Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-02-01
FIRE CRACKERS
IN CHINATOWN
New Year is Ushered in With
Weird and Mysterious
lamentations.
ONE M0NG0LlAN IN DISGRACE.
Hong Wong is Not Sharing In the
Noisy Celebration Because He
VIII Not Work.

with weird and. mysterious incan-
tations, with the booming of large and
small firecrackers, with prayers to
the god OF war and the god of peace,
with the burning of incense, he
beating of tom-toms, the consumption
of much tea and with expressions OF
good Telling, The local Chinese colony,
numbering about 175 souls. ushercd
in the New Year promptly at 1880
o'clock this morning.
The din that was created by the
explosion of thousands Of punches Of
fire crackers at the hour mentioned,
the beating of tom-toms and the loud
shouts that sounded more like lamHn-
tations, caused denizens of CONNER
cial street and the Immediate neigh
borhood to think that war had broken
out. I3ut the Mongolians We're totaIiy
oblivious to the fear they mad Great
ed. They were out in force to do hon
or TO the occasion and right royalty
did they do it, in their own peculiar
and mysterious way.
TO SCARE EVIL SPIRITS.
The setting Off of the fire crackers
was not only for the purpose o. o, uf1uS,
ing some sleepy oriental ana notllyinS
him that the holiday season had arrlv-
ed. and that it was time 20 celebrate,
but also for the purpose or trlgnteni,s
away any evil spirits that might De
surking about--Chinese whisky anu
wine not included. - a
plum alley, Commercial alley ana
commercial street look pretty much
battered up this morning. The streets
ana sidewalks are strewn with NaTleu
coIored naper and what remains OF
the explosives set off at ;So ana
thence continuously until daynght'
Long before the boom OF the cau
non al Fort Dougles announced tne
break of day the Chinese women
there are not many of them In salt
Lake, got busy setting their houses
in order and getting the children ready
for the festivities.
Tapers of incense were set burh
ing In beautiful Chinese vases, taplei
were spread with Chinese candies ana
other delicacies, while Oo-long tea was
brewed as only the Chinese can brew
IL. Whisky. wine and cigars. besides
fruit and highly seasoned edibles We're
spread upon tables In generous pro-
fusion.
BUSY AT JOSS HOUSE.
While these preparations were going
on, while the mistress of each habita-
ton was getting things ready, the
male members of the colony were busy
at the Joss house, praying to the goo
OF peace to grant happiness and pro-
sperity. From there they went be-
fore the god of war and prayed that
he would keep away disease and trou
BILE After these devotions more fire
crackers, the biggest ones that coula
be found, were set off ana the tom
toms were beaten again and again.
This ceremony. according to Mongo-
liam Ideas, put the finishing touches
upon devils. Every man paid his
debts Wrongs were forgotten and
forgiven--for a time. They VIII be
remembered again after the weeks
celebration. but during that time there
must not be the least III feeling.
Enemies, bitter enemies, call upon
each other They greet each other
with few remarks that sound like
the expiring fizZ of soda tank. Each
man clasps his own hands in front Of
him and shakes vigorously Then
tea, wine and cigars are served and
presents in mysterious looking red
packages are exchanged.
Before night all the Cinnamon will
have visited each other. Each will
have consumed many quarts of tea.
wine, etc, and many cigars. good,
mean and Indifferent, will have been
disposed Of.
ELABORATE DECORATIONS.
The decorations In each household are
most elaborate. Especially is this the
case in the abode of Chin Chin, the
most powerful of the race In this city.
From early morn his place was
thronged by the copper cooed gentry
anxious TO pay their respects to Chin
Chin. his young and pretty Chinese wife
and their three happy faced little chill
dren. The youngsters and Mrs. Chin
were dressed In the most costly and
fancy regalia the ilowery kingdom
could afford.
CHINESE ISHMAEL.
While past differences are forgotten
for the time being, and while expires.
sions OF good viii are the order of
things, there Is one Chinaman I'm Salt
Lake who viii not share in the cele-
bratlon. He viii not be forgiven for
his wrongs. and he can have no part in
the pleasure. His name is Hong Wong,
and he Is in deep disgrace and also in
jail. He is in the latter because of
violating the ordinance ON vagrancy. He
is I'm disgrace because he is the only
Monaghan In Salt Lake who Will not
work. He refuses absolutely to per-
form any labor whatever. preferring to
live from the bounty Of others For
more than nine years this worthless
Chinamnn has been a burden TO the
local colonS Now they are through
with him. He has committed the UNI
pardonable sin In refusing TO earn his
own living and now he Is an outcast
summed by all.
COLONY Is SMALLER,
The celebration this year viii hard
ly come UP 10 the standard for the
reason that the colony has been con-
siderably depleted during the year.