The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1920-12-01
Miss Thomas Writes.

Mr.. and Mrs. H. N. Bell recently
received an interesting letter from
Miss Margaret Thomas, who was for
merly a member of the teaching corps
Of Redwood Falls. Miss Thomas is
now in Lucknow India and wrote from
there, dating her latter October TO-
She wrote in part as follows.
Il have been here nearly two weeks.
It seems good to be settled for a while
after travelling for more than two
months. Our first stop was at Homo
lulu where we spent one day. | was
! glad to get a peep at our American
| possessions. We visited the volcano,
| the famous beach and the aquarium
which has the rarest collection of
colored fish in the world.
"About ten days later we reached
Yokohama where our boat made
stop of five days. We saw Tokyo and
Japanese cities. The hard lot of the
coolies and the laboring people rather
depressed me. We went by train to
Kyoto where we were able to get
a glimpse of rural Japan which is just
as picturesque and quaint as pictured.
We visited some Buddhist and Shinto
temples in Kyoto and Nara. The
heather temples are very artistic and
represent much money spent in beau
tiful embroideries, etc.
Il must tell you about the cOaling
of our ship at Nagosaki. When we
cast anchor in the harbor, the ship
was surrounded by small boats loaded
with coal. The natives fairly swarm
ed around the boat and began to put
up ladders. They stand on the rounds
Of these ladders and hand up baskets
Of coal to the one above. 1t required
about 800 persons (many women and
children) working from two O'Clock
in the afternoon until six o'clock the
next morning to coal that ship. One
Of their number fell and was carried
to the hospital where he died. The
natives started wailing cry to call
back the spirit. It is depressing to
see poor people have such hard lot.
We waited at Hong Kong and Can
ton for two weeks. Canton is the
heart of China. | visited the flower
pagoda, the temple for Five Hundred
Geneii, and the Calamity Bell which
rings only when disaster comes to the
city. | also visited the City of the
streets of Canton are very narrow and
the shop and markets are crowded in
| to little alcoves in the walls. The
people who live in boats on the river
are one of the most interesting sights
in China.
Hong Kong is a fine English city
with an immense China town. We took
ride in sedan chairs through China
town. That give one some conception
of the great population in this sec
ton. 1900 coolies were sent steerage
on our boat to Burmea and Ceylon.
Many small children and their moth
ers were being sent on two year con-
tract.
eve stopped at Singapore 1t is a
fine city in the European section. The
palm, cocoanut rubber and banana
trees are very pretty. 1t was cool
even if we were only forty-six miles
from the equator. Penang and Ran
goon are much like Singapore in ap-
pearance. The finest and most famous
temple is at Rangoon.
while at Calcutta I visited the
Khaligat Temple where there were
hundreds of pilgrims from distant
countries who had come to worship
at the feet of the most hideous idol in
India. This is the only place where
goats are sacrificed as in Bible times
thousands are killed each year. The
priests eat the meat. We saw many
waiting their turn to be offered. The
lame, blind and beggars are every
where. Hundreds were bathing in the
Ganges. l do not blame them for it
was a terribly hot day. The next day
we left for Lucknow and the trip of
eighteen hours was the hottest time
of my life. 1t is beginning to get
cool here now but even now it is hot
ter in the middle of the day than ev-
er experienced it in dear Minnesota.
Il am living with the Moffat fami-
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