The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-22
WHAT DR.. cOLBURN saw,
How He Got Acquainted With
the Common People OF
OthSr Lands.
HIS EXPERIENCES IN INDIA.
Makes Some Comparisons Of the
Conditions of the Worlds
Laborers.


son Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church
at Hayes and Buchanan streets, which DIR.
A. C. Hirst will leave vacant when he goes
to Chicago. cannot be definitely deter
mined until the Methodist Conference
meets here early in September, but it is
generally believed that Rev. NJ. j. Colburn
will be appointed.
Bishob Goodsell is now in the East and
is to be at the conference in Chicago, and
Bishop Warren is here from Denver to pre-
side over the San Francisco Conference In
Bishop Goodselps place. Or. Hirst ex-
pect. to receive the passionate OF the Gen.
tenary Church in Chicago, and the infu-
ence of Bishop Goodsell, it is said, will be
used to give him the place in the work of
the church which he desires. He is at
present attending the Chautauqua Assem-
bly, at Los Angeles.
Rev. NJ. ]. Colburn preached at the
Simpson Memorial Church yesterday and
seemed to please the congregation by his
logical style, as we'll as easy manner of
handling what the world is inclined to call
metaphysics. Christianity is living fact
with him, and he impresses his auditors
accordingly. But he is a philosopher in
the things of this world, as well as an ex-
FOUNDER of biblical doctrines.
This was demonstrated by the trip
around the world which he has Just fin
ished. He left here in September two
years ago. after laboring in the pulpit of
the Eighth-ayenue Church in East Oak
land, and devoted the time following to a
practical observation of the lives and hab-
its of the great common people of Asia,
Europe and Egypt.
Unlike the average globe-troiter, the
Rev. Mr.. Colburn had plenty of leisure,
and was not only seeing the sights but get
ting acquainted with the people. He
would go and live altogether among the
natives for time, and therefore formed
pretty fair estimate of conditions and
characteristics.
For instance. at Calcutta he hired for Is
cents day-which was double wages at
that-a Mohammedan boy who could
speak several necessary languages, and,
with the boy as his valet, he travelled all
over India to Bombay The boys name
was Nabbi Bux, meaning "Gift of the
Prophet" as common name there
as John Smith is in this country. With
Nabbi as an interpreter he would take his
lodgings for weeks at a time with the COM
mon people, and whatever resorts they at
tended he attended. Some of his COMPARE
sons made yesterday as to the conditions
of workingmen were very interesting.
"In China" he said, ~ saw men hitched
in the English quarter of Shanghai, and
driven with a stick, like cattle; and yet
they were glad to get the Job, because they
received four cents day, which was big
wages to them.
''The common day. wage in India is two
cents. The natives cook their food and
sleep in the same fields they work in, and,
to Caucasian, they seem to live like ami
mails. WithaI they are content, for nature
is very amiable to them in that country.
SIN Naples, Italy, saw workingmen alt
lodging in one room and subsisting upon a
poor quality of beans and third grade of
olive oil. The poverty of the masses in
ton there. A hotel-keeper told me he had
to give about 40 per cent of all his business
to the Government.
cater being taxed for everything he
needed he had to pay to the Government
Is per cent of the gross receipts for the
privilege OF running hotel. The system
of taxing the salt industry is such that in
many of the seaside towns the people
have to obtain permit from the Govern
ment whenever they want to dip up
quart of salt water from the sea for bath
ing purposes-the Government is so afraid
they might try to evaporate the brine and
use it as salt.
1.-THE happiest working people saw in
all my travels were those of the southern
part of Germany, particularly in Munich.
All the shops are closed there from II to 2
P. NJ, and the business men do not visit
their offices until late morning hour;
and it is a common thing to see the stores
close at 6 80 P NJ. just to enable everybody
to attend the opera. The Government
does great deal for the Germans in the
way of parks and music.
Americans are much better paid, it is
true, than the people of other countries,
but they are the most disconnected because
the most intelligent. We have more money
in this country than any other, and less
happiness. 1t is because the dominant
characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon is ac-
quisitiveness-a quality that has given the
race energy and push, and made it the
master of the planet"
Mr.. Colburn was for four years the pastor
of the First NJ. E. Church of San Diego,
and at one time had no less than forty con.
verified drunkards in his congregation.