Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-09-18
THE CHINESE ARE STILL WAN.
ING FOR THEIR DEAD
RULERS.

three days succeeding the deaths Of
the emperor and the empress dowager
similar proceedings occurred nj every
official yamcn throughout tho empire.
ahd in some places the waillng con-
tinued longer There WAS also wailing
Va the villages; and the especially de-
vout Chinese grew hys,crical under 10.
and SOME went into nts
The crieving OF the Imperial clan win
continue long after that Of the common
people has passed away Tho lowest
classes of tho Chinese gave up their
mourning az the end Of 100 DAYS.
and some oven put On half-mourn-
ing az the end ~ 20 days All meme
beers OF the Imperial family must CON
tnuc 10 mourn for three years During
that time they can engage in no fes.
tiNities, aud they Will not be allowed Go
have childtVn II Is n disgrace 10 a
family 90 bring forth a child while the
mourning period lasts Indeed. one Of
the reasons FOR the Boxer uprising Is
said 10 have hcen the rage Of the poo
pie against the last emperor KNang
50, because he was born az such "a
time.
FUNERAL MONEY.
During the long funeral procession
which accompanied the remains OF tho
late emperor 20 the western tonibS
and am told that $4,000 tacls Of such
money was burned every day TO pay
kwang Su's expenses until he was con-
signed To his grave. This money Mas
in the shape OF discs Of white paper
each about As big around as the bot
tom OF a tin cup. and with a square
hole In the center II was gathered up
by the coolies who followed the process
sion, ana sold by them for 30 cents a
bag.
Paper money Of this kind is TO be
found i'm every Chinese city. There are
scores OF stores in Picking which sell
nothing else The money is OF silver
and gold paper made up I'm the shape
Of discs or Of shoes to initiate the sill
yer taels used as Chinese currency. This
Is spirit money. You can also buy spirit
clothing, consisting Of gowns made Of
paper. and also spirit trunks. which are
paper boxes. Such things are burned
at the graves. the idea being that they
will serve for the wants OF the de-
parted Another theory is that they
prpitiate the ghosts. which hover about
the dead and probably charge for their
services.
QUEER MOURNING CUSTOMS.
Indeed, the funeral and mourning Gus
toms Of the Chinese are so strange that
It would take a book TO describe them
There are five degrees Of mourning,
each OF which has its own regulations
There Is a certain kind OF mourning
for parents. another for grandparents
and grandparents. another for
brothers and sisters. ana others for un-
Giles and aunts and for dear friends
There Is deep mourning and half
mourning In the deepest sackcloth is
worn without hem or border. In the
next grade one may have blue clothes
with a sackcloth belt, and In others
he may wear plain clothes. such as
white, gray and black. During three
years after the death of a parent no
silks should DO worn; and the man, II
an official should retire to private life
TO wall This was required OF Ii Hung
Chang when his mother died. but his
services were such that the empress
dowager begged him to omit the GUS
tom for the sake OF the state
When a death occurs i'm q Chinese
family its members put on sackcloth or
white clothes braid white Into their