The Detroit times., 1914-05-22
Mrs. Gill Travelled in a Sedan
Chair Carried by Coolies and
Slept in Tent
CHILD MARRIAGES STILL
COMMON THERE, SHE SAYS
Special Trains Provided fOr
Women on All Railroad Lines
in District

Mrs May Wnson Gnl, Of Pauri Garh'
wal. India, who has been visiting her
brothers in this city, says that the
advance made through missionary ell
feEtS- there Is marked.
Mrs. Gill has spent the last q years
An India with but one vacation, II
years ago, when she returned 10 the
United states for year.
For the last few years the mission
4 ary has been doing work in the vii
lagos OF the Himalayas. With coolies
TO carry the dandy" or sedan cnalr
An Which she rides, and the luggage,
and with several native women &C
ccmpanying her, she makes trips
from place TO place. on the journey
she has lived in a tent and depended
on the natives 10 supply her WIN
food
'eWhenever | set out, l took along
q government letter" said Mrs. Gin.
This letter, which Is addressed 10
the native officials. instructs them 10
see 70 1t that If | need milk, chick
ems or eggs | should be supplied. The
milk is to be furnished free, but the
chickens and eggs are TO be paid TOT.
These communications | present 10
the 'patwari,' the native official, VINO
is head OF several paths or valleys.
The .patwari' is a man OF considerable
influence by reason OF his position.
He also enjoys graft enough in many
cases TO get wealthy. In addition 10
the leyies which the British govern
ment authorizes him 10 make on the
stocks of the natives, he makes others
for himself. The people under him
don't dare complain for fear. he will
make an adverse report against them
and get them in trouble. The pat
wari' instructs the natives to supply
my wants whenever go on the trips.
'Usually II is no trouble TO get sup
plies along the route and coolies to
carry the dandy and baggage, but
sometimes, when the natives are busy
in the fields, they refuse TO be both
cred They send word back that they
viii pay the fine assessed against
them by the government rather than
comply.
Child marriages are common and
are great handicap to the women.
The marriage means that their edu-
cation is practically cut off when they
are from nine TO fourteen years old.
The parents try to pick out the best
Husbands they can for their daugh-
terk.Y They know that the wife Will
have to do the drudgery of the home,
aud SO they examine into the con-
ditior or the bridegroom and try to
select one who lives In a part OF the
country where woods and springs are
close by, 30 the wife won't have TO
travel far TO get fuel and water for
the household.
High caste women are kept housed
In practically all the time. They are
kept In an inner court OF the homes
where they are seen only by members
OF their immediate families and their
women friends. AS the household
work among the wealthy Is done by
servants, the wives have nothing TO
do but sit about on little stools or
tables ali day long.
"Cn the railroads special cars are
provided for the married women. The
feminine passengers are carried 10
the station in curtained chairs and
are placed aboard heavily yelled.
While the train remains in the sta
ton they are very demure and do not
let their faces be seen, but as soon as
I. thE t4dih Oh1 anu iCaNhto a
stretch OF country where there is no
body to see they lift their wells and
crowd eagerly to the windows TO get
glance at passing scenes. The
wives OF the lower caste people have
more liberties because they have to
go out and work.
Many OF the young men prefer
nowadays TO marry a girl who has
had an education rather than take a
child-wife, who can do little more
than look pretty. They find the
intelligent girls more acceptable life
companions:
"The people of the hills are more
conservative than those OF the plains
and do not take so readily TO a new
religion, Among the low caste ma
tives there are a number who back.
slide, but whenever a high caste ma
tive rs converted he holds steadfast
20 the faith. This is probably due 10
the fact that he has to give up his
station and make innumerable sacri.
fees Before he becomes a convert
he must have thought deeply and
realized what he was. sacrificing In
the bills IL has taken us forty years
TO secure 500 converts, though in the
plains REVEALS are often conducted
where as many as 100 at time are
Baptized"