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

SADdh VI SdHttltS-
For several miles along the rive
! extends the religious section of tn
J city. 1t is always possible to see a ere
nation In course of progress at tn,
burning CHATS and a number OF deaS
bodies placed in the river to be cleans
ed preparatory for cremation. Five
were being cremated the morning we
1 were there. The torch was being ap-
piled to one while another was being
cleansed in the sacred Ganges. A dead
child wrapped in cheesecloth was be-
+, ing given to the sacred waters.
As our boat was being slowly pulled
up the river we encountered another
dead body floating down with crows
perched upon its back. The children
are not cremated, but thrown in the
river and as the price of wood for
cremation costs from one to three dol
lars the poor wrap their dead and bury
them in the Ganges
Benares seen from the river pre-
sents a picturesque appearance, back
ed by the minarets of over 800
mosques. and the pinnacles Of over
1000 pagodas. The city has a popula-
ton of over zoo. 900 and over a million
pilgrims visit the Holy city every
year. No city in the universe can COM
pare with this one for attracting a
tide of humanity to its portals Rich
and poor, high caste and low, all wend |
their way to the city.
Same Old Hindoo.
After day and a night in this holy
city one is led to wonder, will these
things ever change? Benares is the
same as $500 years ago, the Hindoo
comes and goes as he did then with
the same ideas, no advancement made
IN all these years No doubt caste has
4 great deal to do with keeping the
indian back.
The Hindoo must live the life he is
BORN to. If the son of a priest, he will
'e a priest; if the son of carpenter,
| carpenter the son must be. The
English government has tried to in !
roduce modern ideas and methods,
tut has accomplished very little, as ,
he Hindoo believes what was good
'nough for his father is good enough =,
or him, and so it goes on from gem
ration to generation, and will prob
bly, continue to the end of the chap
er
After four days sightseeing skir-
lish through Calcutta and Benares We
yere glad to get back to our steamer
nd be on our way to Colombo on the
sland of Ceylon, 1880 miles south of u
alcutta. After an eventful but pleas :
mt run Of three days we anchored in
lie harbor of Colombo, the chief sea-
ort of Ceylon, situated on the west
IN coast of the island on a rocky -
u
The European part of the city is laid
If with broad avenues shaded by 10
opical trees and lined by modern ~
lildings three to four stories high, ~
fine architecture. The business u'
lrt OF the European city occupies the a.
-e of an old Dutch fort, and is still ~ ~
lown as the fort. It's chief thorough ~
re is Queen street, on which are To- III
ted the palace of the government, Vi
cilIel IDeTCdnllle houses ana banks
d the postoffice, the finest public III
Hiding on the island. The residential ~
'tion Of the European city covers an ei'
"a of about twenty square miles. The %
rt nearest the water is occupied by ~
merous clubs with all the access ioi
es such as golf links, cricket 'oi
1unds, race-courses, etc. Further in
i'd 1t is crossed by beautiful roads. iit
rdered with bungalows, surrounded si
luxuriant tropical gardens. re
the
Colombo Dirty City. ext
rhe native part of the city is dirty Ing
I crowded with crooked, narrow
eets. always thronged with crowds COY
different types and nationalities POI
ombo owes its commercial import STR
'e chiefly to its artificial break ano
ter, one of the largest structures of llsh
kind. 1t has a length of 1000 feet sen
encloses a water area of 500 acres city
J shipping of this port is about A. pile
900 tons annually. nor
lmost all the staples of Ceylon is tric
find their outlet through Colom- also
bait