Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-08-13

the Continent of South America six
! times, travelled 5000 miles on mule
back, 1000 in canoes and small craft
on the rivers, and has made the peril
Gus chute of the Madeira Falls many
times. He was born in Gutenberg.
he was a youth he shipped as a sailor.
Twice he was shipwrecked, the last
time being cast up on the shores of the
Falkland Islands. Then he made his
arrangements to travel into the interior
of South America with a stock of Bibles
in the dialect of the people to whom he
was going. Those deep woods are in
tested with ferocious wild beasts, rep
tiles, poisonous insects, to say nothing
of the less dangerous thieves and muir
derers that are encountered here and
there. For greater safety, he joined
a caravan of traders bound for Chill.
These traders are called gauchos. Ey-
cry man was armed with wicked looking
knives and guns, but Mr.. OLSON carried
nothing but a few Bibles. For days the
gauchos eyed him askance, evidently
comparing notes as to the intents and
purposes of the, European. Judging by
the way they treated him, the verdict
must have been in his favor. for at
night when the caravan stopped a great
fire was made, around which the men
sat in a circle. Upon a bed OF live
Goals they threw their meat to roast
or broiI. When it was done they
speared it out and with their belt
knives cut off great chunks, which they
ate out of hand, and not clean hands
at that.
From the "yerba mate" they brewed
a sort of a beverage, which was poured
into a quart bowl.
The first man in the circle drank
what he wanted of the "yerba mate"
tea, passed it to his ~neighbor or the
left, who, in turn, kept the good drink
going, after he had satisfied his W
thirst. Mr.. OLSON accepted the over
ture of friendship in the spirit in which
it was intended. The filthy "gauchos"
cut off a generous piece of meat with
their knives and gave it to him to eat.
He also drank the bitter soul "yerba
mate" tea.
Mr.. OLSON says that a physician told
him that he fthe doctor) was sure there
is a great future for the "yerba mate"
as a cure for the drink habit.
Among the many disadvantages OF
travelling with the "gauchos' was the
fact that they went so slow. So Mr..
OLSON separated from them and struck
out alone. Fortune was more than
| kind, for before the first day was done
| Mr.. OLSON overlook a European scien-
fist. He threw his sheepskins on the
ground to sleep. The next morning
when Mr.. OLSON shook his out three
scorpions, that had been his b%edfellows
in the night. fell to the ground. The
scientist swept them into his bottle and
carried them along with him. Those
scorpions are nov in his collection in
Europe.
CONVERTED AND MARRIED HER.
Mr.. Olsson's first convert after he
became a missionary "a the woman
who afterward became his wife. Mrs.
OLSON is a French woman; Mr.. OLSON
is a SWede; their children were born
in South America. SO that three ma
| lions are represented in that family.
More than half Of the m~issionary's
| married life has been spent away from
wife and three children, the husband
and father travelling into the heart of
South America and preaching TO the
natives in Spanish, Swedish, French.
English or one or two Of the native dia-
lects with which he is familiar. and
when none OF these can be understood.
| using an interpreter.
Mr.. Olsson say that there are mor
than forty nations. 81 tribes, In South
America. One OF these, the Seronos
tribe. IN the northeastern portion Of