Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1890-07-27

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In Burmsh, seventy years ego. there
Was moi = siBgle Christian Now there
: not far from 100000. Tho Raptists
alone hAvo 800 churches and nearly S0,-
e0o communicates
MICRONESIA saw her FIRST Christian
baptism but . littlo over q quarter OF n
century ago. Now thcre arc forty-seson
self-supporting churches and about 8, 200
church members.
TIE Friendly Islands fifty years ago
had not = native Christian. Now there
are moro han $4,000 church members,
who give annually from their scanty
storo $4,000 for religious objects
PoNARE, tho South Sea Island Quecn,
died at tho ago OF seventy years. At
her birth the first missionaries wcro
just landing; at her death, 800 of tho
South Sea Islands had become Chris
tianizcd!
THE Sandwich Islands In 1890 were
peopled by naked savages, living in tho
surf, eating raw flesh, and practicing
human sacrifice. In fifty years they
were regarded as Ch%ristianized. AL
ready these native churches have
trained up more than seventy-ive for
eign missionaries to be sent to the ISL
ands beyond! 81
.CHNA's pioneer missionary, Robert
Morrison, began work in 1907. In 1913
only six Christians could be found in the
Empire. Now there nre 80, 900 church
members who gave last year more than
s3S, 900 for tho support OF tho Gospel.
There are at present thirty-cight socie-
ties Mt work in China, employing moro
than 1000 missionaries. Already thero
arc from 135,ooO to $50, 900 adhercnts.
THE Fiji Islands ffty-fve years ago
had never seen u missionary, and were
peoplcd by fcrocious cannibals. In 1870
Sir Arthur Gordon, the first British
Governor, said on his return to London:
"Out OF n population Of about leo, 200,
100000 arc now regular w%orshipcrs in
the churches. which number 800, all
well built and completed. In every
family there Is morning and evening
worship"
JAPAN had but ten Christian converts
In 1877. According to statistics just
now published thoro arc now 31.iSl, Of
whom $3.50 were received into tho
churches last year. Twcnty-six mission
airy societies are at work in the Empire,
hia' ASe 1 llO ltSo lldiu lOuT-
teen theological scminarics with nearly
600 native students for tho ministry.
The Buddhist priests have dwindled
from $4,000 to so, 000-am most significant
fact.
IT Is not yet seventy-lvc years since
tho first convert was gained In Poly
ncsia. Now the converts number $780,
600. A band of 100 young men and
women from TAHITI and tho n%cighboring
islands arc going forth us o~vangelists to
other benighted tribes. or all these ma
tive workers not one, II is said, has
over proved rccrcant or faithless. Yet
these arc tho cannibals OF loss than a
century g who had lost all idea OF any
God save that OF some strange, tyran-
meal dcspot. ~.
AFRICA now has at work within her
borders ton American, twelve British
and thirteen continental missionary So
cictics. There arc moro than 700 or
dalncd missionaries, ana moro than
1000 native preachers. 1t Is estimated
that there are, both white and native,
about IT'S, 600 commandments and 500, 600
adbercnts. Tho Congo region, SO re.
Gently opened, now has n chain OF mis-.
sion stations extending almost from tho
mouth OF the river to tho equator, and
five large steamers arc engaged in mis-
sion work on tho Upper Congo.
MADAGASCAR, early in tho century,
was n nation OF fierce idolatcrs. Tho
first missionaries wcrc told that they
might rs we'll try to convert cattle. Tho
most inhuman cruoltics were practiccd
upon tho first converts, and as latc as
1857, 1000 wcrc put 10 death for their
faith. But tho church that went under
the cloud with n fow hundred souls and
Gods Word in their hands came out a
host of $4,000. Now the London Society
alone has moro than $1,000 church mem
bcrs and about $50, 900 adhcrcnts. Six
ty-lvc years ago not a native OF tho
island could read, now 800, 00o can read.
Madagascar has moro than 5000 or
daincd n native preachers.