The Oskaloosa herald., 1904-10-06

them. OF course, they said, when the
waves begin to strike the breakers
and shallow places they will pour over
and dash quite a distance upon the
| beach, but out in the deep sea there
is nothing of that kind. Then the pro-
fessors tried to explain by the wind
and undertow that carried the man
along. But when they were told that
when the bathers had been carried
ashore at a tremendous speed they
will turn about and ride straight back,
they laughed me to scorn.
The surf board on which they ride
is about ten feet long and three feet
i wide and three or four inches thick,
made of very light wood. If a Hawaii.
an was aboard a ship few miles from
land, which should be cast upon the
rocks, and while the passengers were
screaming and grooming and sinking
1 down into watery graves, he would be
tno more concerned about his own life
/ than if he were lounging under a ba-
mana tree. He would calmly dive into
the sea and in course of time swim
ashore. Or if he had a surf board or
could get hold of piece of light
wreckage he would mount the crest
| of a wave and if the sea were rolling
high enough, he would ride ashore at
the rate Of forty miles an hour, and If
he had forgotten his watch he could
turn about and ride back after it.
These people will traverse the sea on
dark night with neither compass nor
stars and never lose their bearings.
Many hundreds of years before Co
'lmbus, these people would dig out
Jog canoes with no tools except
sharks teeth and sharp stones, and
traverse the ocean for thousands of
miles. They have studied the winds
and waves until they have made the
ocean their home, and have subdued
it's forces to their use almost beyond
the comprehension of our best think
ers. And yet we hear frequently a
college man who can not tell the
points of the compass by the appear
ance of the trees and stars, praying
for money to go and teach the heath
en-. No wonder his Heavenly Father
| does not answer his prayers, for he
might get lost in jungle and never
get out.
The coast of the Hawaiian Islands
is infested with sharks. This is the
hyena of the sea and is always thirst
| ing for human flesh. 1t is a large,
clumsy fish that can swim pretty fast
In a straight line, but like Spaniard,
Is a poor hand at maneuvering. His
| mouth is placed quite a ways back
from his nose, and when he takes his
prey he has to turn ON his side. A
native, when he sees one coming, will
watch and just as the great jaws are
going to close he will quickly dive I'M
der the fish and either stab him in
the side or swim off. The shark, be-
fore he can dive or even swim for
ward, must right himself. A boy
there ten years old will play with a
shark as Swould with a dog. This
is why thd natives are seldom molest-
ed in their bathing places that are in
tested with sharks. These fish soon
get disguised with such sport. A
Penn boy who has spent all his time
on language, psychology and exeges1s
and none on zoology would soon make
breakfast for some monster of the
deep. No wonder a kind Providence
is little slow to send many of the
| volunteers to heather lands. He is
afraid they might sometime drop ov-
erboard and fall among sharks.
But let us come back from this di.
gression and see what kind of preach.
ers are expounding the Scriptures to
the people of Iowa. The following is
a list of those examined who have not
taken a training school course. Eight
of them said they did not know any
thing about the moon; four said the
| shadow of the earth on the moon
causes its changes, and six said the
moons phases are caused by the
moons shadow on itself. There are
some others who it will be interesting
to have testify in their own words
One said: II don't know what causes
the changes of the moon unless the
sun gets between the moon and the
earth"
"Polecarp was some early man;
don't know whether he was a church
father or not. Don't know whether
the apostles were called the early
church fathers; think not"
Up to this time the questions on
church history had been sprung on
but two or three of the preachers, and
they said that Polecarp was one OF
the early church fathers and disci
pie of st. John. But when / got
among the preachers and graduates OF
the training schools of Marshalltown
and Cleveland, had to change the
questions, for they said they studied
very little science, but made a spe
cialty Of church history and the Bible
Here is testimony No. 1: 81 spent two
years in Cleveland Polecarp lived
about 300 A. D.; st. Jerome six or sew
en- hundred years after Christ" No
Q: II got my training at Cleveland and
Il preached two wears in an pastarT