The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-08-07
coon STORIES OF THE, PRESENT DAT.
some Queer happenings In the Ruins OF m
OLD Town In India.


tore, india and on the left bank Of a stream
called tho Honholny. are theruins OF three or
| four largo villages Tho second one west OF
| tho foothills Of the Mysore range of mountains
Is called Garrow. and amid the general DESC
| lation are the ruins OF what was once great
templc. These villages are only three or four
out OF hundreds 10 DO found In the great en-
| pire. Now and then their history can DO
| traced back to somo terrible plague which de-
| populated them In u month, and again the
desolation Is duo to war between tribes and
factions. AS q rulo. no native will approach
one OF these ruins. and no attempt Is ever
made to rebuild the towns.
| In 1913 while was at tho village Of Dheetn.
about thirty miles from darrow. tho Govern
ment eent a commission Of three officials to
survey and inspect the village with Wow OF
restoring 1t 10y Offering to rebuild the temple
and give free deeds o all settlers. Twas invited
| by the commission to so along. and this mp
rearing splendid opportunity for an ex-
tended inspection of tho historic ruins gladly
accepted Including servants thorc were
twelve OF MS in the party. On arriving at
u small village called NISSAN. six miles
east OF the village we meant to survey. wo
| we're told OF some strange things that had
lately happened. IL was declared that
spirits hnd taken possession OF the rains.
Strange lights had leen seem Hitting about ut
night, and a hunter whose ardor had led him
| among tho ruins had heard the sound OF stones
| heing moved and had been pclted with rocks.
He had bad bruse on tho shoulder to prove
the latter statement While the most inteli-
gent natives Of India are full Of superstition.
the common villagers aud farmers are so thor
oughly imbued with it TINT signs and dreams
| guido most Of thoir daily transactions. The
| commission was headed by an EnElishman
named Grant OF tho civil service. The second
was Mr. Artwcl Of tho same branch. and tho
third II Mr. Martin who was a civil engineer.
! With them, as secretary and clerk. was
young man named Thomasson.
Little attention was paid to tho stories OF tho
villagers. and next day wo moved over and
| canned in a grove on the strea m. about hall n
| mile above tho head of tho desolated town.
The site was covered with shrubs and grass
| aud vines. and here and there wero groves OF
| young trees. No tigers had boon seen in TINT
| nci.hborhodd for years. but the place looked
| like a paradise for panthcrs. wolves. hyenas.
| and serpents The town had extended along
| the bank Of the stream for a milo and a half.
| That evening. while we were settling down
| In our now quarters. number OF stones
| from some unseen assailants were sudden
| ly thrown with great force at ono OF tho
natives who had strayed beyond tho limits OF
| the camp. hitting him on tho heal and render
| missiles came from a thicket between US and
tho first ruins OF the town, and after we had
| located the direction We fired n voley from our
guns and put an end to the disturbance. The
native servants wero thrown into state OF
| great CONSERVATION. believing and arguing
| that our presence had offended the spirits
keeping guard over the ruins. and but for Mr..
Grants threats the crowd would have boltud
and lott ua
Il think l can see into this business" he
explained to us after the servants had been
quoted down. These ruins have either
| been taken possession OF by band OF robbers
or there is n party here hunting for treasure.
In either case our presence Is undesirable.
| and that demonstration was to drive US away.
Wen try to make it n bad Job for them. who
| ever they are"
when asked the gentleman i ruin as OLD as
| this ever yielded up treasure he replied
cn two yoa sts ns h II afs he
| dcporulatcd this town. then more or, less
treasure was hidden away because it could not
those who hurried away tnought only. Of saw
ing their lives. aud took little or netting with
we are pretty suro OF finding plant worth
lie WaS still talking whom queer lights ap-
| and strange. wild cries wer. hoard from
'S fR Rsas h With n css 1T rs :na
ened to even cry, out Tut the Commissioner
about that such treasures were loft undis..
| turhed 50 long. Here is the explanation Mt
feared to return. Mo native Of india wo"ll
give an Englishman q pninter on treasure.
We have Ga'heye IN n',nty OF 10 SncS t the
cal it rohring tho lend. lftho party there are
aftcr treasure they belong to some, elan up
anon. the m curtains. Tiny roI each others
! ruins, hat never their own.
Ry and by the lights disappeared and silence
again Soon nitor GayIight cane nc ono nt Of the III,
| natives. who had now, recovered n portion Of
NM f Sn n 4 La 5hn S haI bern
| occupied by men during the nj sht. some OF
the stones thrown nt MS We're found to hav'
ITS, gang o. tre ,sure hIn'rr for snrr.
saii the l9mmissioner aficr this last proof
70 caution you that We must hc very careful;
| no one must enter tho shr"bu"ry alone, alrl
NV HTss e dc oaGass os n " tno
hills. and they vii! stick II. nothinE."
.hg' why not send dawn to Ehccta for a
And 20 Givo away nnr ind, in case liberals
one: We are not quite 70 green as tint. The
but wo want N" further division. think w;
nrr strong enough to roat 'en out. ana W. viii
Tf,"r breaE fa.t ihs iva of us moved down
~ ne h"a,i OF the village having tie CAMP ~
s s"Ss Il .ns naive" we onn i'" %u4 n WIKI VIZ p
Y along. 1t had been II very, substantial
tnwn Thee being !lenty Il building 2tonr NJ
house. 1t must hay" tafrn al "IEthlLnkp to
nirg tho blocks ABOUT IN sorh confuS!on.
liere ana thorr iisre " wall was stand ing.
| bat IL most "ascs everything hal fallen IN II
confused boar, Tho difficulty If climbin.
over tac blocks was added to ny tho veGc-
| ta'ion. and wherever the sun beat d'wl on Il
| stolc wa wore sure to I!aG Il 'r;uoHt runniDG
! himself We wore i.lng for I hu walls of tn"
temple. hut after m hours work W" had not
! advanced over half IL mile. Mi. Grant called Il
hrit. and we Woe sittin. On the hugo oiHnEs
Of Stone in g!Udc EhOut liitr feet across wlcn
SortAIna very pGrrr happened. III" foliage
was, dense enough t throw tho glade into
wcr. suddenly ,n!u;"d with gr"ans and m"r2t
rs OF some person IN deep distress. and wh!n
W" were looking atort aud ut each othcra iIg-
ur" cnma out 81 til" tEis!iCt on the south sid.
md slowly ,iGot"I across tho Ehdo; 1t lo"hri
| .ikr Il human figure. though drHpod ana NUT
| Nnj. md though II pissed uY"r tn" Grount! ut
about ~ ordinary height the notion was thas
al foitng alon. instund Of walk Ing. Ii NnSn t
over twenty feet from us. and when It hisap-
peared into tn" .hirket on the other side tho
ur was heaYy with strange perfume.