The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-23
IRIS A HEerLAn noNANn,.
missionnricS Thinh the Congo Railway
WIN Prove Great Success.

WIN
Boroy. Mass, juno l0-Nlr. Hunting
ton will tiud his Congo Valley Railway the
biggest kind Of a bonanza much bigger
one than he over imagincs II the mission
AIRY authorities here arc not woiully mis-
taken.
had q very interesting conversation
this afternoon with the Roy. T.. 4. Mcr.
riam, assistant foreign secretary Of the
American Baptist Missionary Union, who
Is probably better posted on the Congo
than any man In America. The route OF
the proposed railway has he said, been
fully surveyed from Maladi, at the foot Of
Livingstone Falls. 10 within fifty or sixty
miles OF Lcopoldyillc, aud preliminary sur.
ycys have been made over the remainder
OF the way.
at cannot fiil 10 bc enormously profit
able" said Mr.. Merriam. referring 10 tho
railway. at h impossible TO sec how Il
could be managed, or unmanagcd, 10 pro-
! ducc different result, Why. there are
| 1000 miles Of river bank above Lcopold.
| VILE aud all OF this Is reached by the
/ trading steamers, which can thus collect
|
/ rich products Of the heart Of Africa. Tho
great obstruction TO trade now is the rap
| ids aud cataracts Of the lower river, but
even In the face OF these difficulties the
| trading companies OF the coast have built
up a very large trade with tho interior.
| This will bc increased many thousand fold
after the railway shall have been built"
Mr.. Merriam, while iorcsecing that the
| locomotive will carry rum as well rs rclig-
/ ion into the interior, does not consider IL
an obstacle 10 the work OF the missiOna-
rios. On the contrary. he says that the
tendency Of al great evils is 10 correct
themselves Civilization must 20 on; this
country must be occupied and opened up.
/ aud the rum traffic cannot delay the work.
| Tho correction OF this great evil will be due
not only 10 tho efforts Of the missionary
societies but 10 statesmen aud 10 the tiad-
/ ing companies Already the latter are tax.
/ Ing measures 10 prevent the unrestricted
| importation Of liquor. They have found
that tic natives, under ils influence, be.
come dcmouhizcd aud slothlul, and do not
/ bring 10 The coast ~ great quantities Of
| ivory aud other produce rs formerly. Tho
| Niger company i cndoayorng NJ the pres
cnt time 10 form all the trading companies
into anii.liquor leagues.
GLOW about the climalo2' I asked.
"Mr. Dcpcw expresses the fear that white
men cannot live there"
"Tho climate IL !ncompambly better
| than that Of the lsthmus OF Panama." Mr..
/ Merriam replied. cone Of our men has
! been on tho Lower Congo continuously
/ since 1881 and bis health IL not impaired.
We have had but one death since 1884 In
our force. White men can live there well
/ enough II they arc careful about exposing
| themselves. Tho climate Is vastly supc.
/ fior 10 that Of Burmah OF India Thcro'll
/ be no trouble about manning the railway
with Americans II, as | said before, they
| will exercise caution
Tho mission stations Of the American
Baptist Missionary Union In the Congo
country number soycn-lhc last ones be-.
ing th1 Equator station, which was csiab.
lishcd In 1884, 500 miles from the sca, aud
| the Boycmba Station, cslablahcd In 1850,
10 miles above Stanley Pool. Tho num-
Der Of CauctiAns employed at these sa-
! tons is thiflyiour, aud there are In all 2i6
| church members Attached 10 the station
at Stanley Pool Is the English built
steamer Henry Reed, sayonty.one feet
long, which IL employed In spreading the
Gospel among 80, 100000 10, 900, 900 pco-
pie living along the upper river and lie
| tributaries.
'Tho further YOU 20 into the interior"
! Mr.. Merriam said, "the finer tho people
become. In tho great bend south Of the
Congo arc found people agricultural In
their pursuits, peaceful Ia disposition aud
skilled Ia working metals. Their religion
il simple iolichi5m, and how easy II is 10
be able 10 prosecute a mission among n
people without a systematic and organized
religious system may bo seen from the rel
alive progress Of Christianity IN Burmah
and among the Buddhists, OF whom only
about / 800 are now Christians. and among
the kafcns, who arc simple spirit wor.
slippers, and Of whom about 2. 400 gro In
Christian churches. In tho missions TO
Mohammedans thcro arc less than 200
converts In all the world today after so
many years OF labor. Tho conquest In
Africa lies between Mohammedanism and
Christianity, and with the locomotives
aid We will win Il for Christ"