The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-01-05
THE LATEST PEOPLE
IN WHOLE WORLD
Some Stories Of a Small Hill
Tribe in Central
India.
MEN DO NOTHING AT ALL
What Little is Found Necessary to
Merely Prolong Existence Falls
to the Lot of the slovenIy
Squaws.
From the Chicago Tribune.

from the CHlCaSo lIipule.
In these days of push and energy II
lazy, and still the Todas, a hill tribe of
India are the LATEST people in the world
The Godas are not ashamed of theirrepu-
tatioi and are free to confess that they
know of nothing so foolish and stupid as
work. Thcic one and only pursuit is the
raising of buffaloes; they are far too in
dolcnt to follow the chase. An az is their
only weapon, although they know how to
make others. They use this for waging
war and fer telling trees. They will not
till the land, considering this unnecessary
labor. To make housekeeping easier, all
their natural products are held in common;
the idea of property is only restricted to
the hut. its contents and live stock.
The buffaloes, which they own in large
numbers, furnish them with skins for
c~lc!lling and the hut, and the meat is used
as food. But milk is their principal diet.
They do not even relish the idea of milking
their cattle; the head mixers are the only
ones that are to be %pursuaded to do this
LABOR. These men are chosen from the
class of ''peiki" or sons of Cod" They
arc the priests and practice celibracy. AL
though the priests tend to the cattle, each
householder own hist cattle.
Much as these men dislike the caring for
their cattle, they find farming a. less dig
nified calling. Some years g they went
to war with their %neighbors, the Badaga
and Kotas, as they might be able to levy a
tax of one-eighth on their grain products.
When their grain grows scarce they live
on roots and berries. They will sell their
Ian or give it away, but they will not Gull
. tivate 1T at any price.
The building of bamboo huts does not In
terest them any more than the c%ultivating
Of the soil, and they make this task easyby
making the boys cut the bamboo and their
wives build the lluts. 1t is not unusual for
three families to share one abode. The
men are often so lazy that they annot af-
ford one wife alone, but even this does not
worry them; two CT three brothers manage
to support one wife. Indolent and slothful,
they sit listless for hours, unconcerned
about all things. What they know they
know well; they are intelligent within GER
tain narrow limits, but they are too lazy to
increase their store of knowledge. What
ever has to be lone must be cared for by
the woman and children.
Strangely, their appearance does not dis
close this most marked characteristic
They are tall and we'll proportional. They
look like Roman senator's, as they walk
wrapped in skins resembling the ancient
toga. Their appearance is not only prepos-
%Eessing, but bold and self-reliant.
Many an amusing story is told of this
email hill tribe, numbering about 400 men.
An American missionary was working
among them, when one day he saw some
women and boys building a hut of bamboo.
,IIe inquired why the men We're not per-
forming this labor, and one woman ex-
planned: "Husband mine don't work; me
and boys build house,
The missionary made no further COM
meat, but when the hut was built he told
the husband that he must build another
Nut, as he could not live in a home made by
women and children. But the surprised
Toda answered.: mo, no; me no work;
NAN has boys and wife to work.
The Toda meant what he said. Although
The missionary argued, and finally horse
whipped the native, he could not get him
TO build a hut.
An equally amusing story is told by an
English officer. He was so taken by the
handsome appearance of one of the natives
he wanted to take him to England and
place him in his own regiment. The officer
gave the native skins and silks until the
CODA promised to become an English sol
dier. He was delighted with the officers
bright, gay uniform. He did not feel bad
about leaving his country, his wife and
children, but when he was told that sol
diers work, he said:
Me no be an English soldier: me ba
Toda. Me no work; me no like work.
When the English officer tried toe per-
suade him he made answer: Take wife
and boys: they be English soldicrs-like
work. Me stay here and rest; me be ToGa.''