Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1896 — Thibet’s Picture Tree. [ARTICLE]

Thibet’s Picture Tree.

From time to time wonderful stories liavo been circulated In Europe concerning a mysterious tree in Thlbot, which has been called “the treo of 10,000 pictures.” Travelers have related that on each leaf of this sacred tree, on the branches and all over tho trunk, are letters of the Thibetan alphabet or religious pictures; it was even asserted only a short tlrno ago that a large sunt of money had been offered for a cutting from this marvelous treo by a traveler who had seen it. Botanists have smiled at nnd ridiculed the existence of such n tree, only to bo mot with the assurance that it had been seen. At lust the truth has bfcen made known by a Buddhist cons' vert -to Christianity. - In tho village of Louses is a monastery of 3,000 lamas or Buddhist priests. To AUPIW 1 these priests a considerable sum of money is required, so at somo far-off ttane tho idea of this tree was evolved. On a moonless night in spring ono of the lamas armed with a set of stamps, imprints upon tho leaves and bark of tHe tree the characters of the alphabet, short Invocations to Buddha and various rough outline drawings of priests and religious symbols. The leaves and pieces of bark are sold to the credulous believers and visitors, nnd the money thus obtained helps to support tho grand army of lamas.