Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-22
THE LIARS OF INDIA.
An 0bservant Traveller Says
Tom. 0chiltree Would
Not Be in It There.
IT'S A HABIT OF LIFE.
Hotels Have a Custom That Gives
Guests Chance to Even Up.
EXPERIENCE In FREAK HUNTING.
In Railroad Travel the First Class Priyi-
legeS Go by Favor.
0nn FlHTC lpnUT CTpIyCV pCnpTr
IT'S A HABIT OF LIFE.
EXPERIENCE In FREAK HUNTING.
In Railroad Travel the First Class Priyi-
leges Go by Favor.
ODD FACTS ABOUT A STRANGE PEOPLE
rcorerspoSprScr OF TIE DISPATCH. /,

rcoRREsPoNDENCE OF TIE DIsPArcH.1
New YORK, Nov. 21-"What first strikes
an American in India?" repeated Manager
Tom Davis in reply to the question. "What
first strikes an American after he arrives in
India is this: He meets a lot of broken
down Englishmen who try to touch him for
asmall loan. That's what strikes him."
When the applause had sufficiently sub
tided the veteran Snowman continued: 'In
this respect perhaps India doesn't differ
widely from other European countries. The
first thing that turns up for you in London,
or Paris, or Australia, is the same seedy-
mittance every day. In India he merely
strikes your sooner and harder and more
persistently. He is usually the second or
third. fourth or fifth son of baronet; gen.
orally well bred and imperious, and always
liar. India is place of family banish-
ment for England superhuous sons who
have been born with champagne appetites
and beer incomes. They send their GRIM
inals to Australia and their worthless gen.
tlemen to India. Thousands of the latter
60 out there il the civil service.
Doomed to Impecunious Exile.
"When they are discharged they never
have enough money to get back and their
relatives in England are careful not to send
them enough for such a purpose. They
can't enter into any business in competi-
tion with the natives and are in hard luck
generally. They are always hanging around
the hotels looking for suckers. They are
principally remarkable for their genteel
education and capacity for hard liquor.
India is rather queer country in some
other respects. L went up to Bangalore, a
large town in Southern India, where they
hold their annual military reviews They
were having sCme fine horse races about
that time and the crowd was motley, very
great and very much excited. Everybody,
nearly, made books on the races Nobody
puts money up there. They make books.
That's English. If Won lose you pay-if
you win the other fellow can't be found,
perhaps; but you've got him on your list,
you know, and if he happens to be the scion
OF noble house that ought to be something.
A mercantile friend of mine who would be q
drummer in Chicago, but was a bagman in
India, came up from Madras with me. OF
course, my companion made book. never
saw a drummer who wouldn't bet on a
horse race.
A Winner and Yet q Loser.
when we figured up for the day be had
lost $50 rupees and had won about 1000
Those who had won from him came around
Immediately and collected. OF his win
nings be got but 40 rupees. So he was out
ITO rupees on the day. But then he had |
the experience Some of these bets were
with British army officers. Imagine an
American oficer-but that's different It is
as hard to imagine as it is to imagine Chi
cago drummer taking bets at a horse race
with no money up.
II met with many experiences in India
I was then looking for performers and
curios for show. The day I arrived in
Bangalore one of those fakirs with lot of
snakes came in front of the bungalo and an
nounced that he was going to give a per-
formance. And he did give a very credit
able snake entertainment. So good, in fact,
that made him an offer on the spot to go
to America. NO, no, sahib,' he replied, L
cannot go. ] am soon to become a father"
"All the railroad trains down there have
but one frst-class coach and this is divided
into two compartments, usually one for males
and the other for females. Few people ride
frst-class there-swells and Americans The
natives are not allowed to ride frst-class,
except by consent of white people who are
first-class passengers Second-class is con-
sidered good enough for the most worthy
native. The Princes usually have special
cars
Luck of an Apostate Brahmin.
"All are under the immediate supervision
Of the British Government. English uni
forms are everywhere. Coming from Banga-
lore to Mysor happened to be the only oc-
cupant of the first-class compartment, when
a very well dressed native, accompanied by
several servants with bundles, came to the
door of the car and raised his hat and asked
4 hol -rbs 70 -, al
car with me. Or course gave my consent.
| found the man could talk very good En-
Clish and was very interesting conversa-
tionalist. His name was Meenacshaya He |
was barrister going to Mysor to defend |
case in a native court. He had formerly |
been one of the Bramins of India, but had |
forsaken them some years before and gone |
10 England, where he had remained several |
years. He created a great sensation while |
In England, for he was very wealthy and |
lived abroad as he did at home, in great |
,tyle. He was married, but after he re-
turned from England the Brahmins made |
his wife and daughter live apart from him. |
He was allowed to see them only from dis |
.ance-75 feet, believe. He was devoting |
his whole influence, he assured me, to the |
breaking down and eradication of the Brah- |
Minis
Riding Behind Pair of Bullocks.
"When we arrived in Mysore no carriages
we're at the station and we had to take
bullock cart-a clumsy two-wheeled affair
drawn by o1en-for the hotel The latter
was an adobe building in the middle of
yard and was run by parsee. No European
lived within the town limits. The usual
English military contingent camped out
;ide. / was the second American who had
.ver been there, and was therefore regarded
Tr IS fha |
Brahmin's faith to eat meat. / saw this old
1arsee sending variety Of uncooked meats
% his room-then these Brahmins would
teal in for chops and steaks they dared not
2uy in the shops and sneak away one after
mother.
az was entertained here by the Mahar-
iah, the prince of that country. told him
ghat was there for, and he volunteered to
.ssist me bv any information in his power.
)ne day when L was telling stories to a
member of his suite native came running
n and announced that he had seen a white
iger out in the Jungle. Amid great excite
nent a hunting party was organized. They
,eat the bush for eight days for that tiger
or l had offered 10000 rupees for him alive
but nothing came OF it. Then they beat
he native for living. / was somewhat dis
appointed myself, but felt sorry tor the
,oor wretch who was whipped half to death.
Nobody else will see any white tigers
round that neighborhood again, anyhow.
Getting Even With the Hotels.
"A curious custom in India is for trav-
Ter to register at a hotel when he leaves
nd when he arrives He is thus favored
With the expectation that he will record his
God opinion of the hostelry over his sigma
ure. This fashion was originally intro
uced by the English Government at the
amp houses ortravelers' bungaloos in order
0 keep check upon the Government serv-