The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-07
WORKERS FROM INDIA
Mr.. and Mrs. Glider Interestingly Figure
In tho Gathering.

Among the deeply Interested visiting
missionaries at the Methodist women
missionary meetings this week were Mr.
and Mrs. George K. Glider. They are
also among the most interesting mission
aries of the church. Mrs. Glider, who was
Miss Louise Blackmar, was appointed for
work In India In 1872 and has not been
exceeded in term of service by any one
sent out by the women's organization.
She has been constantly a pioneer nrst
in Lucknow, where she did heroic work
during the famine Of 1878. When.
later, she went to Hyderabdad, Deccan.
in south central India, there was not
missionary in the CITY, and it was regard
ed as a post of positive danger. Miss
Blackmar's work was that Of organizing
the field, and this done, she was sent on to
the Godavery conference, South India. to
do a similar work. This territory was
entered in 1888. but the district was not
organized until 1898, when Mr.. Glider was
put in charge of 1t as presiding elder by
Bishops Foss and Thoburn. Miss Black
| mar and Mr.. Glider met in their difficult
! pioneering work in the district and united
| their efforts.
The field of work of Mr.. Glider and his
| wife is territory with population of
! 1900, 900, and there are but two married
| missionaries and one unmarried woman
missionary In this great territory. There
are no railroads and only the most
| wretched roads, where the rate Of prog
ress in the springless bullock carts is two
miles an hour. Much Of the country is
covered with primeval forests and in the
hill country dwells an aboriginal tribe of
Gonds. The remaining population is low
caste Hindu, among which the work Is
most encouraging. The weaver caste, or
| satnamis, meaning the people Of the true
name, possess a native religion much
superior to most of the Indian people.
They worship one invisible God and do
not use intoxicants, tobacco or other mar
cotics The faith Is an old one but had
great revival in 1920, when a. leader
| arose who strove earnestly by means OF
religious teaching to raise his fellow
| weavers to a higher social scale and tc
break down bramanical rule. This faith
has been an undoubted preparation foI
the acceptance Of christianity and these
people, who number 10000 in the district
there have been 500 converts baptized an6
| many more ar eready for baptism, but
| this Is not administered to them unit
| provision can be made for their continued
instruction and care. In this territory II
| is only thirty years since human sacrifices
were offered in religious rites.
Mr.. Glider has been in India twenty.
eight years and to both himself and his
wife it Is home and the people Of that
land are their people rather than tho
| Americans among whom they were borr
and reared. Mrs. Glider had stayed ir
India by her own choice for twenty years
continuously before her return in May
to America. They came solely on account
Of Mr.. elders health and she is longing
for her home-going to India, where she
has all her strongest ties. She will BIZ
II content to spend the remainder OF her life
there without again seeing her native
country. -. - / ...'-