The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-10-09
A GLIMPSE OF INDIA
Sights That TickIed a Tourists
Sense of Humor.
COWS OWN THE SIDEWALKS.


Have the Right of Way-crows.
Snakes and Monkeys Also Sacred.
The JeweIry Fad.
Four things in India are held sacred
COWS. crows, Suakes and monkeys
says Homer Croy in LesIie'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 Il long time
to find anything homeIier than sacred
COW. The sacred cows are OF soiled
white, and they have long. dropping
jackra bbit ears and camelS' humps on
their necks just where the collar but
ton would come They look about as
sacred as a corn shelter.
These cows wander up and down the
street. and when they cone 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 10 stand there with
plaintive, pleading expression In his
eyes aud hope thar the cow is not feel.
ing we'll
From one grocery IL another they
take the middle of the sidewalk. They
won't turn ont under any cOnsidera-
tiun- they've got to have the middle
OF the sidewalk 1t takes the last rem
naut of my grntlemanly instincts to
step out into the gutter 10 let a cow
pass just itch TO get my hands On a
club If | could there'd be an awful
conclusion on about the fourth sacred
floating rib
Ponder over it as l may, have new
or been able to figure out why any
body VITO hasn't been out in the sun
too much should pick crow to hold
sacred One would think that IL they
were going to pick any bird to hold
sacred they would select a beautiful
one, for India has hundreds OF beauti-
full birds. and by no wild leap Of the
imagination could 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
dilapidated 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 i'll and drag things off the ia
BILE. especially things that will spot the
ca rpet, 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
Soices until | would give anything IL
beforc left Missouri ] had packed
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 l miss that
shotgun more than ever.
Another curious thing in India is the
jewelry fad.
bay and ride Just to see the conductor
He wears his turban wrapped around
his head and his skirt coiled around
his waist. and when he comes down
the aisle to collect your fare his brown
knees pop in and out from under MS
skirt as If it were some new kind or
gene.
u;p5,, straat oor 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 favorite. On this they hang the
greater part of their silVerware.
India il 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 cane rack at old
home week. The Hindus are afraid
to put their money in the bank, so
they buy ieweIry and string it on their
wives. Hindu can't lift his head
and look the world in the eye II his
wife. coming down the sidewalk.
doesn't rattle like milk wagon. EV-
cry time she puts up her hand to do
her hair it sounds as If the next aum-
Der on the program were a muscle
dance.
Toes are a favorite place with the
Hindus for jewelry. The big toe Is
certain Of silver ring, and II the
pocketbook holds out the enviolls small
er ones are sure 10 be remembered.
Some of the toe rings have tiny little
bells, so that when woman walks II
sounds as if the COWS were in the corn
On the far forty.