The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-02-24


pillow with a wooden stick. drawn by
two oxen. They carry water on their
heads, in earthen jars. and the well
is still the great meeting place
Thursday. January II.
1 have written that at d distance
Benares does not look unlike Mis-
souri, river city, except that there is
no bluff on either side OF the
GangeS; but there is exactly the
same sandbar opposite Benares that
there is opposite Atchison. All of
Benares is on one side of the river
as Is the case with all the Missouri
river cities, and in the distance is
seen an iron railroad bridge painted
red. Along the river front for two
or three miles, stone steps lead up
from the water. These steps some
times lead into a street; sometimes
iulo q mosque, or castle, or palace, or
temple. The stone steps leading I'D
from the river are old, and some of
them are crumbling away: the nal
aces, temples, mosques and castles to
which they lead are also old. and
weather worn, and illuminated IN
the old days. before railways were
Dullt the Gauges river was great
highway, and the important part OF
Old Benares was naturally built along
the river front.
Early every morning the stone steps
leading up from the river are COW
eted with Hindus engaged in worship.
Benares being the sacred city of the
113Lldus' II IS visited by thousands of
pllsIttns, who go down the stone stems
70 the water to battle and prav After
lhey have bathed, they go back IN me
steps, and. looking toward the rising
sun, say their prayers.
Along the river front. also. the Hindu
Geaq are burned. on piles of wood
THESE fires burn all along the river on
the stone steps are also seen the sacred
C 20 ana Dulls, surrounded by crowds
Of worshippers.
arose at s o'clock this morning. and.
aItef nasty early break fast, went for
boat ride on the river. to witness the
scene I have so imperfeetlv and b57r-
riedly described. The men and [voT9a7,
would walk into the water with their
clothes on. and, after a little hesita
ton, would stOOp down, and 60 under.
Ihen standing on their feet. with the
water up to their waists, they looked
toward the sun, and muttered prayers.
Sometimes they would stand in the
water for 20 minutes: their ewes closed
and their hands clasped in supplicatfon
On gong cut, they GENEROUSLY slip dry
clothes over their heads and 20 up
the stone steps to paint their fore
heaCs. red, or yellow, or white. as all
good Hindus do. Then they were ready
TO resume the business Of rObbing tour
lists for the day.
The pilgrims were dressed in all sorts
OF colors: red, yellow, blue grey etc,
and their clothes always consisted of a
sneeI wrapped about them. and a color
ed cloth wrapped about their heads This
is the principal sight that brings tourists
to Berares, but the tourists are not as
numerous as the pilgrims: I saw only
six tourists this morning on the river.
/ don't know where the tourists are
but they are net in Benares. At our
hotel the guests did not number a
dozen although there were accommo-
dations for certainly 50.
Our man is a Mohammedan and laughs
at the Hindu religion. The weather was
quite chilly this morning, and I said to
him:
How long do these. people remain in
the water? 1t is cold
They not cold" he replied; they
see their God. That warns them"
The Hindus baptizing themselves was
about equal to an Atchis0n man taking
a battle in the Missouri river late in
October. I wore an overcoat while
watching the remarkable scene from the
deck of boat rowed by four men. Mo
hamet accompanied US, and did the
quarreling; and he was pretty busy ev-
cry time we discharged a bOatman or
a carriage driver. He also tips hotel
servants and Quarrels with them.
How many persons expect tips at ev-
when We arrive in a town, our bag
gage is carried from the train to a
carriage by four coolies. I have seen no
baggage wagons here: the custom is
for a second class carriage to handle
the baggage, on top; Mchamet riding
inside. Arrived at the hotel, the bag
gage is carried to our room by four
coolies. Then there is the table waiter,
the room man. the sCavenger, the man
who brings hot water, and the man
who does this, that and the other. OF
course the driver Of your carriage ex-
poets a tip, in addition to his fee, as
does the foOtman who rides behind.
have said nothing Of the men who are
constantly in front of your room Of
fering to sell you snake, tell your for
tune. make a tree grow out of the
ground, make music, or perform athlet-
les Nor have mentioned the man who
appears, and presents you with flowers
to reappear with a demand for pay
when you are ready to depart.
When I settled MY bill at the hotel
this morning the clerk and the mana
ger sat side by side. The clerk made
out the bill and I paid it. whereupon
the clerk gave 1t to servant to carry
to the manager, who receipted it, and
sent it back to me by the servant. The
clerk might have handed the bill to
the manager; the manager might have
handed 1t to me. But that is the GUS
tom over here. and as 1t has been the
custom thousands of years, I won't at
tempt to change it on this hurried trip.
But I will say the price at this hotel is
not eXtravagant: two dollars day on
the American plan, with bath, and room
on the ground floor.
There is one thing the PEOPLE of India
keep clean: the brass pots they use so
much Every time I pass a house I
see some one industriously scrubbing a
brass pot. India is noted for fancy ar
ticles made Of brass
I enjoyed today the most entertaining
railroad trip of my life. Leaving
NEWS EV