The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-22
Wonderful Contrasts Socially
and in Climatic Conditions
FORTY INCHES OF RAIN.
This Amount often Falls in One
Night-ln Some Parts of the
Country Rain Never
Falls.

The Rev. Father Younan's illustrated
lecture on India at the Bijou last night
for the benefit Of the orphans home at
East Lake taxed the seating capacity of
the house.
A large sum was realized for the chari-
ty which is being fostered by the Rev.
Father O'Reilly.
The programme was opened with few
remarks by Father O'Reilly. Phil Mem
oil followed with cornet solo, For All
Eternity" and then Father Younan was
introduced.
Those who heard the Paulst priest at
st. PauIs church during the mission were
impressed with his grace of style and
his force as a preacher. But in church
he was always serious. No one suspect
ed him there of being a humorist. Last
night he was different. On the lecture
platform he felt free to indulge in play
full humor.
Father Younan was born in India and
spent forty years of his life there. He
has been in every part of that country
and knows its people and its scenery as
few men in this country do.
For a half hour before the stereopti-
can views were shown Father Younan
gave graphic accounts of India. He de-
scribed its various races and types and
its mountains, rivers and climate.
Contrasts of Country.
Some of the richest and most cultured
people in the world and some of the poor
est and most degraded, he said, live In
India. And not only are the contrasts
sharp In social life but they are just as
marked in the flora and fauna and the
climatic conditions. India produces the
rarest diamonds, rubies and pearls; II
produces more different kinds of beasts
and reptiles; mammonth elephants, mon-
keys and snakes. If Darwin he said had
gone to India he would have found his
missing link
AS for diversity of climate no country
could be compared to it. In one portion
the temperature was 1870 in the shade
while in the Himalayahs was the per-
petual snow. In some sections there was
little or no rain, while in other sections
rain came as a deluge.
Father Youman said that the rains in
the United States would be called only
drizzles in the wet part of India. Two or
three days of rain in America provol1es
the remark-'Oh, we have nothing but
RAIN but" he said, IT have been in
| ten inches of water falls in an hour; 40
| inches in a night.
II was teaching a Frenchman in India
some English idioms," said the father,
land explained to him that it rained
cats and dogs The next day the French
man saw the storm coming and exclaim-
ed, Now 1 shall see 1t rain kittens and
puppiesr !"
Views of India.
After his Introductory lecture, Father
Younan showed the views which he had
selected. There were one hundred of them
and he explained each one, sometimes
taking two minutes and sometimes only
a half minute. He presented scenes in
cities, pagan temples, idols, traffic and
types of high caste people, representa-
tives of the masses, middle classes, thugs
and cut threats. He showed the picture of
one man who confessed to $50 murders He
also showed many tranquil landscapes
and many majestic mountain effects.
Father Younan closed his illustrations
with a lifelike picture Of himself AS it
was thrown on the canvass he bowed to
the audience and left the stage, while
the house rang with applause.
Mr.. Bell sang "The Holy City," and
Miss Alice Fallon concluded the pro-
gramme with a solo, accompanied by
| Oliver Challfoux's violin.