The Coolidge examiner., 1932-07-15


Society. Washington. D. c.
(WNU Service)
n ENGAL province, India, fearing
n extinction of it's rhinoceroses,
due 10 wholesale shooting, has
made killing or injuring Of these
animals illegal except in cases of
self-defense.
Bengal, straddling the northern
most point of the Bay Of Bengal,
and stretching northward to the
foothills of the Himalayas, owes
much OF its fame to an animal-the
Bengal tiger which inhabits most
large ZOOS.
The province is one of the most
thickly inhabited areas of the
world. II is nearly equal In area
TO the state of Kansas and as many
people live within its borders as in
habit New York state, Pennsyl-
vania, Illinois, Ohio, Texas and
Michigan. More than eight differ
ent languages are spoken, not to
mention the many dialects.
The narrow northern extremity
of Bengal resembles that of Idaho.
Like Idaho. the province spreads
out as 1t stretches southwark. But
after leaving that extremity. no one
could charge Idaho with having
such deformity of shape, for the bor-
der line of Bengal zigzags in all
directions.
Bengars gateway is its most
homely feature. The water that
surrounds the coast is laden with
silt, brought down from the north
by the Ganges and a labrinth of
rivers and creeks that pierce the
coast line. Water-logged jungles,
infested with tigers and other wild
animals, lie between these channels.
These wilds and the swampy low
lands Immediately north of them
are called the Sundarbans.
When the Ganges goes on its an
nual rampage and overflows its
banks for 200 miles from it's mouth,
the Sundarbans are submerged The
less flooded area is planted in rice
and il is an interesting sight to see
''rowboat farmers" tending their
submarine crops. When the water
subsidies. it leaves a fertile layer of
earth that causes jute, rice and
wheat. and many other products TO
thrive in this region.
Nearly all Bengal is n fat. fertile
plain from the Sundarbans to the
foot of the Himalayas which is
reached after a day and night of
rough train riding. A narrow gauge
railroad is then taken TO reach Ben
gals roof. Darjeeling. The snake
like course Of the railroad passes
thousands of acres OF tea plants
that, from a distance, resembles
fields of lockwood hedge. Some of
the plants grow six feet tall in
Bengal, and are stripped of their
leaves five times a year.
Calcutta. the capital of the prov
ince, is one of the most progressive
cities of the East, with all the mod
ern devices to handle its tremen-
dous commerce and entertain its ma
tive and foreign population. In less
than go years it has become the
largest city in India and second
only TO London in the rBitish en-
pire.
To the traveller who approaches
Calcutta by water, its growth is a
mystery. At the mouth of the
Hooghly, the indigo blue water OF
the Bay of Bengal turns to a dirty
brown. For much of the S0-mile
trip mud flats and water-logged for
ests form the riverside scenery
with no evidence of civilization save
for the commercial craft plying the
river. Only the most skilled pilot
can steer a vessel up the shifty
channel.
Hindus at the Bath.
Bathing CHATS on both banks now
are filled with Hindus. One of the
popular CHATS is at the botanical
gardens, where grows the famous
Calcutta banyan tree. 1t covers
nearly two acres and has about $50
trunks. A short distance beyond,
perspiring natives. loading and un-
loading ocean-going vessels solve
the secret of Calcutta's develop
ment-commerce. Small boats re-
sembllng the Chinese sampans clus-
tered about the wharves or floating
leisurely to and from Hawrah. Cal
cutta's manufacturing district on
the other side of the Hooghly,
handle much of the local small
freight.
Dalhousie square. a few blocks
from the Hooghly, is an attractive
parkway. The post Office, which