The San Francisco call., 1913-07-28
INDIA DESCRIBED
AS WAKING LAND
Former Teacher Tells Audi
ence of Efforts of Mission
aries Against Caste

A stereopticon lecture on India was
delivered last evening in Brooklyn
Presbyterian church. Oakland. by Stan
ley A. Hunter, who for two years was
a teacher in the Arthur Ewing Chris
tian college in Allahabad.
Mr. Hunter showed 20 colored slides,
half Of them on the mountains and the
other half depicting life in the many
cities of the plains in the northern
part of the country
He said in part:
The Himalayas are in parts eonsid-
cred sacred by the Hindus and many
places are resorted to on pilgrimages
The cave of Amarnath is one such, and
we passed long professions Of pilgrims
bound for the arduous ascent Lake
Gangabal in Kashmir is another. The
HinduS throw into its sacred waters
the ashes of their departed friends
after cremation. 1t is believed that
thereby souls are. helped in the next
life. / once asked Hindu student In
the college how many times the human
soul had to he reborn. and he answered
that the orthodox view was "a lakhs, or
more than 5000, 900 times. BY lives of
merit and pilgrimage this number may
be decreased. This whole conception
of gra ii or~fas served to make
!
life is very cheap. There is no Joy In
living Ambition is lesser ned, for the
young man blames his failures TO his
karma, his fate. This has been estab-
lished by his past lives, of which no
consciousness remains. The philosophy
of India is also pessimistic
IN HIGH HIMALAYAS
In the worlds highest mountains we
passed the expedition of two Amerf-
stood the highest in the Himalayas,
and geographical societies are proud
of their record. Mrs. Workman has
been up 400 feet and has a peak
ma med after her In other pursuits
than mountaineering in India America
has an enViable record. In the mis-
sionary enterprise are engaged 1870
men and women from the United States
and Canada They are introducing new
ideas and ideals In our own college
in AIIahabad the first agricultural COLI
lege teaching under mission auspices
was undertaken Now there is a dem
onstratIon farm of 200 acres, with ma
chinery donated by the man ufacturers.
Students are taught how to earn a, liv-
ing in a way that will benefit India.
Perhaps its research work will have a
part In the prevention of famines.
Eighty per cent of the people live off
the land and are very poor. A crooked
stick is the pIoW four oxen the thrash
ing machine. and for irrigation one
sees some curious foot power machines
for raising water operated by two men.
The college teaches engineering as well
as the academic course. 1t has 300
students with 500 in the school. The
cost of living is not high, for scholar
ships Of $35 in the school and $50 in
the college pay all the tuition. board,
clothes and books for one student one
year
CONVERTS FROM LOWER Castles
"The church recruits its converts
mainly from the lower castles, but the
influence of Christianity among the
higher is like a great leaven.
zone Brahmin student of our college
was proud that he taught his Wife to
ride a bicycle one summer vacation.
For a Brahn1in woman to go out of her
1 secLsion within the home is great
reform, but to teach her to ride BIZ
! cycle is almost a revolution. The
purdah system Of secIusion breeds
tuberculosis, and women denied fresh
air and companionship,- become i'll and
remain ignorant Superstitious and de-
/ praved Sometimes their poorer low
caste sisters are better off, even though
! they have to work IL hours day in
| the hot sun in field, road or in carry
! ing bricks in building construction.
I
| laborer around Allahabad
4 POVERTY is WIDESPREAD
Poverty is widespread 1t is not
that india can not support her S15. 000,-
/ 600 She has vast undeveloped re-
| sources. Recently she has entered in
/ dustria1 competition in steel works
| like the Tata brothers. or in cotton
| mills. Her princes hoard the wealth
/ and rich men invest n jewelry rather
/ than in productive enterprises II they
would use for education the sums
squandered on dancing girls weddings
and priests it would be better. The
| city Of Benares alone has 10000 idle
priests.
"Chnistianity teaches new gospel
for the leper, the blind, the poor and
the halt. Fifty-nlne Protestant asy-
lums shelter 13, 400 lepers. The or
! piianages number Isl and care for "a
400 destitute children. with ls indus
| trial homes for 1,134 more. It's ham
rnering away at caste child marriage.
with its terrible sequel of child widow
hood; the causes of poverty. the prev
alence of ignorance and suffering, and
| both by individual and social regen-
| GRAFTON is confident of winning =
4
Joseph krizck reported to the police
| that his room. the Narfap hataJ had