The record-union., 1894-06-01
4 NATIVE OF INDIA.
He is Overhauled by Reporter
and Talks.
Something About India and Her Peo-
pIe-What Liquor is Doing to
Drag Them Down.
Something

SldQhu Ram OF MOOlldn5 d SA'J -
Puniab, India, is in the city, and because
ne adheres to the custom OF his youth ana
wears the turban he has probably been
noticed On the streets by most people, Tor
he is a devoted walker and loves 10
promenade through the residence sections
of Sacramento.
Mr.. Ram was one of the four Commis-
sioners sent by India to the Worlds
Columbian Exposition. He Is young
man. tall, of intellectual countenance and
fine features. is swarthy as the sons OF
the tropics, black bearded and large eyed
altogether a man of striking appear
ance, and one who is extremely polite,
very careful of the proprieties and rights
of others and equally as firm IN defense
of his own rights.
He speaks English fluently, but slowly,
and is readily engaged in conversation,
evidently being unsuspicious, and re-
spending to the greeting OF strangers
with gentlemanly dignity and frankness.
a kECoRD-UN representative yes
terday held a conversation with the
stranger, whose tall form and turbandeG
head has attracted so much attention
upon the streets. In answer TO questions
propounded, he said that he was mar
ried man, his wife being now in Mooltan,
Punjab.
81 was born" said he, "of the caste of
the Brahmins, but / am a monotheist,
and do not attach TO caste the Importance
that my brethren of India do. L was
educated in a Government school IN
India, entered the governmental service
and was in the railway and civil de-
partments for six years. then took
up the study of the law, and was admitted
10 the bar by the Chief Court at PunJab-
you call it here the Supreme Court"
How was it you came to the United
States ?''
Il was complimented by the Govern
ment with commission TO the Chicago
Worlds Fair. and remained there during
the fair, tho Government bearing our eX-
penses, for am not man Of fortune"
''How comes it that you remain in
American"
1.-Two of the other Commissioners, Go
bind Parshaw and Romeshwar Deal, at
the close of the fair returned to India.
linda Ram, the other Commissioner, and
/ resolved to remain for time. My OBJ
ject was to study here the sciences and
add to what l feel to be an incomplete ed
ucation; also to see something more OF
the United States; to ft myself to be of
greater usefulness when l return to my
native land"
11OM NdAS IL y Ou CdlllO W OdAl4Ol
We'll, it was too cold for US in the
East, you know, and we heard so much
of your equable climate and fertile soil
and spirited people that two of us came
on here. We thought. too, that at the
Midwinter Fair we would see an exposi-
ton OF your products, different and pos
sibly larger than that we saw at Chicago.
So we have been in your State nearly five
months now"
"And how do Won like ik9V
For me, think IL the most fertile and
the best gifted as to climate OF any Of
your country l have seen. l have seen
the larger part of the State-that is, from
the South TO Sacramento. l want to go as
far north as the Oregon line if l can, but
my means are small, and | do not know.
But hope to remain a while in your
State'
Where will you locate?"
"Ohi l don't mean to locate. / want to
go to school here for year, either at the
State University or the Stanford Uni
versity. But that depends on my get
ting the means, and so l am lecturing
where the people will hear me to help out
my purse. so l can takea years course in
the sciences at one of your universities"
Have you no universities in India to
suit you?"
''Oh, yes; but your laboratories are bet
ter; for instance, we cannot study cleo
trical science in India as you can. We
have only the telegraph there. So. too.
there are more appliances and results of
invention here to study than we have in
India, and il is in these directions |
want to Study.'
"Why do you wish that?"
THAT / may be able to give our people
information and tell them what is doing
here. l have no idea Of studying cleo
trical science to follow it as a business.
fnr n Tn6ia n,,r
TOO poor for such calling to be profitable
there Tor long time yet. Then, l am
young, and want to learn Just as any
young man does. [ want to know more
of the reason why, and crafty q natural
love OF knowledge"
What is the condition of your people
now III India, the masses in general ,"
ALAS, they are almost starving. The
English law there is not bad, but the
English officers do not treat our comm on
people as they ought.to. The price for
labor does not advance: the population is
dense. but in earlier times they could buy
cheaply. remember when | could buy
five pounds OF butter for a rupee. about
% cents then, now the rupee is reduced
to about Is cents and the same rupee buys
but about two and a quarter pounds of
butter. Ii IS SO in everything. The
wages arc the same and the pay is in
rupees at face value, but the purchasing
power IS less. Then the English vices
have taken hold OF us; they came 10 us
as Christians, with the Bible, bat the sa-
loon followed, too. Formerly the rich
made their own liquor, and the masses
had 1t not; now they get every liquor at
the saloons-brandy, whisky, gin, etc.
and these are added to the tobacco and
opium they had before. The LIQUOR is de-
baslng our poor people-yes, and the
rich, too, for now they buy instead of
N lln11OY. fOr- ftnf =.
do"
Has India made any advance at all ?r
We'll, We are getting education, and
education always leads 10 better people.
think"
How is it in spiritual affairs? %,
W ell, missionary efforts still 90 on to
convert the people to Christianity They
have established some good schools. too.
Liberalism has come in good deal to
the breaking down considerably of the
caste system and ceremonials. Tho
chief liberal organizations are the
Brahma Somaj and the Ayra Somai. /
belong to neither but sympathiZe with
the latter most, because 1t is the most
progressive, and its tendency is against
mere superstition.
These societies are trying to break
down child marriage, and educate
woman, and better her condition. and
enlighten the masses, so l feel kindly to
them, though not OF them. | have sym-
pathy with all organizations and
churches that uphold the moral code. and
seek to do good TO men. We are all
brethren. YoQ and l are of the same
race of mankind, though you are lighter
of skin than | am. | seek truth wher-
ever found, goodness, kindness and the
bettering OF men, and of my own dear
Food raised with Cleveland's
baking powder has no bister