The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-08-06

AMERICAN INSTITUTIONS AS SEEN
THROUGH HiNDOO GLASSES.
Some Things Very Hard to Understand
Comments the Fair Sex-The
American People Work Too
Hard-CrftIcisms.
sacramento Bee Interview

Sacramento Bee Interviewl
After some further interesting converse
tfon concerning the condition of affairs in
India the reporter thanked Joshee for his
courtesy, and, intimatin9 that he had OBJ
tanned sufficient data for his article, was
about to retire, when, to his surprise, the
Brahmin said:
II am most glad to furnish you all the in
formation in my power; and now, il you do
not object, l would like to obtain some in
formation from You on points that have
not been able to understand" He then pro-
ceeded to interview the reporter in the most
znasterly and approved style I'm regard to
number Of our institutions and customs
which had struck him as being decidedly
curious, and propOunded questions that in
dictated that he was close observer and
possessed of tho philosophical yearning
to get to the bottom of things. He
commenced first newspapers, their
circulation, influence, running expenses,
income, salaries OF writer's, etc,
and only desisted ON this subject when he
found that he had obtained all the informa-
ton in reference thereto that the reporter
was capable of fmpa rting.
There is another thing" continued the
Brahmin, shat can not understand. How
j. It that your women always SO much
better dressed than their husbands 1 see
the ladies dressed in silks and rich street
costumes, while their husbands are often
poorly and even shabbiy dressed. Is there
some particular reason for ita'
The reporter, in reply to the questions
that poured in upon him, endeavored to
furnish satisfactory answers but found in
many in tances that the Hindoo view of our
manners and costumes was so strikingly new
to him that he could only offer suggestions.
@And then 1 see so many rich mon here
who are not fit to occupy their handsome
houses. Yes, we often have self made men
in India who rise even from the coolie class
and become merchants and gradually &C
cumulate wealth. But with every in
of income the condition of the
man improves, too, and he is always
fit to occupy his station with credit In our
country everything in a mans house is in
accordance with his tastes, and mental
grade, but here l see SO often an inferior
soul linked with superior furniture. Now
why should this bea 1t does not seem right
1 cannot understand it. Now If it were a
philosophers contemplated land here he
\ looked kindly at himselD-I can understand
that 1t would be but right for him to have a
nicely-appointed house and rooms in which
to live and study. But here you take man
who is still coolie and give him n hand
some residence and make him, perhaps, q
millionaire. You should not do it 1t low
ers the tone OF your society.
"Anl then your people arc restless. You
never stop working, no matter how rich you
become. actually know a wealthy Amer
lean who works eighteen hours q day and
takes no vacation, and he will die working
1t seems most extraordinary. The result of
habit, you saya Well, I suppose it is But
it is, indeed, a most miserable life. would
not be a Stanford nor Croker and work
SO hard"
Now in India how different The
men and women in the higher classes always
have happy, peaceful expression upon
their faces, and the richer a man becomes
the less he works. We are not busy from
birth till death. No one thinks of working
more than eight hours, and even them" he
continued with a smile "they shirk all they
can. The merchant takes life easy,
and when he becomes old and well
off, he retires In favor Of his sons
And in India a rich man has SO many calls |
upon his wealth. He must give entertain
ments at certain periods, care for relatives, |
give In charity, etc, or lose CASTE and SO he |
spends his money while he lives and does |
not leave it. do many Americans to |
charitab BILE institutions after their death |
That is SO comical"
And SO the Brahmin continued, present
ing new phases Of the manners and customs |
which accept without comment The |
Brahmin Joshee could add n most entertain
ing lecture to he; repertoire "American
Manners and Customs Seen by a Hndoo;"
and it Is certain that the reporter knows
more about the curious phases of n number
Of our most cherished institutions than no
did several days ago. He has at the same
time acquired great respect for Joshee's
abilities an interviewer.