The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-04-03
IN HEART OF AFRICA
INTERESTING LECTURE BY NEGRO MISSIONARY.
Rev. W. H. Shepard Spoke to Large Congregation of White People at the Central Presbyterian
 Church.

|
 in an address delivered at the Central | Presbyterian Church last night by Rev. | w H. Shepard, a negro missionary or the Presbyterian Church to Central Africa.
 | The interested hearers of the noted negro overfiowed the church auditorium and the Sunday school room. It was | perhaps the first time in the history Of | Montgomery that such large audi ence composed entirely of white per sons listened to a negro speaker. And the audience was we'll repaid. Shepard spoke one hour and ten minutes and his hearers were charmed by his graphic descriptin of the Central Afri- | can country, the customs and methods | of the various tribes, the difficulties under which the messengers of Chris | tianity labor there and of the great l achievements for the Christian reli- | zion among the savages. They were also charmed with his eloquent perora- l tion in which he declared renewed | devotion to his life work
 Sheperd went to Africa with Rev Samuel N. Lapsley of Anniston, whose death in the African jungles. after heroic work there. caused profound sorrow among all devout Presbyterians of Alabama who knew of his faithful work for his church and his religion. The negro missionary of last night paid high tribute to his dead friend. In simple eloquence he told the story of the death of MT. Lapsley after his devotion to the cause. With remarka- ble tact he conveyed the impression that 1t was Mir. Lapsley who was ever to the fore tn the missionary work and that he the speaker, was only factor in his assistance. It Is well known rd 1nh Mir. Lapsley and that they shared hard ships fin common.
 The evening services at the Central Church were opened by the singing Of hymn 729 "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name" followed by an invocation by the pastor, Rev. Neal L. Anderson, D. D. Hymn 626, The Light of the World is Jesus" was next sung and Dr. Anderson then drew attention to the presence of the negro missionary
 After announcing hymn 41, From Greenlands Icy Mountains" Dr. Ander- son said:
 When we have sung this hymn we will have the privilege of listening to a report of a servant of the church and of Jesus Christ who has been laboring among his own people in Africa"
 Dr. Anderson said that Montgome- rians should feel deep interest in Shepard who preached here eleven years ago among the negroes. Ills work here then. Dr. Anderson said. was supported by the First Presbyterian Church under the pastorate of the late pr. Petrie Montgomery people. he said also knew and loved Rev. Samuel N. Lapsley who went in company with Shepard to Africa.
 And when the Lord laid his hand on Mir Lapsley," said pr. Anderson, Brother Shepard was left alone in that dark country.
 Our brother who Is here tonight" Dr. Anderson went on "is graduate of the Stillman Theological Institute at Tuscaloosa. Others of these graduates are in Africa and throughout this country. Whenever any one feels dis couraged about the negro 1t should be pointed out the good these men are doing-they are laboring for their Master and are leading pure lives"
 Dr. Anderson concluded by asking
 the congregation to remember the Stone Street Presbyterian Church for
 negroes in their prayers
 The congregation joined in singing
 the hymn and the missionary arose and
 began his remarks. He is a tall. well
 built man whose color is light
 brown. He spoke from notes but
 without effort and In choice but sim
 pie language.
 The negro missionary thanked the
 pastor and the congregation for his
 reception and plunged into the narra-
 tive of his experiences in Africa. He
 drew vivid picture of sailing from
 New York with Mir. Lapsley with Mrs.
 Lapsley, mother of the young minister,
 waving her handkerchief and crying
 to him: Shepard, take care of Sam" He prepared the congregation for some of his narrowing adventures by say ing that Africa was one of the largest
 countries in the world, one of the
 most resourceful, the darkest and the
 most neglected.
 At this juncture and at several points | in his lecture. Shepard exhibited tribal money, linens, knives. implements and other articles he had brought from Af- rica. He described the various tribes | of Central Africa, from the highest to | the lowest and saiS that MT. Lapsley and himself hunted and hshed with | the natives to learn to speak their va l ried dialects. Their party, he said, | killed thirty-six hippopotami and two | elephants and he gave an interesting | account of how traps are laid for ele- | plants.
 Speaking always of Mir. Lapsley and | his party. Shepard said that they
 walked 276 miles into the interior. | were often threatened by savage tribes i who shot at them with poisonous ar rows ana narrated graphic accounts of | adventure and thrilling escapes. He l said Mir. Lapsley and himself put their trust in Him who had said, 'I.o. I am
 with you always" and that they were never injured, the only scar on his | body, he said, having been received accidentally in Baltimore.
 Later Mir Lapsley and Shepard jour neyed 1900 miles into the very heart l of Central Africa where they located. | They finally convinced the chief of the tribe that they had come for no evil | purpose and they were received with | favor living peaceably among the peo- ple and teaching them. The speaker | said that the nearest doctor to this | point was 800 miles away and MT. | LapsIey and himself practiced on each l other when they became ill He said
 the only familiar thing In the place to l MT. Iapsley and himself was the l growing of the chickens early in the
 morning. Another interesting state ment was that dogs in Central Africa | do not bark. They wear bells around | their necks when hunting so that the 1 native may locate them with their
 game.
 Shepard described his feeling of l loneliness when the steamboat which | had borne them to this African village in the heart of Africa left and they l know it would be nine months before the boat would return. MT. Lapsley
 and himself committed themselves to
 God and went to work among the saV-