Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-09-20
THE BENARES BLUE MEN.
AS THEY WERE SEEN BY A RlcY-
CLER IN THE CANOES VALLEY.

the sats OF Purple Fluid-Stnging and
Shouting at Their Work Means by Which
indigo Is Made Marketable.
Starting from Lahore on Aug |, 1886,
rode the bicycle southwark TO Calcutta, over
about fourteen thousand miles of what seems
to me to be the finest and most interesting
highway in the world. My experiences were
many and varied.
When ! got well down into the Ganges
valley, toward Benares, among the swarms
Of natives who are always streaming along
the road, began to see men and boys who
were stained a deep blue color from head to
foot. Sometimes in the evening | met big
gangs Of these blue people as they trudged
along, evidently on the way to their homes
Tor tine night The only clothing they wore
were breechcloths and turbans, which were
as blue as their bodies.
At first wondered what these men were,
but it soon occurred to me that had reached
the Benares district 10 the very height of the
indigo season. often passed creaking bullock
gharries carrying heavy loads of the indigo
plant TO the factories Sometimes, in a
stretch Of country which was open and inter
sected with roads, could see these stacks of
dark green indigo plant slowly creeping from
all directions to one point.
TEE BEATERs AT WORK.
At length, one morning, | arrived at a
great indigo factory situated near the road.
Not far from the factory was the commodi-
Gus bungalow of the planter, an English
gentleman, Mr.. T, who had had many
years experience as an indigo planter. AS
/ dismounted, Mr.. t came out, and
promptly invited me to remain with him as
long as | saw fit. The heat was something
terrific, and, as was curious to see some
thing of indigo making, readily accepted
his hospitality for the day.
From the factory, 200 yards away, there
came such babel of shouts and yells, seem.
ingly from a hundred human throats, that ]
stood and listened for moment before fol
lowing my host to the bungalow.
Upon visiting the factory saw at once
how my "blue people, of the road came by
their coloring We first visited the beating
vats which were square tanks about eight
feet deep and twenty feet square. Several OF
these watts were ranged side by side, or rather
one long vat was divided into several by
walls, which were also footwalzs. Out OF
these watts came the pandemonium Of howl
ing and shouting that had arrested my atten-
ton at the bungalow. In each vat about
twenty naked natives stood waist deep in
liquid indigo.
'sThese are the beaters,n said Mr.. T..
"A rather wild looking lot aren't theyT'
l fully agreed with him that they were
wild looking The heaters In each vat were
| ranged in two rows, which faced each other
| Each man was armed with a long handled
wooden spade. With marvellous dexterity
and rhythmic accord, both rows of beateri
were hinging into the air streams of indigo
which dashed together overhead, and splashed
| about thevat and over the heaters In showers
| Of foam and spray. The heaters melted one
another to extra exertions, sometimes By
shril chorus and again by frantic yells
Every man was as blue az a statue OF indigo
and was covered with foam and splashings
| The several vats filled with these hiue figures
who flung the liquid indigo high In air; the
weird choruses shouted in shrill cadences
the flying froth which settled on the laborers
heads and streamed down their gllstenine
skins, made scene totally different from any
thing had seen elsewhere.
AS we stood and looked on Mr.. T OK
planned 10 me the various operations, ant
the part that each played In the production
Of the indigo OF commerce. The hineinl
and dashing of the liquid about in the ali
brings about a chemical Transformation
The fluid, as it comes from the stalks anc
leaves Of the plant, is Of greenish color
The wild work Of the heater changes th
tint into beautiful deep blue by oxygena
ton.
At the same time that 1t changes in colo
the dye stuff held In solution graduates an,
settles 10 the bottom Of the watts. When tn
heaters have thoroughly performed thei
work they climb out Of the watts and ALLOW
the contents TO settle.
Mr.. T. led the way to the further en-,
OF the row Of beating watts and showed m
one Of them which had been settling for al
hour.
"Here, you see,n he said, ''now it is settled
the liquor has changed color again from blu
to a smoky green. Except that it is some
what clearer, It looks about as it did befor
the heaters began to work on it,"
The foreman now came and removed a pluj
from hole In the wall. The green iquii
gradually ran to waste, and there was reveale,
at the bottom Of the vat thick, pulpy sedi
ment Of blue. This was the indigo Mel
now came with earthenware jars, which the
filed and carried Off to the boiling room
Here the indigo was strained through wir
sleeves Of fine mesh to remove all impurities
After It has been strained, the soft blu
mass is poured into big iron kettles and boileC
for two or three hours, to evaporate tn
moisture and further granulate the in digo
Il is then dumped into presses and subjected
to heavy pressure by means OF lever ant
screw.
The presses are square iron boxes, perfor
ated like a colander and lined with pres
cloths. By this process all the remaining
water is forced out that can be removed b,
pressure. The indigo is turned out of th,
presses In dark blue cakes, which are o
about the consistency Of a bar OF soap Thei
it is cut up into commercial squares and i'm
pressed with the stamp Of the factory
The cakes are then removed to the dryini
house, large airy shed, provided with tier
Of open shelves Here they remain for tw,
or three months, until they are thorough,
dry, and are then packed in boxes and ship
ped TO market. The chief Indian emporium
for indigo is Calcutta, whence it is shipped t,
foreign markets
"Now come this way said Mr. T.
after we had visited the boiling and the dry
ing houses. 81 want to show you something
interesting
Saying this, the indigo planter led the wal
to a set Of watts similar to those we had al
ready seen, but elevated so that the liquoi
could be drained from them into the beating
watts
"These," he said, "sre the fermentinl
vats"
In these fermenting watts the indigo plant
are packed tightly in layers, as they arrive
in the bullock Charles from the farms
Porous frames are laid on top, and the mas
is pressed or weighted down Water Is thel
pumped in with a Persian wheel, and thu
plants are allowed to steep