Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-04-22
NEW SCHOOL SYSTEM
GREAT NEED OF CUBA.
By william e. Curtis, Correspondent
of Chicago Record Herald.

Havana. March 31.-Besore he evac-
uation of the Spaniards all forms of
worship except that Of the Roman
Catholic church were forbidden in
Cuba. Neither Protestant nor Jewish
nor any other faith was tolerated. No
marriages were legitimate except
when the ceremony was performed by
Roman Catholic priest; none but
Catholics could be buried in the ceme-
terry until the destruction of the Maine,
when all the bodies recovered were
laid in consecrated ground. The i'm
portation of Bibles was prohibited by
booksellers and by the public and the
British government was refused per-
mission to build a chapel for the
Church of England in connection with
the consulate. Private worship was
and the Episcopal service was read
every Sabbath morning at room in
the San Carloh hotel or some similar
place, which was construed as private
worship" and therefore was not in vio-
lation of the law. The same prohibit
ton prevailed throughout the island,
and no Protestant churches existed at
the time of the American Intervention
In 1898.
Today, however, ten Protestant de-
nominations have 145 regularly estab-
lished churches and eighty-eight mis-
sion stations, with fifty-eight build
ings, costing s16S,412, in charge of
ninety-six pastors and sixty-seven
helpers. There are 139 Sunday schools
with 400 officers and teachers and c.
042 scholars, nearly all Cuban chill
dren. There are forty-four young peo-
pies Protestant societies, with 1,325
members and 25S honorary or asso-
ciate members. There are twenty-five
parsonages. valued at $46,50O, belong
ing to the various Protestant organi-
cations.
The Protestants also have twenty
one day and boarding schools with
ninety-fiye teachers, 2,477 pupils and
twenty-seven young men studying for
the ministry.
During the last year $3S. .466 was col
lected as tuition fees In these various
schools.
The Protestants of Cuba now sup
port two religious weekly newspapers.
The total membership of all the Pro
testant churches in Cuba is 1871, and
% per cent of them are natives con
verted from the Catholic population
since the Intervention.
These figures were given me by the
Rev. j. Milton Greene. superintendent
of Presbyterian mission work in Cuba,
who spent ten years in Mexico, and
three years in Porto Rico, before he
came here six years ago. He built
the first Presbyterian church In San
Juan. p. l.. and the first in Havana.
He now has handsome new building
occupying one of the prominent cor.
ners In this city which seats about
300, and has tweDty-eight other or
ganized churches with total mem
bership OF 700 under his care in other
parts OF the island, with twenty-five
stations.
In addition to the Presbyterian
regular services are held by
The Episcopalians, who have Just laid
the corner stone of cathedral; the
Methodists. the Baptists and the
Christian Scientists. and there is
lourishing Young Mems Christian as
sociation occupying large building
On the Prado, the most prominent
street in the city. in the next block
10 the American club. The Y. M. C.
A, has reading room. gymnasium,
'encing school, swimming pool and
'thcr attractions which have made It |
'ery popular among the younger gen
ration of Cubans.
The Methodist Church South and
he Baptists have the largest member.
nip and were the first to come In"
aid Mr.. Greene. Their most import
mt work, and ours. is educational.
'eneral Wood established public
chools all over the island. but, aside
rom summers study at Harvard un-
er the direction Of Professor Frye,
nc first superintendent. no provision