OCR Text |
Show encrusted bodies played in the mire. In one low-built hovel we found th last representative of the Agra papermakers-Mr. Wal ubuks pholegnp 44, a Mohammedan, a man appare cig may have b much younger, for the age of Indians is difficult to ,ud% uky grow ol rapidly, and a man of fifty years will oftentimes give every appearance o advanced age. Mr. Wahzbuks i the e e paper manufacture by hand in Agts of the surounding county,for period of mor than seven years, and that when the Taijang millw ino cation it wa owned by an old papermaker named Chunna. T requested the time-ripene gentleman to stand for his picture, which he did, telling us that never befor en so honoured Agra it was our pleasure to be presented to Mr. Seth Aghal Smgh L A., Municipal Commissioner and a member of the Congress fro Agra disrict. This gentleman was interested in the future of the h.mdmnd paper industry in India, and said that we should not neglect a sojourn i wnpore) b improvements in Indian handmade pflpelmakmgwere being made." He informed us that absolutely nothing remained of th in Agm ud that it would be useless for us to continue our search. Alle having been in Ag-m three days I vi ted the Taj Mahal Ve arrived in the t Cawnpore late in the i and the following day we made inquiries regarding the paper establish ut whic Mr. Seth Aghal Singh had been so certain. We were told nm in Cawnpor handmade papermaking had ceased o exist, and that nothing more rea few strugglin mained than the memory of a once flourishing industry. an workers who had long since gone into other occupations. Our informan told us that the only place near Cawnpore where handmade papermakin till carried on was in the remote village of Kalpi, between Cawnpore 1nd_[Immn Thereupon we gathered togethe our nineteen pieces of luggage consisting of bedding, water-bottles, tiffin baskets, papermaking moulds and bundles of paper and entrained for the hamlet of Kalpi Digital image © 2005 MarriottLibrary Universit of Utah, All rihts reserved |