The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-01

The Viceroy~O india
BY FRANK G. CARPENTER.

-"
Copyright, 1910, by Frank G. carpenter)
Calcutta, 1910.
~ URING my stay here L haye4had
an audience with his exeelency,
A--s~ the vieeroy of India, at the SOW
eminent house. The meeting was ar
ranged through the afde-de-camp in wait
ing, in response to my call at the gov
eminent mansion, where | presented my
letters of introduction and wrote my name
In the visitors book.
The social machinery of the vice-regal
court of India is more complicated than
that of the White House. The viceroy,
comparatively speaking, is greater man
than our President. He has more power
than King Edward VII, by whom he Is,
appointed, and the peoples he rules are as
many in number as the population of
Europe, and of as varied nationalities. He
lives In as much state as any European
monarch, maintaining a large establish
ment and going about in pomp. When
he rides out it is in a magnificent lam
dau, with gorgeous eoachman and foot
men in front and behind, and with gi-
gantic native soldiers as outriders and
guards. The soldiers have magnificent
horses. and carry long spears which
flash like silver in the tropical sun.
When one goes to the White House he
may call at the offices and send in his
card and possibly see the President with
in few moments. All who wish to pay
their respects to the viceroy of India must
first announce themselves by writing their
names In the visitors book. This is much
like a hotel register. 1t has places for
your name, your profession and the date
of your arrival and time of leaving CAL
cutta. 1t is kept in a booth near one
of the gates of the executive mansion and
Is accessible to all. The list of names
so subscribed is taken in to his excellency
from day to day. and, at his direction, the
aide-de-camp sends out notes of appoint
ment to such persons as the vceroy Is
willing to see. From the list is also made
up the invitations for the dinners, balls,
receptions and other events given by the
court There Is no society anywhere more
splendid than that of Calcutta during the
season, and the government house is alive
with festivities from one end of the winter
to the other.
How the Viceroy Lives
The viceregal mansion is magnifi-
cent. 1t looks not unlike the White
House, save that 1t is more beautiful
and of twice the size. 1t stands like
the White House at the end of great
park, with government buildings at
the side and back. Below our White
House flows the Potomac and the
grounds are the beginning of a park
which extends right through the city
to the capitol, a distance of more than
a mile The government house at Cal
cutta has grounds at the end of the
Madam, a park a mile wide and two
miles in length, which runs along the
Hooghly. The two executive mansions
are just about the same distance from
cir respective rivers and each is sur
1A1 h. e
dens.
The entrances to the home of the
viceroy are more imposing than those
of our Presidents house. You pass
through gates upheld by massive pill
lars connected by arches upon which
huge white lions are crouching. Be-
low on each side the gates are dark
bearded East Indian soldiers in uni
forms of bright red with blue tur-
bans as big as half bushel basket
They carry muskets and swords and
present arms as you ride through. AT
the end of the drive are more dusky
Sikhs in red, and at the house en-
trance you are met by the servants
o fthe viceroy, clad in the brightest
of red. with blue turbans. They wear
ivory handled dirks in their belts and
look stately and fierce. On each side
the front door are more soldiers, with
flags in their hands. Like those at the
gates, they are giants, each six and
half feet in height and their turbans
make them seem taller. They stand like
statues and look neither to- the right
nor left.
Inside the Government House
Entering the front door, which opens
out on a wide portico upheld by Greek
columns, 1 came into the audience or
throne room. This is an immense hall
running along the front of the building
with another great room extending out
from 1t at the center The. ceilings Of
both are, l Judge, 100 feet high and are
supported by columns of marble with
capitals of gold. They are frescoed by
artists. The floor shines like mirror.
1t is of dark marble in the throne
room and of white marble, veined, in
the dining room adjoining.
The throne room is as imposing as
the east room at the White house and
1T impresses me more than any have.
seen in the palaces of Europe. At
one side of it is a raised dais upon
which the Earl and Countess of Mimic
stand at the time of their receptions,
and where the viceroy receives the ra-
jahs of the great native states Th
dais is covered with a cloth of gold
and the viceroy's throne Isl a .chair
gorgeously finished in silver and gold
standing upon it. 1t was in this room
that 1 met his eXce]lency, and together
we walked through the great hall to
the dining room, at the opposite end
of the building, where we had lunch
con.
Later In the day, In company with
one of the viceroy's staff l took a
look at other parts of the palace.
The building was erected just after
the White House was finished, at a
cost of about $750,000. 1t was copied
after Kedlestone Hall in Derbysh Ire,
and 1t is impressive in contrast with
the gingerbread work of our modern
architecture. Above the throne hall is a
ballroom with walls of brocade and
tapestry, and floors of teak wood SO
brightly polished you can see yourself
in them.
The whole building is magnificently fur
nished 1t Is managed by an official who
has 100 servants to help him. There are
stables connected with it in which are
40 or so horses and carriages of state of
various kinds Everything is done to
make the administration as impressive as