The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-02-01
PARKWAY BIRTHDAY PARTY.
Resident OF Morristown interesting
Account Of Celehratlon in India.

The following interesting letter has
been received by Joseph E. Randolph
from his brother John, who is in In.
dia on business.
Camp Tapuldoodi, S. India,
Dec. 90, 1900.
Here I am once more in a house
after month under canvas and / am
even writing in an Office as we'll. The
house is four rooms long, having two
bed rooms with bath rooms attached,
dining room and office, with kitchen
and servants quarters in the rear. AL
my small tents are erected on the
lawn, but the big ones remain packed
in the carts for the next camp. .
Each day after seeing tents taken
down and everything packed we start
for a long round as usual, and arrive
at completed camp with everything
in order in the evening. l am very
gladrto be in a house again, although
our camp life and rowing life is quite
ideal and will be renewed after Christ
mas. In months absence we have
gone thoroughly over 500 square miles.
On the Goth was my birthday and. it
gave me some pleasure to announce
the previous day through Arokasanny
to the men that the next day they
were to have sheep and goat killed
for them and as much "toddy" as
they could drink Juice of the oat
palm and very much like Mexican
pulque.) 1t made the poor kellassies
and oartmen and chuprassies and syces
very jubilant for very few of them
receive more than So per month, out
of which they must get their food.
/ just wanted to show my men I took
an interest in them, for to them | am
Bara Sahib (great mastery and as
far away as the North Pole. But an
unexpected thing happened. Leaving
camp in the morning after having
started everything off for next camp
six miles away, it being my birthday.
| made it a short day and arrived at
new camp about 2 p. m. AS I got out
of my tonga and approached my tent,
I saw that the whole front of the tent
was decorated with flowers and before
| could take it in, my servant APP
preached me and threw garland of
roses over my shoulders and led the
men in stentorian Hip-hip- hoorah |
Hoorah On going into my tent, gra-
cious me that was decorated with
flowers too. We took our tiffin under
the wing of the tent, and after that
there was great rattle of native
drums and the whole force except the
servants and chuprassies came boom
ing up to my tent led by the drums
and hurrahed. The meaning of the
drums and parade was all in honor of
the arrival of the "toddy." Then, to
my establishment they cleared space
in front of my tent and commenced
a series of native games that delighted
me. They wrestled and danced and
had sword exercises and lance exer-
cises. 1t was immensely interesting
I assure you and as the whole thing
was of their own idea in gratitude
for the mutton and toddy, l was both
surprised and delighted. 1t showed
lots of good feeling.
Very seldom in my life have 1 had
natives in the Orient so freely enter
into their games before, and to do SO
spontaneously was very delightful.
Gracious don't know when / have
laughed SO much or applauded so
much. Then my tonga driver or syce
rallied the other syces (3) and COM
meneed dress parade in imitation of
the drill of an English awkward squad.
First he read them a lecture in Hin
dustani duly translated by Arokas-
sany) with all kinds of funny hits.
You are now in the service of the
Inquizi English don't forget that.
If you were in the service of the
Moguls, they would have paid you
nothing per month: if in the service of
the Morgli, he would give you three
rupees a month. But in the service
of the noble English who have taken
our country away from us and given
us plague instead--you will receive
fifteen (15) rupees month. Right
face (Of course they all faced different
Attention. Gall looked
in different directions) Forward
march Gall marched in different di-
rection). My description is poor, but
it was so funny that tears ran down
my cheeks from laughing.
In the evening there was singing
and dancing by the freight in front
of the mems tents and very interest
ing it was. So without expecting it
or even hoping for so impossible a
thing, my DeccaD peasants voluntarily
showed me their games and customs
and | like them all the better for it.
Christmas morniI G.
Following the English custom and
being in an English country and in
English employ, decided to have
Christmas games for all the men with
first and second prizes for each event,
and this has filled the hearts of the