The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1897-07-07
IN DARKEST AFRICA.
Rev, E. q. Richards Talks of the Dark
ness Of the Great Prcvince-Rev. O.
F. Aked Tells about England.

A catching feature Of the musical pro.
gram yesterday afternoon was the whis.
tleing by Mr.. Foster Of the L. K. Quar-
tette. The quartette itself also gave a
very entertaining program OF songs.
DARKEST ERICA"
The lecture Of Rev. Erwin II. Rlch-
ards on the home life OF the natives on
the 23rd degree of south latitude, was
very interesting. 1t began by singing
the Sweet By and By" in the native
language by Mr.. Richards with the I.
X, Quartette joining 10 the chorus. He
is acquainted With three Of the one hun
dred or more native languages in Africa
and we'll posted from &C experience OF
twenty years with their character and
life. A mission station ls not q place to
veal fine clothes and preach to the ma
tives, it is a refuge for the distressed,
the miserable and prosecuted.
The native Africans are very Kind to
visitors though they indulge in horrible
practices at times among themselves.
Woman IS the great object OF sale and
purchase with them, and wives are rec
koned as worth 100 pieces OF cloth. This
cloth is the money or standard OF value
IN the country, the piece being about
two yards in size and worth about 8
cents a yard. 1t is blue in color and OBJ.
tanned originally from the Arab traders.
Whenever a young man wants to get
married be raises the 100 pieces OF cloth
and starts out to seek u wife. It some.
times takes a long time to lind q as
women are scarce, but as soon as he sees
the girl he wants. he makes the bargain
with the father and the girl has to go at
once Just as il she were q COW. A cow
would cost ten pieces OF cloth. Gold
cuts no figure as money and would not
be accepted as payment OF anything by
these natives. Cloth is the money OF
ultimate redemption.
The eating is a most disagreeable
feature of African life. 4. wash basin is
used for doing most everything ln-wash
in it, drink from it, cook in it, do every
thing in it. CaterpllIers is Il favorite
dish with natives. The personal proper
ty or effects of these people are very
meager indeed. The basin, spear, pot, a
belt or two Ct skins, blankets made from
bark and a few shell utensils are all their
personal property. They live Ia ham
lets or villages surrounding a kraal ano
have most things 10 common.
Their funeral ~obsequies are harsh ACC
repellant, the widows left by a mai
frequently execratirg his name ane
memory at the grave aud MI
children doing likewise. The de
ceased's widows are usually married be
side his corpse the instant he dies
men standing around waiting for them
This is done without any ceremony.
Mr.. Richards exhibited many curlosi
ties from that country in the shape O
house utensils made from shells, horn 9
wood, a few trinkets for adornment,
> rattle box for music worth one cent
} cloth, skins, belts, etc.
''OULD HIGHLAND
In the evening the Assembly chorul
, occupied the time until the beginning o
: Rev. Chas. r. Aked's lecture on th'
| "Bad Old Time 10 the Motherlapd.
l The reverend gentleman appears in
coat of English clerical cut, talks with
! decided English brogue. and had a de
c,dedly English SUBJECT, but he haCdle'
it in a mastery. witty, polished fashion
and it was thoroughly enjoyable. A
: : races and all ages have had their goo
!. old times" But looking backward is
! human weakness, and to dispel tn
illusion he would review the times i
England which could be called the "Ba
, Old Times compared with the presen
, He first punctured the accepted doctrin
that women are greater gossips tina
men, and change the fashion OF the,
clothes ~oftener. In good Queen Bes
time men wore mailed armor, then whe
this was discarded their clothes we,
stuffed with bran like feather beds an
shoes had points that turned up 40
were tied to their waists by silver cord
~ Women have done some silly thing
! such as wearing two-horned bonnet
aud afterwards a funnel on top Of the
heads two or three feet in length b,
r. they we're lever guilty Of wearing wig
Fashions, like vices, begin at the to
Reforms begins at the bottom. Wigs b
gan with Louis XIV. The learned ge
t,eman then portrayed the horrible CO
dition of English prisons in former tim
and the reformations wrought sim
through the labors of Howard, Mi
Frye. Miss Jones and others. The &C
ruptions that pervaded high places III
the purchase Of offices and positions {
the a~ristocracy we're exposed in scathi,
terms as was also the misery wrougI
~, oh;lI lohCr Do<%y or;~oc 900