Col. C. A. Tupper

              192?
An Amazing and Almost Unbelievable Story
From Kipling's India to the China of Sun Yat Sen

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COL. C. A. TUPPER
Internationally Known Engineer, Adventurer, Traveler, Volunteer Soldier Under Eleven Flags
Printed in U. S. A.

REDPATH



AN AMAZING AND ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE STORY
From Kipling's India to the China of Sun Yat Sen
COL. C. A. TUPPER, internationally known engineer, world adventurer and traveler, volunteer officer under eleven flags, a discoverer of a cure for leprosy as used by head-hunters of Burma, an early associate of Rudyard Kipling, a friend and adviser of Dr. Sun Yat Sen offers the story of a series of unusual and entertaining adventures in his amazing talk FROM KIPLING'S INDIA TO THE CHINA OF SUN YAT SEN.  Altogether, from India to Manchuria, is a tale of history in the Far East, as lived through by an active participant in some of its stirring events, and gives an idea of what the world may expect in the future from the rising tide of Oriental aspirations and accomplishments.

Col. Tupper was fortunate in having an opportunity, as a lad of fourteen, to go on a tour of South America and its interior with a cousin who was engaged in engineering and railroad construction work.  In consequence of this experience, when a young man, he was given a job as surveyor on the northern borders of India; and later, after completing his technical education, was employed as an engineer in India, Burma, Siam and other countries of the Far East.  This work took him to remote districts where fighting with native tribes was going on, and he would volunteer for short periods of service to help relieve the shortage of officers usually existing in the British and other colonial armies.

Col. Tupper in his talk tells of some of his adventures resulting from engineering work and military service.  These adventures include incidents connected with the building of a railroad bridge over the Sutlej River at the point where it breaks through the Himalaya Mountains to join the Indus, a fight with Pathan (Afghan) tribesmen on the Northwest Frontier of India, a siege in a hill fort, the making of peace with the enemy by irrigating a beautiful valley in which to settle them and prevent further raids on caravans, and finally, after the tale of other adventures, to the discovery of a cure for leprosy used by the natives in the head-hunters country of the Burmese-Tibetan border.  This, from scientific development by medical men, has become the standard remedy for leprosy in the Far East and, after such vigorous encouragement as that of General Leonard Wood in the Philippines, is now saving about three-quarters of all incipient cases.

Col. Tupper mentions incidents told to Kipling which the latter used in some of his stories and how this famous author gathered his material in a similar way from thousands of authentic sources, thus giving his readers a vivid picture of life in India as actually lived by British officers, privates and civilians.

Passing across Burma, Siam and Indo-China to the Chinese Empire, the lecturer tells of the early efforts of Sun Yat Sen and other patriots to found a Republic, and of the fighting which developed both before and after that event.  He also describes the life of the teeming cities, the peace and scenic beauty of the lake and mountain regions of the interior, the political chaos and brigandage, and includes the story of his own capture in Yunnan by a bandit chief of whom he succeeded in making a friend and who released him and protected him from other bandits.

Col. Tupper mentions the aspirations and efforts of Sun Yat Sen to bring about the political and economic development of the Chinese Republic and how he helped Dr. Sun and his Chief lieutenant, Chen, both with engineering advice and personal service — how, when Dr. Sun was marooned on a warship in the harbor of Canton while civil war raged, he took messages to and from him without hindrance from the opposing forces, with whom the Colonel was also on friendly terms.  Col. Tupper in earlier years had served with the Japanese as a captain of engineers at the siege of Port Arthur in the Russian War, and was consequently regarded by them, also, almost as one of themselves.  So, after telling briefly of events in China and Manchuria after Sun Yat Sen's death, he brings the lecture up to date by giving his views on the recent Chinese-Japanese hostilities and what, in his judgment, the results from them will be.

During his work abroad, in the long evenings around the campfire, Col. Tupper whiled away the time translating many beautiful poems, hymns, folk-songs.  While in Persia, working on an irrigation project, he gathered and translated some verses attributed to Omar Khayyam.  These verses were given to him orally.  Some of these he has published in a volume entitled, Poems of Persia.  Col. Tupper has frequently entertained audiences with recitals of poetry from numerous lands, including descriptions of the circumstances under which the verses were obtained, some of which are rather thrilling.

For further information about Col. Tupper see Who's Who.