The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1913-01-07
But Is Now Doing Missionary
Work IN Burma
How These Strange People
Conduct Their Funerals
How The Houses Are Built
And The Inhabitants Live

r. B. Thurber, who spent several
years Of his life in Dayton, Ohio, has
sent an interesting letter from Burma,
where he is now q missionary for the
Seventh Day Adventist denomination.
After leaving Dayton, Elder Thurber
became connected with the Mount Yer
non College, in Mount Vernon, Ohio,
and the Adelphian Academy in Hol-
ly, Michigan, going to Burma from the
latter place.
In his letter Mr.. Thurber describes
climatic conditions in Burma, and
some of the peculiar customs followed
by the natives. He says:
In Burma, from December to May
you can count on every day presenting
clear skies. with the exception that
few sprinkles will come in February
or March. We can count them on no
sudden shower to spoil an outing. But
we do not take any outings then; we
are only too glad to take an inning,
under shelter from the hot sun. Dur
ing March and April the ground is as
bare of vegetation as the top of a
rock: yet the trees, which are sparse
ly scattered over this part Of the coun-
try, are still green. The small streams
dry up and the ground cracks open.
There Is very little grass at any time
Of the year. During the rainy seasons
weeds cover the ground, though these
are not rank and tall az many are at
home.
"In Burma the women carry their
burdens on their heads. and the men
carry theirs on their shoulders or in
their hands. 1t is disgrace for a
man to carry anything ON his head,
but the women carry even umbrellas
and small bottles there.
"The carpenter sits on his bench as
he works. II seems O misnomer In
~the United States to call the table,
ut which carpenter works, bench.
It must have gotten it's name. and not
its size and form, from the one used
here; for these are like an ordinary
seat bench. only they are higher at one
end than the other. The workman sits
astride this about the middle and
planes toward the lower end. His
bench stops are pegs stuck in Its top,
and his feet and toes do much OF the
work of vice. In general he has
many unique, but simple, devices for
doing the work that we think We must
have vices. stops, miter-boxes, ETC., fo'
At home. Hong Sc, our Chinese car
penter, who uses the Burmese meth
DDS better than the Burman can, car
teach many first-class carpenters II
America something about their trade
they never knew before. l have beer
surprised at some of the original ideai
! see.
81 have not seen any rustless tool
out here, perhaps because 1t is prac
tically hopeless to try to keep then
bright during the rainy season. Blu
! have thought that perhaps that Il
the best way, for II the tool Is use'
continually 1t does not rust after tn
first oxidation has put dark color OF
It.
"Most Of the fences here are thorI
or cactus hedges, and are about tel
feet wide usually. Sometimes the.
are made OF bamboo sticks. Whel
the Burrnan digs post holes he uses
crov.bar and half Q cocoanut shell
You can imagine the process and ais
the time It takes. When quantitie
Of earth are excavated for buildin
roads or railways, 1t II removed wit
hoe-like instruments and carried !
baskets on the heads OF coolie VIZ
men. It is done by the piece, an
they are paid by the number OF cup'
feet removed. To show how high tn
ton Of the ground was before digsini
columns OF earth are left standing
intervals These are usually crowne
with q tuft of grass or weeds, ana o.
ing about a foot in diameter. have IN
appearance of men. They are Gale
dead men," So It Ia said the road
ana railways are strewn on either sid
with dead men,"
I'm Burma, tho girls dance oil owe