The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-08-04

are exposed at the street corners. are
the linGams. such representations OF
parts OF the human body as would
bring the police Of any American or
I European city about the ears OF
/ priests and vendors alike. The Ne.
paulise temple, though containing
some fne carvings. IS so covered with
obscene figures that European ladies'
are no longer allowed 20 enter. and
European men. unless coarse and vul.
gar. would blush 70 be seen by any Of
their kind there
When one comes 70 the banks OF the
Ganges. he sees Hinduism in its most
characteristic guise. for here to its
holy waters come tens OF thousands
Of pilgrims every year 10 wash away
their sins. They bathe in II. they
throw II over their heads in ecstasy.
they dip beneath fits waves in holy
glee, they drink its horrible mixture Of
water and dirt at the mouth OF the
city sewers. and then they shiveringly
stand upon the steps Of the bathing
CHAT and put on their strips OF dry
cloth
Many OF The pilgrims are old men
and women. who have journeyed hun.
dreds Of miles. and whose tottering
steps will hardly support them to the
bank Of the sacred stream and out
again. But no matter. their sins have
been washed away in it's dirty water.
and near by is the burning CHAT where.
IN a few days or weeks at most. their
poor old bodies will be laid on a pile
OF blazing sticks. while curious tour
lists look with morbid eyes and hear
"the old thing sizzle" as heard one
man express T. No reverence. no
so!emnity. no respect for the dead Is
inculcated by such a disposition of
the bodies in the most sacred spot in
all Hinduism. Cremation is very well
but such cremationi
The Monkey temple Is another show
place for al visitors. where grinning
simians that vault and caper over the
walls, and hang by their tails from the
trees within the enclosure. are con
sidered sacred and worshipped as
gods. While the monkeys and COWS
are petted, the rest OF tie animal Gre
alton is hardly treated indeed. The
little racks OF bones. called horses.
that drag around the Benares- vehicles.
are starved and beaten till they fall
in their tracks, and then they are
left to die in agony, for 1t is a sin
In Hindu eyes to kill and put them out
Of misery.
~ ~.Kzfr L.
treated. They live in squalid quarters,
in filth and wretchedness, in compar-
ison with which the worst purlieus IN
our most illgoverned cities would be
comfort and decency. They live on
eight cents a day. and their wages
will average one-hundredth part of the
worst paid laborers in America.
Yet these are the results OF the
philosophy and religion that are iaud-
ed in some quarters in Boston and
other American cities; a religion that
sends its missionaries to the west To
be petted and adored by some foolish
men and addlepated women.
Compare such city as have de-
scribed with any city in America. how
ever much ashamed we may be OF
some of our municipalities. Compare
Boston with Benares. and we have
cleanliness instead OF filth, stately
churches instead OF obscene temples,
beautiful cemeteries instead of horri
Bile public burning-ghats, universal ed.
ucation in place of almost universal
illiteracy, fair days wages for fair
days work instead of starvation for
man and beast To say the least, the
contrast is not favorable to Benares.
Copyright 1910 by Joseph B. BowlesJ !