davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
RCH AR5EES -EnAMz41 -MyG5. or Inn

refused 20 serve in the fire department
here at Bombay, not wishing to sin in
putting fire out.
This worship of fire is by no means
original with the Parsees. Our own
ancestors of the long ago. the early
Aryans. were worshipers OF fire as rep
resenting the lightning and the sun.
The. Hindoos had fire god called Agni,
and bowed down to it as. a means of
publication. They use sacred fire in
their domestic rites today, and at their
weddings fire IS lighted by a priest
and the bride and groom walk around
it Akbar. the great Mohammedan en-
perOr Of northern India, made his own
sacred fire by lighting piece of cot
ton through a crystal lens with the
RAYS Of the sun. He used this burning
glass several times every year. and all
the fires of his household were started
that way.
of Zoroaster. mis- man BELONGED to the
Magi; he held the same faith as the
wise men who followed the star to the
stable when Christ was born at Bethle-
hem. 1t is one of the oldest Of re'ieions
and was worshiped by Cyrus the Great.
Zoroaster was a boy of twelve at the
time Jerusalem was taken by Nebuchad-
nezzar. He lived in northern Persia and
the old Persian writings chronicle many
miracles as to his birth and life. He
went through a period of RELIGIOUS prep
aration and at thirty received reve-
lation and came forth to reform the old
creed of the Magi He had many visions.
He saw the one God. and was tempted
again and again by the spirit of dark
ness. but always came off triumphant.
During his life he converted Vishtaspa.
one of the great kings of that time, and
his religion spread all over Persia. 1t
was the chief religion there for many
years. but is now believed alone by
the Parsees
A white-haired. silver bearded old
follower Of this faith tells ME that
one Of the chief elements Of the re-
ligion is belize that the soul is i'm
mortal. and that all human beings are
free moral agents, and therefore re-
sponsible. They believe in rewards
and punishments. and that in this life
we settle our future existence. As to
the Parsee God. he is called the Doer,
the Creator and the Governor of the
World He is the emblem of glory and
light. and for this reason the Parsee
wnen he worships stands before the
fire or turns his face to the sun as
the symbol of the Almighty.
1t seems strange to think Of beautt-
full. we'll bred, intelligent woman. the
wife Of millionaire. fighting in the
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
His Tongue His Undoing.

IF young man bearing card an
nouncing that he was deaf and dumb
and was earning a living selling court
plaster at 10 cents a package had kept
his nerve with him a few minutes
longer yesterday a fraud would no.
have been diScovered-and the young
man would have been 10 cents ahead.
He entered the office of busy man
on the top floor of large business
block on street, and presented the
card. The busy man glanced at H.,
pulled a dime out of his pocket. gave
it to the fellow, and. waving aside the
proffered rt-plaster returned to his
work.
A quarter of an hour later he had
occasion to call upon a man "a few
floors below him. While he was en-
gagged there with the occupant, in walked
the man with the deaf-and-dumb card
and presented it to the latter.
The man who had been first ap-
preached looked up. and. recognizing the
afflicted one. said, without the slightest
suspicion that the fellow was not all
lie pretended to be:
That fellow was up in my office
minute ago, jim.
He had started to add that he was a
worthy object Of charity when. to his
establishment. the deaf-and-dumb man
broke in with:
shut up, pardner. don't give away a
man like that" and he grabbed the
card from the fingers of the tenant and
disappeared.
IF he'd just held his breath ten sec.
onds longer" commented the tenant OF
the room later. he'd have been dime
ahead. was just fumbling in my
nocket for one when he spoke What
is it? The wicked fee when no man
pursueth?'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
W12zEW N1O .BE1zENE nv To-

courts of India for her right to Parsee
burial. This means that at death she will
he laid naked upon one OF the Towers or
Silence. and have the flesh picked from
her bones by flock OF vultures which
have always fed upon human mesh. This
is the universal Parsee disposition of the
dead They do not bury the body in the
earth nor burn it. Fire is too holy and
sacred to be defiled with a corpse and
the work of the worms is too slow and
too vile. Instead they lay their bodies
out in the open on an iron grating under
the sky and the birds pick the bones.
The place where the towers of the dead
stand is beautiful one. 1t is on Mala-
bar Hill, elevation rising almost
straight up from the sea. and washed by
the winds from the ocean. The hill is
covered with beautiful garden. You
walk up to it over we'll paved roads
shaded by tropical trees and bordered
with flowers and shrubs. winding your
way through this luxuriant vegetation
you at last reach point from whence
You can see far out over the Indian
ocean. and turning landward view the
whole OF Bombay. Here among the trees
at one side, shut of by an iron railing
SO that none but the priests may enter.
stand five great circular towers white
as the bones which lie on their top.
Each tower Is about twenty-five feet in
height and ninety feet in diameter. 1t is
crowned with a grating or great circular
gridiron which slopes toward the center.
where we'll five feet in width runs
down to the sea.
The gridiron grating is cast in sections
and SO formed that there are foot paths
here and there through 1t. In each tower
there are certain divisions for the classes
of the dead. One section is devoted to
the bodies of men. another to those OF
women and a third to the children, the
last part nearest the well. The bodies
are stripped naked before they are placed
upon the towers; and after the flesh has
been devoured by the vutures the skele-
tons are left to bleach and dry in the
sun.
The bodies are taken into the towers by
two bearded men dressed all in white.
These are the carriers OF the dead. At
every funeral they take the corpse and.
entering the tower through an opening
about eight feet from the ground. walk
up a fight of steps and place it upon
its proper location. After it has been
stripped by the birds. and has become
perfectly dry. they take tongs and throw
the bones into the well. where they are
left to crumble to dust.
These towers are well drained. The
heavy rains of the tropics fall upon them.
but the water goes off into the sea and
there are filters below them filled with
charcoal so that all is kept clean. In
deed, the bone dust accumulates so slowly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

court separation is known as the poor
mans divorce" but il does not entitle the
parties to marry again, and a large pro-
portion of the people who have been sep
arated have followed the example of Mr..
Justice Maule's laborer without taking
the trouble Or running the risk OF going
through a second marriage ceremony IL
is estimated that there are now in Eng
land about $1,000 men and women who
have been separated from their partners
by police court orders. and it is a pretty
sa fe bet that they are not all living cell
bate lives. There are 6o,0c0 more VINO
are tied to partners who have been GER
tilted as incurably insane. and an est
mate says there are about 10000 peopIa
who would be dive, ced if the pr cess were
as cheap and the law as liberal as III
the least liberal OF the American states.
in the United States and Great Britain
by Curtis Brown. All rights strictly reserved.D
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
Very Short, Indeed.
THERE are a lot OF German car

THERE are: are lot, lot Of &c. German carp in
Monument. and ii is quite the thing in
certain circles these lazy summer days to
lounge along the parapet with a hook
and line and angle for them. Sometimes
the fisherman catches q fish.
The other evening when the hands OF
the clock we're nearer 10 than a pedes-
trian on upper 18th street met a darby
carrying a couple of large carp and
asked him where he caught them
Down in de tidal basin," he replied
do they bite pretty freely down there,
or do you have to wait long to catch
one?" inquired the pedestrian
mo, indeed, sab; dey bites so swirl yo'
dom have terowait no line ter ketch
'em. kotch these hyah two an Use been
fishing down thar jes' sence 'leben
er'clock dis mawnin'!'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
His Regular Nightly Go.

rt-DGE HILARY c. GUEST, the tenn
] nerance advocate, said in recent ad-
dress in Cleveland:
Alcohol makes some men pugnacious.
A man of this type was drinking glass
after glass of beer in a beer saloon when
his wife entered.
Jim she said YEARLY. it's after II
o'clock and you have got to get up at ).
Have you had your scrap YETI
Nav Jim snared.
% Then get it scrapped and hurry on
home, do
''All right. growled jim and half an
hour later he staggered home with the
usual Commissions and abrasions.'
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

ably have not as many pence. But the
law knows no distinction between the
rich and the poor. The sentence of the
court is. therefore, that you be imprisoned
for one day, which period has already
been exceeded. as you have been in Gus
tody since the beginning o. the assiEe:."
The English public is proverbially slow
at seeing sarcasm. bat it caught on to
this and the present divorce law is the
result
In tie words of Mr.. Justice Maule the
law still knows no distinction between
the rich and the poor in the serse that it
makes it no cheaper or easier for poor
man to obtain divorce. Last year there
were 100 divorces granted, but there were
ZOO police court separations. The police
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

separate temples and burial towers. and
another has protested that the verdict
might open I'D the church to undesirable
aliens and ruin the prosperity of the
ParSee community.
And this brings ME to the faith of the
Parsees. You have often heard them
called worshipers OF fire. In sense they
are So They have fire always burning
in their temples but they worship it,, as
one of them told ME, only as an emblem
of the sun and as the highest visible type
OF the Creator. 1t is SO with all religions
supposed to be purely idolatrous. Upon
investigation one finds that the idols are
worshiped only the representative Of
a deity who creates and rules, and not
as sticks and stones endowed with SUPER
natural powers. There is no religion
upon earth that does not contain beau
tiful truths. Otherwise it could not be
believed by reasoning man nor have its
followers from generation to generation
The Parsees believe in one God and in
the resurrection and equality of all beings
before God. They believe that this God
created two spirits: one of evil and the
other of good; one of light and the other
of darkness. These spirits are always
fighting for mans soul and according as
he favors one the other he ascends to
heaven or descends to hell. His conduct
on earth determines his life after death.
The Parsees look upon fire and water
and the sun, moon and stars as the crea-
ton Of the spirit of light. They especially
revere fire. and that used in the temples
here at Bombay is said to have been
burning for hundreds of years. 1t came
from Persia. where it was first lighted
many centuries ago. before the Moham-
medans conquered the country and drove
these people out. 1t was carried by them
to the town of Ormuz on the Persian gulf,
and brought with them to Sanjan in India
when the first of their sect came TO Hin
dustan Later still they brought it with
them to Bombay. and it is always kept
blazing in the temples here.
The ParSees do not permit strangers
to see this fire. They regard their
worship too holy to have it viewed by
others, and they make no disDlay o.
their religion by gorgeous churches and
elaborate religious ceremonies. I am
told that they look upon fire as the
purest thing upon earth. In some of
their new temples they have started
the fires by Goals from tree or build
ing struck by lightning. and have fed
them with chips and dust of sandal
wood I understa nd that they will not
spit in the fire nor blow out light.
For a time many Of them would not
smoke tobacco. and some of them have
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

Being essentially a detective officer. the
less there is known about him the better
il is for the success of his efforts to JUS
tify his existence.
Despite his modesty. however. the
kings proctor has been coming in for
Il lot of criticism before the divorce
commission. A few days ago no less
q parsonage than the lord chief Justice
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

numbe: OF its members.
There are less than 10000 Parsees in
the world: but their banks and other
financial institutions scattered
throughout the far east. and their pos
sessions are untold millions. They Lave
To he considered in every business move
mei,t that goes in India, for they are
tie financial kings of the country. They
are noted for their integrity and progress
iveEcSs. and Just now. when India is
torn Up by the popUlistic Hindoos. the
fact that they stand in favor of the gov
eminent IS of value TO Great Britain
one OF their biggest capitalists recently
said AT Parsee mass meeting that his
peopie denounced the violence and anar-
chy advocated by the reyolutio nists of
other sects. and referred To the British
rule as unmitisated blessing TO India.
The HindooS are illiterate. Not one
in ten can read or write. The Parsees
ave universally educated. Many of them
are graduates of colleges and universities,
and they have large boys schools and
girls schools at Bombay and other places
in Hindustan for the training of their
children.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

during the probationary period is usually
furnished by the kings proctor, but it
is furnished to the Judge in chambers
and is never presented to the jury. All
the public knows about ii is that the
judge has seen fit to refuse to confirm the
decree.
The writer succeeded. however. in trac-
ing this mysterious official to his lair
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

| T. richest, I h e
most powerful, the
IN o s { intelligent
and most charita-
Bile of all religions
Is the Parsee.
which has its
headquarters here
at Bombay. |
use these terms in
comparing ii with
The other great re-
ligionS as to lie
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

y America when a
law becomes I'M
workable on ac-
count of its age
ard the changing
conditions Of civiii-
Zation. o. from
some other reason,
the peop @ either
calmly ignore ii
and allow il TO
sink into desuetude
or they go TO their
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

Sir Samuel Evans. President Of the
English Divorce Court. Before Whom
All Applicants for the Severance of
Marital Bonds Must Make Their Plea.
fa.thfulness. but either cruelty or deser-
tion as we'll. This situation gave rise
to strange situation few months ago
when Sir John Bigham, then president
of the divorce court, was forced by public
outcry to retire because he had the cour-
age to defend this state of affairs and ex-
press the opinion that a moral lapse was
not so culpable in a man as in a woman
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

There are no more charitable believers
in the world than the Parsees. They
a-e always giving to public enterprises.
ard their institutions. founded for their
own people. have cost MAN. millions OF
dollars During the past year the be
quests of the late Naoroji NJ. Wadia
have been largely distributed. and in ad-
clifton there have been other gifts from
l'arsees here at Bombay aggregating
$500 0GO. The Wadia requests amount 10
more than five million gold dollars. All
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
MAN WHO PREVENTS DIVORCES.

MAN WHO PREVENTS DIVORCES.
John Paget McllOr. the Kings Proctor
and Most Mysterious Omcial In Eng
land. Whose Business 1t Is to See
That Only Those Entitled to Divorces
Get Them.
dence is forthcoming within six months
from the date of the decree II will be
made absolute and the parties will be
free 20 marry again.
The additional evidence, which may be
to the effect that there has been collision
between the plaintiff and defendant in the
divorce suit. or that the complaining
party has not been leading a strictly
blameless life either before the petition or
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
DOYAL Commission Now

DOYAL Commission Now
~ Sitting in England to
Discuss the Divorce Law
Has Dragged the Kings
Proctor Into Daylight-His
Abolition Is Suggested on the
Ground That He Does Not,
ard No One Could, Do the
Work He Is Supposed to Do
Demand in England for
More Liberal Divorce Laws
Want a Scale of Fees
That Will Place This Luxury
Within the Reach of the Poor
Man-Judge's Sarcasm.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31
lndiGS:FileW0rShip
AChlncl1 ~ fGlho17hires
MISUNDERSTANDING Converts

A FRENCH Woman De-
IA MED to the Vultures-
Queer Features Of the Parsee
Faith-The Holy Fire and
Its Part in Religion-Zoras-
ter the Prophet-The Towers
of Silence and Disposition of
the Dead-Millions for Char
ity-The Big Gift of a Parsee
Heiress.
Copyright 1910, by Frank q. Carpenter
Special Correspondence OF The Star.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

legislstu re aid have i, changed. In Eng
land when q similar state OF affairs comes
about the people usually g-umbe about
II for a generation o. tive. Then they
begin 20 ask questions in parliament and
finally royal commission is appointed
TO inquire into the whole business. The
commission holds an immense number OF
Strings. takes reams upon reams OF evil
dence and publishes a who'e library or
cpoFtS. After the lapse OF a few more
Years these re- ortS are diges.ed and par
Lament gets around in IT'S leisurely' way
10 aboiish.ng CT amending the law in
Question
tn process j. going on now in relation
= the r.nsI Sh divorce law. Most English
mon have agreed fer years that the di-
W zee law is antiquated and that a change
Is needed. and row they have arrived to
& . royal commission stage. number
-. eminent persons. holding elaborate
IaTchmeu;s from the King, are sitting
dai aud examining every one who Is
supposed to know anything about the
~t!kin. OF the divorce law and good
many Wao know nothing, but who have
seine FAD TO air on the present state OF
ne law and what they think ought TO
lac done to put II right. Among the
menlt ers OF the commission are two wom-
en-. Lady Frances Balfour and Mrs. j. III.
Tenant and these two ladies have 10
sIt day after day listening to evidence, a
great deaf ot which is quite unprlntabie-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

The commission SO far has ELECTED
lot OF Interesting information, but abou.
the most interesting thing it has brought
forth is the existence Of the kings proc
Tor Perhaps il is hardly fair TO say that
Ire commission has discovered the exist
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

Special Correspondence OF The Sta.
LONDON J,,1,- 81 "a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

refused 20 serve in the fire department
here at Bombay, not wishing to sin in
putting fire out. -
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-31

BOMBAY. 1910
Evening journal., 1910-11-17
MEN ESCAPE
LARCENY CHARGE

In County Court this morning,
Clara Thomas, colored, pleaded not
guilty TO a charge of perjury. Dur
ing the trial OF Edward Primrose. of
Townsend last September, she is al
legged to have perjured herself. Her
trial was set for Tuesday next.
James McGrath entered a. plea of
not guilty to the charge of obtain
ing 81 from John j. Gallagher, by
false pretenses.
Harriet Sudler. eJsse Robinson and
stephen Howard, colored, were plac-
ed no trial on charge OF the lar
ceny OF $40 from James Fitchen, also
colored. fitchen's testimony was that
on the night of November 2 he was
too late to go home. He went tC
this woman's house and paid SIZE
for rom. About 10 o'clock the two
men came in and routed him out oI
bed. He then missed the $40 from
his shoes.
Annie Gardner, colored, said sh,
was at the house No. 213 West Third
street, on the night Fitchen was
robbed. She said she saw Harriet
pour" the money from Fitchen's
shoes Fitchen was then asleep. The
two men were upstairs I'm their room
She said she heard them say they
were going to put Fltchen out. The
prisoners denied the charge
After the State had closed Deputy
Attorney-General Wolcott entered q
nolle prosequi in the cases against
the men.
The jury will be charged in the
woman's case this afternoon.
Evening journal., 1910-11-17
STUDY CLASS FOR
THE CITY TEACHERS

Economy in Health and Education
is the subject of the fifth voluntary
professional study class of the city
teachers. The first lecture of the
course was given yeste day afternoon.
Not only the teachers, but parents ana
any one who is interested in the sub
ject is invited to attend any OF the
lectures. They are to be given by
Superintendent George G. Twitmyer,
every other Wednesday afternoon,
from to 5 O'Clock in the High School
auditorium. The second lecture in the
course will be given on Wednesday
afternoon, November 80.
The lecture subjects, as outlined by
DR.. Twitmyer, include Health Condi-
tions Among School Children, "
Health Conditions in the City," Cen
eral Hygiene, Hygiene OF Instruc-
tion," "MeaningOof Health and Dis
ease,' Health as an Individual and
National Resource, or Asset" "The
Conditions Under Which Children
Should be Kept in School," Health
Conditions in Industrial Institutions.
The chief idea of the course is 10
have the children instructed in hy-
giene and sane living, with a view &C
their attaining efficiency in life.
The subject of the first lecture was
FThe Need Of Public Health Educa-
ton"
In order not to interfere with
Thanksgiving plans, Superintendent
Twitmyer has called his next princi.
pals conference a day earlier, holding
it next Tuesday, instead of on Thurs.
/ dav
Evening journal., 1910-11-17
AT THE GARRICK.
S. MlIlar Kent Presenting Feature of
Excellence There This Week.

S. Millar Kent in "Jusg Dorothy"
presents the feature par excellence of
the bill at the Garrick Theatre this
week. Mr. Kent is very happily
placed in this little playlet. II is
the old story of the young man COM
ing to claim his own after many years.
only to find that someone else has put
in a prior claim and later to find that
there has been misunderstanding
and that after all be gets the girl Of
his choice There is an atmosphere
of real interest surrounding the sketch
and Mr.. Kent makes the most of it at
all stages The Cafe Del Bowcry a
satire in New York'S famous Lob
ster Square" is rather noisy comedy
sketch employing a cast of seven OF
! eight persons. 1t is one Of the laugh
ing numbers of the bill this week.
Chrysty/ /and Willis, the gil and the
! iuggler, Claude Ranf, the tight wire
artist. and several others contribute TO
this weeks program.
The Thanksgiving week show at
the Garrick presents the famous
Bryne Brothers, Amy Richard and
Lester Lonegan, The Seven Alexand-
eroffs, The Ergetti Lillipuians, The
Maids of Melody Lane and others.