The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-08-04
LlBERlAN MISSIONS


And the Student Volunteer Movement the
Subject OF an interestiug Lecture by
Rev. Frank :. Dcloe Last Evening.
Last night In the English Lutheran
church, Sixteenth street, a large audi
ence heard the lecture by Rev. Frank S.
Deloe, OF Ncnia, Ohio. formerly 4 Wheel
ing boy, who spoke on the famous Stu
dents Volunteer movement and mis-
sions in the republic of Liberia The
lecture was illustrated BIZ the stercopti-
con ana was very interesting n IN
structive. Mr.. Deloe Is the guest OF
relatives during a short stay In Wheel
ing. In part. he said:
About nine years ago the student VOL
untcer movement for foreign missions
was inaugurated at Mr.. Moody's North
field (Mass.) summer school. About
one hundred college men pledged them
selves 2God permitting, to so to tho
foreign field. Funds were forthcoming
and two secretaries were placed in the
field and the movement carried into the
colleges and Summaries of the land.
II has spread into Canada, England and
Europe, and efforts are being made TO
make It Worldwide, ever in the unlver-
stiles OF India Over 1000 young men
and women have taken the pledge, fully
700 have gone and many ARE kept at
home because the various mission
boards have not the money to send them
abroad.
On the northwestern coast Of Africa,
In the republic OF Liberia, Is Muhlen-
burg mission OF the general synod of
the Lutheran church. 1t is located 30
miles from the coast on the 81. Paul
river, among the hills on Its north side.
The mission Is reached by taking the
Sarah Ann. a small steamboat. owned
and operated by the EMISSION. The
country Is remarkably fertile and much
healthier than the constIbecause OF so
much cleared land In thcsyIc!nity Of the
mission and no swamp within twelve
miles.
1t "a founded in 1860 by Rev. Morris
officer. a man OF wonderful power and
perseverance. The climate of west Afri-
ca Is fatal 10 the white race. especially
where liquor is INDUCED in. Rev. DR.. d.
y. Day, u. D.. who Is nov in charge Of
the mission. has been ut 3luhlcnburg
twenty-three years, and his wife, who
had boon With him all those years, died
just recently. When the country Is
cleared OF Its dense underground the
h"ealthfulness will be Increased.
The mission works among the natives
of the back conntry. the GOlahs and Pc
a being two Of the principal tribes.
Each tribe speaks a different language,
and W or more dialects may be spok-
- L. ---lN C-IN L. 80 =. laN "a o.
4 native worker to preach In six or sew
en- languages. The missionary speaks
English, being interpreted.
These natives are lazy and shiftless.
Quarrelsomc and Of migratory tendon
cics. One great hlndrance of work hns
been this moving tendency. When the
chief dies the village Is deserted and n
new home IS sought out. DR.. Day Is
| chief of Il tribe. being made 50 by
a dying chief. He has persuaded eve
al thousand OF the natives to settle
down in the vicinity Of the mission.
MuhlCnburg mission Is IL Of the first
Industrial missions. The work IS car
ried on In n thrcc-fold plan-cvansclist-
&c, educational and Industrial. a negro
amounts 10 nothing; indeed. his capaci-
ty for mischief Is Increased by an rdu-
cation unless he Is taught 10 work. So
| Muhlenburg mission was begun with u
| grant OF $50. acres from the Libcrian
government and 1000 acres vas placed
under the carr OF the mission for pros
| pCctlvU settlers. The land of the mis-
sion. now increased TO 1850 acres, Is
largely planted In coffee trees, about
10000 in .number, SONIC OF which are now
bearing $500 worth of coffee per year.
As more trees become fruitful. the mis-
sion will eventually be sclf-sustaln-
Ing. All the work Is done by tho ma
tivcS-clcarlng, planting, harvesting,
hulllng and preparing for inurkct. Many
fruits and vegetables, including rice and
sugar, are also cultivated.
The results of this work cannot be
tabulatod. Ignorance and darkness,
such rs we can hardly conceive, cncom-
pass those people. They cannot follow
a straight line In planting coffee trees.
and In getting out tImbcrs for n house
cannot saw II board evenly. They have
no morals. Wives are property, bought
for so many cattle. numbering as many
MS SIX. liut they have souls. AMI after
q life Of over twenty years spent In their
midst. DR.. Day declares thom to have n
brilliant future. when the gospel shall
have become their possession.
Do MISSIONS pay? Yes. They pay, f.
nanclally. Land In the vicinity OF Muhl-
enburg mission sells Mt S. pcr acre. In
other parts Of Liberia. away from
Christian missions IT Is worth only 81.
II h stated by students OF trade and
missions that many fold the cXpCndI-
turC for missions Is returned In trade.
This is reasonable, for tho first thing
that tho natives nBl; for when they meet
a white man Is calico. New wants ere
ate new trade.
In spite Of darkness. mental, spiritual
and physical. missions nre increasing.
Tho Bible has been translated Into 100
toni;IC9 In the last fifteen years. l1du-
cation follows tho Bible. Industry fol-
Iowa education. Tho bnrbDroua become
civilized, the hcathcn become Christian,
war CcaSeD md tho Christian home
takes the place Of purchased wives.
Missions are not planting tho modern
civilization ntaincd By tho curGr OF the
lcgaliZcd saloon md corporate pclnSh-
IIosg, but Il civilization based IN the
teachings Of Hin who gpakG NJ never
man spDkC before.
During the coming October, Rcy. Au-