The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-29
CIVILIZING CONGO NEGROES.
BEEGTiN MISSIONARIES tT Uopr
AMONG THE IOtNG.
children e SaNaSeS Pun Upon Their HIM..
Varied Trades Taught To Them Nc,
Suceess-1hey Are Now Hrlpln. =
Develop Congo State tbp.r,''

cietes are building brick churches All ~
the Congo Free STATE that will hold ~.
gregations numbering hundreds and :
some instances thousands of rerso,.
The cathedral they have just comnl.,s,
at Baudoinville on Lake Tanganvika NJ
/. than 1 200 miles inland from the mopb y,
the Congo, is one of the largest onurc,.
m Africa.
The fathers and sisters in charge Of ,h,,
great work arc eNerting wonderful /,
fuenoe and ii is int resting to observe San.
of the methods by which they are accor
plishing results. Their main effort is I,
get hold of the young folks.
They find that man accustomed I,
barbarous ways ia with dihoutv turn.A
TO Christianity. Through the children n 1
to-day they hope 10 de yelop the Chrisi,n /
families of the future that shall leayen ~
heather mass. There are few boys ov,,
Il whom they can deeply influence. Tb,v
are filling their mission schools and th.,
workshops with boys and girls OF II
and younger.
AZ first the foke nature of the bl,,s
children was a hlndranoe After A ve.,
or two the boys and girls would hacom.
very tired OF their work The pupil wanted
to throw away his book and take Ia IN.
hoe, the carpenter pV ferred to be mason
and tho cook was sure that gardening VA,
his proper sphere.
This spirit OF unrest was infectious. and
sometimes a crowd Of boys and girls would
strike work on the same day Many
would 60 back TO their villages and tah
up again the wild life Of their people O,bet
would hire out az laborers on tho railroad
or get other employment among the whites
The missionaries had no power TO compel
their return, and the Government hesitatsd +
to interfere. Many Of the children wouB
change their names also, and il was difficult
to traCe them.
Such cases still occur but the mission.
aries have found that 10y greater VARIETY +
of work and play and Kindness they can |
always keep their black boys and girls Al
the mission until their education is CON.
pleted. CompusOn IL never used bat
runaways are now comparatively few
MANY of our friends in Europe write, i
Fa Their Butaye. Imagine that our Young n
folks are almost prisoners while living al 4
the mission. This is not so. They enjoy
the fullest freedom.
we have neither walls nor regulations
to keep them from leaving us Around
the school and the dormtories are forests
and jungle into white they might easily
escape. We do not restrain them.
we find that tho liberty they enjoy
does not destroy system or good order
in our conduct OF the missions fanv Al /
them betray our confidence We make tho
children understand exactly what We think
Of it. The Congo child is not without |
sense of shame, and II convinced that his
fellow is guilty OF an ungratetu and un.
worthy act he tx ashamed Of him. To put
these children on their honor and 10 eIpeG
hot .tstn tlvrs IL.
dence we impose in them is part Of ol
educational method"
The black child likes to reion hi
family once in while lust as white CHI
dren do. Some time ago eighty ohildrea
at the Kl-Santu station on the Kwango
River were told that they might scatter
10 their homes TO sec their relatives and old
paymates. Some of the fathers protested
that it was a dangerous experiment, but
the head OF tho mission said he would trust
the children. SO, with their bundles Of
Sunday clothing under their arms and
plenty OF bread, they set out Tor their
homes, many of which were ten or fifteen
miles away.
They were told that they might he gone
four cen days. On the morning appointed
for their return not a soul appeared, hutn
the afternoon group after group came
tripping IN and by evening all except three
had returned. These three were among
the newest children in the mission. bnia
few days later they turned up, full Of e.
cuses for their hardness.
When the father thanked the children
for returning promptly on the appointed
day many Of them cried with astonlsh'
ment:
Why, we promised to come back and We
kept our word
When a new mission station i started
a few OF the more intelligent children from
other stations are taken to II a. nucleus
around whom the new recruits galbe'
The trained children instruct the Others
and help them in many ways, for as rl'A,
when children first come TO the mission,
they have little liking for the new life.
The educational programme Is not over
burdened. Reading, writing. arithmell'
and some geography form the entire cours1
of study But the children are Instructed
in many practical things
They are taught the meaning Of the
calendar and soon distinguish the days
and months They learn 10 count money
20 take accurate measurements and 20 read j
the time from the ciuck.
As their training in arithmetic and N
labor goes on, they receive small pieces Of
coin for doing certain work and must keep
account books in which all receipt, and ei'
penditures Of money are noted Ihe
effort Is made TO familiarize them VII.
many conveniencas OF life and methods o
work so that they will find the new ne
from the old.
All of them are taught 10 specialize ?
one or another branch of work. Many oil
the girls run sewing machines and there
are few trades that are not taught 10 me
boys, and each is required TO work ie"
hours every day in the field or garden
Music il a study in which they delight
Twenty-Five boys at the Ki-San'l stauo1
form a we'll drilled brass band. They read
music, play by note and their instruments
are good ones.
Thousands Of these boys and grI- are
leaving the mission schools 10 do for them
selves. A great number Of them have
become skilled craftsmen and find empln!
ment in the railroad and other bmnch@
o. state service. Many Of them are over
seers Of labor.
The Congo State is glad 10 avail yen
OF such young men. AZ 1t was couiIeIell y,
many years 10 import most Of ii- -kiue.
black labor from Senegal. Othef- neonlf' \
teachers in the schools and there are H' 4
ways openings for those young folk- VI,
have spent several years at the la'ho"
stations.
How EIks shed and Renew AnlleH'
Fran So Nisioios