Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-11-20
At AUGUsTANA COLLEGE.
An Exceedingly Entertaining Lecture
Missions I'm India.

Missions In India.
The foreign mission society of Au-
gustana college, gave a very enter
tanning program at the college chap
ell last Sunday evening. The mot
prominent part of the exercises was
a very interesting, rs well asinstruc-
tive, address on the subject of Mis-
sions in India" by Rev. DR.. Edman,
the synod's missionary at Samulcot-
ia, India An audience of about nine
hundred persons had assembled TO
listen to the reverend doctor. who
spoke in part as follows: with but
half the area of the United States,
India has population Of more than
29S. 900, 900 people, in consequence of
which, it is about II times as dense-
ly populated as is this country. In
this dense population of heathens,
more than 1000 missionaries labor,
the fruit OF which is today, a Chris
tian population of about 10000
people," The speoker here depressed
and spoke OF the life and habits of
the people as follows: "A foreigner
could in no instance sustain life by
eating the unwholesome food which
was the diet of the natives, for more
than year or two at the utmost.
The average house of the natives"
the speaker said, could be erected
at the triiling cost OF 1925. being
constructed from clay, bamboo and
! PLAN leaves. These mansions were
utterly destitute OF furniture of any
kind, and were not really intended
for residence purposes. but were
used as shelter from the elements.
The architecture of these clay huts,
was. of course, very crude. No win
dows and but single door. would
admit the light Of day into them. -
Continuing, the speaker said that the
natives were very INDECENT, and
would never think Of performing
labor unless their supply of food was
short. The average of Chamber
maid was about cents per day.
while a Young man could earn the
enormous amount of 6 cents per
day, or $50 per month. At the
rate of $3.50 per month. 4 native
could earn sufficient funds with
which to purchase 2-months' provis-
ions, and never would he think OF
working more than a month in case
he had earned sufficient funds with
which to purchase two months IA.
ticns. Concerning their manner Of
dress, the speaker said that a YARD
OF cloth would make a splendid robe
for even the most aristocratic,
Their love for jewelry and orna
ments," the speaker said. knows NJ
bounds, and often a young lady
would withhold her final yes mos'
emphatically unless assured by hcr
lover of an almost fabulous amount
of brilliants and gems of the creates
value" Concerning the idolatrv o
this superstitious people, tic speak
er said that they now posse ed NOR,
1913. 00o. 600 gods. The speaker her
| produced two very unique so-caIle,
house gods. both of which were mad
: from bronze. One of the gods rep
: resented the image of calf, Will
the other was an ordinary butte
: god, being nodded in the image of
, youth holding in his outstretche,
J hands two dishes of butter, doubt
: less of the quality known as olcomar
garine. The size of these very con
secrated deities was about two an
: one-half by one and one-half inches
and had no doubt been the means Q
: salvation to many a grim-face
heather.
Q Superstition.
e Concerning the great superstitio
4 Of this people. the speaker said tina
t in order to be protected from th
: evil spirits. small leather strap wa
e worn around the neck or strappe
r tightly around an ankle. Every a,
: cident. every disease, in short. ever,
e thing which endangered the lives ,
the natives, was the direct interior
: ence of the devil. Speaking of tn
: practice of child marriages, til
: speaker said that girls were cfte
}, given in marriage at the tender ag
of or 3 years, while boys of II or ]
e summers were considered of suflicier
G age and discretion to assume the dl
b ties of husband. The celebration ,
marriage in India was an occasio
e for unbounded rejoicing. Upon sue
: an occasion the bride and groom wei
# usually carried around the city. TO
f lowed by a number of brass band
= together with almost the entire POI
S ulation of the village or city. At ii
e conclusion of the 1i-days' marrias
d feast, the bride would return to h,
e parental home, where she RENAME
until she had reached her 18th yea
when another and final marriage W,
again celebrated between the youu
: nuptials. II. as often happens. IL
l. husband should die during the perio
! between the first and second ma
e riages. the young widow would
= compelled to have her beautif,
: tresses shaved from her head, and
b exiled into some prison never agai
/ to be seen by member of the opp
7. site sex. This punishment was IN
e measure an atoncme for the demi,
K of her husband. which was caused
). the evil spirits. which also possess
|. the now young widow.
speaking of the Telugu languag
the speaker said that it required Il