The times., 1899-08-24
PASSING OF THE PUNKA.
Electric Fans VIII Re-
place Them in India. a
From the New York journal.

qrcm the New York Journal ss.,,
The American electric fan is destined to
supplant the Hindoo "punka," and thou
sands of members of the Punka Workers
Amalgamated Union of India are greatly
concerned over the prospects.
''punka" is a fan hung from ceiling
and operated by hand. very large pro-
portion of the population of Hindustan
spends its life wabbling ''punkas' at so
much per hour. These people now see
themselves losing their employment.
The Rajah of Koti,, who does not live in
India, but on the east coast of Borneo, has
started the movement to do away with the
''punka,' and the news of his progressive
ness has spread all over Asia, and what
he has done will be done by others, This
ruler received lately a catalogue from IN
American firm showing the operation of
the electric fan by motors. He wrote TO
the firm for further particulars. ioa' e7'ils-
In reply they sent him small electric
fan as a sample. This he put on one of the
arm rests of his throne and started it go,
ing. The breeze was delicious and the
rajah was so pleased with this newetoy
that he gave festival on the spot which
was participated in by all his subjects.
Free food and drink were distributed to all
present.
The only persons in the .rajahs district
who were not pleased with the fan were
the "punka" workers. They sat up all
night Matching conspiracies TO reduce TO a
position of ill-fayor the little circular
punka' that they believed was operated
by the devil II is said that they covered
the blades with a mixture of ink and muci-
lage. and that the next time the rajah used
it he received a sticky shower bath.
AS ink was the color of his skin, how
ever, the rajah did not mind a bit In
efaad of pptfinp I'm and cbinp 10 ia
with his scimitar as the ''punka" workers
thought he would he laughed heartily at
what he thought was practical joke play
ed on him by the little 'punka" imp.
Now the rajah has ordered $500 worth
of fans from the American firm that had
the enterprise to send him the dead-head
sample. One pair of these, which will be
hung on the throne, will be gilded and Gov
cred with real diamonds. They are the
finest fans ever manufactured anywhere.
The rajah announces that he will send
specimens of the devils fans" to dll the
other rajahs of his acquaintance. As he
has very large visiting list this means
another good order for this country
A consignment of electric fans that were
once shipped to Rangoon were destroyed
by the native ''punka" men. They were
also in the habit OF loosening the fans, so
that when they were started they would
In spite OF all they could do, however, the
fans retain their popularity, and the people
of Rangoon have ordered another ship
ment The 'Rangoon Times" of Burmah,
has sent to this country for nine motors
with which to print the paper.
The japanese have also learned of the
convenience of our fans, and have just
ordered 500 of them at a cost OF $l2 600
Most of them will be put up at the Impe-
rial Steel Works at Mojihavor. The Jap
apese are not superstitious enough 10 think
that the fans are worked by little devil
in the motor who turns the wheels. 1t is
said that when they got hold CT one they
Immediately took it to pieces and began
making one like IL.
German manumacturers have stolen all
the ideas involved in our electric fans and
are manufacturing them and sending them
around in the East, bearing American
trade marks. BY putting inferior mate
rial in the fans they are able to slightly
undersell Americans. But their products
last only about one-half the time that ours
do.
The natives have discovered that the
German drummers have poor goods and
they avoid them, so the German firms have
taken to dressing up their men so that
they think they look like Yankee CONNER
cial travellers. II is said that some Of the
'make-ups" are very funny The German
drummers try TO look as much. hike Uncle
Sam as they can. They wear goatee boards
and white silk hats and pretend to have
come direct from New York.