The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-29

years they have paid almost and their
receipts are steadily increasing.
The railways are managed by rail-
way board subordinate to the government
of India and represented in the vice.
roy's cabinet by the secretary of COM
merce and industry This board controls
all railway matters. 1t lays out new lines
and builds them. 1t settles disputes as to
transportation and regulates the prices
and the traffic. 1t is now considering the
| standardizing of the gauges of the differ
emit roads. When the first tracks were
| constructed the gauge was the broadcast
of the world. 1t was five and one-half
| feet for the principal lines with narrower
gauges for secondary lines. 1t is now
found that it is difficult and expensive
, to move the traffic over the roads of diff
ferent gauges, and a standard gauge will
be adopted.
midas Big Railway System
The British have right to be proud
Of their Indian railways. The mileage
Of the Indian lines now exceeds that of
any country in Asia, and is surpassed by
only four other countries of the whole
world. 1t amounts to more than 10000
miles and 1t has doubled within the past
20 years. India has comparatively far
more railways than Russia. 1t has one
mile to every 60 square miles of country
and to every 10000 people. Russia has
only onesmile to every 29O square miles
and to every 3400 people.
The railways here are well built and
economically managed. Two-thirds of the
lines have been constructed by the gov
eminent and of the balance more than
$500 miles were built by the native states.
do not know the exact cost of con-
struction per mile, but altogether the
roads have cost more than sl,2OO.Ooo.oOo.
which is low in comparison with those of
the United States.
Most of the Indian railways are paying
dividends Their gross earnings are fast
approximating 5000, 100000 year. and the
traffic is steadily increasing. both as to
passengers and freight. The passengers
annually carried now number more than
300. 900 and the freight amounts to
something like 100000 tons. These fig
ures are small in comparison with those
of our railways, but it must be remem-
bered that we have more than seven
times the mileage of India, and that
our capitalization is more than 10 times
the cost of the Indian roads. Our
railway mileage approximates 100000, our
capital is over $4,000 100000 and our net
railroad earnings are more than $500, OO0-
coo per annum
At the stations
But come with me and take a railroad
trip across India. We shall start at Cal
cutta and go by the East Indian route
We drive in gharry, a closed box upon
wheels. hauled by lean horses and driven
by Hindoo in turban and gown, to the
station.
The express goes at night and it is Q
p. m. when we reach theres The depot is
a large building coveringFa block, with
long waiting rooms extending out from
the train. The floors are of stone and
they are covered with natives. Men and
women are sitting and lying about Here
they sprawl out at full length on the flag
and there squat in groups against the
railing between the waiting rooms and
the train shed. All are wrapped in white
sheets, and as they see me take notes
they pull these up around their dark
faces to shield them from the gaze Of the
heather foreigner. Some have covered
their heads and lie asleep on the sand.
Notice this woman near me. She lies
on the floor with her head on a bag so
covered that only the thin face can be
seem AS I look black Hindoo In dirty
white cotton lies down beside her. He is
her husband. He places his head on the
bag and is soon fast asleep.
There the gong rings! A train is called
and the third-class passengers push their
way through. Some carry baggage upon
their heads. Others have bags and bum
dies on shoulders and backs. All the men
| are barefooted and all wear turbans, caps
lor handkerchiefs covering their heads.
Their bodies are half wrapped in white
sheets, and their thin legs are naked.
The poor benighted Hindoo
He does the best he kin do;
He is outcast from first to last,
For pants he makes his skin do.
Mixed with the motley crowd are Mo-
hammedans in gowns, Parsses with hats
like inverted coal scuttles, native and
British soldiers and the servants of civil
officials in livery. 1t is one of the strang-
est crowds to be found anywhere, and the
white clothing SO predomnates that in
this light 1t seems ghostlike and CHASTITY.
Indian Wallets
We sit down a moment in the station
while our servants buy the tickets. check
the baggage and secure our seats IN The
3"