The chutney lyrics: A collection of comic pieces in verse on Indian subjects
I'LL SMASH THE HEAD OF THAT GOOSE JENKINS, OF THE REVENUE SURVEY.
A COLLECTION OF COMIC PIECES IN VERSE, ON INDIAN SUBJECTS.
SECOND EDITION (REPRINT.)
Madras: HIGGINBOTHAM AND CO., By appointment in India to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales 1889.
MADRAS: PRINTED BY HIGGINBOTHAM AND CO., 1/164, 2/164 & 165, MOUNT ROAD.
PUBLISHERS' PREFACE.
Mr. R. C. Caldwell, the lamented author of these humourous papers, was the eldest son of Dr. Caldwell, the great Missionary Bishop of Tinnevelly. He was originally intended for the Ministry, and went through a course of Theological study at St. Augustine's College, Canterbury. After passing out of College, he returned to India and worked zealously and assiduously in the Mission field in Trichinopoly and Tanjore. For some reasons, perhaps known to himself alone, Mr. Caldwell did not take Orders but elected to become a journalist as being more congenial to his tastes. Mr. Caldwell was known in England as a frequent contributor to the English Journals,—the London Daily News , the Athenæum , the Contemporary Review , the Illustrated London News and even Punch . Some Ballads and Songs he had then written were set to music by one of the most popular composers of the day and produced on the stage. His Chutney Lyrics —some twelve of which were originally contributed to the Madras Athenæum and Daily News ,—first prominently brought him to notice in India. On leaving the Mission Mr. Caldwell took up for a short time the co-editorship of the Madras Times and then transferred his services to the Athenæum and Daily News of which he was for a short period sole editor. He conducted the latter journal most successfully, but the general complaint against him was too much personality in his writings. His weekly Chit Chat gave offence to not a few, though all willingly conceded that these papers afforded much amusement and effected considerable good in exposing many of the evils that then existed in Madras. Mr. Caldwell was subsequently employed by the Newspaper press of the Bombay and Bengal Presidencies and by the wit and humour of his writings gained extensive popularity. He died in harness in April or May 1878.