The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1892-01-02
WILD MEN OF BoRNEo.
What Has Been Done 10 Clsilize Them
--Hea ! Hunting. Bratai warfare.
and Barbarism Done Away
Wlth--Agrieuiture.

lAAANfHf iA"EAN hAA w viz iol"t'1 ~
Borneo says the Chicago Inter-O Ocean
Devoted Catholic missionaries form an
entering wedge OF Christian civiliza-
ton no one end OF the country. Sir
Charles Brooke. Ra.ah OF Sarawak.
with the English, have center OF
culture at the other The intormedi-
ate land is claimed by the Dutch. who
have issued q carefully prepared map
Of the interior without taking the
pains to make any preliminary explo-
ratiOns.
The Very Rev. Thomas Jackson. an
Englishman OF venerable appearance
Is the project apostolic OF Labnau aud
Northern Borneo. A member OF 81
Josephs Foreign missionary society.
he received in 1881 a commission from
Rome TO engage IN the work OF re-
claiming the utter savagery OF the
natives OF this remote land. Father
Jackson's life has been replete with
interesting experiences from the be-
ginning OF his missionary career
His method OF procedure is that OF
the Catholic Church In It's foreign mis-
slons everywhere. Three priests, two
Irish and one Dutch. were sent 30 the
island In 1880 They devoted them
selves at first TO acquiring the native
tongue. preparing vocahylarles and
translating the prayers OF the church
into the vernacular. Nothing had ever
been done in this direction. perpetual
war waging between wandering tribes
had filled the island with innumerablc
dialects and the priests had even to
devise a system OF transliteratlon.
This necessary work completed.
during the preparation OF which the
missionaries had dwelt among the ma.
tives and acquiring. as far as possible.
their habits and customs Of living.
they sought 70 save souls. Finding
the elder people so imbued with ira
ditions that progress among them was
almost impractlcable. they procured
children for attendance upon the
schools they hoped to establish.
Slowly. by much pleading and ardu-
Gus labor, they obtained pupils The
little saddle-color children were
homesick and ran away betimes but
the force used 10 &c. them under the
church's tutelage was sufficient to
ccptlon OF school or instruction or
knowledge before the advent OF the
missionaries. Money was unknown,
commerce and agriculture things un-
dreamed OF. Rice the only staple OF
the country. was grown. "A little at a
time. by dint OF careful watch kept
day and night against the inroads OF
the monkeys The orang- outrang.
men OF the woods " came down in
force and left never spear behind II
the guard failed for a moment
The priests devoted half the day 10
instructing the children in the art OF
planting and sowing. Arrangements
were made for tho sale OF the product
with tho Chinese converts on the coast
and trade sufficient TO support the
children themselves so far as food is
concerned. has already grown out OF
these efforts.
Through the children parents and
tinsfolk were gradually reached. The
superstitious practices OF savagery
stood IN the way and was very slowly
overcome That barbarous custom
known MS head hunting was and Is "A
stumbling block. TO become a man
in It's full aboriginal sense. warrior.
IL was neodful for the ndolescent 10
bring home the heads OF those slain in
war either In combat or in the result
ing massacre. 20 boil them and hang
the denudcd skull in the primitive
cabin. Collections OF fifty or sixty
grinning boninesses are not unusual
among tho leading men OF IA tribe
This practice had become fashionable
many years ago AID the Christian
youth Ia the community found II im-
possible TO obtain wives without these
ghastly evidences OF their powers
4 he means adopted TO obyiate what
might hayo been an insupcrable OBJ
lection 10 the new faith are interest
ing.
Father Jackson journeyinR in pursu-
ance OF his apostolic duties arrived
al the station in charge OF Father
Dunn. one OF tho first priests sent out
from Europe 20 lind his assistant
in deep distress It appeared that
war had Just been declared by tho
tribe among which his labors were
carried on. against a band OF maraud-
ers far distant in the interior The
question whether heads might lawfully
be taken had bsen submitted TO the
priest by the Christian young men. and
he had awaited the coming Of his SUI
perior Within few days tho wan
dering disciples heard Of the Projects
arrival. and waited upon him for a
settlement OF the difficulty. After the