Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-26
AN AMERICAN FAKIR.
He PREsiDEs OVER THE HAN,,MAN
TEMPLE IN THE HiMALAyAs
Has Penetrated Occultism So Fa,. That N.
Has Been Made High Muck-a-muck Over
Two Tribes of Sacred Monlxevs-u. n.
tests Modern Civilization.

tests Modern Civilization.
ihe people hereabout, Britishers and ma.
lives, had told me SO much of the fakir
Presiding over the Hanuman temnlo On
inc summit CT the Jaiko, in the Himalayas
mat made ready the other day to climb
the l,3oO feet to the mountain ton in ,,n,.
! pany of a deYout Hindoo.
we found him sitting in front of tho
SHRINE contemplating the fascinating nan
Drama beneath him, the stones If the
snow abode with wonderful Sim,a.
that has risen in the desert almost with
the raridity of an American city. the green
landscapes dotted here and there with an
Gent ruins. small clumps of mango trees
ana lonely palms towering in their height.
ms II on seminal duty He is a powerful;
man, III spite of his age and mode of liy-
! ing, with strong, almost naughty face.
Around his hips he wore white linen
scarf, leaving his legs and feet free. A
ieopard skin was drawn over his shoulder
and turban on his head The fakir an
swered our greetings in good English. He
spoke slowly, but his words were well
chosen.
II am Charles William de Rousette,'
he said. My father came from the south
! OF America to Simla in 1885 and engaged
| in the mercantile business. / was born on
board of a calling vessel flying the stars
and stripes. My mother, long since dead,
came from the north of the Union. but nv
father was of French descent He was
very successful! in trade and gave me the
benefit of what is called by you people an
excellent education.
Among our native house servants was
a 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. | loved
this good man, and whenever | had occa-
sion to visit him / staid for hours in and
around his shrine. All endeavors to in
terest me in study and in the life my par
ents and friends were leading failed. /
| longed for the seclusion and freedom of
the hermit, and one morning, after con-
bsulting with the holy man on the noun
tain, l made good my escape and entered
| upon my novitiate, with a staff and beg
gar's bowl as my sole capital. l became
rover, mendicant, anything you choose
| to call it, The good religious folks fed
mr and tho heavens were my cover for 12
long years, during which time visited all
the remote valleys and all the temples
s..;nding beside tho stupendous glaciers
until my soul was full of wonder and awe
at the work OF God.
"Twelvc times l worshiped at the holy
sources of tho Ganges, then to return to
| Sinla, strewn with ashes and clad in my
locks, that during my wanderings never
hal felt shears My father had died mean
while, leaving me independently rich. But
What was money to me? l never went near
| ~ mil nj
After learning of my fathers death l pro-
,ecdcd at once to this temple and took my
| place at tho feet OF the holy man. l be-
came his disciple, and when he died, years
after, he nominated me his successor.
81 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, but l would rather die
and rot as a heather outcast than submit
| to the dictatuns and believe in tho teach
ings of the lying, deceitful English clergy,
devoted to all the vices and luxuries ever
invented. "
The fakir's business is to receive the
offerings from the natives and divide them
among tho apes after deducting his own
share De Rousotte told us the monkeys
of the Simla region are divided in two
groups, living apart from each other III
different districts of the forest, which they
leave only at tho periods of migration, re
curing every third year
You should see my friends preparing
for their wandering" said the faklr. NO
English regiment that ever trod Indian
soil moved in such splendid order. They
march indeed as if drilled by the PruS-
SLAMS, and iron discipline is maintained in
the ranks may their route be ever so long.
1T is said il, the valley you possess pro
dioious influence over the four handed le'
gions remarked.
Il nominate their king" said tbs fakir
smiling. ''I;is majesty does tho rest.
But there they come. Look for yourself"
In an instant the trees and bushes
around the temple were alive with whls-
kercd MONKEYS, leapng from the branches
or walking Greet on their hind legs, WITH
staffs in their hands. The ''gros' of tie
army remained on the terrace OF the TEN
Die, while ono monkey walked gravely
into the sanctum Tho fakir took my arm.
and led me in too. ''This is the Mahar-
nscha Snhib' {kingl" he said, who is
rriyilcoeti to rat in front of my own ire
place. Tho prototype Of proud dignity, IS
he not?'
His majesty sat down On the lurs spiI,t"
upon tho stoao floor asid took from tn"
hands of the la6i- % bowl filed with maize
and wild ginger. Then he began &c cas-
slowly and deliberately, paying no atten
tion whatever to his audience. The kings
general, " called Kotwai, meanwhile Kept
order without. He was big MONKEY,
nearly as taiiand weighty as the ''sah'b
himself, who stood head and shoulders
above tie resi- of his tribe The kotwai
marshaled his troops with imposing dis
erection. and only once in awhile was IL
necessary for him to Ese tine mighty c,uh
he carried in bis right paw. Noticed thaS
no punishcd monkeys who endeavcreo 10
nut away mere than their share 10y send
Inc them 'sbehiud the front. Actual us
ohe,lience was invariably punished by the
stick Not until all ordinary monkeys had
bern fed did the general receive his meal
which however, consisted of the best NOR
sells the fakiry afforded. When all had lin
isbcd. the monkeys salaamed goodby, 70
| which the fakir made answer, "Jao beta
mo. INV sons).-Simla Qndia) Cor. CHI
cago Inter Ocean.