The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-05-15
LEAVES LUXURY
TO SERVE LIBERIA
Maryland GentleWOman to
Become Missionary.
MISS RIDGELY, OF HAMPTON
Descended From Two Governors. Ac-
conplished Socially, and Person
ally Charming-Eager to GO.
MISS RIDGELY, OF HAMPTON

Marsaretta Sophia Ridgely, youngest
daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs
Charles Ridgely. Of Hampton. Baltimore
county, one Of the Oldest colonial estates
IN Maryland. has entered the Protestant
Episcopal Deaconess' Home in Philadel-
phia, according to the Baltimore SUM-"
IN order 10 prepare herself for service as
missionary TO Liberia, West Africa.
MISS Ridgely is the sister Of John
Ridgely OF Hampton, Ohio Z. Ridgely,
ana Mrs J. SOuthgate Yeaton and Miss
Eliza Ridgely. president OF the United
Women OF Maryland. She is about thirty
years old. and the determination to en-
ter upon missionary work in Africa is
not based upon the caprice Of the mo-
ment. but upon a conviction formed in
early childhood that she was CALLED to
this special field of missionary labor
The feeble health of Mrs Ridgely, who
died on March 81 Of the present year. pre-
vented her daughter from following
what she felt TO be her vocation earlier
in life
Descended from two governors of
Maryland-GOv. Charles Ridgely and
Gov John Eager Howard-Miss RidgeIy
comes from a race of men and women
who owned estates and slaves from their
earliest settlement in Maryland, and the
Hldgely family is one OF the few families
OF baltimore whose old retainers have
remained IN their service since their
emancipation. Some of them. il is said.
would follow their beloved mistress
MISS Margie." as she is known to them.
70 LIBERIA, were It not for their ad-
vanced age.
An Ancient Family.
AS the leader of New .York's Four
Hundred is known by the simple title
mrs Astor." so the chief lady of the
Hampton estate has long been known by
the quiet title Mrs. Ridgely of Hamp-
ton" The Maryland family of Ridpel,,s
Dear the same coat-of-arms as the Ridge |
Iys OF Staffordshire, England. and the
crest OF both families is bucks head
erased. This device is to be found on all !
the old plate Of Hampton. The motto of |
the Rldgelys of Maryland is Beware of
the Stag"
ROBERT Ridgely, the progenitor of the |
Hampton branch OF the RidgeIys. is said !
70 nave come 10 Maryland about 1884 |
ne settled in St Mary and became an |
important ana distinguished member of !
the colonial government. On her moth |
SF SIDE Miss Margaretta Sophia Ridge |
~ Is descended from the Towards
Missionary and Nurse.
The Episcopal Church has had estab-
hshed for fifty years or more a mission
post at Cape Palmas. on the west coast
OF Africa. with missionary bishop at
the head Bishop Penick. formerly OF /
the Church Of the Messiah. recently de-
.stroyed by FIRE. is there. and schools and /
hospitals have been established.
Cape Palmas is to be the scene Of Miss |
Itidgely's future activities. She is Citing /
herself for service in both lines, but |
especially does she desire TO serve in ]
attendance upon the sick During the /
years Of her mothers life she has show
ed unusual capability along lines of reIi-
gious work
a clergyman In speaking of her said: 4
Miss Ridgely possesses to a most |
remarkable degree The gift of influencing 4
others. Just how that influence is ex-
erted IL IS impossible TO say, since she 4
Is most gentle of speech and manner
but people viii do anything for her. Her /
success among mothers meetings is pecu-
liar her Sunday school teaching has /
been remarkably productive of good. /
and she leaves a field OF assured useful /
ness IN Baltimore TO enter upon work
10 which she feels she has been called /
and from which her friends much as
they Will regret her going do not feel /
they have the right 10 dissuade her
Her character is of the strongest as
well as the most gentle and deeply reli-
E1ous."
Not a Paradise.
Liberia. it VIII be mentioned IN mass
ing. IS a negro republic on the grain
coast Of west Africa 1t is bounded on
the north by French Guinea. on the east
BY the French ivory coast, on the south>
west by the Atlantic. and on the west
by Sierra Leone. The coast line is about
400 miles long, the area about $500
square miles. Only the coast strip, with
an average width of seven miles, Is de-
veloped and administered. It Is swampy
and fat. The interior is elevated and
clothed with forests. The hill land is
productive and healthy. and some gold
has been found there, but the climate is
regarded as the hottest known on the
globe, bat not considered as so danger !
Gus 70 the white man as that of Sierra
Leone. where the deadly African fever
abounds.i June is the coolest and Janu-
airy the hottest month Of the year.
The republic Is modelled after that OF
the United States. all men being consid-
cred equal as 10 life. liberty and pur-
suit OF happiness. but the right of vot-
Ing Is only accorded TO those Of negro
blood, who must also own real estate.
An American Product.
Liberia owes its origin 10 the efforts Of
the Natlonal Colonization Society OF
America. organized in 1916 for the pur-
pose OF colonizing. in Africa the free peo-
pie OF color IN the United States IN 1917
was left 10 It's own resources
and declared an Independent republic.
after which time the colony began
10 show more prosperity. Missionary
churches and schools were founded, a
regular postal system was introduced |
ne wspapers were established and slavery
MATCHMAKING "a
The present United States minister
there IS the Rev. Ernest Lyon, colored.
VINO was formerly pastor OF a church in
South Baltimore.