Alan King tells us that although I spent 17 years in Sibsagar District between 1963 and 1980 I never once attended the annual Jorhat Gymkhana Club Races. However, on reading the article  of 14th October 2013 I recalled an amusing incident that occurred while with the Badulipar Tea Co. I attach my "story" which may be of interest to your readers."

Safe Keeping.

Your recently published disclosures of the nefarious dealings of one Albert Douglas Masters in Jorhat in 1932, had me recalling an odd incident that occurred during my time in Assam.

In 1969, following a term as garden assistant at Badulipar Division, I returned to the factory and became the mistri sahib at Koomtai. Always looking for ways to generate “cash” to undertake small welfare projects for the workers, we regularly collected scrap metal from around the estate and sold it to one of the dealers who were always around.

Being of an inquisitive nature, I recalled that in the Badulipar office lay a locked metal safe! There were no keys and the staff assured me that it had not been opened for many, many years. No one knew what it contained.

Using the “scrap metal” collection as a cover I had the safe brought to the Koomtaiworkshop. Under my close scrutiny, but without ceremony the fitters attacked the safe, managing to gain access through the rear. It was a first class fireproof safe with double-walls of thick steel sheeting, the gap being filled with charcoal.

Finally all was revealed, it was not stacked full of banknotes, but full of books of unused Jorhat Gymkhana Club Race Week Tote tickets  !!! Nothing else ! Except in the small draw were a couple of letters and a few odd coins (where those are now, I do not know).

Although the majority of the several hundred books of tickets were destroyed, I did keep one or two; unfortunately none appear to have survived my time in Bangladesh. I am not now sure of the date of the tickets, but it was certainly 1930 something.

The letters I have! One is addressed toW. Kenneth Warren ^c/_o JHC Ross

Esq. at Badulipar from the Secretary of Goriajan Club, enclosing his bar

bill dated July 1930 !!!! Another letter is from the Manager, Rungagora

T.E. regarding a “mar-piet” between two groups of workers and requesting compensation. The third is a request from the Manager, Messamara T.E. for settlement of a worker’s dues. The last is the May 1930 pay-slip of A. Watson, Assistant Manager, Bonn T.E., his monthly dues were Rs. 375/- !!

Not a lot had really changed in the 40 years that those letters had lain unanswered !!

A. C. King.

15/11/13

 below are the copies mentioned above

1         The envelope which enclosed Kenneth Warren's bar bill.

   

  Kenneth Warren's Bar Bill: Goriajan Club March 1930

   31st July 1930 "Marpiet" Letter  from the Manager, Rungagora Factory.


 

.      Worker's (ILASI Settlement statement. From Mr Dyer of
              Messamara T.E. dated 25th May 1929.

                             The above worker's(ILASI) Articles of Agreement.

 
     The Pay-slip for May 1930 of A. Watson, Assistant Manager, Bonn Tea Estate.

  Alan adds;     Apart from the hundreds of books of Tote Tickets these were the only papers in the safe. H. Carnegie was obviously the Manager at Badulipar T.E. in 1929 (I don't know the year that the factory was removed from Badulipar  and Koomtai henceforth became both the Manager and the Superintendent's billet.). Was this upheaval the reason for "lost" safe keys.  

Jorhat, Feb. 2: The winners of this year’s Jorhat races will receive pure silver trophies instead of regular ones, apart from cash awards, in a bid to add more value to the winners’ prize.

The 134th edition of the races, dubbed the oldest major sporting event in the region, will begin on February 20.

“The Mising villagers along the Brahmaputra, who have been participating in the races since time immemorial, have been complaining over the years that the trophies have no value after the event. Moreover, these villages are full of these trophies collected over the decades. As such we have decided to distribute pure silver trophies,” a member of the Jorhat Gymkhana Club Race Committee told The Telegraph today.

At least 60 trophies are distributed during the three-day races, which are being held almost regularly at the Gymkhana Club since 1877.

The British planters had started the horse races with the high-breed horses used by them for transportation.

As other modes of transportation took over, native breeds from the Mising villages replaced the high-breed horses. The Mising riders who participate in the races mostly hail from Jhanjimukh and Amguri in Sivasagar district, and are adept at riding bareback.

The race committee member said the races would be for two days instead of three.

“The final day of the races would be on Sunday as we want more people to come in to enjoy the grand event,” he said. There would be various local sporting events by the Missing community, apart from the races, and the main attraction would be a musical chair where horses would take part. The horses go around the chairs with their jockeys. When the music stops, they have to be reined in and the jockeys get down and occupy the chairs.

The organiser said there would be a cultural programme by the Mising community during the races, popularly known as Jorhat derby, held on the no-race days and an ethnic food festival by the Mising community has also been planned.

Apart from the races, there would also be a car rally on the inaugural day of the races, golf and tennis tournaments and an inter-school equestrian competition.

Another organiser said there would also be a screening of a documentary on the life of H.P. Barooah on February 22 evening. Trailer of another documentary on the races, Riders of the Mist, directed by Roopa Barua, would also be screened on the occasion.

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Have also found what looks to be Florence's death in 1975.

Civil Registration event: Death

Civil Registration event: Death

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An excerpt from the Motor Cycling Holidays Abroads of 1960’s

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.Gorgeous Biker Chick.