Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-09-02

Great Banyan tree, which is 139 years
old. and has now about $50 aerial
roots. all of which have spread from
the main stem and taken root in the
ground.
Remarkable Tree.
These auxiliary trunks are from a
, few inches to IL feet in growth, while
the main trunk has circumference
of AZ feet and the crown 900 feet and
is still growing. Another remarkable
tree is the birdsnest fern, which grows
in the form of plantain tree and is
one of the largest ferns known There
are also the sacred lotus, sacred deo-
dars and peepul trees in abundance.
The sights of Calcutta are uniin- |
portant The postoffice. occupies the
site of the old native prison, whose |
horrors Of the Black Hole are well |
known in history. The Jain temple in
terests one for short time with its
gaudy colorings of inlaid colored glass,
idea Of the Indian art.
Our party of eighty being booked for
the excursion to Benares, almost 500
miles west and north of Calcutta, we
proceeded to the East India terminal
depot, and the mass of humanity that
greeted our sight will not be soon for
gotten The building or buildings COW
er acrps of pround and tLic oxoao ,,,, :, |
packed with all classes and castles of q
Indians, squatting on mats or stroll
ing about We boarded a special train,
the coaches divided into four compart-
ments. equipped with toilet, bath and
electric fan. The track is ten inches
wider than our standard guage, but
the coaches are narrower.
With two diners attached. we felt =
we were nicely equipped for the run to u
Benares, the holy city of the Hindoos u
Our schedule was forty miles an hour a
for the entire run, but there were -
times when we made better than fifty
miles an hour. The roadbed is rock =
ballast most of the way. D
Rich and Fertile Country. = Z,
The country all through this Sec tr
ion looks rich and fertile and mostly bl
cultivated, being almost fiat, dotted til
With a plentiful supply of trees and eI
herds of cattle or goats. Its appear fc
lnce is not unlike our own country er
through the Middle West, except for al
he absence of the farm buildings. The tie
ndians like the Chinese or Japanese,
Ike to live clustered together; hence m
he small villages of mud and bamboo W.
uts every few miles ar
Arriving at Benares at IL a. M, we Is
tarted Immediately after lunch on our Ca
our of sightseeing. an
Its streets, or rather alleys barely tn
ford passage for the throng of po
uman beings, sacred bulls, cameIs, err
lkirs and the bearers OF dead bodies he
hese thoroughfares. being shut out
'om sun and air, are sleek and Shiny ou
ith filth. tro
One of the most curious sights of bu
enares Is the Monkey temple, a pre- of
ntious and not inartistic structure pal
carved sandstone. dedicated to Kali site
e goddess, wife OF silva The image KIN
hdH WilHiu lHe temple Is DiacK lar
ry of hideous countenance, whose cat
d tongue drops to the waist. She is the
tipping with blood and crowned with anC
axes, while hanging from her neck bui
a garland Of skulls. Kali wants sec
bod, and If not satisfied daily some are
Ing horrible is expected to happen par
human sacrifice was made daily un- nur
the English government put a stop orie
1t several years ago. Now a goat gro
offered as a sacrifice. Ian,
rhe entrance to the temple is slime Dor
'ered and the air heavy with sick by
ng odors. The inner court, like the
emony of the slaughter, ia open to
heaven and is surrounded by a T
lister, lined with cell-like inches for and
itary meditation. On the terrace sire
ldow lodges and protruding bits OF OF {
hitecture, wherever foothold may Cole
gained are the fat, loathsome mon anc'
49, From 500 to 400 of these man wat
animals belong to the temple and Its
held to be sacred and
Sacred Nastiness. me
900,
t Benares everything specially AL
ty or repulslve is protected by the land