Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-11-03
Rev. Kenln Sergurd Of the Coptic
Church in Salt Lake.
HE TALKS ABOUT AFRICA.
Reached the western shores Of tho
United states Pour rronths Ago
Going Home soon.

An Interesting and plcturcsauo indi-
vidual In the person OF Rev. Kenin SER
ghhd' arrived in Salt Lake from tho
north this morning lie comes To- Utah
from Butte and Anaconda. where he
has been preaching 10 the peopic of
those cities. He also spok, 10 tho cit
izcnn Of ogden before coming 90 salt
Lake
Mr. sersund. who prefers the prefix
Elder 90 that % Rove" has been In
the United States FOR the past I'VE
months. lie landed OF san Francisco.
coming direct from soudan. Africa.
From the Golden Gate he visited Port
land. British Columbia. Anaconda.
Butte. ogden and salt Lake. FROM
here he Will 80 60 San Francisco. where
he will embark Tor the Dark continent.
lie 10 az elder and preacher In the Cop
Tie church and has served ln the minis
Try Tor thlrty-aevcn years
Mr Hcrgund was born at Antioch.
Syria. sixty years ago. Ills parents de-
tcrmlnoi that b. should be- trained aud
Get apart for the ministry. Ho was
therefore given q thorough Theological
course and was ordained 70 minister at
% and ut once entered upon hin duties.
He has had the same congregation con-
tuuuusly. when be- became their Head.
or Dc had but nnrcn COMMITMENTS.
Now he has seven hundred. his SUM
day school has nftcen gentleman and
ten lady teachers. and o. attended BY
i've hundred children The scholars
crouch upon tho floor and remain seated
10 that manner throughout the entire
service. as chairs and benches are an
uncommon commodity among the ma
uvoa. The clothes worn by the children
are exceedingly abbreviated. the boys
merely girdlius their loina with "A tex
turo OF rice straw, while the girls wear
a single piece Of the same fabric reach.
ing from the shoulder 20 The hips and
knees. IN order to prevent
those parts of the body which aro OK
| posed 10 the ncurchinT rays OF tho sun
from bliatcrinr. the boys apply COCOA
nut Oh 10 lhcm. Sandals ~ cumera
hide take the plaro of shnen. The
children. like those nf many ~ the
oriental races are profoundly ohodlcnt
60 their parents and have the greatest
respect and reverence Tor old age.
Young and old alike have Implicit
faith IN the Savior ana willingly UNDER
go the Hevercrt persecution In prefer
cncc 20 bctrnyinE the trust they have
Ia Him. Among the converts 10 this
class uf Christianity urr Muhnmme-
dams, EdeuH and some former dcvll and
IRE worHhlpyfa, Under penalty OF
dcCauitnu0n. hu declares, no one Ia
! permitted 20 preach 60 Mohammedana
or try and convert thom lu any way.
| Tho fnnatlcal Mohnmmcdnns N that
fur-nm country. he says. have dealt
! most cruelty with those Of the Christie
nn faith, staying thousands o. them,
I ThE hutchcry, says Afr. scrguud has
] lcu "a great many orphan children,
! Some OF whom are under hla direct
care.
The cost " their maintenance n In IT,
rolf a wonderful lesson 10 economies, Il
being reduced TO nfty cents PER head
n month The principal articles %
| food are rice and corn. the latter being
cut when sim green from the stalks.
| Hpriuklcd with salt water ana thus
eaten. Potatoes and other u our
staple articles arc unknown, nor will
the M1hnmmcdans permit their intro
duction. since the Koran does not mem
ti1n them wheat n not grown there.
hence bread in neither made nor eaten.
OF oocoanuta. grapes. dates. etc. there
~ an abundance. The heat u 20 IN
tense that an egg placed Ia tho sand.
VIII completely dry up In a COMPARE
lively short time.
WILL SPEAK IN ASSEMBLY HAIL.
The Hcntiemnu saw President Angna
NJ. Cannon this afternoon and was given
permission Co speak in the Assembly
Han ON sunday. The meeting VIII be
az 10 O'Clock and the subject VIII De
"The mnnnora and customs OF the Copta
and trials ana trlumphH OF Christianity
IN the HOudnu."