The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-04-02
MISSION WORK EASY IN CUBA.
CONTINUED from Eighth Page.)

came so joyful that they raced about the
deck and embraced each n her. This gave
some idea of the unstable character of the
people
Mr.. King told of the customs of the
people, and how they differed from those
OF this country. AT the Gethsemane
church in Cuba, where the committee at
tended Sunday school, the members found
about $50 Cuban children, well dressed,
bright and intelligent, and evidently tax
lng great interest in the exercises
Inc Sunday school songs - OF
this country, translated into
Spanish, were sung with the old familiar
tunes The Baptists have a magnificent
building in the center of Havana, Mr.
h,ng said, an old theater which was pur-
chased some years ago for about 100000 in
gold. II has the resemblance more of the
pictures of the Spanish bull rings than
church. He found Cuba to be literally the
land of manana, tomorrow, which word
rang in his ears continually from the time
he arrived in Cuba dntil he left
Mission Schools Established.
The Baptists have three schools, or mis-
sion stations, in Havana. At each there
was an average attendance of seventy five
to eighty pupils. The latter were well
dressed and neatly attired, in striking
contrast to many of the children to be
seen upon the streets. When the commit
tee left, the children of the schools came
to the wharf and sang God Be With You
Until We Meet Again"
MIR. King was unable 10 judge, he said,
whether these people were genuine in their
professions of conversion. So far
as could be seen they gave all
outward evidences of 1t. Food
was so scarce in Havana that
even dogs and cats were eaten. During
the siege one of the mission teachers mort
gagged a house and lot owned by her, and
used the money in purchasing food for the
distressed. This looked like the true
Christian spirit.
Matanzas has been chosen by the Meth
odists as the headquarters of their work
in Cuba. The Baptists have also estao-
lished a station there.
How greatly blessed we are in this
country with the history of more than
100 years of religious and political liberty,
with an open Bible and the right to open
and use it," said Mr.. King. Shall we
stand idle upon this shore and leave our
brethren needy and helpless on the other
slde?".
Rev. w. H. Powell, for a number of
years the Baptist missionary in Mexico,
told of the work in Cuba.
Mr. Powell first gave brief resume Of
his work and experiences in Mexico. If
he should tell all of the strange expert
ences in which he and Mr.. Kline had been
associates, he said. it would tax the
| credulity of his audience. The railroad
| men had been his best friends in Mexico,
and he was profoundly grateful to all of
| them. Every railroad is a great advance
! agent of civilization, he said. While Mex
leo is not as responsive to the mission
work as it was a few years ago, he said,
| it still offers an inviting field. On his
| trip North in response to call from the
! foreign mission board, he brought with
| him sixteen young Mexicans who are now
| being educated in the schools and colleges
| of this country. He was to have gone to
Vera Cruz to bring North another large
| number of young men and women for
the same purpose when his services were
demanded by the home board for the pur-
pose of investigating the conditions in
| Cuba.
Mr.. Powell proved to be an original and
| interesting talker He was no calamity
bowler, he said. IF there is a bright side
to anything can see it,"
| Time to Take Hold of Cuba.
| Mr.. Powell said from what he saw in
| Cuba, based on his experience in Mexico,
the home mission board should be enabled
to occupy the country at once. Mr.. Powell
has been working among the Spanish
| American people so long that he has ac-
| quired something of their manner and pro-
| nunciation. He found a good work in San
tiago de Cuba, in charge of Mr. O'Hallo-
| ran, with a church of over 100 members
| and a congregation of 800 to 500 people.
| During the week he was there eighty-four
| candidates were received for baptism. The
| Baptists have a school there with $50
| scholars, and one of the teachers was re-
Gently placed in charge of the public
schools by the government
AT Santa Clara Mr. Powell preached to
a congregation of 500 people. The attend
ance was so large that two policemen
were stationed at the door to keep the
hovs out. in order to make room for the
| older people Copies of his song book were
nrinted in Spanish by Cuban. The cigar
| makers would tack these slips up on the
walls and hum the tunes as they worked.
| Mr. Powell told of being invited by the
caretakers of a Catholic church at Glen
fuegos to preach in the church. the Gu
hans said that they built the house and
| told him 10 preach there. He only did so
| once, however. . :. .
said although the Jesuits and the nuns
have been banished. but Cuba Is really
| NOT q Catholic country. The people care
notbing about the church, and pay no
attention 10 the priests.
AZ Santa Clara the City Councl gave
| him the theater 10 preach III
A school was opened and the parents or
M children came to him, and matriculated
them at this school The children are &C
cnstorned to memorize, and many of them
rocita a cbapter from the Bible every Sun
day.
~ believe those people love the Lord
Tesus Christ, and that they are in earnest
about If. and that ii is your duty to give
them man to break the bread of life to
them he said. II never preached to a
more responsive people. They just seemed
to drink In the preaching as sponge
drinks in water
A. F,speranza, and a number of other
nlacas which he visited, he was cordially
raceived. and the people were always anx-
;ons ~ hear him preach. The best of the
people endorsed and urged him to preach
~ hem The warmth of his reception was
an Thai could be asked.
At a Bishops banquet.
Ar Cienfuegos Mr.. Powell sat down be-
Id a catholic bishop al a banquet given
tn cen. Gomez, at $40 a plate.