Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-09-05
WARRIOR MONKS.
rhe New Order That Cardinal Lavigerie
Has Established In the Sahara.

Has Established In the sahara.
Cardinal Layigerie has lived in Afri-
n long cnougb To learn that the sword
indispensable 10 the gospel, says
HdrpeFs Week!y--at any rate. among
he turbulent and warlike races who
nhabit the northern half of the dark
continent. He has witnessed the mar
eelous success of the Moslem proselyt-
SIN. which, although attended by vio-
ence aud bloodshed. has impaired
certain amount OF civilization and en-
ightenment To nations stepped in the
gerry lowest depths of pagan barbar-
ism.
After comparing the many millions
of converts 10 Mobammedanism TO the
relatively few thousands of converts
20 Christianity in Africa. and after
careful and profound study cf the
problem--a study for which his breadth
Of mind and liberality OF view partic-
ularly fitted him--hc has come TO the
conclusion that the system of sending
out unarmed missionaries to preach
the gospel and nothing but the gospel
among the savages was oil wrong;
tndt BOlu TIC anu tHb
dom of these pioneers of Christianity
were entirely wasted. and that IL any
material good were to be achieved, it
could only be made by means OF rad
icaI change.
With this purpose in view, he has
founded the order Of the Warrior
Monks of the Sahara. Instead OF
meekiy bowing their heads to receive
the martyrs crown. they will fight for
their lives. They will seek 10 attract
sympathy and good will by developing
, the productiveness of the GASES, and
/ by the creation of new ones. where
| they will form stations for the relief
of the sick. for the offer of hospitality
to all comers, and for the refuge and
protection of fugitive slaves:
| Their aim will be to afford practical
demonstration of the benefits and adj
vantages of civilization, to preach by
example the elements thereof. and to
thus prepare the ground for conyer-
sion TO Christianity. The latter. al
/ though the principal object. is the last
| in order. For Cardinal Lavigerie pro-
poses that. instead of proselytism pre-
| pairing the ground for the seeds of
| civilization. it is the elements of civil
! izatiOu which are TO prepare the
! ground for the seeds of Christianity.
! Civilization will act as forerunner in-
stead of following in the wake of the
! gospel.
The headquarters of the order are at
Biskra. on the Algerian borders of the
great Sahara desert, aud were solemn
| " consecrated by Cardinal Lavigerie
| in the early part of last mouth. The
name of tine spot is Msala. which is
the Arabic designation for ''place of
| PRAYER" The estate contains plant
alton of palms in full bearing, and is
trayersed in part by small irrigatng
| canal which is the share of the pre-
| cious fluid it is entitled TO from the
neighboring town. Great stretches Of
/ ground are, however, uncultivated for
/ want of water. and measures have
already been taken for its reclamation
by the creation of an artificial supply.
/ A well was sunk to Il depth Of lifty-
| three meters. the water of which, de-
! clared to be practically inexhaustible,
rises naturally to within thirty-two
! meters of the mouth OF the well, aud
is thence raised by pumps to the sur
face. A second well has also been
dug. in order to provide auxiliary re-
sources.
The monks will therefore, be trained
! in the methods of Saharan culture as
we'll as the use of arms. while the
neighborhood of the illimitable tracks
! of the desert will enable them TO ac-
quire the more savage accomplish
mcnts of camel-ridiDg and hunting by
! practice.
The house, occupying an area of
seventy meters by ten, with the kitch-
ems and offices in outbuldings has the
ground lloor solidIy built of stone in-
stead of the sun-dried mud bricks geE-
orally used by the Arabs. The choice
of Biskra for the headquarters of the
order is fortunate one, for the town,
which is situated in an oasis. commands
one of the principal routes OF the
Soudan. The town proper is COM
posed of one large street full of
European houses aud intersected by a
number of smaller streets. The oasis,
which is five kiomcters long and half
kilometer broad, forms forest OF
150 900 palm trees and 5000 olive and
fruit trees. The population is cosmo-
poitan, and includes French, Tunis-
| iaus. Arabs, Moors and Israelites.