Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-13
Simla is the Most Popular Summer
Resort in India.
SCENERY OF PECULIAR BEAUTY
The Season This Year VIII Be a
Very Gay One.
COMING OF THE CURZONS

John I. MCutchenn In the Chicago Record
From the latter part Of March aud carly
April to the middle Of October all OF FASH
ionable India goes to the famous hill sta
ten at Simia. The yiceroy and the ma
chinery Of government moves up. the cam
ital changes from Calcutta to Simra. and
for seven months Calcutta lies dan and
burning, while the lower HimaIayas around
Simla are swarming with society peorl,.
the hotels are thronged and everything is
booming with gayety.
Early in April the heat begins In earnest
N the plains and in some parts II is al
most uncomfortable for white people. The
thermometer runs up to 10 degrees in The
shade; the streets are blazing and the
houses are furnaces, on the khaki-c1loraI
plains life stands still. and the travellers I'm
the railway carriages pack their heads In
ice. streams Of water are kept trickliug
uo"h before the open ear windows 90 cool
lhS deadly waves Of heat that surge IN.
ana heavy wooden hoods are built abova
Ihe car roofs to break the rays OF tho SIM
ne" Is When FOLK who can afford il or
VINO can borrow enough money pack mn
hill station 7'''' VI 'ie
Simla is 1000 feet up in the H,naIav,r
where 1t is always cool i'm sti,,,,,sy J,bis
year will be the first in which Ia -
lazy Curzon make their Official cutr,. irtn
SlinIa, ard there are prospects that II viii
pe gay and lively season. The sfatior "a
~. ana trying to reach. and costly
aIter one has reached IT, This f,,+,,ra
makes 1t the more exclusive.
Travelling In Tongas.
The railway now runs Ia Kauza q s,,.-.
little city at the base of the hills Frr,r,
here tie ascent TO SimIa. A sistap,, .
hity-eight miles Is made hy ,.obi,.I, ~, -,
horseback through most picturrsous re
SONS ana on a mountain road that never
U'SSeia 10 dullness. 1t is the Great Tbibat
anu Hlndustan tran, leading from Tndt,
ross me Himalayas to Thihet. a tr,il ,s
old as the hills, but moderniz-d ana ,,1.,I,,
$4,000 tlaiI,ioteu by the British since Simla he
S Eaile hiiI station. 1t leaves the Igrifist
minus OF India near KalEa p,ss.. -,
cue native states OF PatiI3 ana L,.,,,I.t7,,
, 49, II reaches Simla, which is an g.. if,It
paIch OF British territory. " ''''ie
The characteristic vehicle ,,.,,s.,.
"a zen take to go from Kalka ~ ST. 'It
II t"Hsa. This vehicle ! A sort 90 -
o!idrlot IN shape and design, b,,-j+, ,
c,,r5,,,, law wheels and a Low body with .
ouiiouS top. A tongue rises from ~, -. :
az Such an angle that 1t is supnar,..4 49, ,''it
oLtuhS iron bar, which rests on M -, -
~ the TWO horses. There il is sa..,r.5 n
nass o1 IT'S the chief part Of The bar-
ness There are no traces and Tho 80, -
are free TO move about as rnuct a., - -
please. "'u'h as they
tP Into the Hills
u" 'he hIty-elght miles ride. which taLaz
anout eight hours of fast running f-,,.t,
h"rses are furnished at the relief s,at,,.,,.,
at The end Of every four or five mills NJ
ing the whole ride there are fopr,...,,
changes, and as each team has but nm,
work To do they are forced to do il sn..siI,,
and well. 9'i''
IN some places there are gigantic ascents
the road wrapping around proiactirf, -,
aiu Sleeplhe along the Drinks of SruDafyine
pieclpIces The tongas go like rho a,ip5
the drivers blowing their horns mil -
necessary, as strings Of bullock carts ana
t4uIe trains are continually passinr n
SroWs colder and colder as the heights are
reached, and the traveller, fresh from mo
plains. is apt to think the brarinp afr a.
arctic in its coldness -
Slmla has been a settlement since 1Sa.
dhg since lS6i II has been the summer can
ltal OF India. The European residences .
tend over a ridge in a crescent sham.
"hlch runs from west TO east FOR a distance
OF about five miles At the foot of ms
ridge IS a PERCEPTIONS descent, in SOM.
PAGES complete preCipice Of about OOo
feet, leading down to a valley watarad h,,
several streams ~
scenes of kipIIng.s Stories
The native Bazaar road cuts of one end NJ
Simla from another. The east portion il
called Chota Simla. the west Bofleaueant
A ridge running north. well wooded with
oaks and rhododendrons, is called EIysIun.
On the extreme west Of the station is Ju-
togh, a small military post on the top Of a
Iofty and steep hill. Two miles to the east
OF this hill is Peterhof the old residence of
the Nlceroy. Observatory hill and the fins,
new government house on Il is half a mile
to the west. Jake, a hill ] 900 feet higher
IL or h..
peopied with many memories and tender
Fomances. In kpling's Simla stories Jake
Is faEorite spot for heroes and heroinps
to go, although most Simla heroinas are
other mems wives and most Simla heroes
other women's husbands. Those who nave
read his Under the Deodar' sketches. and
those who remember Marion Crawford's
book. Mr.. ISaacs" will feel very familiar
with Simla names and localities.
The scenery at Simla is Of peculiar
beauty; IL presents number Of masnih-
cent views AT the spectators feet a
series of great ravines lead down into the
deep valleys which score the nlountainside.
NOrthward the eye wanders over n network
OF confused chains, rising range above
range, and crowned in the distance by a
crescent Of snowy peaks standing out in
bold relief against the clear background OF
the sky. The rides and walks around Sim
la are endless. but a visitor is cautioned re-
garding the animal he mounts Many peo-
pie have been killed by being thrown over
row escapes.
There are no roads in Simla on which
vehicles are allowed. The tonga terminus
is 800 feet below the wall and from there
Simla rises on series of shelves with mar
row streets and bride paths, zigzaeging up
to the top Of the ridge. Only horses and
chairs rickshaws and bicycles are allowed
above the tonga terminus. There is one
exception TO the rule. The yiceroy is per-.
mitted to have his carriage, but 1t is infre-
quentiy used.
Preparing for the Rush.
The season was not on while I was there
but preparations were making for the great
rush of the hot season. Hundreds of bull
lock carts and camel trains in great num-
bers were arriving from Kalka with fur
niture and household belongings. The vice
roy's palace. a beautiful building on a most
hill, was being touched I'd
against the arrival of Lord and Lady Cur
zon. There was generous depth Of snow
1n the ground and the Hmalayas to the
north seemed to be several thousand feet
above the snow line. for they appeared to
De solid, unbroken ranges of dazzling white,
With never a spot of green to be seen. A
good many or the winter residents were
.