Evening star., 1904-03-12
ABOARD AN ELEPHANT 7
Account of a Ride From Jey-
pore to Amber.
SENSATIONS CAUSED
MAHoUT's WONDERFUL CONTROL
OF THE HUGE ANIMAL.
Remarkable Exhibition Of a Trained
Sparrow Given at Rail-
way Station.
SENSATIONS CAUSED
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Special Correspondence Of The Evening star ana
Chicago Record Herald.
JEYPORE, February 1s, 1904.
We have had great fun at Jeypore, ana
have seen many curious and interesting
things, for 1t is the liveliest ana most at
tractive place we have yet founo IN lndla,
with the greatest number OF novelties anu
distinctive local color. We have gone ABOUT
the streets like a lot of lunatlcs, kodaKs
in hand, taking snapshots at all the ooo
looking characters-and their name Is
legion.that I'VE have seen IN the streets'
1t isn't everybody that has an opportunity
to photograph a group OF eiephants IN luii
regalia, carrying their owners wives or
daughters on shopping excursions or 10
visit friends, of course we ooht kno"
which. And that Is only one OF the many
unusual spectacles that visitors to Jeypore
may see in every direction they choose 10
look.
| told you yesterday of the gay ra1ment
worn by the women and the men, anu ths
fantastic designs that were painted upon
the walls of the houses ana the puiloch
carts. The latter are neVer-enulnS ue
light for they are absolutely unique ana
ought to be placed on pedestals IN museums
instead of being driven about mere LOT Or
dinary transportation purposes. Inc yohes
of the oxen are carved with tancl1ul de-
Signs, ever lHllS SCiio" -
red and even the camelS are decorated
with long nettings and fringes and tassels
that reach from their humps TO their heels.
The decorative idea seems to prevail over
everything in Jeypore. Nothns Is Withoul
an ornament no matter how humble its
purpose or how cheap Its material or mech
aniSm, its owner embell1shes as much as
money and imagination will allow EVERY.
thing pays tribute to the esthetic sense Oh
the people.
The bullocks are lean animals Of cream
color with long legs and trot over the
road like horses. making four or nve miles
an hour. Instead of carrying bit in their
mouths the reins are attached to a little
piece of iron that passes through a hole in
the cartilage Of the nose and the traces
which draw the load spring from collar
that resembles yoke. Most of the hauling
is done by these animals. They are used
for every purpose that we use horses and
mules. Cows are never yoked. They are
sacred. The religion of the Hindu prohibits
him from subiecting them to labor. They
are used for milking and breeding and are
allowed to run at large. Nobody dare In
jure a COW or even treat 1T unkindly.
A learned pundit told me the other day
how it happened that cows became so high
iy esteemed in India. He said that once
upon time cattle became scarce because
of an epidemic which carried many. of them
off, and in order to recover their numbers
and protect them from slaughter by the
people some raja persuaded the Brahmins
to declare them sacred. Everything that
bTdHlIlln says goes III lnOld, ana tne tdDOo
placed upon those cows was passed along
until 1t extended over the entire empire,
and has never been removed. 1 suppose we
might apply the same theory to the sacred
bulls of Egypt.
A Remarkable Trained Sparrow.
At the railway station yesterday morning
a solemn-looking old man who, from ap
pearances, might have been contempo-
rary of Mohammed or the nineteenth incar-
nation of a might god, squatted down on
the floor and gaZed upon us with broad
and benevolent smile He touched his fore
head respectfully and bowed several times
and then, having attracted attention and
complied with the etiquette of his caste, he
drew from his breast a spry little sparrow
that had been nesting between his cotton
robe and his bare flesh. Stroking the bird
affectonately and talking to it in some
mysterious language, the old man looked
up at US for approval and placed it upon
the pavement 1t greeted us cord. y with
several little chirps and hoped around over
the stone to get the kinks out of its legs
while the old fakir drew from his breast
a little package. which he unfolded care
fully and laid on the ground. 1t contained
an assortment of very fine beads of differ
ent oelors and made of glass. Taking a
spool of thread from the folds of his robe,
the old man broke off a piece about two
feet long. and, calling to the bird, began to
whistle softly his pet hoped over to-
ward him. There was evidently a perfect
understanding between them. The bird
knew what was expected and proceeded i'm
mediately to business. 1t grasped the lower
end of the thread in its little claws as Its
trainer held it suspended in the air with
the other end wound around his forefinger
and swung back and forth chirruping
cheerfuly. After swinging a little while it
reached the top, and then stood proudly
for a moment on the f2kir's finger and ac-
knowledged our applause. Then it climbed
down again like a sailor or a monkey and
dropped to the ground.
had never seen such an exhibition, SO
simple and yet unusual, but something
even better was yet to come, for, in ohe-
dience to instruction, the little chap picked
up the tiny beads one after another with
his bill and strung them upon the thread
which ii held with its tiny toes
The Hindus have wonderful power over
birds and beasts and reptiles and every
where you goat railway stations in the
market places, in the bazaars and even
more generally upon the steps of temples
they appear with Dasketfuls of snakes,
scorpions and other hideous creatures and
put them through all sorts of tricks. Every
body tells us that the fangs Of these ser
pents are extracted and that their power
for harm has been destroyed but that does
not make them any more agreeable or
pleasant to look at
: At the maharaja's stables, which [ told
you about yesterday, every one of the 800
horses had Shackles around his hind legs
They were hitched in stalls wider than or
dinary, generally six feet wide and twelve
feet deep, and StreWn with straw The head
of each horse was fastened by two STRAPS
so that he could not turn it around and
the ropes attached to the heels rof every !
animal ran back fifteen or twenty feet
across the roadway and were fastened to
posts stuck in the ground. was unable
to get satisfactory expianat ton The
guide said that it was intended to keen the
horses from kicking, but that is nonsense.
For SUCH purpose it would be necessary
TO run the ropes the other Way and thew
were drawn so tight that the horses were
compelled TO stand in an unnatural posi-
ton. .~1''-'
Elephant Ride to Amber.
we TOOK our first elephant ride this
morning and visited Amber, the ancient
but now deserted capital of the province of
Jeypore, where tens of millions of dollars
were wasted in the construction df splendid
palaces and mansions that are now left
standing open and empty. most of them in
good condition, TO tie enjoyment of tour
lists only and an occasional party of pill
grims attracted hither by sacred associa-
tons. The reason alleged for abandoning
the place was the lack of pure water
The maEaraja usually furnishes elephants
for visitors to his capital to ride around on
we are tod that he deliobtc 10 n, IT ba-