Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-02-04
CHRISTMAS IN
CHINATOWN
The Past Week Has Been the Time
for the orisntals to Celebrate
the Event.
WEDNESDAY WAS NEW YEAR.
Junk Fumes Take the Place Of Tom
and Jerry-Were No New
Resolutions.

New Years day In China and the ori-
entail emigrants in Lewistown solemn
y observed that day. True they did
not make much noise in their celebra-
ion; no fantastic fireworks, made In
heir own land. were started; none OF
them were jagged for being excessive
" c~elebrative az in the case OF some
Of their civilizers; their presents, go
.ng and coming. did not clog the mails;
they did not even close up their shops
and make a lot of people wear dirty
collars for q week Of two. Exactly
what they did do no one knows very
distinctly. The small number OF them
In Lewistown precluded any elaborate
observance of their great holiday and
probably there were not a half dozen
In the city who knew that an
other new year was on in Lewistown.
no doubt, had they known 1t,
would have p%roffered their services to
aid in making this chink new year one
long to be remembered, but their ef-
forts would have been declined for be
II known that the manners Of cele-
brating the event are considerably at
varience. With the people from the
orient, 1t is the beginning, not the end
of the festive season; the first day of
what may be q weeks or q months
revels, not the last. The heads are
clear, eyes are bright from the years
waiting and preparation Tor the best
and longest holiday. Instead of mel.
rily gathering around old ION and Jer.
ry. they light hir incense sticks and
get the same effect for less money.
The fumes dull his senses, makes him
dreamy, drives away care, response
bility. perplexities; troubles become a
thing Of the past, worry a thing for the
future and the present is made q time
for feasting and rejoicing and loving
and winning. During the past week
these things have happened within the
borders of Lewistown. Long after a
majority OF the people nave passed In.
to he silence Of sleep; when the quiet
midnight was on the town, in at least
three Chinese homes. the families
have Joined In Joyous alteration around
the burning. Tuning Junk. Ten thous
and miles removed from the bones Of
their ancestors in the fiowery kingdom
they nevertheless devoutly observe
the sacred day. Perhaps their festivi
ties were tinged with sadness, for thu
Chinese are emphatically lovers o
their native heartnstone. And Their
may have been heartaches and tear
in the old country because of the alb
sence of a father. brother or sweet
heart In far away Lewistown. The his
tory of the Chinese Christmas is no
generally known.
How does it happen that the Chimes
year begins on the 18th of January az
cording to the Georgian calendar
This is a difficult question to answer
and 1t will only be said that the Oh
nese method of reckoning time is raj
ically different from ours. Except ono
in three years they have " moaths 4.
the year, but the months are Away
either 20 or 80 days In length, neve
longer. This necessarily makes the
year shorter than n Accordingl
the exception, when the year contain
, l3 months. Such is the year Jul
dawning. 1t will have 1888 days. TIL
one was just passed was only 354 day
in length. according to the Chinese di
pensation. Then 1t Ii their custom
number the year corresponding to Ii
number OF years the ruling empert
has reigned. The coming year will
29. 1t is plain this is a cumberson
= method for to calculate back to the b
|, ginning the celestial must necessariI
\ figure through the dynasties, whic
o using all the figures that r authent
takes him back 4,915 years, or to Il
beginning Of the age of five empe
ors." Before that WAS a long el
which corresponds to the mythic
period of most nations. But the Chin
+. man of this day and age cares very Il
tie for these things, he probab
knows less. 1t is difficult to persua'
him to talk on the subject. He
rather wrapped up in what touch
him o dearly, and just at preseI
that is the need of enjoyment he an
cipates during this, his New Year
q celebration.