Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1921-09-01
4 AAG&AAAAAAAAAAS
! THE LAND OF coNTRADIc- {
: TON &


IAN emerald set IN pearls"
II Is thus that the verdant state
of Cashmere, surrounded by tho
snow capped peaks of the Himalayas
has been described and It is thus
that Miss Ethel Calkins pictured II
in telling Of her work in India fol
the past five years and explaining
the customs Of the people. Miss
Calkins is in America on a furlough
during which she is spending some
time with her parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
NJ. Il. Calkins Of this city, studying
to further prepare herself. for her
work when she returns to India this
winter. She will also include SER
les of lectures to churches and mis-
sionary societies In several states
during her comparatively brief stay
at home. She said to the Refec-
tor:
every part Of India Is section
by itself. Its customs, creeds and
casts, language and industries are
different from those of any other
section. It Is a land of cOntradic-
Z
spect whatever, yet the Tai Mahal
one Of the seven wonders of the
world, was built to the memory Of
a woman. So when I tell you Of
Cashmere I by no means describe
all India. Cashmere Of which Srin-
agar is the capitol city is considered
by many people the most beautiful
spot in the world and its women are
acknowledged to surpass in beauty
those Of all other lands. There are
many lakes and rivers and Srina-
gar is built like Venice with canals
as highways. To obtain fertile land
for gardens the natives dig up earth
from the riverbed and heap it in
great piles. One this they plant a
certain willow tree which serves to
mat the land with its roots and thus
holds is solid for permanent gar
den plot.
''The Chinar tree which grows In
Cashmere is found in just one other
part Of the world and that is in an
other province of India where there
is one 500 years old in the garden
of Rajah. The tree was given 500
years ago by the ruler of Cashmere
to the ruler Of the province in which
the lone tree stands but never before
nor since, has a Gilman tree been
moved from it's native soil. Its leaves
resemble those of our hard maple
and they turn red in the fall. Cash
mere, by the way, is the only part
Of India in which the trees turn color
and lose their leaves in the fall and
it is the only section in which fruits
such as we have in the country are
grown. Apples, pears and straw
berries grow in abundance and are
unusually large and most delicious
The leaf of the Gilman tree is fav-
orite design in embroidery, brass
work and carving.
"The Moradibad brass which
comes from Cashmere is one Of the
three most noted kinds made in In
dia. 1t is exquisite in design and is
distinguishable by the black or red
or other colors hammered into it.
Jaipur brass is thin and its design
always delicate and without color
Banares brass is thick and heavy
with a more substantial pattern.
''In the brass as in all else there
is one kind made in one section and
the design is frequently made to
order but the type never changes. 1t
is so with candy and other things
which we should consider of slight
Importance. There is a certain kind
of candy of which we are very fond,
which is made in Banares in the
winter time. There is only the one
kind of candy made there and it Is
understood that whoever goes there
must bring some of that candy with
him when he returns. In that Sec
tion they use peculiar kind of
water bottle made from the skin of
the camel and painted and decOrat
ed like a rare piece of china. Il have
one here), and they are used in no
other section. They are very light
and indestructible. However, no
other section attempts to copy them
or use them. One thing used in
CASHMERE WHICH Is uSeu Ill no OtHer
part Of the country Is fire basket.
When I took it with me to the plains
the people could not even guess its
use. 1t is little basket contain
ing an earthen dish inside and pro-
vided with stationary handle at the
back on which is attached a little
ring of the reed or grass from which
the basket is made. The men of
Cashmere wear long sort of kimonas