Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-01-21
A Chinese New Year Festivity
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cloths and borrowed China covered
the rude boards, and Jim himself
waited upon us, There followed a
most delicious American dinner, from
turkey down, In fact the only foreign
dishes passed were Chinese nuts,
sugared fruit. and toothsome candy of
cocoanut strips and preserved melon.
rind This feast was decided innova-
tien, as on former occasions a regular
Chinese course dinner had been serv.
ed; but when II was observed that
MIR. Grant did not-and could not.
truly-partake OF their strange and
torbidding delicacies, from year to
year the latter disappeared from the
bill OF fare, until finally none but
American dishes were served. We had
merry time over the good things SO
beautifully provided, with Jim flying
hither and thither a broad grin on his
round face; a crowd of admiring
Cinnamon peering in from doors and
windows, and All Him superiutending
all as he walked back and forth with
his hat on, pressing still more viands
upon us, smiling blandly at our praise.
and politely repeating, II like have
you all come eat some Ill tings-just
some Ill tings,"
Hence it was that once when one
string had almost burned away
and the rope Of the new one which
was being hoisted broke, there ensued
scene of excitement and dismay beg.
Caring description, dozen China.
men rushed forward shouting dlrec-
lions at the top of their lungs. but
We're waved eommaudingly back by All
Him. while another In faded laven.
der blouse and a green cord about his
waist dashed up with new rope
Then the whole crowd fell back lab,
boring and gesticulating, while they
anNiously watched first the fast burn
ing string, and then the man who was
quickly preparing to throw the rope
over the other arm of the scaffold. He
stepped back, swung the coil, and let
II so, Over 1t went--there was a sigh
of relief-but no, 1t had caught on the
arm and the end hung down barely
two feet, Again the Chinese yelled
above the noise darting hither and
thither through the smoke, while some
waved their arms and hoped up and
down in their excitement. Meanwhile
the rope thrower jumped ON a chair
and tried in vain to reach the end. At
that very moment, with a roar like a
Volley OF rockets, the crown on the
burning string exploded; but before It
had quite finished, we heard some
bombs which had been set off, and
then the staccato popping of the new
string of crackers that lay on the
ground and which was hoisted into
place moment later when the rope
had once more been properly adjusted.
Darkness had already descended
when finally the last immense string
was dragged forth, which hung 20 feet
in the air and contained 10000 fire.
crackers, Long and silently we
watched the scene, rendered more
beautiful by the deep, moonless night.
The picture was weird and almost un-
earthly as the gaunt figures of the
Cinnamon fitted about through the
hazy smoke and faint, intermittent
light, like spirits at work on a hun
dred anvils, while the constant pop.
ping of the crackers filed our. ears,
and the fountains of sparks before us
never ceased playing Through the
window behind us, and above the
heads of two Cinnamon leaning there
the heavy, sweet odor of the lilies on
the altar within was waited out to
mingle with the incense OF the punk.
sticks, and together they noated away
into the night,--Alice Lorenz In the
Springfield Republican.