The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-14
BISHOP TAYLOR'S WORK
THE AGED MISSIONARY RETURNS
FOR A WELL-EARNED REST.
Most of His Long Life Has Been spent
Among the Savages of Africa or the
Heather of Southern Asia.
New York Press.

I1OI, WHO IOuSul DcillASS III iii POI -
of the world. has returned to New York to
spend his declining days in dreams of the
past He has neither sword nor musket.
He is as unfamiliar with six-shooter as
Sioux Indian with the Quitting OF an cleo
trio plant. All his life he has been fight
ing against the DEVIL and while he admits
with a twinkle in his fine old eye that the
devil is still pretty robust there are one or
two scars on his horny surface given him
by Bishop Taylor, of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church. Without 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
Conference of the church from his position
as bishop of Africa.
Before quitting work for good he was de-
termined to make final visit to the mis-
sionary stations in the vast extent OF terri
tory which was his precinct. In 1893, when
he was seventy-three years of age, he traV-
eled 800 miles inland into part of Africa
which twenty years ago had not been
mapped, walking through tropical thickets
along path wide enough to admit of only
single file, riding 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 on 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 is heir to in
different parts of the earth.
II began life preaching in Virginia, and
I was educated at Brush College, sir, he
says, with twinkling eyes. You know
Brush College? What! You do not, sir!
All, 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 a
young Sapling. You are hardy ana StronS,
and you learn a good deal about simple hu-
man nature. was circuit preacher ~ my M
circuit 1 had been away so long that my
own children didn't know me. Speaking TO
the backwoodsmen made my lungs strong,
and tramping over rough roads made my
legs strong, and there is good deal or lie
in me yet, sir, good deal of life"
The bishops last trip to Africa extended
over fifteen months. He did not go into the
far interior or expose himself to the pad
climate, as he did on his SO trip. lie went
to say goodbye to his converts ana MS mis-
sionaries and most of his travelling was
done in Pondoland, the Transvaal and
HIS WORK IN AFRICA.
In order fully to appreciate the bishops
work in Africa his method must be ex-
planned. He believes that missions should
acted independently of the church and with
such success as to arouse considerable
jealousy among certain other missionary
leaders Since he was made bishop of Afri-
ca he has established thirty stations. and
the funds which he has expended have
been obtained entirely through his personal
solicitation. These stations he has now
turned over to the church, which Will con-
duct them upon his lines. The old gentle
80 hot no
up the work. He will only say that he has
passed the age limit then change the sub
ject of conversation. P rel Is1 ~ ms
The converts at each station are asked 10
pay small sums in support of their church;
If they are handled automatically they Will
do this with pride The result is that they
do not consider the Christian churcn merely
as charity institution, but something In
which they have a personal interest
Unlike the converts which many MISSION
stations have made by dealing out ratlons
of soup, these do not backsIde me black
children of from three to five years of age
are brought to the station and trained IN
Christian manners as far as possible Ihe
biggest event that can take place IN one
of These mission stations is in the coming
of the White-bearded bishop. VINO looks ike
a sage and prophet. This year he went
to them for the last Tune: AS usual ia , ent
him, with broad grins on their faces and
showing their rims of ivory teeth. A woody
head which received pat from the plsnop
was considered as good as sanctified.
Parts of the journey We're made In the
South African version OF a western prairie
schooner drawn by four pairs or oxen.
When this arrived at a station or sub
station or at village in the wilderness a
platform was arranged IN the rear, from
which the bishop spoke through black in
terpreter, who grinned with pride and SELF
contentment.
After the meeting was over the populace
followed the wagon for miles. Often when
the black people who remembered the
bishop from former visits were told that
he would never come again they wept ana
wrung their hands If they had lost a
near or dear relative. Much OF the bishop
African work has been in British territory.
(which treats the black man the better;
the TranSVaal burgher or the EngllShman!
he was asked.
''Oh, the Englishman, by all means.
do you think that Cecil Rhodes is as
black as he is painted by his enemies in
London"
mo. 1t is true that he is a politician,
but he has been greatly maligned. He has
done a great deal for civilization; he is
public spirited, and he does everything he
can to help the missionaries: English law
is the most Just, the most liberal and the
best to work under. 1t is well that they
should rule Africa
DO you think that the English ought to
mo. / would not say that The burghers
have the right of presumption. Consider
ing that the burgher has had no opportuni-
ties of connection with outside civilization,
that he has lived an isolated life on unculti-
waited land among wild beasts, he has done
"Do you think that eventually the black
race will die out in Africa as the Aus
tralian and the American aborigines have?"
mo. think the black race has too much
vitality. There will be black men as long
as there is an Africa. The breath of civil
izaton is death to the Indian, but not to the
black man..
LABORS IN OTHER FIELDS.
The bishops first missionary work was
done in California. He understood the man
ners and the natures of rough men. As
miner he once converted expressed it:
Dominic Taylor makes you get religion
without offending you in the least" After
his California experience the bishop worked
in Australia, New Zealand, the South Sea
islands, India, South America and Africa.
In India in particular he did a great work.
There he was the first to establish the mis-
sion TO the Eurasians The Eurasians are
half-caste, with white fathers and native
mothers. The Indians will not receive them
in their castles, and the white people Will
not associate with them. Consequently
they fall between two stools. They are
self-supporting
them in mission work because they could
speak both English and Hindoo. He found
them to be easily converted and established
many Eurasian self-supporting churches
The EuraSianS. in turn, have been able TO
convert many natives. The missionary So
paths thorniest when endeavorlag to con-
vert South American Catholics. The most
successful missions of all the churches were
those which the bishop established in Chile,
where there are now seven seli-Supportlng
churches.