Los Angeles herald., 1892-10-31
BISHOP TAYLOR'S WORK
IN THE CHRIsTIANIzING OF THE
DARK CONTINENT.
A Talk with the Pioneer Methodist
Bishop Of Africa-The System
OF Work He Has
20. Adopted.

During the past week, Bishop VIM.
Taylor has been delivering number of
addresses to the congregations Of the
Methodist churches and other societies
of Los Angeles on the subject of mission
ary work in Africa. Mr.. Taylor is en-
gagged in missionary labors in the Dark
Continent on behalf OF the Methodist
Episcopal churches.
Twenty-six years ago he worked in the
south OF Africa as an evangelist, and
eight years ago was given charge Of the
missionary work on that continent out
side of the Liberian society. Bishop
Taylor delivered five addresses yesterday,
but found time to talk with HERALD
reporter as follows
The conditions that confront the
missionary in Africa are far different
from those encountered in India, japan
and China. The people of these latter
eastern civilization, but the natives of
Africa are in state OF abject heather.
ism and lead only hand-to- mouth ex-
istence. 1t is to this latter condition
that we must appeal. Formerly there
were two rules followed in convertin 2
the heather, spiritual and secular educa-
ton. To these l have added two others.
The first is the establishing of colony
and teaching the natives the art
of industrial education, and,
second, the addition to each
colony of a nursery department. By
this latter method we adopt from II to
20 little children under 5 years of age,
and educate them in the way of saliva
tion. The children have certain duties
to perform each day, including studies
| and manual labor. At the age of 10 or
more they can be given charge of Sta
,tions and 60 forth, to evangelize. They
never give up their Christian religion,
although the native heathen often try
and compel them to do 30. A short
time ago little boy about 10 years old,
named Enriah, from one of these sta
tions, was terribly maltreated by his
kindred. They drove the missionary
from the station called Baraka, and tax
ing the boy, first beat him horribly, but
he stoutly refused to ''give up his
Jesus" They held him under water for
some time, and az he still refused they
hung him up in the top of one OF their
huts and building q fire under him
threw cayenne pepper on the blaze and
smoked the boy into insensibility.
When revived he told them to kill him,
as he was ready to die for his Jesus.
They let him alone after that. sent
Miss Grace White Of Kansas to this
same station and she Is doing very we'll
there now.
The advantage of the two methods
have introduced is that they are short
and sure cut to a cooperative agency
and by teaching the heathen
how to provide for himself we
do not have crowd of Christian
pedants on our hands. We do not
aim to extend charity but endeavor to
teach the converts to appreciate the
resources of the country and
become self-supporting. The prin-
cipal obstacles to missionary work
in Africa are polygamy, witchcraft,
tribal wars, the advance of Mohamma-
donism from the north of Africa, and
! the rum trafic. The country has 9 soil
adapted to the cultivation OF tropical
products. This is the land about the
Congo and and Angola rivers. There
are few forests in the eastern part, but
on the west coasts are large forests of
mahogany and dye woods. The princi-
pal exports are the palm wood, palm
oil, rubber, ivory, dye woods, coffee and
| cocoa.
The static ms have planted number
of coffee farms, and when these are sui
ficiently old the work of exporting will
be commenced and the stations will be-
come self.supporting. No irrigation
systems have been as yet instituted.
When the converts can take care OF
themselves they 60 and take up farms,
| kk< 30 20 oil IN, -
way conversion is propagated. There
| obtain piece of land from the chief of
a tribe and found colony or station,
with all the necessary tools and imple-
ments for husbardry included. A mis-
sionary is placed in charge OF this sta
tion and the work of conversion is thus
carried on. We have chain of stations
along the Congo river. from it's mouth to
Stanley pool, distance of 800 miles.
Seven other stations on the Angola river
eight on the Cavala river, eight on the
Crue coast, and many others. Eight of
the stations have become self-support-
| ing. The first year the people become
supporting in edible products. The
churches are formed there as
in this country, but owing to
the comparative small number
of converts the revivals are not great
success. The language of the country
is mastered as early as possible by the
missionaries. The Gravo tribe near
Cape Palmas on the west coast has been
converted and church has been erected
by them where they worship regularly.
We are going into Zamhezi land in a
short time. A Mr.. Richards and his
wife, who have spent 10 years there,
will have the direction of the work.
They have translated the Bible into one
OF the languages of that country. The
English have promised to do away with
slavery and exclude rum from THIS ter
ritory.
OF the Congo Free State, King Leo
pold of Belgium is the patron sovereign.
Before went inty the work there eight
years ago l had short talk with him on
the subject. He is a broad, liberal
minded man, and while he differed from
me in religion, he offered every induce
ment and help to me to 60 on with my
labor. There are 1000 miles of naviga-
BILE rivers in the state, and several lines
of railroad are being constructed. The
Portuguese, French and the Congo Free
State control the Congo river for various
distances along it's banks. As to who
are the more valuable in the missionary
work, the men or the women, would
say that If had to dispense with either
it would be the men. The women are
roopoucihIa on1 ara indirpouaoh hla n +br