El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-04

aster worshiping fire. There are among
the aborigines of the back woods nature
worShipe1S known as Animists. 10 the
number of 5000, 0G0 and more: they be-
lieve in spirits and witchcraft and offer
bloody sacrifices to their devil-like gods.
There are Also $4,000 Jews and 5000. 900
Christians of various sects. 1t surprises
me to find so MANY Christians in India.
They are mostly Roman Catholics and
HISTORIANS, although there are Method
lists. Baptists, Presbyterians and other
branches OF the Protestant faith. | see
that bishop Thoburn says that there are
now about million of native Protes-
tant Christians and that the Christian
population has increased $4,000 in the
space of 10 wears. Our missionaries
are alive and they are doing great good.
A City of Palaces.
Calcutta is one OF the chief seats of
the Unrest. l do not wonder at Is
There Is no place where the difference
Of conditions is more pronounced. These
HindoOs are among the poorest peoples
on earth AHrang them are millions who
always go to bed hungry, and in the
slllms here are people who count their
bites to see whether they will have
enough for the morning. At the same
time Calcutta has its fashionable resi-
dence quarters, the homes of the Brit
ish, where money flows like the Ganges
and fortunes are spent IN one season
[ wish | could show you the better
parts of Calcutta. Il Is a city OF pal
aces. with immense parks and wide
open spaces. 1t covers about as much
ground as Chicago in proportion to its
size, running along the Hooghly with
the great suburb on the opposite bank.
The city has lakes and lawns, botanical
and geological gardens, and a public
park known as the Maiden, which runs
through the fashionable quarter. At
the beginning Of this is the palace OF
the viceroy, a mansion as snowy as
newly Stacked lime. and several miles
beyond it, at the opposite end, is the big
house of the lieutenant general OF Ben
CAD. Both are surrounded by beautiful
grounds. and the latter has banyan
tree surpassed only by that in the ZOO
logical park of which, perhaps, You
have heard.
The Maiden is borlered with club
houses and mansions. The most fash
iona5le homes of Calcutta look out upon
it and it forms the social heart of the
city. 1t has a race track with a two
mile course in which now ard then polo
matches are played, and also tennis
courts and grounds for cricket and golf
The band always plays there of an
evening and the people come forth and
drive about in handsome turnouts. The
vicerov and lady Mimic may sometimes
be seen in their carriages with their
retinue and with native soldiers as out
riders. There are other officials and
also IA jams with cOachmen and footmen
:. DoY-
sees and many Eurasians. Every one
rides in his carriage md every carriage
has its liveried coachmen and fOotmen.
The coach1nan is usually bearded man
with turban and gown; he is always
barefOoted The foOtman either stands
on the step behind the carriage or
squats Down there and holds on. The
latter position IS precaTiOus. and / often
wonder why the man Is not iostled out
in going over a gutter or rllt in the
road In addition to such turnOuts
there are many automobiles. There are
500 in the city and the most I have
seen are touring cars which at home
would cost several thousand dollars
apiece and which 90 like the wind Do
YOU wonder that the hungry Hindoo
whose lean sha1rlIs have to fly to get
out of the way is mad when he CON
JTdSIS HIS COnulu1OH WIFI ItdI CI the
man in the car?
The Palaces and the Black Hole.
He feels the same when he compares
his hovel to the mansions on the Maiden
and the big government buildings of the
British officials. The mansion where |
lord Mimic holds forth is of about the
same age as the white house at Wash !
ington. It is far more magnificent and |
its surroundings have 10 times the |
style West of it is the town hall, |
Doric building which was finished under |
the Instructions of this viceroy's grand |
father in 1913. and near that the mag !
nificent buildings of the high courts. !
which compare in size with those of our |
government departments at Washington !
Another fine structure is the postoffice |
which faces the lake in Dalhousie |
square I went through it today. and |
as I came out I stopped at the corner