Glacier County chief., 1939-06-16

The Rev. Leo Belanger, former
Butte priest who left that city last
year to do missionary work in In
dia, has written a most interesting
letter regarding that country to
Msgr. Victor Day, vicar general
of the Montana diocese. Father
Belanger writes that the mission
with which he is connected is
about one-fifth the size of Montana.
but has a population of 100000. His
letter follows in part: ,
The most striking characteristic OF
this county is life: Human life, animal
life and plant life are very much IN
evidence everywhere. On the other
of things. The contraptions, convent
ences and devices such as cars, radios,
electric razors, ETC., so common IN the
United States are almost curloSltleS
in this section of India. There are
very few of such things outside the
port cities, such as Bombay and CAL
cutta, and the tourist towns OF agra,
visit only such places do not see the
India of the Indians because those
towns are more European than Indian.
Population Is Crowded
ct said that India is a country of
living beings rather than things. In
dia has many more human beings to
the square mile than has America.
The following figures will give you
some idea of the difference. Excluding
the Forbidden Kingdom of Nepal
which we are prevented from entering
Patna mission covers territory OF a
little over 10000 square miles in area:
This is about one fifth the size OF
Montana 1t has close to 27!OOO 600
inhabitants, over so times the popula-
ton of Montana.
"Of this immense population, chill
dren and young folks make up much
larger part than they do in the United
States. There is two-fold reason for
this. On the one hand the birth rate
is almost three times that of America,
while on the other hand the average
length of a persons life in India is
about IS years. On United States it is
over co.. The terrifically high death
rate of this community is due mainly
to lack of proper medical attendance.
absence of sanitation Patna city,
town of 10000 inhabitants, has no
sewage SYSTEM, and to insufficient
nutrition.
Poor Farmers
Most of the people are poor farm
CLIO WIZ Wy W enc ouI d
istence on ridiculously small plot
of land. The main products are rice
and dahl "a species of bean or peal
Practically all the people live in small
villages. Less than percent of the
population of this province live in
towns. Their houses, or to be more
correct, their huts. are usually built of
sun-baked mud with roof of straw.
There is seldom more than one or
two rooms The goats and the oxen
kept for ploughing usually share the
same roof as their masters The fur
nishings are very scanty. There are
no chairs or tables as a rule because
the people eat and work sitting on
the ground or floor. For sleeping there
is either a simple mat or very low
cot about six inches off the ground.
Needless to say. there is no running
water, frigidaire, gas cooker or radio.
ION reading this one might think
that life in such a place is very dull.
1t is anything but that. AS a matter
of fact an Indian village is a very
lively place in spite of the fact that
there are no cars, radios or movies.
Children's Toys Simple
1.-THE life is furnished by the large
number of children and young people
The boys have no difficulty in finding
enough partners to start up o game
Of some kind or other. The girls have