Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-06
CHINESE ALLOW
WHITE MEN IN
THEIR TEMPLE
PRIEST BARES WEAKNESS OF
HIS RELIGION
GRIP ON PEOPLE HELD BY CLOAK
OF MYSTERY
Los Angeles joss House Contains SIX
Ancient Idols Which Are
Worshped by Many
Orlentals

The loss house, that institution
which of all the institutions miro
duced into the United states py ln'
non-belieVer, whose secret working ha'
been kept completely from the KNOW.
edge of the white man, mas AZ Ias,
succumbed to the ineVltapie anu ~. vi.
shroud of mystery ~ pelng liieeu ,.,ast, i,e,
it. Not only are the Chlnese prleSl'
now willing to have their temples IN
snected and willing to tell the myths
and legends from which the JosseS
have risen to their position OF suprSIh'
acy over the Chinese of today, put IileS
are quietly submitting to photoer,a' ,,
piers coming into the temples anu tan
ing pictures of the gods. 80,
The reason for this Willingness oil
tho mart of the Chinese priests lies III
The fact that hitherto they have peen
ashamed of their religion. Leohg bpM,
high priest of the Joss house III Los
Angeles. explains that ever since tht
Chinese have been in the United States
he has feared the American Woulu us
cover the weakness OF ms reiis ~. III ,r
"Our religion is the weakest thlhg ~
the chinese nation" said Leong boW
a few days ago. I'VE were always
afraid the Americans would criticlse "
as being the religion OF chllurehi tM,a' M
they would laugh at US. In otnel
words our religion Will not stahu ~" =,
test made of 1t by the educated niiho'
Retain Hold by Mystery
THE Chinese priests realize thelI
hold over their people depends 10
great extent on the mystery WIZ y,
Sbich they surround their faith. IL is
sn sinnle that TO even the most orul
nary Occidental 1t appears cnliuisii, 1,s,
and II was their knowledge Oh 'ilis ns
10 Keen
secret as possible as long as tney 10 ~ ~,
Todav the chinese religion Is on .he
decIine in the United States ana tWhe W
priests no longer care whelller ''0
hmericans know its secrets or not.
The loss house In Los Angeles con
tains the oldest Josses now III ho etlo
ITnited states. For this reason ~ ~.
celestials when they desire , VIC isroa no,oe
of the gods to a marked ueBfeS ~ IN
20 This city in order to have the @ @eu-
vantage of praying before the oluest
gods. The Josses were prousn1 ~,
america about fifty years ago. ny r5
,,vohablv existed in China, however, 10 t
manv years before they were prousn s,n Nv
across the Pacific ocean. Ihe li'ies 49, 90
are made of wood, then tS cosHS ond
,,,ith chinaware and galvanized, anu anu
Snailv nainted and polished with tne
ili,ttn ~ egg. After once being put
49,, tho altar they are never again
.lp,,nbod nv human hands, and they ac-
o,,,o,,iate the dust and dirt OF ages
,,non their queer shaped races anu he
ures. ,.o 10 situated in
49,, i'oart Of Chinatown, II being llttle
S.orao shack not more than ten rect
,,aro Tho very nature OF the tenn
,ale's construction shows only 700 plain
IL the decline OF this, the Oldest re-
iigion In the world. Formerly inc JOSS
,se,,ea was constructed of the best ma
terials and in the finest way OF Wiilea
The chinese knew. Today IL Is JUS
49, onnosite. The poorest bulldlng Is
used and situated In the poorest seo
tion of the Chinese colony. -.
srhe temple contains six images eacn
renresenting different people VINO hNea
Centuries ago There Is the JOSS oI
xvah Uo the great actor and writer
Who lived 500 years ago; OF Sing MOO
The virgin who lived 22OO years ago,
Of Ouan Tel, the general, porn s0hie
100 years ago: Of Tin How, the sai'oIs
1,,ho existed 5000 years ago, ana OF
C,,,n Zinn. who lived in comparatively
recent times, having been dead only
254 years.
The First Navigator
Each one of these josses has legend
connected with 1t. The Oldest, the
sailor, was the first to invent ana us9
the compass and to manage TO traVel
any way but dlrectly Dei0io '0
IN a sailboat. ~.
THE virgin, whose presence In the
local temple makes 1t the faVorlte JOSS
house of women, was engaged 10 the
cbief of a tribe OF wild people. lie. dled
before the ceremony was soleInhlzeo'
and she. instead of going back TO her
own people and marrying someone else
Ii
care of her the rest of her life' ana
1yhen she died established a home for
destitute children. She Is now the
snecial Joss of all unmarried women
and her altar is kept smoking WITH
punk continually.
THE general, so the legend goes. cap
tured a tribe of savages, the chlet OF
which. however escaped him. MOTH
ing daunted, the general gave chase TO
admiration by the dogged persistence
which he showed that the chief gave
himself up. Later he attached himsel[
10 the generals body guard and served
the rest of his days there. The general
IS now the especial god of warriors
and fighters, and no Chinese ever
starts a tong war or even fistic
encounter without first murmurlng
prayer to the general for aid.
The actor,and writer, the women ana
the gunman, all have some similar
myth connected with them, and it is
for this they are worshiped.
The Chinese are taught to initiate
these people, and believe If they do
the losses will protect them. They
worship them all, picking out one after
another and praying to each In turn.
Slave of the Josses
Beside the entrance to the Joss house
stands a small idol in a little wooden
box with a great drum and bell. The
small idol is the slave and guard for
the losses, and it is supposed he will
not admit non believers to his masters
presence. The bell and, drum are used
Ia attract the attention of the gods to
the fact that someone is praying to
them
So fond are the Chinese of gambling
mat even their prayers are in the form
of Gambling A round wooden box is
used by the one praying, 1t is full of
prayer sticks each one of which has
nlImber marked upon it. The sup
nliant takes this box, and after picking
fhe god to which he desires to pray by
ringing the bell and pounding the drum
he hits the prayer box against the floor
until a. prayer stick finds the number
on II. and turning to that verse in the
Chinese bible reads it. Whatever this
verse may say is the information the
god wishes to impart to the suppliant.
The priests are only attendants to
the losses and have no powers nomin-
ally. Yet they are as powerful among
the common people as any medieval
potentate ever was. They are often
called on to pray for those who come
10 re