The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-04
HARDLY KNOW KIPLlNG
At HIS OLD HOME IN LAHORE. INDIA.
FEW PEOPLE REMEMBER HIM.
John McCufcheon Visits Mulvaney's
Where kipiinS Learned to Write.
John Mccutcheon. In Chicago Record.


John McCutcheon. In Chicago Record.
LAHORE, India, Feb. $50 this is
where Mulvaney and Ortheris and Learoyd
used to live" said the visitor 10 the stocky
Oxfordshire Tommy Atkins who was
guiding him through the old fort at Lahore.
Everything that met his eyes seemed so
Kiplirg-the long. low barracks. the parade
ground. the groups Of English soldiers, the
officers quarters, all reminded him of Kip
ling's matches soldier stories.
Il don't know the names O. them old
Johnnies as lived ere, but yonder's the
tomb o. one of en-" 1t was the tomb OF
Maharajah Rajit Singh.
''Ere's the married quarters" and her
Majestys soldier waved his stick knowingly
at long blue and white building of plas-
tered mud. with many low arches leading
into the veranda. and with groups OF tow
headed children f1ocking in and out, and
few strings of washing hung up to dry. 1t
was sufficiently domestic and populous to
suggest the presence of matrimony.
when did Mulvaney and Ortheris and
Learoyd live here?' the visitor asked, for he
was anxious to find out some Of the inner
history OF those soldiers three that Kipling
has made famous. and hear the story from
one of their own brothers-in-arms on the
old stamping ground.
The soldier was silent. So the two walked
in through the fort. past the blue 'dobe bar
racks and parade ground. the soldiers
heavy shoes slumping stolidly on the paw
ing stones and the visitor awaiting expect
antly for the personal "reminiscences that he
felt were now being framed.
"'Ere's the harmony" said the soldier,
indicating building.
'Kipling's certainly made Lahore famous.
He's written some great stories about the
British soldiers up here in the Punjab."
Still no outhurst Of confidence from
Tommy.
you've read some of Kiplrg's stories,
haven't you?" asked the visitor, terrible
fear creeping over him.
Il don't remember the name, SIR"
"Kipling-Rudyard Kipling. He used TO
work on the Civil and Military Gazette here.
He started out here, you know. and wrote
about the soldiers of the fort and out at
Milan Nicer environments for six or seven
years. He's made a big reputation"
I've read a good many stories about the
soldiers, but I'm not good at remembering
names: l cannot remember the names of
any of the reporters that comes ere. Now
Wen go on 10 the hoficers' mess. In the
ence ALL
And this happened in Lahore, where Mr.
Kipling made his first mark. and where
every scene is clearly associated with his
earlier and most charming Indian stories.
Lahore and the northwestern part of
India are full of Kipling, for the greater
number OF his Indian tales relate TO La
hore, Simla and the Punjab frontier. When
he was a young man he started TO work
on the Civil and Military Gazette in La
hore and for seven years was connected
with that paper, doing all kinds of work.
The newspaper office is about the same as Ii
was in those days. Many members of the
mechanical and business staff are still asso-
GATED with the paper. but Kipling, TO them,
is merely q former half-forgotten employee,
who has since made something of reputa-
ton. 1t seemed singular 10 them that any
one from America could be interested in him
or have a curiosity to see where his early
work was done. 1t certainly appeared to
me that Kipling was less known in Lahore
than in America.
The newspaper plant-two low-spreadng
bungalows in broad compound-was very
different from ones ordinary conception of
newspaper office. In one of the buildings
were the editorial offices. and in the other
the printing presses, composing rooms and
business offices. In the former was Kip
were written. II was a high-ceilinged book
lsh-looking place, with imposing stacks of
books and files standing high against the
walls. He had first occupied little corner
wing but the ceilings were low and the
heat of the summer made Ii uninhabitable,
so he was moved into the larger room.
now occupies Mr.. Kipling's former desk,
showed me many of the old files of the pa
per with the authors early stuff in print
A greater portion of the more famous sto-
ries and poems have been clipped out. but /
ran across occasional pieces that had new
er seen In print before.
In 1892 Kipling returned from a three
years trip in England. He had achieved
considerable fame and had severed his con-
nection with the Gazette and the Allahabad
Pioneer. both papers being controlled by
one owner. A poem called Home is printed
in the Christmas number of that year, and
following II is page story of his expert
IN unfr frNr nnL NM 20 rhn ho-
loved scenes of his early life in Lahore.
In the number of Dec. q. 1892, appears
MY Lord the Elephant" whether printed
An early book Of Kiplings called Let
tiers of Marque, may occasionally be found
having Withdrawn 1T from circulation soon
after its publication.
There is very little TO indicate that Kip
those days than he is how indeed many
OF his former acquaintances were distinct
ly uncomplimentary. in the tone of their
spect for his cleverness and genius, and
among some n great incredulity that people
were really buying 500 Kipllng editions
pressroom of the paper. was professedly
profound admirer of his former associate
future greatness He seemed delighted to
talk Of him. and pointed out places in the
pressroorn that have been mentioned in
kipling's stories. Here was the table at
when Daniel Dravot. the man who would
be king" and his pal Peachy Carnehan
came 10 get information about Kaferistan
Three years afterwaru in the same old
pressrocm, Peachy Carnehan came back
and told the wonderful story OF their adj
ventures as kings of Kaferistan. He laid
the crowned and withered head of Sir Dan
iel Dravot on the table as corroborative
evidence. Out beyond the little compound
garden which fronts the editorial and press
rooms of the Gazette is the broad mall
where Peachy sat two hours in the blazing
sun. A mile away is the big Delhi gate
from where the caravan started 10 go north
into Afghanistan through the khyber pass.
with Daniel disguised as mad mullah and
Peachy disguised as his mute servant.
Lahore is the city of Dreadful Night"
desc ribed IN a story OF his under that title.
II is in some respects the most interesting
CITY OF India the native quarter within the