The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1895-01-15
AN AMERICAN FAKIR.
HE PREslDEs OVER THE HANuMAN
TEMPLE iNTHE HIMALAYAS.

Has Penetrated occultism So Far That He
Has Been Made High Mucik-n-muck Over
Two Tribes OF Sacred Monlseys-He De-
tests Modern Civilization.
The people hereabout, Britishers and ma
tives, had told mo SO much of the fakir
presiding over the IIanuman temple on
the summit of the Jaiko, in the Himalayas
that made ready the other day to climb
the !, 500 feet to tho mountain top in COM
pany of devout Hindoo.
We found him sitting in front of tho
shrine contemplating the fascinating pam
Drama beneath him, the slopes of the
''snow abode" with wonderful Simla,
that has risen in tho desert almost with
the rapidity of an American city, the green
landscapes dotted here and there with an
Gent ruins, small ciumps of mango trees
and lonely palms towering in their height,
as If on sentinel duty. He is powerful
man, in spite of his age and mode of liv-
ing, with q strong, almost naughty face.
Around his hips he wore q white linen
scarf leaving his legs and feet free. A
leopard skin was drawn over his shoulder
and a turban on his head. The fakir an
swered our greetings in good English. He
spoke slowly, but his words were well
chosen.
Il am Charles William do Rousctte,"
he said. any father came from the south
of America to Simla in 1896 and engaged
| in tho mercantile business. l was born on
board of a sailing vessel flying the stars
and stripes My mother, long since dead
came from the north of the Union, but my
father was Of French descent. He was
very successful in trade and gave mo tho
| benefit of what is called by you people an
| excellent education.
| Among our native house servants was
Sadhu (disciple) who had originally
served the venerable Brahman in this tenn
| pie, and who afterward, upon the death of
| the fakir, became his successor. l loved
this good man, and whenever l had occa-
| sion to visit him l staid for hours in and
around his shrine. All endeayors to in
terest me in study and in the life my par
ents and friends were leading failed.
longed for tho seclusion and freedom of
the hermit and ono morning, after con
sulting with the holy man on the noun
tain, l made good my escape and entered
upon my noyitiate with a staff and beg
| gar's bowl as my sole capital. / became
rover, mendlcant, anything you choose
to call it. The good religious folks fed
me, and the heavens were my cover for 10
long years, during which time visited all
the remote valleys and all the temples
standing beside the stupondous glaciers
until my soul was full of wonder and awe
at the work of God
Twelve times worshiped at the holy
sources Of the Ganges, then to return to
Simla, strewn with ashes and clad in my
locks, that during my wanderings never
had felt shears. My father had died mean
while, leaving me independently rich. But
what was money to mef never went near
the official administering my fortune.
After learning of my fathers death pro-
ceeded at once to this temple and took my
| I'D f,a So e. ~, I'LL, L..
camo his disciple, and when he died, years
after, he nominated me his successor.
II detest Europeans, not as individuals,
but as members of degraded community.
am better off here As far as nationality
goes, certainly belong to the so called
civilized world, hut ! would rather die
and rot as heather outcast than submit
TO tho diotations and believe in the teach
ings of the lying, deoeitful English clergy,
devoted to all the vices and luxuries ever
inventedR
The ia. MS business is to receive the
offerings from the natives and divide them
among tho apes after deduct1ng his own
share. De Rousette told us tho monkeys
of the Simla region are divided in two
groups, living apart from each other in
different districts of the forest, which they
leave only at the periods of migration, re-
curing every third year.
You should see my friends preparing
for their wandering" said the fakir. mo
English regiment TINT ever trod Indian
soil moved in such splendid order. They
march indeed as If drilled by tho Prus-
SLAMS, and iron discipline is maintained in
the ranks, may their route be ever SO long. u
ut is said in the valley you possess pro
digious influence over the four handed lie.
gions, remarked.
81 nominate their king" said the fakir,
smiling. His majesty does tho rest
But there they come. Look for yourself. y
In an instant the trees and bushe.
around tho temple wero alive with whis
kerod monkeys leaping from tho branches
or walking erect on their hind legs, Will
stats in their hands. The "gros' of thu
army remained on tho terrace of the tenn
pie, whilo one monkey walked gravelJ
into the sanctum. The fakir took my arm
and led me in too. This is the 'Mahar
ascha Sahib' (kingl," he said, who il
privileged to eat in front Of my own fire
: place. The prototype of proud dignity, il
he notY"
His majesty sat down on the furs spreat
upon the Stone floor and took from TIL
hands OF the fakir bowl filed with maiz
and wild ginger. Then no began TO eat
slowly and deliberately paying no atten
i ton whatever 20 his audience. The king
!. general, +" called Kotwal, meanwhile KEEP
r order without. Ho was q big monkey
o leAlly uS bhli hlAu nSiSHty as viz '-ahtb
!. himself, who stood head and shoulder
!, above the rest of his tribe. Tho KotwG
!, marshalcd his troops with imposing dis
cretion, and only once in awhile WINS
: necessary for him to uso the mighty clu
he carried in his right paw. Noticed tina
he punished monkeys who endeavorcd
put away moro than their share by sent
ing them behind the front" Actual di
obedience was invariably punished by Il
% stick. Not until all ordinary monkeys Ia
y been fed did the general receive his mea
d whiciB however, consisted of tho best mo
/. sells the fnkiry afforded. When all had Oh
la ished, the monkeys salsamed goodby,
" which the fAkir made answer, "Jao beta
!, (Go, my sons)-Simla (India) Cor, Oh
cago Inter Ocean.
A. Some Plant Leaves.
d.