A Bawa in Brooklyn

Khairu Mecklai of Poona found the following gem in the "From the Times Archives” column of The Times of India dated September 27, 1993. The clipping, reproduced below, was forwarded to Parsiana by reader S. V. Raju.

"October 5, 1874

A visitor from India

A Bombay gentleman in Brooklyn

(Brooklyn Daily Argus, September 2)

"The attention of hundreds of Brooklynites has today been attracted to a Parsee gentleman who appeared on Fulton and Montague Streets this afternoon. Learning that the distinguished-looking foreigner was a highly-educated Bombay gentleman, an Argus representative secured audience with him and learned that the handsome Parsee was H. M. Shroff and that he was the first Parsee who had ever addressed an American audience. Mr Shroff lectured before the Liberal Club in New York a few days ago and the nature and effect of his effort may be judged when we state he has since received a second invitation to address the Club on the 11th of the present month.

"The Parsee is only 22 years of age and was educated in Elphinstone Academy, Bombay. He speaks and writes English in scholarly style and is a most entertaining conversationalist. He has the appearance of a man of 35. His forehead is high and broad, his eyes are jet black, his mouth larger than the regulation size, and the whole expression of his countenance kindly and intelligent. Should the Parsee lecture in Brooklyn, he will probably talk about ‘fire-worshippers.’”

In another entry from the issue of October 3, 1874, the column notes the activities of an eminent member of the community closer to home in Bombay:

"The long-felt need for a local habitation for our share stock and general money market is about to be soon supplied. We hear that Mr Dinshaw Manockjee Petit, the Parsee millionaire merchant of this city, has offered to contribute Rs 25,000 to provide for a Brokers’ Hall or a Bombay Exchange. It is anomalous that whereas transactions involving enormous sums of money are carried on every day in our money market, brokers and dealers have no recognized place for business and that they have to ramble about between Meadows and Apollo Streets. With the increase of joint stock concerns in connection with pressing, spinning and weaving factories in Bombay and the mofussil, the want of such a place for a money market is a standing disgrace to the chief seat of commerce in western India. Mr Dinshaw Manockjee Petit — who, it is said, has acquired much of his wealth in the share market — would not have hit upon a more appropriate means of exercising his liberality than in founding a money exchange. It is natural that brokers in the share market should feel glad of their having at last met with a patron who has supplied their want. And now that they are soon to have the hall, we trust they will take the necessary steps to make it a rendezvous for general commercial intelligence.”