El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-30

~ OMBAY, India. July 20.-The rich
est. the most powerful, the most
~ intelligent and most charitable OF
all religions is the Parsee, which mas It's
Headquarters here in Bombay. use
these terms in comparing it with the
other great religions as to the NUMBER
of it's members.
There are less than 100000 Parsees IN
the world; but their banks and other
financial institutions are scalleIeu
throughout the far east, and their pos
sessions are untold millions They nave
to be considered in every business
movement that goes on in INDIA Ior
they are the financial kings OF the
country They are noted for their IN
tegritv and progressiveness and just
now. when India is torn up by the pop
ulistic Hindoos. the fact that they stand
in favor of the government IS OF value
10 Great Britain. One of their biggest
capitalists recently said at a Parsee
mass meeting that his people denounc-
ed the violence and anarchy advocated
nv the revolutionists of other sects, ana
referred to the British rule as an uh-
mitigated blessing in India
The Hindoos are illiterate. Not one
in ten can read or write. The Parsees
are universally educated Many OF them
are graduates of colleges and UNIVERSE
ties, and they have large boys schools
and girls schools a Bombay and other
places in Hindustan for the training OF
their children.
Millions for Charity.
There are no more charitable believ-
ers in the world than the Parsees- They
are always giving TO public enterprises
and their institutions founded for their
own people, have cost many millions OF
dollars During the past year the be-
quests of the late NaOrOji NJ Wadla
have been largely distributed, and in ad-
fdition there have been other gifts from
Parsees here at Bombay aggregatlng
$500, 900. The Wadia requests amount 10
more than five million gold dollars All
this was for the amelioration of the
condition of the poor and the promo
ton of education among the Parsees-
I drove today past the Jamsetjee Jee-
jeebhoy institute, which was founded
sixty years ago by Parsee OF that
name. He began life a poor boy and
died worth $4,000. 900. A great part of
his wealth went to charity. He gave
So, 100000 TO hospitals. colleges and rest
houses. and about 100000 to this school
The government of India took charge
Of the gift and agreed TO pay per cent
upon it as a loan. Since then other Par
sees have added to the endowment, and
the capital of the institute is fourfold
as large as when started The Parsees
of Bombay are building sanitary houses
for the poor of their communities Their
scheme is about the same as that of the
George Peabody trust fund. and they
expect TO make only per cent on their
money.
Charities of Pnrsee Women.
Such charities are not confined to the
men. They are pushed and aided by the
women as well. They have rich widows
who compare in their gifts with Mrs
Russell Sage, and girls who might stand
side by side with Helen Gould. OF the
latter character is Miss Hamabai Framji
Petit, who has just given her jewelry,
valued at 100000 rupees, for founding
a Parsee girls orphanage, where it is
proposed to teach the various arts and
industries, so that the graduates, upon
leaving, may earn their own living. Miss
Petit has given this money over to
trustees and a committee of influen-