Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-10-04
A WoRInN ITSELP.
India still the Wonder Of the Statistician and
the Mecca of the Historian,

India still the Wonder Of the Statistician and
the Mecca of the Historian,
For eighty years, at least, writer's have
endeavored TO bring home TO English
men the yastness of india, but SO tar as
can be perceived, haze failed. The
Briton reads what they say, learns mp
their. figures, tries TO understand their
descriptions, but fails for all bis labor 10
realizs what India is--a continent large
as Elrope west of the Vistula and with
30,000,000 million more people, fuller OF
ancient nations, of great cities, OF vari
cites of civilization, of armies, nobihties,
priesthoods, organizations for every con
ceiyabie purpose, from the spreading Of
great religion down to Systematic
murder.
There are twice as many Bengslese as
there are Frsncnmen; the Hindoostanese
properly so called, outnumber the whites
in the United States; the Mahratta5 would
ill Spain, the people of tho Paniab with
Scnde are double the population of
Turkey, aud Ihave named but four of the
most salient divisions, SAYS writer IN
the Fo1tnightly Review.
Everything is on the same bewildering
scale. The fighting peoples of India,
whose males are as big as ourselves, rs
brave as ourselves, number at least 100,
100000, equal 20 Gibbons calculation of
the population OF the Roman empirt.
There are 100000 trained brown soldier s
in native service, of whom. perhaps We
hear once IN ten years, and at least
100000 meE who think their proper
profession in arms, who would live by
arms if they could aud of whom We in
Engladd never hear word.
If the Russian CONSUMPTION were APP
piled in India we should, without count
ing reserves or landwehr, OF any force
not summoned in time of peace, have
100000 soldiers actually in barracks,
with 100000 recruits coming up every
year force with which not only Asia
but the uorld might be subdued. There
are tens of millions of prosperous peas
ants beside whose poverty, Fellahs, or
Sicilians or Connaught men are rich;
millions of artisans ranging from the
men who build palaces to the men who,
nearly naked and almost without tools,
do the hrmblest work of the potter.
Every occupation which exists in
I Europe exists also in India. The in
dustIy of the vast continent never ceases,
for India with all her teeming multitudes
with population in some places packed
beyond European precedent, imports
nothing whatever. She is sufficient TO
herself for everything save silver. Amid
these varied masses, these 250,000,000
whose mere descriptions would fiji! vol.
umes, the tide of life flows as vigorously
as in Europe.
There is ss much labor, as much con
tentiol, as much ambition, as much
variety OF careers, hopes, fears and
hatreds. 1t is still possible for money
less Indian to become yizer of dynasty
older than history, or finance minister of
new prince whose personal fortune in
hard cash is double that of the late
Emperor William, or abbot Of monas-
terry richer than Glastonbury ever was,
owner of an estate that covers a county,
head of a firm whose transactions may
vie with those of the Bariugs or Bielch
rcders. One man, Jute PersEad by name
fed and transported the army that con
quered the Puniab.