New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-25

consent SO went to the uncle and he told me
what have just said about reincarnatons and
then, bringing the thing down to the question in
hand, he went on: One Of my brothers died three
Vmonths ago and his spirit Is In one OF those white
elephants we do not know which The kings
second queen and her favorite son were drowned
two months ago. and their souls are in those
elephants. Suppose send an embassy to WASH
ington to buy the tomb OF Washington, would
your President sell III? I had TO admit that
rather thought he wouldn't-and deliver the
goods But he said, you come here and ask
for identcally the same thing. The white ele-
plants are the tombs OF our royal family
There was nothing more for me to say Then
7 went to Burmah, where King Theebaw was
long on white elephants-having hve-and short
on cash His people were as much opposed to
the brutes being taken out Of the country as
those of Siam would have been, but the KING was
boss and he sold me one at round price got
II away from Mandelay to Maulmain ana then
down TO Singapore. where it was to go aboard
steamer. But within ten hours 1t was dead and
the German physician who made the autopsy on
II found that ii had been killed by virulent
native poison. the action Of which upon the
tissues he recognized The poison had been adj
ministered in sweetIneats fed 10 me e;ephant by
natives who thronged about 1t. In 1888 | made
another attempt. purchased second white ee-
phant from King Theebaw. who was chronicaiy
hard up enough to be willing to sell anything
and nv taking rigid precautions managed to get
II away safely. That was ne one Barnum ex-
hibited in this country. aud 1t was genuinely
what they call white elephant
DIVORCE IN BURMAH
"The women in Burmih," said Mr.. Gaylord
do not. when marrying. take the names Of their
husbands but retain their own, with the adden-
dun Of wife Of so-and-so, That makes it handy
I for them to retake their precedent status IN
public knowledge when they come to be divorced,
as they are mighty likely to be- ior divorce Is
easy in that country. Suppose Burmese nus
band and wife quarrel and determine 10 separate
The wife--who always does all the marketing
goes out and buys two little candles OF equai
length, which are made especially Tor ms use
She brings them home. She and her husoand
sit down on the floor placing the candles between
them and light them simultaneously one cdhule
stands for him, the other for her. Inc one WHOSE
candle burns out first rises and goes out or inc
house forever, with nothing but what ne or she
may have on. The one whose candle mas sur
vived longest, even by second, taxes every.niis;
So the divorce and division OF the property--iI
YOU can call that a division-are settled IL looks
fair enough considered as an even gamble, but IL
isn't likely to be. Where did you ever know OF a
woman being mixed UP in anything that she
did not manage to get the best or IT, or at least
try to? The wife, on her way home with the cam
dies. takes tiny scraping from the bottom oi one
of them very little will be enough. II the hus-
band is poor and the house empty OF pretty mucn
everything but children. she takes the shortened
candle and walks out free and content. but II
the house is well furnished ana the nusoahds
possessions are considerable, he gets the snort
candle and does the walking.
mo Burmese woman would be so foonsh as 10
consent to cremation with her husbands pody:
The suttee obtains only among the Hindoos ana
the English have pretty well put STOP 10 IL
there-whch IS one good thing they nave aone
in India. Burmese funeral is conducted on
lines that rather surprise an American or
European who sees one for the nrst uhhe. IL
is treated a sort OF joyful occasion. Ihey not
only say that the deceased party Is HAPPY IN
being freed from the cares and suherings ana
sorrows Of lfe-as Christians debut they act as
IL they believed 1t. which Christians don T. As
soon as death occurs. the bereaved family me
mourners as we would call them. leave inc
house go to some friends and don't snow up any
more during all the subsequent proceedings
npignDOr
who not only arrange everything but pay tne
expenses They keep open mouse, ueaLns ~
sweetmeats, delicacies and non-lntoNlcdlins
drinks everybody who comes along Tor one, Two
or three days. Then they form procession,
headed by a band playing Joyous music ana =, 20
the place Of cremation The corpse IS drapeu II,
white and so is everybody else. White ana
flowers are everywhere; no depressing oIac i
lugubrious music. hired mourners 9tehsIveiy
smelling Grape and mournful platitudes. IN
uttIe while the body H. ashes and the aHalr Is
over From my point Of view. that Is one OF d
good many things in which We might advantase,,
ously take pointers from the buduHis'S "a
Burmah and other parts Of the East
WOMEN ARE THE WORKERS IN SIAM
THE social condition OF women in Siam-where
as have already said Buddhism is so perverted
as TO be nothing but name-!s not to be ap-
proyed Neither Burmese nor Siamese men TAKE
kindly to work Of any sort. They VIII hhht nsn
or steal. and few may engage III so,ie . t.s
clerical occupation in desultory way put they
are too lazy for any honest labor don think
I ever saw Burmese man at any kInd OF WORK.
chinese coolies and Tarnil men. or klings from
south India are the laborers among them
Naturally, poverty goes with laZiness' ihey ar
very poor-that is. the mass or me peopie I'M, ysna
noverty always falls hardes' on the women Ihey
have "a work and do anything they can 10 get
food for themselves and their famles NH lii
are no hotels in Sian. but the traNeler VIZ ~.
ALWAYS find an empty house that he can rem ~.
almost nothing and within couple OF ho louis
after he takes possession he VIII nav ss, 80
4 dozen mothers in eager coIhpss''oI 80, bnv
Ia, for
as many rs he cares to pay about 70 each i1r.
His little ciamese wife Will keep MS h1uss y.
order. do his marketns-and 'e s ,ny Is
IT, too-and. from financial point OF Wv % "a
good investment And she seems content anu
happv. When he goes away, after uaE, ID
month or a year. he makes her pres,stn', "a
dos NOT expect more than s5-says gcodoy' anu
that Is their divorce. 800, -, oo,,,rs. l.zi.
I'm brilliant contrast with the reVol,ihg n ,,,,
moss ~ the Burmese and Samese Is the many
"neryv ~ the Nepaulest, the finest men IN lhula
cn,rnron neope They grow wheat rice anu
other staples, but their country - Low ne
from n market, 80 all they raise they coh,ui.e
.to,nr @ and living IS marvellously cheap
| snnng them There Is great stricthess III NJ NJ
| religious observances. ard thelr Women a. tbs
| resnecting. think "a great ueai Vi az
! Nenaulese as also of a peculiar caste know ~
! .be Cattvs or Chattys as they pronounce H. rhs
are the financial agents ana none ,, s,i fellow. a
! Chattv is let black always a big itt tt,ncin
strict vegetarian the most polite person il"7 tIa
! able and shrewd man OF business ,,oan ths
wears a white spot on his forehead ~ Nv, ,,hita
o,'ns which Is his caste mark. and three Wll,ss
sfrines across his brow. breast and arms, ht,a
arn SIGNS ~ his business His attire Is VIZ
cloth thirty or forty feet long think MH'T WaaS
/ winds ingeniously about his body ana less. - bis
and feet are bare. II a Chatty DIES IT, eeveral
reiatives ali chip in according 10 their t,,,sn
means to pay his debts TO the last pens penn obga-
IN the fourth cousins that is held sacreu fhe,y
80 To- ~. - thev cannot pay all off at once NV;
do it by instruments. at whatever saCr. as YOU
their interests the duty may require go, As 50N
may imagine, Chattys creG It's, Is a," c1ste mark
cd 81 siJ ! understand II, but know II is not S'
Of the four great castles Of India 80 are s'' great
! ,ouo n'" ~ which there subdvls.onss
T WSsh they call castles too but we n w0I the
nrobaby understand them to be Ser rricaae a ard