The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-01-04


Hying in humble lodgings on the west side.
Mr.. and Mrs. Waller tell ptiful tale Of the
SufTerings which they and others have under.
gone, or are still undergoing, In that pestilen.
tial region. -
They went out rs missionaries under dr..
rection OF Bishop William Taylor, as part OF
his so-callcd sell-sustaining missionary
scheme, and they return, after eight months
of terrible hardships and privations and i'm
mincnt danger of their lives, utterly penni-
eSs and not knowing which way to look for
means of support.
They consider themselves very lucky that
they escaped as well as that after running the
gauntlet of the deadly ills for which the eli
mate OF western Africa Is noted.
SOLD ALL HE HAD.
Mr.. Waller, like many others, sold all he
had in this country In order to join the mis-
Sionary movement. He is Il man of strong re-
ligiouS faith and withan active sense of duty,
and lie felt called upon to devote himself to
the cause Of the dissemination Of the Gospel
The Great River. He thoroughly believed.
however, the glowing representations OF BIS.
hop Taylor, ana did not think by any means
that the undertaking would be all sacrifice on
his part lilo fhncicd that the Congo region
was place where honest industry would re-
ceivc its just reward. where q sober and rcgu.
lar life would be proof even against the in
Sidious malice OF the peculiar local diseases.
He had resided at Burlington, VT, and pos
Sessed pleasant and coSey little home there
Having parted with this and having convert
ed all the rest of his worldly goods which
were not actually needed for travel and wear
into ready money, he sailed IN last April 1or
the Promised Land.
He was full OF both the material and spirit
ual results that he was going to attain, and
his wife, who Is young and cOmely English
woman, some years his junior, shared heart
lily in his enthusiasm. She is now as heartily
dcnunclatory Of Bishop Taylor and African
missions, particularly whenever she refers to
the fact that her bright little boy OF eight
bnI tVn nd distinct
lacks of fever during the period OF their eight
months Sojourn.
BETTER THROW 1T INTO THE SEA.
1.-THE good people of this country ought to
know" she says, "that they might better
throw their money into the sea than to con-
tribute 20 such y scheme as that OF Bishop
Yes" said her husband, sit is right they
should he warned in regard to the matter, and
above all, that other victims like ourselves
should lie prevented from falling into the trap
and sacrificing their possessions and their fu-
ture in tho wild pursuit of an absurd ilu-
SiOn.'
"DId you find the representations of Bishop
Taylor TO he false?'
II did. was induced TO believe that the
land over there could be cultivated, that II
would readily yield to Intelligent labor, and
that the climate could easily be endured by
people who would lead careful and regular
lives l also understood that we should have
proper supplies so long as we were IN need OF
lnclll or unll! We WclC lully cSGtollSllSu. LII
stead of all that found, unfortunately, that
the land would not make favorable returns,
that men used to the temperate zone could
not work there to any advantage, ana tnat
there were eight chances out OF ten that they
would succumb to the heat or TO the poison in
the atmosphere.
TO SHIFT FOR THEMSELVES.
"The whole truth is that we were simply
taken out there, set down in the wilderness
and left to shift for ourselves. You possibly
rt,,n f-,,t, 11,a1 I1n hot
what the struggle must have been for us, but
doubt 1t. Most Of those who went over at
about the same time were located at place
called Nivi, about hundred miles from the
mouth Of the Congo but we were singled out
to take up Il more advanced position, nre
miles further. on, sort of missionary outpost
as II were. Gu: food was bad and un healthy;
we were destitute of proper medical attend
were refused us. We used to go to bed at 6
O'Clock every night because we could not have
candles or lamps"
NO CHANCE TO CONVERT SOULS.
"What does the missionary work amount
to-"
Nothing at all. The struggle for existence
is all one can attend to. ] never knew or
heard Of so wofully mismanaged an enter
prise in my life. \ monument 10 It's folly are
the remains OF the fine steamer with which
Bishop Taylor was to ascend the Congo ana
which now lies Il useless wreck on the banks
of the river 1t was paid for by the benevo-
lent CnrlSllanS OIL inns country, anu Is
no doubt that when the detailed truth Is
k nown about the affair IT, will be taken up by
the Baptist Missionary Union Of Boston, and
by the McthodiStS here. and characterized as
il deserves and with greater weight than can
attach to the statements Of any indivdual.'
Mr.. Waller showed the reporter number OF
certificates, signed by prominent physicians
and officials Of the west coast. declaring the
miserable condition of himself and family
when they left the Congo, and also referring
i'm strong terms Of the now notorious failure
Of bishop Taylor's remarkable system OF,
''sclf-sustanins" missions.