The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-04-11
CIVILIZED SAVAGE ISLANDERS
Rev. Hiram Bingham's Great Work
Among the Gilbertese.

A recent issue OF the Pacific Com.
mercIal Advertiser, a daily newspaper
published at Honolulu, Hawaii Terri
tory received IN Bennington contains
n description OF the fiftieth anniver-
sary Of the landing on the Gilbert is
lands of the missionary, Rev. Hiram
Bingham, now living at Honolulu.
The Gilbert islands comprise small.
group Of coral formations In the Cen.
trail Pacific about half way between
Hawaii and the Philippines. Although
the anniversary celebration OF the mis-
sionary's landing on the islands took
place IN November the locality IL so
far removed from the regular routes
OF steamship travel that information Of
the event did not reach the aged mis-
sionary ut Honolulu, who Is distant
relative of II. S. Bingham of this VII
lage. until about a month ago.
The communication received includ.
ed a letter from the Gilbertese Evan
gelical association TO the Hawaiian
Board, thanking that organization for
the part It had played In sending mis-
sionaries to the Gilberts and uplifting
those people from state Of heather
darkness to the present Christian and
educated condition, condition which
has so elevated the people that at the
religious services In connection with
| the celebration of the jubilee six ma
| tive ministers were ordained, minis
tiers who had received their training
and education in the schools founded
by Or. Bingham and from the books
translated into Gilbertese by him.
Half century ago Dr. Bingham
landed among people so ignorant
that the first batch Of mail sent him
after his arrival among them and land
ed from sailing vessel was eaten by
| the natives. who thought that the let
ters were some kind of cakes. Now
the same people have purchased for
| their own use eleven thousand Bibles,
the translation OF which into their Ian
guage was the work of Dr. Bingham
Every year, according TO letter re-
Gently received from the Islands, there
Is a demand for books Of all kinds TO
the number of two thousand, while
throughout the group are schools and
churches supported by the people and
teaching In Gilbertese. Eleven thou
sand Bibles among population of
thirty thousand Is a large average.
| DR. Bingham Is still at work trans
laiing Tor the benefit of the Gilbertese.
among whom he would like 10 be again
personally il his health permitted it..
| He has just finished Commentary
on the Acts. which is to be published
in Boston. and the manuscript of the
English dictionary is also
in the hands of the publishers In the
Eastern states.
This is the second such manuscript
prepared by DR.. Bingham, the first one
having been destroyed in Honolulu ten
years ago by an ignorant hack driver
who did not know nor care. apparent
~, Of the value of the document. The
loss at that time was very discourage
ing for the author. who despaired of
ever being able to duplicate the work
Nine years afterwards. however. he
began again and after years work
with the assistance of a Gilbertese
friend who worked with him here
the dictionary is again ready for the
printer The original dictionary con.
tanned only six thousand words. while
the one soon to be issued contains. in.
GLIDING derivatives, over twelve thou
sand
1t is expected that an edition of a
thousand copies of this dictionary will
be printed the sale of nine hundred
being already guaranteed. The Lon
don Missionary society have agreed tc
take three hundred copies; the direc
tors OF phosphate company trading
in the group want two hundred and
three hundred more will go in various
ways