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Show DEVIL IS DEAD. Put the black-bordered handkerchief in the cedar chest and drop the parting tear. The devil is dead dead because he could not withstand the temptation of participating participat-ing in the great feast upon the face of the earth, and left the regions of darkness to descend and to be captured by San Dl Law and San 1H Girt His Satanic Majesty, Gum Ji, evil spirit of all temgs Chinese, has been consumed by tire, and there is rejoicing in Portland's Chinatown. At 4 o'clock this morning Gum Ji's material ma-terial body was destroyed, and his astral self floated back 4o the -regions of dark--ness, a crushed, bleeding, beaten thing. No more will the evil spirit harass the peace aud contentment of Chinatown until next year. Yesterday afternoon the wood for the fires was distributed along Second street from Oak to Pins: Promptly cn the stroke of 12 last night the first fire was lighted. In a stand erected at the corner of Second Sec-ond and Pine streets, beneath a cenr.py, sat the priests as the menials Ltlow made the gigantic preparations, in a smaller stand under a canopy on the corner of Oak street, a blocs away sat Gum Ji, his tips curled with scorn t the feast tn the face of the earth. All the fires were lighted by 1 o'clock. Hundreds of sticks of punk and thousands of tiny candles were burning in the center cen-ter of the street Messages of good cheer to the gods. In the shape of small r.icces of paper, were thrown over the lires. to be driven upward by the heat and to flock the air as so many white-winged birds. At 2 o'clockhe prieBts descended from their dais, passed through the two rows of fires and came to a stop before the dais of Gum Ji. beseeching snd tempting him to come to the ear til and jartake of the feast that was ready. Gum JI curled his lips in scorn snu conVd at his tempters. The feast was not to his liking. The priests returned to thlr dais. The Chinese band began to play. Foodstuffs such as is never seen outside Chinatown were devoured with a relish. - Plat3 r.fter plate of chicken, rice and augar bars, tup after-cup of tea and gin, were disposed of in a spirit of Jollity. Alone in his dais Gum JI felt a sudden longing the longing long-ing for companionship. The feast enticed him. The viands wero good to see and the burning fires seemed to i-romise a season sea-son of pleasure. Gum Ji hesitated and was lost He left his throne mid rushed into the center of the merry-m.ik-?r9, v.ho crowded about him as though he were a curiosity. His sinister prese.ioe for a moment mo-ment appalled and frightened them. Then they thought of the wrongs, the woe and the suffering, the sorrow and discord that Gum Ji had caused in the past, an J to a man they fell upon him and bore him away. Torture after torture was inflicted upon him. From fire to fire they took him, dipping him In this one and that cne. that he might feel the iain of the flames. San Dl Law and San Di Gin sue.-sted new "tortures, and they wre accomplished. Priests chanted while Gum Ji writhed with pain and suffering. Greater end greater grew the wrath of the Celestials and then t At 4 o'clock the fires which promised pleasure to Gum Ji became his funeral pyre. After which San Dl Law and San Dl Gin, the two spirits of good, mounted the paper steed which awaited them and vanished into the land of the unknown and unseen. Portland Oregonian. |