Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1908-02-12
Concluded Last Night
Amid Much Pomp
And Ceremony
Some Things Observed
AT The Joss House
And Elsewhere
frrom Saturdays nnllyN

From Saturdays Dallvl
With final fusillade of hundreds of
hrecrackers and the heating of cymbals,
the celebration of the Chinese New
Year, 1905, came TO an end last evening
in front of the joss house in the local
Chinese quarter. The new year enter.
cd Saturday morning, just after mid.
night, and the celebration lasted seven
days.
Scores Of Chinese gathered in the
joss house, last night, TO take part in
the final observance Of the entrance
of the new year. Clad in their richest
oriental garbs, they greeted each other
with the words, "Kong Haze Fat Tsi, /"
which. translated, is an equivalent for
the English, q" Happy New Year" At
intervals any evil spirits that might
have been lurking around were fright.
ened away by the discharge of hund.
reds of frecrackcrs.
Inside the joss house the stranger,
no matter Of what nationality, was
welcomed, treated 90 choice Chinese
dclicacics, and sent on his way with
the "Kong Haze Fat Isl" greeting.
the decorations in the Chinese house of
worship were elaborate. Chinese Ian
terms hung everywhere, crimson silk
drapcries hid the otherwise bleak walls,
scrolls Of Chinese prophecies and say.
iDgs Of Confucius were profuscly scat
tered about, and myrinds Of lighted
candles and burning punk and incense
lent aid 10 the mir of oricntnlism which
pcrvaded the place.
On one side Of the big room, at the
end Of whcn stood the Chinese altar,
adorned by the immobilc joss, the
Chinese musicians were seated, all
wearing hats or some other head Gov
ering, as did the visitors who entered
from time to time, in groups Of three
and four, to stand chatting awhile, dis
cussing the music which struggled,
piecemcal, from the several performers
and then 10 go on 90 the "Noodle
joint where Chinese refreshments
awaited them.
There was only one untoward incl
dent 10 mar the celebration of the new
year. This was the death Of Charles
Shut, who was found dead in Miller :
Lane, just as the rising sun greeted the
first day Of the Chinese new year. II
is said that Shut, unable TO comply
with Chinese tradition, which provides
that all obligations must be paid of
before the entrance of the new year
drank himself to death to avoid the
disgrace of being in debt on New
Years day. Shuts funeral, IL wal
noticed, was not attended with the us
ual pomp and ceremony pertaining t.
the burial of a Chinaman.
The Chinese New Year is movable
feast Celestial time "goes fast TO
three years, and every fourtn year thel
take in a month to even up. Thei
method of calculating the ages O
themselves and offspring is equally a
curious as their computation of time
II "A child had been born 10 the Chin
csc quarter Friday night, or New
Year's Eve, il would have been tw
wears old the next morning, and b.
the time the first anniversary of 1t
birth rolled around, il would be tire
years old.
Few of the Americans who called o
their Chinese friends last night TO wi'
ness some of the incidents in the hna
celebration, knew the proper mode
procedure. and as result some OF IN
IChinks were rather insulted, especial
when one offered to shake hands wit
them. The proper thing - to shak
your own hand in greeting your ohi'
Csc acquaintance. This is but one IL
stance Of the topsy-turvydom Of tn
Flowery Kingdom Ia China the me
wear the gowns and the women tn
t trousers. White is "A symbol of noun
, inc. Cinnamon laugh AZ death an
, brides wall at weddings.
; As party Of Americans entered IN
= loss house last night one Of the wome
p in the party stepped up 10 the high di1
Z nitary of the local Chinese and asked
" Me wantee see Chnk-a.Chink smol
um hop. Joan. ALE samee yo
slavveein The grave oriental mail