The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-09-05
A CL|MPSE OF india
SiQhts That TiGkIed a Tourists
Sense of Humor.
cows OWN THE SIDEWALKS.
They Are All Sacred and Hence They
Have the Right of Way-Crows.
Snakes and Monkeys Also Sacred.
The JeweIry Fad

COWS. crows, snakes aud monkeys
says Homer Croy in LeSlie'S How
they came to select these above all 9th
ers TO put on the sacred list is more
than any one knows.
You would have TO hunt long time
to find anything homelier than a sacred
COW The sacred cows are of soiled
white. and they have long, dropping
iackrabbit ears and cameS' humps on
their necks Just where the collar but
ton would come They look about as
sacred as corn shelter
These COWS wander up and down the
street and when they come to gro
Gerry they calmly begin eating the vege
tables on display. The grocer cannot
drive them away. for they are sacred
All he can do is to stand there with
plaintive. pleading expression In his
eyes aud hope thar the COW is not feel
ing we'll
From .one grocery to another they
take the middle of the sidewalk. They
won't turn out under any considera-
tion-theyve got to have the middle
of the sidewalk. 1t takes the last rem
nant of my gentlemanle instincts to
step ont into the gutter to let COW
pass just itch TO get my hands on
club If | could thered be all awful
conclusion on about the fourth sacred
floating rib.
Ponder over it as 1 may, L have new
err been able TO figure out why any
body who hasn't been out in the sun
too much should pick a crow to hold
sacred. One would think that if they
were going to pick any bird to hold
sacred they would select beautiful
one, for India has hundreds of beauti-
full birds, and by no wild leap OF the
imagina ton could a crow be called
pretty.
thought our American crows were
homely, but they are beautiful along
side the Bombay crows. The Bombay
crows are the dirtiest, greasiest, most
dila pidated looking birds ever saw In
my life. They take full advantage OF
their sacredness They will swoop
down and pull vegetables out of bas-
ket person is carrying and will come
hopping in and drag things Off the Ia
bIe especially things that will spot the
CARPET, but one cannot touch them. for
they are sacred.
And they retire so late at night!
They dearly loved to sit on limb out
side my window and engage in scandal
and gossip until a late hour in harsh
voices until I would give anything II
before | left Missouri | had packed q
shotgun.
As for sacred snakes, India produces
some fine ones, but they are in the
same class as are the sacred crows
with me.
Monkeys are in class by themselves.
and when one playfully losses a tile
from the roof at my head | miss that
shotgun more than ever.
Another curious thing in India is the
jewelry fad.
love to get on street car in BON
bay ard ride jjtist-to see the conductor
He wears his turban wrapped around
his head and his skirt cooled around
his waist, and when he comes dowE
the aisle to collect your fare his brown
knees pop in and out from under his
skirt as if it were some new kind OF
game.
A Hindu street car conductor doesn't
worry much about the rags situated
here and there that make up his
clothes. His efforts are concentrated
on getting big pair of earrings. 1t Is
wonderful what success they have.
Some of the rings look as if they had
been cast for the navy Their earrings
are not little hobs that hang from the
lower part of the ear. but are hoops
fastened in the top part. The right ear
is the fayorite. On this they hang the
greater part of their silverware.
India is a great jewelry wearing
country. When it comes to scattering
it around the women favor their ears
first and their wrists second. They
wear bracelets clear up to their elbows
until they look like a cane rack at old
home week The Hindus are afraid
to put their money in the bank, so
they buy jewelry and string it on their
wives. A Hindu can't lift his head
and look the world in the eye if his
wife, coming down the sidewalk,
doesn't rattle like a milk wagon. Ev-
cry time she puts up her hand to do
her hair it sounds as if the next num-
Der on the program were muscle
dance
Toes are a favorite place with the
Hindus for jewelry, The big toe is
certain of silver ring. and if the
pocketbook holds out the envious small
er ones are sure to be remembered
Some of the toe rings have tiny little
bells. so that when a woman walks it
sounds as if the COWS were in the corn
on the far forty.
Wonderful Siberian Railway.
The great railway of 5000 miles In
length that runs across Siberia is one
Gf the most marvellous in the world,
first because of the difficulties that had
to be faced in building it and. second
~, because of its enormous length.
For nearly 1000 miles along this steel
less plain. All the stations along those
weary miles are at least thirty miles
apart, and most of the villages are
long way from the stations.
In winter his Siberian line is one
continuous ~iew Of snow, stretching
for miles along the seemingly endless
desert. Sometimes the villages and
stations are almost buried in snow, and
not infrequently the train gets showed
up. Water for the stoves and the en-
gines has to be brought steaming hot,
lest it should freeze on the way, and
often men at the stations in the depth
Of winter have to chop off long icicles
from the engine and ears. But even
the intense cold has its advantages, for
dairy products, such as cheese and but
ter, can be carried by rail without hav-
.ng to be put into refrigerating trucks.
NIL Il CI.