OCR Text |
Show Dead Chinese Shipped to Celestial Kingdom Twice a year all New York Chinatown China-town turns out to be present at the shipping of the dead, Pierre Van I'aas-sen I'aas-sen writes In the Atlanta Constitution. When a Chlnumuu died he Ih not burleil, but his coffined body Is kept In a Btorige place along with others until the coilln 'ship can take a load back to true Celestial .kingdom. The ceremony', of conveying the cuf fins lo the ship offers an animated scene. Vlollns-shriek, bells tinkle, rattles rat-tles are used and pictures of the deceased de-ceased are carried In the procession, all to keep the evil spirits at a distance. dis-tance. Some of the officiating priests In their ancient robes, with shaved heads and their arms folded, are pictures pic-tures of Impenetrable oriental stoicism. The procession Is a colorful one and a noisy one, but the priests do maintain their dignity. During the hours of the ceremony rival tongs cease all hostility under the terms of a previously agreed upon armistice. It's the only hour the police I may be certain there will be no killings kill-ings and still the bluecoats and plainclothes plain-clothes men are as thick as files around a Chinese funeral procession. |