The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1906-07-03
LETTER FROM THE ORIENT.
Charles W. Roberts Writes of the Man
ners OF Customs of other Lands

ners of Customs of Other Lands.
In the city Of Indianapolis there ex-
lists to-day gigantic monument, com
memoratiye Of three wars, so colossal,
imposing and beautiful that if it was
standing in any of the cities of Europe
it would command the attention Of the
world but how manyAwho read these
lines have seen it?
/ There is Buddhist pagoda, or tenn
pie, in the city of Rangoon, Burma,
called the Shway Dagon, that in its
way is as great a curiosity as the Tai
Mahal in Agra, but there are compare
lively few tourists who see it. 1t can
not be described in short sketch. but
like some natural scene of great beauty
it needs the hand of an artist, 1t was
SO unexpectedly vast that it nearly
took awaymy breath. Imagine space
fourteen hundred feet square more
than mile around the inclosure- all
on raised platform. The central
tower is 1858 feet high, and has 800
bells one hundred are solid gold and
the rest are solid silver. All around
this central tower are dragons with
distended eyeballs, elephants kneeling
in alteration, sphinxes, etc. There are
1864 rubies. 541 emeralds and 434 dia-
monds somewhere in its system q did
MT count the rubies). The display of
glass mosaics and gold bronze is as
dazzling as a sunset. The whole great
assemblage, which is located on hill,
is approached by four fights of steps,
any one of which would accommodate
an army.
We spent several days on the IRA
waddy River on steamer far superior
to many on our American rivers some
of the staterooms were large enough
to go to housekeeping in, and the food
was excellent. The stops at the land
ings we're frequently long enough to
permit of doing several miles into the
country.
One day on train l fell into CONVEX
sation with gentleman who lived in
Mandalay, and he told me a lotof Wild
beast stories. 1t seems a big wild ele-
plant had wandered onto the track
right in front of an approaching loco
motive, and it being a question of
which was heavier and stronger, the
elephant had his own way and sham
bled off. Once, my informant said, he
heard the wild bleating of a sheep and
reached the scene just in time to see
the sheep disappear down the throat
of giant python. He said tigers were
frequently seen quite near where our
train was then passing one large one
having recently been killed there.
There is something about pythons sug-
gestiye of snakes.
All over the Orient are the snake
charmers, trick fakirs and jugglers,
and you are constantly being invited
to see "m0ngoose, he kill snake" II
it was snake, he kill mongoose," !
wouldn't look but like to see a
snake killed. Everyone has heard OF
the mango-tree trick, where, from a
seed planted in the earth, well watered
and cared for, tree grows in five min
utes large enough to cast shadow :
but that's dbl could do that trick
myself. But the trick / can't do is
this: A man comes along with coarse
bag containing his paraphernalia
thrown over his shoulder, throws the
bag dOwnin the road, takes hold Of the
corners and empties everything out
and carelessly losses the bag one side
several feet away. Someone notices
1 that all is not right in that bag he
has forgotten and left one or two co
bras perhaps; the bag gets plumpeI
and liyeljer, and 10 and behold out
walks a man. Were we hypnotized 7
Another very simple little trick is
yov are asked to thoroughly examine
an exceedingly plain, round basket
with a plain cover Your friend the
falxir gently folds handkerchief over
the basket. An instant, and with ra-
UiduO AdCC VIC iANAlA odJ ., A<uOh
You open the basket and find nothing.
He is visibly disappointed and says he
will try again. This time you raise
the lid . and out fly fifteen or twenty
canarieS chirping and flying In all di-
rections. "Also were we hypnotized
There are thousands and thousands
OF Orientals whose daily wage, when
they can get work, is two-cent post
age stamp mean to say there are
thousands in India who work ali day
for two annas -four cents) and more
thousands who work for one anna (nc
pun intended).
4 Americans are rich and happy and
don't know it. 1t Is certainly surpris
ing how little it takes to keep body
and soul together,