Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-03-10
Idolatpous Indian DevoteeS

After an ali sencs OF twelve years In
Central Ameriot. where he and his wife
have been doing missionary work among
the Toltecs and -AEtscs. whose Origin Is
believed To antnflai@ th~t 70 -
tIans. c. +. serord and his wife have
returned TO Omaha on q brief vacation.
For some time C. F. seoord held cases
on The Bee. In 1900 he declared his In
iiention OF going into the interior OF
Central America. there 10 devote the re-
n,Aindsr OF his life TO spreading the COS
pei among the natives. His friends scoffsd
at the idea and predicted that inside OF
twelve months he would be back. work
ing at tho trade IN which he had be-
come proficient. secord. however. was
not made Of the kind OF stuff that
causes men to turn back. Taking his
young wife with him. he started out ON
his new line OF work, never returning
ito the states until few days ago. when
he came 10 visit Omaha friends for a
few days, Mrs. secord coming with him
whep Mr.. Secord left Omaha. he went d.
erect to Guatemala. the largest Of the six
Central American states. He heard that up
at the ancient city of chichicastenanso
then more than 90. miles from rail-
road. there was a population OF moro
than 100000 persons In the Quicha dis
trict who had never heard the word OF
God expounaed and who for unknown
ages had been worshipers Of the sun.
idols and animals This was tho place
which Mr.. and Mrs. Secord had sought
aud they journeyed thither. There they
located and Ence then have been doing
: missionary work. In the meantime Mr..
secord studied medicine during his leisure
hours and nscured a degree Of doctor Of
medicine.
Guatemala ls a republic with a popu-
letlon OF 20oo.ooo persons. one-half OF
whom are descendants Of the Toitccs
and Aztecs and the balance OF mixed
bloods. spanish. Germans. English and
a few Americans. Here IN this. the
Qulcha district Dr. and Mrs. Secord
found the inhabitants paying tribute and
homage TO ell the old gods Of my
thology. They worshiped the god Of fire,
tho god of fruits. All over the noun
tains and valleys affairs had been erected
On. these they placed the fruits and
grains and animals. and now and then
sacrificed = human being To appease the
wrath OF and please some God that had
feen offended.
Progress Was slow.
Teaching people who for countless
ages had fallen down before idols and
worshipcd false gods was slow work. but
Or. and Mrs. secord knew no such word
as fail, and after few months the re-
suits OF their work became apparent.
They went out Into the open and held
services. they told the simple natives the
story of the Nazarene. and In time they
secured many converts to the Christian
religion. Doing missionary work was far
from being bed Of roses. II meant long
rides on horseback. over mountain roads
and through jungles. The wrath Of the
medicine men and the seers Of the tribes
was often incurred These men saw their
influence slipping away from them.
Twice they attempted to murder Dr. Sc
cord, but each time his life was saved by
friendly natives Al another time they
made preparations 10 hang him and de-
liver his body as sacrifice to one OF
their gods. whom they claimed was angry.
Upon this occasion they went 20 far as
10 place n rope about his neck. but again
the friendly natives came TO his relief
and again his life was saved.
me most strenuous objection to DIT.