The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-07-31
AN oRpHANAGE AT BOMBAY.
BY rRANK G. CARPENTER.

BOMBAY. 1910.
The richest. the most powerful. the
most intelligent and most charitable
of all religions Is the Parsee, which
has its headquarters here at Bombay
i use these terms in comparing 1t with
theether great religions as to the num-
Der OF its members.
There are less than 100000 Parsees
in the world: but their banks and other
financial institutions are scattered
throughout the far east. and their pos
sessions are untold millions. They have
TO be considered in every business
moEement that goes on in India, for
they are the financial kings Of the
cofntry. They are noted for their
Integrity and progreasiveness. and Just
now. when India is torn up by the
populistic Hindoos. the fact that they
stand in favor OF the government is
OF value TO Great Britain. One OF
their biggest capitalists recently said
at Parsee mass meeting that his
people denounced the violence and an
archy advocated BY the revoiutionists
OF other sscts. and referred TO tho
British rule as an unnitigated bless-
ing TO India
The Hindoos are illiterate Not one
in ten can read or write. The Parseea
are universally educated. Many Of
them are graduates of colleges and
universities. and they have large boys'
schools and girls schools at Bombay
and other places In Hinduism for the
training OF their children.
Millions for Charity.
There are no more charitable be-
lieyers in the world than the Parsees.
They are always giving TO the public
enterprises, and their institutions.
FOUNDED fer, their own people. have
cost many millions of dollars During
the past year the requests of the late
Naoroji 81. Wadia have been largely
distributed. and in addition there have
been other gifts from the Parsees here
At bombay aggregating 100000. The
Wadla requests amount to more than
I'VE million gold dollars. All this was
Tor the arnelioration of the condition
of the poor and the promotion of edu.
cation among the Parsees.
drove to-day pas. the Jarsetiee
Jeejeeohoy Institute. which was
founded sixty years ago by a Parsee
OF that name He began life a ponr
boy. and died worth $10.OO1o0o.
great par; of his wealth went 10 c:lar.
fly. lie gave 100000 to hospitals.
colleges and rest houses and about
100000 to this school Tho govern
n1ent of India took charge of the gift
and agreed to pay per cent upon IT
as loan. Since then other Parsees
nave ADDED to the endowment. and the
capital of the institute Is fourfold as
large as when started. The Parsees
OF Bombay are building sanitary
houses for the poor OF their cornmu-
mites. Their scheme is about the
same as that OF the George PEABODY
trust fund, and they expect to make
only per cent on their money
Charities of PaeSec Women.
Such charities are not confined to
the men. They are pushed and aided
by the women as we'll. They have rich
widows who compare in their gifts
with Mrs. Russell Sage and girls who
might stand side by side with Helen
Could. OF the latter character is Miss
Haulabal .Framji Petit. who has iust
given her jewelry, valued Mt 100000
rupees, for founding a Parsee girls
orphanage, whore 1t is proposed to
teach the various arts ard Industries,
80 that the. graduates, upon leaving
may earn their own living. Miss Petit
has given this money over to trustees,
and q committee of influential Parsec
gentlemen &are now laying out the
plans for the institution.
One OF the Parsee givers of The past
whom we might compare with certain
OF our millionaire widows was Mrs
Bal fMotlibai Wadia, of the same fam
fly as the man who has Just left the
100000 gold dollars. She was the
wife of millionaire Parsee of this
city, whom she outlived more than
thirty years. During that time she
gave away one million and half dol
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