Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-07-25
GOES TO LIVE WITH
LEPERS Of CAMP IN
LAND Of THE hINDo0
Young st. Louis Preacher Fol-
lows In Steps Of Others
Of Family.
RISKS CATCHING DISEASE
Says He Is Going to Take Up Worh
Where His Father Left Off,
Doesn't Think It Big

Doesn't Think It Big
Feat. NJ
In the dusk Of the Union station last
Wednesday, midnight, a frailly built.
delicate appearing young man swung
up the steps of the fast train for New
York and babe farewell to st. Louis,
probably forever.
No friends we're present to wish him
Godspeed. In so far as his outward ap-
pearance was concerned there was lit
tie to distinguish him from a dozen or
more active, clean cut young Ameri-
cans to be found in the Pullmans OF
that train.
Yet that young man, Rev. Gottfried
German Evangelical church, was TAX
ing his final step toward a life SO loath-
some SO perilous, so grim in it's pros
poets that the very mention of 1t, de-
spite modern science and its potency,
still makes the world of today shud-
der, as did the world Of medieval
times.
He was on his way to become a mis-
sionary to the lepers at Purulia, India,
where hundreds of the most desperate
cases of Asia are cared for and taught
to look upon Christianity as their hope
for the future.
And more marvellous still, he is but
following in the steps Of ii other mem
bers OF his family, including his aged
mother, who have spent their lives in
Inn same colony, serving year in and
year out In ever constant danger, an
falteringly taking up the tasks left un-
finished as death has cut down the
workers at their side and hemmed
them in. hidden and i%nsidiously.
Like Father Damien. the great mar
tyr In h fight for souls and against
this dread disease, young Hahn merely
regards his action as q duty to his
church and God. No could better
understand the horrible conditions he
must q than he does, for he was
born there.
7 shall go to New York for two
years and ffnish my preparations. Then
/ will return there he said simply
hen asked as TO his plans.
You see, my father gave his life to
h work in that field and I must take
it up later myself II my health per-
mits." he added with a smile.
Mother IL i'll and I do not believe will
live much longer. Nothing would de-
light her moro than to know before she
dies h q I, too, will continue in the
work OF my father"
An o. Days Work.
To him It IL all in the days work.
His sister. Maria Hahn, IL the wife OF
h superintendent of the colony. She
has been there for years and has faith
fully and courageously given her life
to the cause.
Certainly, II his father and IL his sis
ter and all OF his other relatives could
do what they have done and are doing
why should he hesitate, asks young
Hahn.
Rev. Gottfrfed Hahn, 20 years old, OF
st. Louis, q graduate OF Eden semi
nary, was ordained as q GermanYEvan-
gelical minister at the ion church,
T~wenty-fifth and Benton streets.
eral years to pursue his theologi-
cal studies at the Evangelical semi
nary In st. Louis. His frail physique
forbids his returning Immediately to
the life work Of his kin in India.
As soon - his health warrants hia
assuming the life Of sacrifice and de-
votion. he will sail; to southern India.
and follow In the missionary work Of
his people.
The st. Louis man 10 the fifth in his
family to be ordained in the ministry.
His father, Rev. Ferdinand Hahn.
who died in 1910, more than 20 years
ago began his eervices a. Q missionary
In India. During the last 26 years Of
his live he officiAted - the superinten-
dent of h Purulia Leper asylum. the
largest community in the world of suf-
fers from the malady.
Three Sens In America.
Three of his sons came to America.
after working for years In the colony.
They are Rev. GOttfried Hahn. 3 81.
Louis. g Theodore Hahn. pastor sc
the Second German Presbyterian
church of New Orleans, and Rev. AI-
bert Hahn. pastor Of the Reform
church In New York city.
The fourth son, Rev. John Hahn. de-
parted from India several years a9o to
0RDum4 n nn0tft0n ~ nN4tNa ~ it,
ious journal In Berlin.
The aged widow and her i've daush-
tiers sttll live in India and are perpetu
eting the work Of devotion among the
Htndoo people.
Miss Marie Hahn, the eldest. married
Rev! Paul Wagner, who succeeded 10
1fether a. superintendent Of the asyllrn.
Miss Augusta Hahn, four year, 40.
became the wife Of Rev. Martin Prahn'
g missionary IN that section. and nm.
Louisa was welded to Rev, Chorles
Nottrott. =
Both OF these two women teach A.
the parish schools near the lenar CO.,
ony Of which their husbands arc ~
roctofA. @s -,
The two unmarried daughters. Elix-
apoth ana Dora constantly attend their
motner 4 aao1it IA eeachin9 the
young people OF the colony the Chris-
What Ne Wen.
AZ the critical point he made :
nnHmA 211M - 80 EEl.r-l3