Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-06-20
INTERESTING let
TER FROM CHINA !.
r. E. Baber Gives Description Of
Chinese Funeral Other Items !
Of Interest.

Ray e. Baber. son OF Rev. and
Mrs. E. r. Baber of this city, who is
teacher in the Christian College at
Canton, China, in a recent letter to
his parents, says:
/ must tell you something of a
Chinese funeral that saw. / was
out among the graves in the hills
around here, with my plane table
drawing class, and so had chance
to see it first hand. noticed there
was fresh grave dug, so hung
around, waiting developments. Soon
heard an unearthly noise coming
from a nearby village; it was made
by the orchestra" or "band," or
whatever you choose to call it, that
leads the funeral procession. 1t was
a poor mans funeral and hence very
typical, as the larger part of the peo-
pie in China are very poor. The COR
chestra" consisted Of two wooden
drums and wind instrument when
was cross between bag-pipe and
a fife, and which makes noise that
would ruin the nerves Of wooden
man. Another member of the cor
chestra" beat upon the edge of his
large bamboo hat for want of bet
ter instrument; each player WED
with the others to see who could
make the most noise, and there was
much laughing and joking. Preced-
ing the orchestra" and the first in
the procession, went man scatter
ing many pieces Of paper. perforated
in various places. This was so that
modest the dead man for long time,
for the devils who follow have to
pass through every hole in each piece
of paper that is scattered; naturally
.uis takes them a long time and
thus affords protection to the dead.
l can't understand why they have to
go through the holes-why they
can't skip glibly past them, but there
seem to be certain honored rules to
the game and even the little devils
are good enough sports to play by
the rules. Following the orchestra
came the pail bearers, six coolies.
stripped to the waist, three at each
end of large pole, and the coffin
swung horizontally from it. One Of
the men stumbled, fell down and
rolled clear over, to the great de-
light of the others, who howled with
laughter. Next in line came the
mourners; in this case they were
three men, probably the sons. They
each wore white bands OF unbleached
muslin around their heads and short
ephods, or similar garments, of the
same material-white Is the mourn
ing color in China. When the coffin
was lowered into the grave the
mourners knelt down and worshiped
the dead, then the musicians played
again, the coolies were left to fill up
the grave and the others hurried
back to the village to the feast
there is always feast after fun
eral. Next day they put UP fancy
paper decorations on sticks, made a
little sod enclosure around the
grave, sodded 1t over nicely, then
burned incense and candles and the
ceremonies were complete. 1t seemed
awful to see no sign of sadness, but
many times laughter and Joking, but
: it was all very interesting, for they
have been doing it just that way for
thousands of years.
Next day | picked up some of the
papers with the holes in them;
am enclosing some to you; dom
know whether the devils got
through them first or not: If any OF
them happened to get stuck half way
through may be they will still be in
them when you get them, but prob