The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-08-18
BAeOO ENGLISH.

BAeOC ENGLISH.
Some of the Features of journalism In
British India.
Baboo English is in India what
pigeon English is in China A treatise
ON baboo English has recently ap-
peared 1t shows curious features of
the peculiar civilization Great Britain
is promoting in her eastern empire.
Indian journalism had an early pro-
genitor in the ukh bar, which seems to
have combined the acta diurna of Rome
with the news letters of modern days
and the court gazette of the present pc
Rod. The newspaper of Anglicizing
India appears in twenty different lam
guages or dialects. Some of them are
printed in Sanskrit. others appear in
part English, in part vernacular of the
province in which they are read. Some
are small and spasmodic, others are
large, well conducted and regular.
Natives are in some instances owners
where civil service graduates or under
graduates are editors; and these native
views color editorial opinions. One of
the cases noted as distinguished by
originality was that of well known
journal of Bombay. The proprietor
was under contract to the editor to
leave in his control one portion of the
paper. but, differing from. his editor on
certain lines of conviction, they carried
on in parallel columns duel that af-
forded considerabl edification to the
subscribers. The editor expressed with
profigate candor his opinion of the pub
Usher. The publisher replied that he
fully reciproeated the sentiments of the
editor, and thus they went on until ma
terial hint was received that readers de-
sired something of more general i'm
portance.
Another impressive illustration of ad.
vancing progress as shown in journal
ism was that of a paper largely depend.
emit ON the English mails for its con.
tents For some time the mails, which
are slow and scanty, brought chiefly
great ecclesiastical trial, and as the ed
itorial pen consisted almost wholly of
the scissors the Mefussolite became
NO help for it. At last the editor, yield
ing to what were his own and what he
believed to be the pent-up opinions of
its subscribers, wrote double-leaded
leader consisting of a single line. 1t
was: damn the Gorham case" The
paper sold like wildfre, and its circula-
ton was increased twenty per cent
The native press, which is written to
a considerable extent in baboo English,
bears such titles as the Hindoo Patriot
tCalcutta), the Indian Spectator Bonn
BAY and the Hindu of Madras. The
native printers are rapidly progressing
in English, however. A Sanskrit gram
mar, the author of which is professor
in a scholastic institution in Chicago,
was produced wholly by native
workmen, and is a credit to COM
positors, proof-readers, binders and
publishers. The native writer's, if they
have English literary models, show
strong preference for American journal
istlc tendencies. Even a Chicago re-
porter would hesitate to write this: "a
British-born seaman with the appropri-
ate name of Butcher, belonging to the
B. S. Nebo, last Saturday evening, in
Bowbazar street, made sport of an
elderly native by striking him on the
head. The effect of the joke was ins
Simultaneous The poor Indian fell down
insensible and died in hospital"
More characteristic English is to be
found on the city papers that employ
native reporters who think themselves
masters of classic English. Describing
a fire in ship-hold one of these chron-
icles the ''bravity" of the captain.
''He, the first man who went under
meath the hatch without fear or fail,
who shrank not for a moment from
struggling manfully with the strong
fame-like smoke that was being belched
forth manfully and sturdily for five
mortal hours, can no longer bear the in
dolence of repose," etc. lie looks tired,
he sits down at hap hazard on a chance
seat. Comes he up the bridge, lies
down at full stretch on the planks, with
the face and belly in close contiguity
with the flooring" Another revels in a
fire in village. The superintendent,
his stalwart frame in front of the hor-
rid fire, by his commanding tone Of
angelic voice, mingled with his own
example to save the properties and
lives, inspired awe. respect and venera-
ton to the silent bystanders and drew
them up in Roman phalanx to assist
him In the deeds Others, with their
lives at frequent stake, stood on burn
ing huts with herculean labor that
astound the natives to behold from
afar, to make cpr hair stand on end and
our senses on their standstill"
Examples of editorial writing show |
that Macaulay while in India set tho !
style for prose; but the poetry-for ba-
boo journalism has also its funny men
and poets-is not quite up to the stand |
ard of the Bah Ballads A love tragedy |
ends with
Alas alas Now dead he was Il
Aground fell hfeless he:
His soul did pass. became his mass
AS cold as cold could be.
Obituary notices contain perfect par
allels for Gone, but Not Forgotten
Personal requests abound, one confess
ing that be ''entertains some skin of
hope on account of not getting a certain
reply" while another applies for place
on the police force suffering much for
my languishing life with delusive hope