Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-23
RETIRE MENT OF
THE DEVILS ENE MY.
Famous Bishop Taylor Gives Up
Fighting at II.
His Last African Trp-Has Converted
100000 Heather and Was Most Sue
oessful Missionary Of Mod
ern Times.

Quietly and unostentatously an old
warrior. who has fought in battles in
all parts of the world, has returned
to the east to spend his declining
years in dreams of the past. He has
neither sword nor musiset. He is as
unfamiliar with a six-shooter as a
Sioux Indian with the Quitting of an
electric plant.
All his life he has been fighting
against the devil, and while he admits
with twinkle in his fine old eye that
the devil is still pretty robust, there
are one or two scars on his horny sur
face given him by Bishop Taylor of
the Methodist Episcopal Church With,
out question, the bishop is the most
successful missionary of modern times.
He is now seventy seven years of age,
and was retired by the last general con-
ference of the church from his position
as bishop of Africa.
Before quitting work for good he was
determined to make final visit to the
missionary stations in the vast extent
of territory which was his precinct. In
1898, when he was seventy-three years
of age, he travelled 1900 miles inland into
part of Africa which twenty years ago
had not been mapped, walking through
tropical thickets along path wide
enough to admit only of single file, rid
ing astride of oxen and of donkeys and
being borne in filters, in an unhealthy
country and in an unhealthy season Of
the year.
Even young men often break down onl
such a Journey The bishop says that
he has been hardened. He has been In
all climates and exposed himself to all
of the diseases that man is heir to in
differen' parts of the earth.
WHERE HE WAS EDUCATED.
81 began life preaching in Virginia,
and I was educated at Brush College,
sir" he says, with twina1ling eyes. ''You
know Brush College2 What You do
not. sir? Ah,- you young men haven't
the advantages Of your forefathers
Well, you don't get much mathematics
or much Latin at Brush College, but you
grow up straight like young sapling
you are hardy and strong, and you
learn a good deal about simple human
nature. | was a circuit preacher in my
younger days. When / had completed
my circuit had been away so long that
my OWE children didn't know me.
Speaking to the backwoodsmen made
my lungs strong, and tramping over
rough roads made my legs strong, and
there IL good deal of life in me yet
sra good deal of life"
The bishops last trip to Africa ex-
tended over fifteen months. He did not
go into the far interior or expose him
self to the bad climate, as he did on his
'9S trip He went to say good-by to
his converts and his missionaries, and
most of mis- travelling was done in Pom
Ioland the Transvaal and Natal
HIS IDEA OF THE WORLD.
In order fully to appreciate the bish-
ops work in Africa, his method must
be explained He believes that missionsI
should be self-supporting In measure
he. has acted independently of the
church. and with such success as TO
arouse considerable jealousy among GER
tain 9th r missionary leaders. Since he
was ma lie bishop of Africa he has es-
tablished thirty stations, and the funds
which he has expended have been OBJ
tanned entirely through his personal So
licitation.
These stations he has now turned
over to the church, which viii conduct
them upon his lines. The old gentleman
will not say that he is satisfied to gives
up the work He will only say that he
has passed the age OF limit, then change
the subject of conversation. Preferably,