The sun., 1908-10-16


Islands Reports to American Board
About suiferinss and Achievements
At Far Outpost OF Christianity.
The Rev. DR.. Hiram Bingham Of Homo
lulu was one Of the speakers yesterday at
the convention OF the American Board Of
Foreign Missions which is in session In
Brooklyn. DR.. Bingham has been
missionary Of the board for the last
fifty-two years. and most OF this time he
has spent among the natives OF the Gilbert
Islands, in Micronesia. He is q tall,
rather gaunt man OF bad eyesight and
frail health. He has translated the Bible
into Gilbertese. has made two dictionaries
OF that language, besides preparing oom-
mentaries on parts Of the Bible In the same
tongue. He told his story yesterday,
simply, matter OF factA-and ever one
listened.
After graduating from Yale and
Andover. Dr.. then Mr.. Bingham was
sent by the board to the Caroline Islands
ard from there went to the Gilbert Islands,
where SO. 900 people lived on coral islands
on which it was thought doubtful II white
people could live. He had taken his
bride with him to the Carolnes. She
was willing to go TO the Gilbert Islands.
A native Hawaiian missionary and his
wife accompanied them. They packed
a house "a by 10 feet on the deck Of a
ship and this house they built up on the
edge of a lagoon. A year after landing
the young missionary had picked UP
enough Of the language to begin on a
translation Of the Bible. Nine years
later, with three-quarters Of the Bible
translated, his health broke down and he
was carried back TO the United States to
recover. Il didn't ask for furlough,
DR.. Bingham said "and didn't want to
20 home. But they took me-
Two years later DR.. Bingham returned
to the islands to find his home. his print
ing building and the little plant OF his
operations there burned TO the ground.
Even the grave which he had dug with
his own hands for the child hieh came
they first had landed had been opened
and the small bones scattered around. He
built another station and went on with
his work. Meanwhile his wife was pre-
paring eohool books in the native language.
His dictionary. the work OF years. was
stolen. So he went to work and compiled
another, containing IL ,00O words.
DR.. Bingham hopes to live at least to
his eiRhtieth birthday, 30 that he may
have an opportunity to complete the
second volume of his commentary In
such Is DR.. Bingham, and such his
story. There are other men much like |
him and other stories much like his at
the oonv ention.
There were four sessions yesterday. !
In the morning India and Micronesia
and the home department. neglected the !
preceding day for China, Japan and the |
near East, received attention at the
Academy Of Music. Al ? O'Clock the
business session was held In the Church
OF the Pilgrims, preceded by a COM
munion service at which the celebrants
included the Rev. Danjo Ebina Of Toxic
and the Rev. NJ. @; Papazian OF the Ar
menian Evangelical Church. New York. !
while tho business session was on there !
1as g reilly for women at the Clinton |
Avenue Church, and in the Academy in |
the evening "Men and Missions was the |
topic, with President Samuel B, Capen.
Williams OF Philadelphia as speaker
II was decided at the business session |
to hold next years convention at Min
neapolis and the 1910 centennial In Bos-
The Rev. DR., Harlan p. Beach of New
Haven again made evident the needs Of
which had been the burden OF the two
previous days and OF the morning session.
The board he, styled an employment
bureau for the handicapped '-hsndi-
capped for lack of money and lack of
men, Handicapped by "a lot Of men and
only the grace Of God keeps out Of their
graves. who are weak. jaded, do their
work In q slipshod fashion and all too
often are invalided home through no
fault OF their own, but because they |
have been overworked.' This sort Of
thing misrepresents Christianity. DR.. |
Beach said, for the natives come to look \
upon the Christian life as continual
search for money to live on.
President Henry Churchill King Of |
oberlin College presided at last night's
session. President Capen Of tho board |
told Of tho eforts being made TO get The
men Of the church interested In mission
ary work.
Among the other speakers yesterday
were the Rev. DR.. Joseph Fl. Selden Of |
Greenwich, Conn; the Rev. William w.
Wallaoe Of the Madura mission, India;
che Rev. Henry Fairbank and the Rev u
Lorin 8. Gates Of the Marathi mission,
India; the Rev. DR.. William W. McIAne
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