THE OMAHA SUNDAY HKE: JIXY f!1, 1910.
Strange Church of Millionaires Which Does Not Welcome Converts j
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(Copyright, l10, by Frank tt. Carpenter.)
JMUAY. (Special Correspondent';
of The ' Uce.1 The richest, the
most powerful, the iiK.pt Intelli
gent and most charitable uf all
religions Is the Parsee, which
has IU headquarters here Ht
ltonibay. I use theaa terms In comparing
It with the other great religions ;.s to the
number of its member.
There ar lews than 100,000 Parsees in tln
world, but their banks and other financial
Insttutlona are scattered throughout, tne
far east, and thc.r possessions are untold
Millions.- They have to be considered in
every business movement that goes on in
India; fur they are the financial kings of
the country. . They are noted for their In
tegrity and progresslvenens, and just now,
when India is torn up by the populirttc Hin
doos, the fact that they stand in favor of
the government Is of value to Oreat Brit
ain. One of thoir biggest capitalists re
cently said at a Parsee mass meeting tnu't
his peopl'j denounced the vioieuee and an
archy advocated by the revolutionists of
other scots, and referred to tlie Urttish rulo
as an unmitigated blessing to India.
Tlie Hindoos am illiterate. Not one In
ten can read or write. Tlio Farsaos ai-
universally educated.. Many of them are
graduates of colleges and universities, and
thev huve large boys' schools und girls'
aliens and ruin the prosperity of the Parage
community.
ciu i mi
If II pL "J III Tlie FaltU of the Put-seen.
I I H T -?3lY 1 ll And this brings me to the faith of tlie
1 wZfJ ) I Parsee. Vou huve often heard them called
I yLS I j III worshipers of fire. In a sense they are S".
1 ney nave lire always ouruiuK in iiinr
ten'pies. but they worship It, as one of
them told ine, only as an emblem of the
sun und as the highest visible typo of tho
Creator. Jt Is so with all religions sup
posed to be purely IdolntnuiH. Upon in
vestigation one finds that the idols aro
worshiped only as the representative of u
deity who creates and rules, and not as
i-tiiks and stjties endowed with super
natural powers. There is no religion upon
fifty years ao. It was a great success, earth that does not contain beautiful traits,
and its founder added ethers, so that lie Otherwise It could not be believed by
became th cotton king of the country, reasoning man nor have Its followers from
A laree part of the Wadla fortune was generation to generation.
made in cotton, as were a.lso thoso of the Tlie Parsees believe in one Uod and In tho
Tatas and thi Jee.1eclhoys. Other rich fain- resurrection and equality of all beings be
llies control the Parsee banks In the va- fore God. They believe that this Ood
rlous cities of India und In other parts of created two spirits; one of evil and the
the, far cast, and a big steel industry has other of good; one of light and tho other of
Just been started by the Tatas. But of darkness. These spirits ur always fight
ing Tor mans soul, and according as ho
favors one or thy,, other he ascends to
heaven or descends to hell. II!u conduct on
earth determines his life after death.
The Xiiorcd Klre.
The Parsees look upon fire und water and
tlds I shull write in theafuture.
HrHgloos Trust.
before mentioning Homo tenets of the
Parsee faith I want to tell you about the
Punchayat or religious trust which man
ages It. This controls more property thou
Trinity church In New 1'ork. Jt bus charge the sun, moon and stars as the creation of
of all the church funds, amounting to more the spirit of light. They especially revere
than I2.OO0.OO0, and other holdings In real 'Ire, and that used In the temples here at
estate which aro of great value. The Pun- Horn bay Is said to have been burning for
chuyat lias recently figured In some trials nundreds of years. It came from Persia,
here at Bombay, which havo created (ireat where It was first lighted many centuries
excitement throughout the Pamoe world. u- efore tha Mohammedans conquered
The Par.eo church is a close corporation. tMe country and drove these people out. It
Its member are liberal to a fault, and give was earrled by ihem to tho town of Ormuz
more to their faith than any sect I know. the Tertian gulf, and brought with them
At tho samo time thev are conservative t,J S"nJn in India when tlie first of their
ftr.
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and want to control what tliey give by
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stct came to Hindustan. Later Mill they
keeping out of tlie fold converts who are uluu"1 11 w,ln l" uoinbuy, und It Is
not of pure Parsee blod. always kept blazing in the temples here.
Not long ago ono of the Tatas, a million- Tll Tarsees do not permit strangers tc
aire member of tho community, took unto r "re- 1 regard their worship
hlmlf tl French wif. Wi became con- iu uu 11. viewi ny oincrs, ana ' " " " " "
t
it. VJ
hi
(rround Ban of the Tovr of Silence 9&
"Women. Who ftlicve in Zoroasber 8
s.-hoolw at Bombav und other places In Hin- ., A. .... , , -,. ...,,,.. , they muke no dlsnkiv of their inllirinn he today,
- veriwu 10 ncr iiuuuiiun ieiir,ioti, ii.ui'jpncii - -
dusian tor tne training oi ineir cuuuieu.
and
Million for Charity.
There are no more charitable believers in
the world than the Parsees. They are al
ways giving lo public enterprises, and their
iniitltutlons, founded for their own people,
have cost inuny millions of dollars, lmrlng
the last year tho bequests of the lata a
oroj! M. Wadla havo been largely distrib
uted, and In addition there have beu other
gifts from Parsees here at JJombay aggre
gating W,)00. The Wadla bequests amount
at their weddings a fire Is
the faith of Zoroaster and was taken into rgeous churches and elaborate religious "1:tf'1 " Idlest and the bride and
i, .ii,,.,. i,i,.u',,f ceremonies. 1 am told that they look upon 'oom walk around It. Akbar, the great
faith objected, and the trustees of te Pun
chayat decided that they could not allow
any Interest In the church money to go to
outside converts to warm their souls at the
holy fires or upon death to have their flesh
torn from their bodies liy the vulturts on
tire as the purest thing upon earth. In Mohammedan emperor of Jiorthern India,
some of tluir new temples they have started n;nclu his own sacred fire by lighting a. form the old creed of the Magi. He had
northern Persia and the old Persian writ
ings chronicle many miracles as to his
birth and life. Ho. went through a period
of rellslous pi epa ration and at thirty re
ceived a revelation und came forth to re-
tho fires by coals from a tree or building
stluck by lightning, and have fed them
with chips and dust of sandalwood. 1 un
derstand that they will not spit in the fire
the towers of silence. The French lady has '",r bluw out " Uht- ' Kor a tl,n "a"-
piece of col ton through a crystal lens with
the rays cf the yun. He lined this burn
ing glass several times every year, and all
tho fires of his household were started
that, way
insisted upoif her rights, and she has now
brougt suit to enforce them ix.fo e thu
courts at Uombay. Tho judges have de
cided In her' favor, and converts are now
them would not smoko tobacco, and aomo
of them havo refused to servo in the flm
department here at Uombay, not wishing to
sin In putting fire out.
.oronntcr the Pronhct.
i no j-'arsees aro ouen called disciples of years, but
Zoroaster. Thin man belonged to toe .udg.; Parsees.
many visions. He saw the one Uod, and
was tempted again and again by the spirit
of darkness, but always came off trium
phant. During his life he converted Vish
taspa, one of tho reiit kings of that lime,
and his religion spread all over Persia.
it was llie enter reilglon there for many
is now believed alone by the
tn T.ior.s than HS.UU0.0U0 gold. All this was to havo the rlgnt to come Into tho church
for the amelioration of tho condition of the under certain restrictions. However, Miere
Door and the promotion of education among was a minority decision. One of tlio Jus-
tho Parsees. .
I drove past the Jonisetjoe Jeejeebhoy
Institute, which was founded sixty years
ago by a Parsee of that name. He began
life a poor boy and died worth JlO.OoO.OCO.
A greut part of bis wealth wunt to charity.
He gave 15,000,000 to hospitals, colleges and
rest houses and about 1100,040 to this school.
The government of India took charge of
the gift and agreed to pay tt per cent upon
It as a loan. Since then the other Parsee
have added to the endowment and the capi
tal of this Institute Is fourfold as large as
when started. Tho Parsees of Uombay
are building sanitary houses for the poor
of their communities. Their scheme Is
about the samo as that of tho Oeo. g- Pea
body trust fund and they expect to mako
only per cent on their money.
tlces KUFgested that the aliens might have
separate temples and burial towers, and
another lias protested that the verdict
might open up tho church to undesirable
This worship of fire is by no means, he held the same faith as tlie wise men
oilglnal with the Parsees. Our own an- wtio followed the star to the stable when
cestors of the long ago. the early Aryans, Christ was born at Uetiilehem. It Is one
were worshipers of fire as representing of the oldest of religions and was wor-
the lightning and tlie sun. The Hindoos shlped by Cyrus the Great. Zoroaster was
nad a fire god called AriiI. and bowed a boy of twelve at the time Jerusalem was
down to It as a means of purification, taken by Nebuchadnezzar. He lived In
life we settle our future existence. As to whole of Jiomlmy.
the Parsee Uod, ho is called the IXier. tlie at one side, shut
Creator and tlie Uoverruxr of the World.
Ho is tlia. emblem of gl(ry and light, and
for this reason the Parsee when he wor
ships stand before the fire or turns his
face to tho Bun us the symbol' of the Al
mighty. The Toners of Silence.
Tt seems strange to think of a beautiful,
well bred, intelligent woman, the wife of
a millionaire, fighting in the courts of India
for her right to Pursee burial. 'This -uieiiiis
that at death she will be laid naked upon
the Towers of Silence, and huve the flesh
picked from her bonis by a flock of vul
tures which have always fed upon human
flesh. This is the universal Parsee dispo
sition of the dead. They do not bury the.
body In the earth nor burn it. Fire Is too
holy and nacred to be defiled with u corpse
and the work of the worms Is too slow und
too vile. Instead they lay their bodies out
in the open en an iron gratini; under tho
sky and the birds pick the bones.
The place where the towers of the dead
stand Is a beautiful one. It Is on .Malabar
hill, an elevation rising almost straight up
from the seu, ujid washed by the winds
from the ocean. Tho hill Is covered with
a beautiful garden. You walk up to It over
well paved roads shaded by tropical trees
and bordered with flowers and shrubs.
A white-haired, sliver-bearded old fol
lower of tills faith tells me that one of
the chief elements of tho religion Is the
belief that the soul is immortal, and that Winding your way through tills luxurlent
all human beings ure free moral agents, vegetation you at last reach a point from
and therefore responsible. They believe In whence you tan see far out over tho Indian
rewards and punishments, and that In this ocean, and turning landward view the
Curious and Romantic Courtships and Unique Capers of Cupid
A
Trolley Honeymoon.
WlilDDlNU ceremony that hold
tlie sympathetic liunest f
mauy was that trf Uv. Herman
Tiuky, 70 yeura old, of Blast
One liunditd and Twenty-first
street, and Airs, llurbara Xcll-
niai., ivo 70, and who looks not a day over
iO, of 110 Kast One Hundred and Twelfth
street, New York City. Tho ceremony was
performed by Hev. Mr. Tiicaro, In the pav
Chaurttlra ot Parse Women. lol. of ,)l0 aide's home. The brldo was
Such charities are not confined to tho given away In marriage by her grandson.
Henry Uaumsarl.
men. They are pushed and aided by tlie
women as well. They hao rich widows
who .compare In their gifts with Mrs.
Russell Sage and girls who might stand
side by side with Helen Oould. Of tlie
latter character is illas Hamabal Frauiji
Petit. ,who has Jiut given her Jewelry
valued at 1,LH.000 rupees, for founding a
Parsee girls' orphange whero it is proposed
to teach the various arts and industries
wo that the graduates, upon leaving, may
earn their own living. Miss Petit lias given
thtu money over to trustees and a com
mittee of Influential Parsee gentlemen are
now laying out the plans for tho Institu
tion. 1
One of the Parsee givers of tho past,
whom wo might compare with certain of
our millionaire widows was Mrs. Hal
All the neighborhood and thousands of
the couple's frlands leurnej of th.?!r Inten
tion to br"marrtod when tiiey made applica
tion at the city lia.ll tor a license reports
the New York American. The block ou
which the bride lives was crowded with
women and children, all well-wishers, who
had como to see that the aged couple Cot
a proper se.id-off when they di purled i n
their honeymoon.
The ceremony was simple. The brldo wore
a plain black dress of silk, while the bride
groom made no pretensions at adhering lo
conventionality and appeared in a sack suit,
of black, with a white stiav hat.
After the ceremony Mr. and Mrs. Tausky
left the house amid a shower of old rhocs
and rice, thrown by tho bride's little
The neighbors had been awaiting their re
turn. As soon as they were spotted the
crowd of children onco more gathered
around them and resumed the cheering.
.Many little gifts cimtrlbiited by tho chil
dren were piled up on the table at the
brido's home. Also there wero several hun
dred telegrams of cjnsrutulation from
friends of the olucii duva. They came from
ull parts of tlie country.
Want a Wife Just to Cook.
Adam lielnhtliiier, a tuinier of Cass
county, Inuiuua, has advertised for a w.t'o
and has made so good a pita for help irom
tho feminine world that the newspapers of
the stilts have taken up his cause and are
helping htm In his search for a wift.
Mr. Rei:.,. rimer Is 5n and has been trying
to get along without u woman In the house.
His laider Is a,wtvs toll, lie lia- the ear
liest spring chickens in In.- county, h.s
hens supply fivsh . kks all the winter
through and he has two Jersev cows that
furnish milk ami butter enough for two
families.
He does not concejl the fact that he
wants u wife that can cool;. Uo can wash
dishes and Is willing to do so; he Is will
ing to do the scrubbing or hire some one
to do ll. and he promises that tho wo.id
snail be supplied at the stove and he will
an expert, but .r. Uelnhelmer does not ap- haired bride-to the altar a second time, decided to return to Columbus
prove of this plan. He thinks it w-nild bo After the'wedding and an elaborate supper license tlie next day.
for the
Motllbal Wadla, of the somo family aa the blends. They made a splendid appearance nmkt. , t.arly nuilnlng fires himself.
man who has Just lcrt the C.ouo.OPO gold
dollar. She was the wife of a millionaire
Pursee of this city, whom she outlived more
than' thirty years. Lnu Uig that time she
Ifavo away one million and a half dolluis
In public churllles, and almost two millions
in private alms. .She guve Uombay Its
flr.it hospital for native women ut a cost
vt over jr.0.0iXl, and uothwIihHtaiidit.g all
tl.la, left a big fortune to her descendants.
aa they wulked down the street w4th firm
step, followed by the cheering crowd. The
little ones in the neighborhood arc all fond
of the brldo because of her fcentlc. hludly
nature and her hnc tor children.
The Ucv. Mr. Tausky gallantly pasisied
the brldo on a l-cxliiijton u venue trolley
car and followed her. Tlio crowd gave on
last cheer and a parting shower of iloe as
the car sped on Its way. The couple go:
off the oar ut thu Battery. The jrido
"I don't mind washing dishes, scrubbing
the floors, feedlnt; the stoeii and th'i like .
but I can t cook.'' he t.iyt. "Why, It toon
nc l ire- months (o l.-i mi to uo 1 wale
without burning it. Ami when I got :.. 1
could boil an egg I thought I could set
along forever without a woman, but 1 v
nad ettga and tggs and egga till I'm
ashamed to look a ebb-ken In the fac.-.
"What 1 want la sni corned ben' and
cabbage and sum bacon und 1,,-an and
other ihlcgs Ilia. unl u woman can cook.
I've got chlcKe,,, lots of 'em, that's big
enough to fry, but I can't iry em. I need
a woman. I thought I could get along -.oreed Combs and murrn d
without, but I can't.
Mr. Kelnhelmer is receiving a good many
v afterward told of their honevinmm iilu
"" Millionaires. -Ve went Into the aquarium and sin-nt
These gifts suggest the wealth of l.ie about three-quarters of an hour watching
Pursee. The Petlts might be called the the fishes. Tney were very lntei-eming. The
' IlothschlHa of the eountry, save that they attendants were all very kind to us when
are by far more generous. wia of the meu wo told them we were newly married and
of tho Petit fsnillv. to which belonged the on our" honeymoon. Indeed, one of ihem
girl who has Just donated her jewels for "evoted all of his time to us. explannlng letters as a result of tho friendly Interest
a girls' orphanage, founded a boys' or- " ahout the various kinds of fifties. When ,h,t ",e edit"" are taking In his case, and
phanage to perpetuate the memory his Wo had seen everything in the aquarium we 'nie of the writers havo ' volunteered to
on. who wil cut off In his prime. These eame out and wondered whero we would eook several meals for him by way of test
Petlts havo made their millions In cotton. B" next." of their a.,lty. It lias been proposed inst
One of them erect! the first spinning and The eouplo then Journeyed to the bride's the writers get loguuier and lurnlsh sain-
weavlng in. 11 for India. This ivas over '-otiie, via a Lexington avenue trolley car. pls of th.ir cooking und-r tho direction of
unfair to have a contest In cooking, us
some would be disappointed, and he wants
to t;tk" unto himself a, wife without any
Jealousies or heartburnings following the
iiUPPX eVtnt.
Marrying I be lieaf.
"Hew to ii'itily a tieaf pel son who is get
ting married when it is time to make the
responses puzzles every clergyman," a New
York curute said. "if a person is only
slightly deaf I ca:i make him. hear by rain
ing iny voice, or if he is afraid to depend
upon his curs u nod tells him when It Is
I. is luiu to say something. Uut I married
a couple the either Cay who dlsirusted botli
ears Mid n"d.
"Sa.d tlu bridegroom: 'Mary ,s very deaf,
Wlii n it to.! i. .. . e lor hi.r to say, "1 do."
will you pinch her'.'
"I suggisteu that It might bo advisable,
for the bi Iderooni to do ihc pinching, but
he decline. I on the ground that he might
make a mistake und pine, at the wrong
time. f
' 'It Is L.ii right,' he .'-aid. 'I have ex
plained it to her. Bhe will underst ind.'
"And apparently she did. lor at every
nip ut her .urcfinger she gave t.ie required
I isp'Miucs.'
I'nriril mid lt"fd.
Wedded mo:e than thirty yturs ago,
palled fur most of thu time by mutual u s
trust due lo st'Uit r: elri uluti J li uu al
leged friend, uul rein.iT lied last we-'U is
the run. antli wlory of Wilbur M. Comb,
mi liiMii.inee mail of New ork, and -Mrs.
Jtosa M. 'rravvr of Auburn. N. V.
In ISs Co:;i'u" n, arricJ u heiintlf ill ounj;
Voma i at (iiiu a. near Au'mw... Soon ufter
ii ai il. while '.ii a husitiees inn to .v'i v Jer
sey, the juiii!,! l url uiel In ai d stories of
luitlileNsnct-H and left ills s tie. Mislead
ing HJicirlits reai lied hln wife's ears and
a until named
the estrangement grew. Mrs. Combs dl
Traver. A pretty child, born of the first
union, grew to girlhood, became a beauti
ful woman and died two years ago. Over
her bier tho parents met and were recon
ciled. The woman was a widow. In con
versation both learned lliat they had been
vic tims of false reports and on June Mr.
Combs, imw an old man, led his siiver-
ut .Shanley's they went to Atlantic City for
their honeymoon.
Mrs. Combs has built up n wonion's
wrapper factory on Market street, Au
burn, und has made a comfortable for
tune, has a beautiful home at No. 37 Frank
lin street and owns considerable real estate.
Hartsvllle Is well acquainted Willi Mr.
I.uwience, and it turned out in force about
10 o'clock on the night of his home-coming.
It was armed with shotguns, rifles, re
volvers, horse pistols, drum."', ' fifes and
horns. Tho spirit of '70 was In the ulr, and
Hartsvllle, marched to the home of Mr.
Mr. Combs was formerly head of the Can- Lawrence, where It gave him an old-fash-
ada Life Assurance company of Toronto
and is now an expert underwriter.
A Prlr Out slaty.
That Cupid "moves in a mysterious way
his wonders to perform" and that love
never grows old, and a number of other
things, have Just been brought out at'
Columbus, lna., by thu marriage of John
Werley Lawn nee. aged i. of J lartsvide,
lad., and Mrs. Uiucia Foust, used i, of
j'ii.lii(,ci'hia.
-Ur. Uwunre Is a retired contractor and
is wealthy, lie ,s ft veteran of tne civil war
und was a trustee of llie t'nited brethren
college ut Haitsvnio when a scuool floin
Isneil there fi r several ;.eurs. He is a mild
mannered ituhi and imu.hi nave attracted no
auenti.ui in tlie streets had It not been
.or the fact that he wore a long streamer of
blue ribbon in tils buttonhole. Inquisitive
frit-mis asked why Ami ne told tiiem. He
liaieu Ine se. lei. of neari and sa.d he couple.
lulled charivari, lasting for an hour. Mr.
Lawrence stood the noise for that length
of time patiently, and then consented to
make a speech, that was not altogether
complimentary to bis friends and well
wishers.
Wrddlnus ou Horseback.
Mounted on horseback und attended by
about 300 friends slndlurly situated, Miss
i-'ve!yu Laker, u former Loslon belle, and
( leort.-" K. Moise, Loth members of the out
West club, were the central figures In a
plcture-jque wedding ceremony In Lis An
aeles. Out In an open si retell of laud Juki north
ot a giove of llv, oak trees In the northern
end of lirlfflu park, the happy couple end
the members of the unique bridal p.ntv
formed u seml-t.-iri le o;i their quinen while
the minister, alro astride his horse, per
foi med tlie ceremony that united the happy
was going to n.eet .l rs. l-'oi.st. ile said hlie
had i lted her ister, Mrs. Lyman
Knwlin;;s. In Ins h ine loun. hut l,,i had
r.ev. : Miokeu u v.oril t i her in Ins l.rti.
A Her siie ivtiirm.d I, nine Mv. I'.tv. u.,;,
Migesitil to ! ; 1 1 1 1 that sue nnuhl iii-ru'tg-i
u in.i-.dt i.elw.in ;,.-r Mst.-r und tun,.
1jiuci aiiiied, ar-.d Mm. Lawl.injs conduct-
il thi cui ri spoiiiKvee.
'!'!:. iiiui ring- -,.ts ai ui ;ci by letter, and
Mr.-.. U.iw iiu.v und I..ui n-iii ,: n t j
t 'i i ' ii in litis to ir-.eet Mrs. i-'otist. As Mr.
l.;i rei.ee bad tit.cr spoken lo her ami n.i.i
ii- t st. mi ii-r lor so. at: i.uie, lie u as ai'taii
there liiiitnt be .on:e mistake wiien her
cur arrived. Consequently lie arrayed hun
he.f in oiue I iis.uu und litis wia a tuiieii
that he was he.
Mrs. Foust tlid not arrive until ufter the
oll':cii of tlie county clerk closed, 11. d lie
drcunid over trio telephone to return here
from Ills home in the teu,.i.ry uud lsuM tt
murriag- in en-.. . ,Vt i . L;-.wrenee drove
to ilails.lllu vi llli Mrs l'ojst, uud they
'1 h details had been left In charge of
the Out West club, hoi st hack I'ldeis or
southern California, and they tletlded thai
il ,-iii.til.l lie uib-le t!: liloM l int I us well
us u historic c-.vut In i'io initials of the
i a niz.it lull.
lovers' lonsluue),
A 'unuikiililc story of filial devv;ioii ::d
I i'. i r. ' ei.i stale I- repm I. d fruiu l.t.iila
In K. hi ii it i! .i . e.nl it l.us ji -it culiiii .,tti-d
In Hit marriage of .Marin Liega, aged W,
und Jiiseiih St.jlisco. uetl a."..
SI sty eurs ago Juatia and Jos-(ill were
unxaius to wed. but the Riii's father refu ted
bis consent and the dulllul daugnter agreed
to remain a spinster until ileal Ii removed
Ills opposition. The father, In a country
where, thanks to the use of sour milk n-
ti-iiarians ure eniumwi. kept her waiting
unt.l lin leached the age of 113. The l.islii.p
nf Hi alia, who performed the long deluvcil
ceieinmiy, htld up the newly married Lv'.iple
s ;i,i example to ull ymn loteis.
Here among Oie trees)
off by an Iron railing
so that nono but the priests may enter,
stand five great circular towers aa whit
us tho bones which lie on their topw " -"'
Laid t pon n Urldlroa. '
Each lewc-r Is about twenty-five feat In
height ami ninety feet In diameter. It bJ
crowned with a grating or great circular
gridiron which Blopes toward the Center,
where a well five feet in width runs down
to the sea.
Tho gridiron grating Is cast In aeotloiia
and so formed thut there are foot paths
here and the.ro through It. In each tower
there are certain divisions for the olasen "
of the dead. One section Is devoted to the
bodies of men, another to those of women
and a third to tlie children, the last part
neu rust the well. The bodies are stripped
naked before they are placed upon the .
towers; und after the flesh, has been de
voured by thu vultures the skeletons ara
left, to bleach und dry III the sun.
The bodies ure taken into tho towers by
two bearded men dressed ull In white.
These are the curriers of tho dead. At .
every funeral they take the corpse and,
entering tho lower through an opening
about eight feet from the ground, walk
up a flight of bteps and place it upon its
proper location. Afier it has been stripped
by the birds, and bus become perfectly
dry, they take tongs und throw the bones
Into the well, whero they ure left to
crumble to dust. ' .
These towers ure well drained. The
heavy rains of tlie tropics fall upon them,
but thu water goes off Into the sea and
there are fillers below them llllcd with ,
chin coal so that all Is kept clean. Indeed,
llie bone dust accumulates so slowly that
It has taken forty years to make It rlso.
to five feet.
A Lvok. at i be Vultures.
I sini!) never l'urgc-l my visit to the
towers of silence. None but the Paxsees
can go closo to them anil It was through
a Parsee of high rank that I gained ad
mittance. Climbing tho hill with ono of
tho sextons, 1 made my way about through
tho paths of a garden comprising perhaps
sixty acres of trees and flowers. I was
shown the Parsee Temple and then taken
to a place where I could overlook th
gieat towcrii.
At first each i ceuied to me a hug
cylinder of white with a frieze or coping
of mighty black birds. As I continued to
look the birds sprang Into life. They
raised their bonis and crum-d llielr necks,
un.t I thought they piiHi-.iued us corpse
hearer.-. A lis. mint laler. u funcrn! U'.iidu
its way uii the hill, uud 1 raw thai they
were gazing ill 11. In front came the two
carriers of the dead ami upon their
shoultleis luy the corpse of u bit by, which
was clad In .vniie. The tvrrhn: had their
faces t-iid. and behind lliem came
in. ml in-, s el t.j.it, in while cb thing. All
Parsee walk lo their funerals and they
drtss much tint same, 'there are no dif
ferences cf condition at the towns of
silence.
".Nuked wti eaulu Into the world uud
naked v imiu tie an from it," said my
old I'm. ice guide. "The bones of us all
j;o 'iii.j tti.se leservolis, mid the flesh
i ; Hin rich a::J thu poor Cecil llie saiilu
volt ores."
As tho .' jt-e.-isi.in fit e .v nenr the birds
grew extllt l. Tut) flupped their wings
and fit w in. ii tun: s :! or 1 1 c tower to the
other. Yin- .-'n. if the grating lu
s.H-h u .ii 1 could i nl see the 11 1 r lo body
us u witi rtilpjicd uud laid In It' plsee.
Such .d,. his arc iMblo only lo the earners,
but 1 tuiild tell the tjmn of the exposuie
l.y the liotk of vuiluies which tame fly
ing from tho various towers to that part
of the Inelosure, and by the flapping ut
tin- wings and the noise. The signt was a
horrible one, but when I thought that
those bIMs In two hours wdU'fl accomplish
what millions of Insects und Filmy worms
in. ghl have been weeks or months in per
forming, 1 doubled uflcr ull whether their
method la not belter than ours.
k'ia.S'U J. CAlU'iJNl'LM.
I'