Evening Capital

Chinese Feeding Their Dead.

A recent issue of the Portland Oregonian says: Early yesterday morning hacks and express wagons loaded with Chinamen, roast pigs, etc., commenced to pour across the Stark-st. ferry on their way to Lone Fir Cemetery to observe the religious ceremony called feeding the dead. A reporter of this paper, who visited the cemetery during the afternoon, found a large number of Chinamen engaged in this pious duty. The roast pigs and chickens were placed around on the ground among the graves of the Chinese and at the head of nearly every grave candles were burning. From the best information to be obtained in regard to this custom it seems that the food is intended as a sort of propitiatory offering to the Chinese devil. The offerings varied according to the habits and tastes of the occupants of the graves. At the grave of one, his friend, after digging holes in the hard ground with his knife, stuck up two candles and then laid out several sets of chop-sticks and as many small cups, which he had filled with wine; then he placed some bowls of rice and a package of cigarettes and a small vessel of opium. Then he made several bows and genuflections, as if inviting his dead friend or the other party to set to. A number of fires were burning in the vicinity, and on these were placed pieces of paper with squares of imitation gold leaf pasted on them representing gold coin, and smaller squares punched full of holes represented the brass cash, which coin has a hole in the center. Some burned small garments made of paper and thus furnished a new suit to their deceased friends at small cost. After the pigs and chickens had been displayed long enough to give the devil time to satisfy himself they were carefully replaced in the wagons and brought back to town.