New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1907-11-13
AMERICAN AS A GOD, !
Why South Africans Worship
Harry Pringle Ford.
REWARD FOR PHILANTHROPY.
Photograph of PhiladelpI1ian Who Be-
friended Zulu Boy Is Placed on Shrine
of Temple In zuIuIand - Natives
Ordered to Worship 1t.

friended Zulu Boy Is Placed on Shrine
Of Temple In zuluiand - Natives
Ordered to Worship 1t.
Many Americans admire titles. but
few have enjoyed the distinction of
being worshiped as deity. says the
Philadelphia Public Ledger. Harry
Pringle Ford, an elder in the Holland
Memorial Presbyterian church of Phil
adelphia. is probably the only excep-
ton, for Mr.. Ford. or. rather. his pho
tograph. is being worshiped today by
thousands of stalwart ebony skinned
natives in the mountains of the Mata-
belle country, in South Africa, as ian
American god.''
Philanthropy won for the Presbyte-
rtan elder this remarkable distinction.
Fourteen years ago he befriended a
Zulu boy who had been persuaded to
come to America to obtain an educa.
ton, but who was used as an '.attrac-
ton on the Midway Plaisance of the
Worlds fair at Chicago.
Later the boy. Hosana Coronto by
name. was abandoned by his manager.
and it was then that Mr.. Ford rescued
him from wretchedness. The friend
less boy was the son of Coronto. des.
potic monarch in the Zulu country,
whose wives numbered more than
twenty and whose authority had no
restrictions Men die in Zululand at a
nod of this potentate's head.
When Coronto was sent back to his
native land. with his expenses paid by
the generosity of American friends
whose sympathies Mr. Ford enlisted.
he carried with him photograph Of
his benefactor. What happened to
that picture in Zululand was told q
few days ago by Coronto himself when
he visited the headquarters of the
board of publication and Sabbath
school work in the Witherspoon build
ing at Philadelphia. Mr.. Ford. who
Is connected with the board was sit
ting at bis desk when suddenly two
braWny black arms seized him around
the body and for the space Of ten sec
Onds the breath was almost squeezed
out of him. Looking up. be beheld his
protege, who had grown to manhood
and the proportions Of giant. The
heartiest greeting followed, after which
Coronto said:
DO you remember that picture you
gave me: Well. my father. the king,
fell in love with it, OF course it was
your goodness to his son that i'm
pressed him. He has put it on a throne
In our largest hut, which my people
use as a temple. and has commanded
his subjects to worship it. He told
them that it was an American god
who had saved his sons life. And ev-
erybody worships it. No one dares to
disobey my father. for he would in
stantly kill him.
Mr.. Ford was duly impressed and
asked Coronto how he had been spend
ing his time in Zululand The young
chieftain replied that during the Boer
war he had acted as guide and inter-
prefer for English generals and since
the cessation Of hostilities had endeay-
ored to teach his people something Of
American manners, for in Zulu fam
lily all eat out Of one pot, which is
never washed, and use their fingers to
handle the food. Moreover, men, wom-
en- and children sleep in one room.
Il tried to teach them manners" said
Coronto, land started school for the
purpose. But the work was slow.
The girls insisted on attending with
out clothing in warm weather. How
ever, they learned quickly. and | soon
found that they knew as much as the
teacher. So / have come to America
to obtain an education, after which
will go back to zululand and teach
my people"
Coronto is now in the south, where
he expects to enter one of the negro
colleges.