Lung Ming COX was rever-
ed. respected, feared and obeyed and
for that reason he will be missed
Philadelphia Press.
Had Hopes, Though.
M.