The Columbus journal., 1908-04-22

Calcutta, the City OF Palaces"
seems. in her function of metropolis.
the embodiment of the Indian empire.
even as Delhi seems to embody the
India of ancient days. For Calcutta
is modern city, with all its tale Of
tramways, Offices, stately buildings and
handsome shops. together with its
slums and backways, yet it is a green
and tropic jungle.
A continental air, communicated
perhaps by the tramways and green
open spaces. places it apart from
ether Indian cities. 1t has an air of
life. 1t is town with streets-streets
of shops, streets of houses; it is a
place Of crowded and busy animation;
the Chowrirghee, the Regent street Of
the metropolis of India, is a large.
clean street with fine frontage of
buildings, shops, hotels and private
houses.
From the Chowringhee it is no
great distance to government house,
through another street Of fine shops,
and we see the sentries at the gate,
showing that the viceroy is there. A
big white building, pillar fronted, with
great approaches Of stairway. impos-
ing, but without special characteristic.
is the metropolitan seat of govern
ment. 1t lies in fine grounds. green
and cultivated, with flowers and trees.
all with a sober air of restraint and
polish and correctness.
The Chowringhee itself looks on the
Madam, the open meadow land which
has been called 1.-The lungs of Cal
cutta" where the air blows fresh and
pure from the river. and where golf
and push-ball are played. Through
this Madam, and looked upon by
statues of men who have helped to
make Calcutta, runs the Red road, the
fashionable afternoon drive. Turning
out of this at an acute angle ones
carriage rolls into the Strand, the
road beside the river where ship
ping always lies. reminding us of traf-
fic with far distant lands. All lines
are represented-the English p. and
O.: the British India. plying not only
homewards, but to Burmah and the
Straits; the French Messageries Mari
times; and sometimes sailing vessels
lie there for weeks. with all their
fairy-like rigging. waiting till the
sails shall be spread and the .'passers-
by float out on distant voyages.
Yes, all Calcutta joins to give an
impression of worldwide intercourse.
of connection with many lands, of
cosmopolitan interests. The streets
of the better houses are beautiful as
a dream in the sunlight, with green
foliage and Towering shrubs, purple
bougainvilla and scarlet fame of the
forest, peeping out between the houses.
There are great squares with deep
and silent tanks of water in the mid
die. with vivid green banks and trees
around them. These streets are clean
and open. but in older Calcutta there
are squalid slums. and, as in most In
dian cities, one is never far from a
Dusty. or street of native houses.
The New Market. as the large bazaar
is called. differs from many Eastern
bazars in being under government,
and is therefore a clean and orderly
place. All under cover, with its rows
of little shops. 1t is certainly not as
picturesque as most bazars, though
more cleanly and practical. Here
one can buy anything. and cheaper
than in European shops.
But amidst and through it all are
many reminders Of the past. Down
on the walls of the little, narrow, box
like shops.
There are curio dealers. too, with
Chinese and India silver and china.
Sakuma and japanese cloisonne,
kmonos. fans and all sorts of eastern
wonders. There are Chinese boot.
makers. shrewd-looling men in blue
coats and trousers, with an English
felt hat above the long pigtail. They
will make you pair of shoes to meas
ure surprisingly clever and cheap.
Many nations are here. both as buy
ers and sellers-Europeans. Amer