Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-03
BISHOP OF UGANDA
Story of the Work of Alfred
Tucker in Africa.
HIS HOME IS AT MENGO
Prelate is an Artist and Son of an
Artist.
INFLUENCE ON LOCAL AFFAIRS
Interview With Interesting English.
man, Who Tells of Discovery Of
Bishop Hannington's Remains.
By WILLIAM EDGAR CELL, F. R. 9. 8.
Copyright, 1905, by w. e. Geil)

NopyiiSHt, 4oVO, ny '" 4. 1tllJ
While at Mengo the capital of Uganda,
Africa, was the guest of Bishop Tucker,
whom unhesitatingly name as one Of the
greatest men whom 1 met in a journey Of
over 10000 miles. The story of this good
bishops life and work reads like a romance.
l count it an honor to have known this
man, and to have heard from his own lips
much Of what shall here recount.
The chair of King Mtesa is to be found
today at bishops court, and 1t is most
worthtly filled by Bishop Tucker, a true
king of men. Few have witnessed such stu
pendous changes in nation, and fewer
still have helped to make them. Look at
him amidst the books of his library. About
the room are divers spears and combina-
ton shields and stools. On the floor is a
leopard skin. and on the shelves are many
valuable volumes. The walls have many
sketches made by the bishop, and part OF
its space is filled by this motto:
'Where is thy flock,
Thy beautiful hockY
What Is the story of Alfred fuckers
life? For truly does Hegel say. "A great
man condemns the world to the task of eX-
planning him." The bishop is an artist, and
the son of an artist, brought up in West
moreland among the hills and dales of the
lake country, near the homes of Words
worth, Southey and Colerldge. Their asso-
Citations are among his earliest memories;
and dales in which they delighted were the
delight of the future bishco
The study of nature in the lake district
entailed large amount of active outdoor
exercise, mounts in-climbing and SO forth.
When Alfred Tucker and his brothers
heard in 1876 that a traveller had climbed
three of the highest mountains in the lake
district in one day. fired by the spirit of
emulation, they determined to Guido him.
They started from Langdale at o'clock on
a beautiful morning in the month Of June
and made their way past Dungeon Ghyll,
up the side of Bowfell, near.y 5000 feet
above the sea level. Thence on to Esk
House, W Great End to the summit Of
Scawfel the highest mountain in England,
g. 166 feet above the tide, by s clock. Down
to Styhead Pass, and into Borrowdaie, past
Lodore, through keswick, and from thence
to Skidaw by 1 o'clock, after twenty-five
miles.
On the Mountain.
After resting a quarter of an hour the
young artists rushed down the sides of the
mountain into the valley of 81. John, and
on and on to Thirlmere. The Brow Of
mighty Helvellyn' was at first enveloped in
mist, but at 8 o'clock they asood the
summit looking toward the setting sun,
the mists all cleared away, and the view
with which they were rewarded was some
thing beyond NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Rap
idly descending into the valley of Gras-
mere, past Rydal into Ambleside, and to
Skelwith bridge home was reached at IL: 4o
at night. Altogether they had been nine
teen hours and three-quarters on the road.
during which they had climbed these four
high mountains, involving 10000 feet OF
climbing; and had marched some siXty-five
or seventy miles The feat was done on
temperance principles; they had nothing
bu. water to drink on the road. That climb
has been the record for the last twenty
years. so far as is known. splendid, I'M
conscious prepare ton for a life work and
prophecy of an uphill climb successfully
achieved.
Alfred fuckers first picture in the Royal
Academy was painted nearly thirty years
ago. 1t represented midnight scene in
Leicester There was the empty street,
empty save for a solitary figure. Rain
clouds were clearing away from the face of
the moon. Cold and cherries without, the
warm light from the windows on either side
of the street gave indications of comfort
and happiness, but without was the figure
of a woman with child in her arms. The
feeling expressed in this picture was indi-
cative of much that was working In Tuck
er's mind.
For years he had been engaged in Chris
tan work; taught Sunday school when lad
of eighteen then a temperance worker So
vigorously did he work in the temperance
cause that there remained not a single
child in Langdale of sufficient age to join
that was not enrolled as a member.
To qualify himself more completely for
his chosen work he went to oxford Univer-
sity and after completing the course he was
ordained to the ministry of the Church Of
England. While serving as curate he was
made bishop, the only instance on record,
I think, of a young curate being raised at
once to the episcopal dignity. Soon after
ward he left for Africa, there to live life
which marks him for history as one of the
greatest men of the age.
Ha told when last met that ten
years before there were only 300 Christians
of the Protestant faith in Uganda, but that
there were then 10000 communicates,
growth Of exactly one hundred-fold. The
missionary work under Bishop Tucker be-
longs to the realm of the miraculous.
Where less than twenty years ago raw
heathenism abounded, now there are nearly
1000 Christian Protestant churches and
over 200 Roman Catholic churches. In face
of such facts none can say that missions in
Uganda are not prodigious success.
Visits to England.
The good bishop has made several visits
to England 1t was on his return to Africa
from a visit home that he discovered the
remains of Bishop Harrington. l asked
Bishop Tucker to tell me the story. This
he did, and as the story was taken down
by my stenographer, can give it, word for
word, as he told it, seated on his front
porch at MengO the Beautiful, capital of
Uganda.
from the coast that 1 discovered the re-
mains of Bishop Harrington. On arriving
at Mumias, in Kavironda, I remembered
to have heard that 1t was in that place, 100
miles from the place of the murder the re-
mains of Bishop Harrington had been
buried 1 accordingly visited the chief and
told him the object of my visit and that 1
had heard that our bishop, who had been
killed in Busoga, had been buried In his
village l saw in q moment that he was
considerably alarmed at my statement, and
he very vigorously denied any knowledge
of the whereabouts of the bishops remains.
A Young man, however, told me that the re-
mains of the bishop were actually in the
village. and that he knew where they were.
Half an hour later, when everybody had
left, we made our way past a cluster of
houses, till eventually we found ourselves
in little cleared space covered with grass
and roots In the center was small bush.
Going to this and putting down his foot,
the Young man said: Here they lie.'
"a little after six the next morning we
commenced digging. In about half an hour
we came upon the remains of wooden
box with a tin lining, and then we found
some bones. Eventually all of the remains
came into view. There was the skull, easy
enough to recognize; there was no question
| about 1t. 1t was that Of the bishop. Those
who had seen any photograph Of him would
recognize it in moment. One of his boots
was there I had box brought and lined