The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-05-09

the SAME length OF time. But the mis-
sionary work in Asiatic Turkey dates
back to 1919, when missionaries from
America went to Malta, Smyrna, and
Beirut and on to Jerusalem, charged to
Survey with earnest attention" the
land and the people. In 1881 DR.. Goodell
went out as permanent missionary TO
the Ar1nenians. and a year later DR..
Dwight and DR.. Schauffler joined him.
Thus the work became a mission to the
Armenians, and not to the Turks,
though it was the hope of the mission
aries that their efforts would have some
effect on the Mohammedans. The Ar
meuians, to whom they were sent, were
Christians-thcy had had Christian.
ity from the fourth century; but
their religion, according to the report
of the early missionaries, had become a
system of rites and ceremonies, a re-
igion of charms and relics and miracu-
lous pictures, without morality and
without life"
The efforts of our missionaries,
said Rev. Mr.. Creegan, district secre-
tary of the American board, talking
with me the other day, "have been d.
rected to bringing the Armenian church
into harmony with our own. The mas
sacres gave US a common sorrow,
which brough. US much closer together;
and recently at Aintab, where they have
a church which will hold 1900 people,
the Armenian priests asked our mis-
sionaries to hold joint service with
them, and modified the form OF their
worship so as to make it possible"
The Armenians in Turkey are 5000.
900 in number Aintab is not the only
station where the native Christians or
Gregorians have been brought in closer
touch with the missionaries by the
massacres. But much of the mission
airy work is languishing because Of the
fear of further outbreaks, which keeps
the missionaries at the resident sta
tons, to the partial neglect of the"out
work" The regular mission stations
in Turkey number 10, while the out
stations, or stations which are visited
from time to time, are 312.
In European Turkey, which Is near
the seat of war, the number Of out
stations is Al; of resident stations, five.
The AIIerican laborers in the field are
IS, the native laborers 70. There are ii
churches, moro than 1000 commune
cants, nearly 5000 adherents, and 655
scholars attending 20 missionary
schools.
In Asiatic Turkey, where there IS
greater fear Of danger. there are II
stations and 26s out-staticns. The
number of American laborers is 145; OF
native laborers $50. There are III
churches, 1859 communicates, 4s.347
adherents. and 1894 scholars attend
ing 405 schools. This does not include
Robert college at Constantinople, the
most famous educational institution in
Turkey. Robert college, though an out
growth of the work of the missionaries,
is not under the control of the American
board.
All the mission property in Asia,ic
Turkey, as l have said. is worth 81, ooo.-
200.
All of it and the lives OF AS mission
aries are at the mercy OF the Turk,
whose appetite for blood has been
whetted by his recent experiences. All
these schools and churches and parsou-
ages are protected almost entirely by
the influence of the American legation
II Constantinopie.
Van. Bitlis. Erzeroum. Harpoot AID
Eardin. in eastern Turkey, are frou
Zoo TO 200 miles from the seaport. and
connected with each other or with the
coast by bridle-pa:hs or WORKOUT was-
on roads. Sivas. Oorfa. Aintab. Ma
rash. Hadiin, Marsovan and Caesarea
sire far from the coast. and commuui-
cation with them is had by horseback
oyer 4 wretched road.
Only at Sivas is there an American
consul. Consuls were sent TO Erzercum
and Hsrpoo;. but the sultan would not
recognize them. The consul a. Sivas
can reach Caesarea within a week. but
it is the most accessible of all the in
terror points Fortunately. England
has consuls II Van. E-zerouru. Ma-ssh
and Trebizond. as well as at Siyas.
They have been great comfort 20 the
American missionaries. /: vas the in
fueuce OF the English ambassador be-
hind Tie missionaries which gained for