Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-08-15
Mission Stations
In Persia Have
Exciting Times
Reports from Mountain Posts,
Where Even the Widest
Tribes Are Softening.

more encouragement and commenda-
ton from home.
Conditions in Persia itself are those
of anarchy and chaos. True. a con-
stitution was granted to the people
by the shah in 1895, but the effect
of that action is nullified to a great
extent by the warning and conflict
ing interests of Great Britain and
Russia. The best view of the life
of the missionary in Persia may be
gained by reading a passage in the
latest report from the Teheran sta
ton to the board. We quote some
of it, as follows:
Last October Q912) Mr.. and Mrs.
D made a six weeks tour toward
the East to Simnan and Shahrud.
All summer the region had been ira
versed by marauding armies, but
when a lull in the excitement came
they felt that an effort should be
made. They did not need to go
far to experience some of the incon-
veniences brought about by the dis
turbances, for, as they were leaving
the city their loads were held up by
the guard at the gate, on suspicion
that they contained ammunition for
the enemy.
Devastation on Every Hand.
AS IIl6J JOuIutle0 O1 Sl6Iio VI dN-
vastation became more frequent; tea
houses where they hoped to rest had
been looted, rooms where they lodged
had their walls full of bullet holes
and were minus doors and windows
which had been carried off and
burned. Further on they saw town
after town which had been devas-
tated, and field after field which had
been laid waste.
Food was scarce, for the grain
which the horses of the soldiers could
not eat was trampled under foot and
chickens had been shot and sheep
decapitated in mere fiendish sport.
THE travellers themselves many
times could not obtain food and fire.
quently went to bed hungry. And, IN
addition to all these devastations. the
roads were infested with robbers,
which added to the misery and terror
of the people.
"Such were the conditions, and the
people in all their wretchedness were
more eager to ask the news concern
ing the war; and whether another
army might come, than they were to
ask the way to salvation"
1t will be of interest now, to give
an account of the mission stations In
Persia of the Presbyterian church
and those in whose charge they are.
OF the East Persian station. with
headquarters at Teheran, 1t may be
said that the incumbents there have
had a sufficiently exciting time. In
the years 1911-1912. as the report to
the General Assembly says, THE
Americans and America were brought
before the Persians in a conspicuous
way, but after the American finan-
ciers were dismissed and Mr.. Shuster
left the country chaos reigned again.
PARLIAMENT, the only expression of
the constitutional government, was
dissolved and the political condition
of the country was left in hopeless
confusion Armies We're sent out to
meet advancing armies, and there
were reports constantly coming OF
massacre and depreciation from more
remote parts
Thus it will be seen that the life
of the missionaries in the Teheran
station was not a quiet one.
Work in this station was started In
1872. The missionaries now there are
Rev. Dr. ]. L. Potter and wife, Rev.
S. M. Jordan and Mrs. Jordan, Rev.
Charles A. Douglas and Mrs. Doug
las. Miss Mary J. Smith, M. D.; Miss
Annie w. Stocking, Miss Bessie Al
len. Rev. E. K. Dewitt and Mrs. De-
witt, DIR. Joseph w. Cook, Miss
Myra Sutherland, NJ. D., and Miss
Mary Gardner.
Hamadan, 200 miles southwest of
Teheran. Is a post in which Newark
has a particular interest for there Is
stationed, with his wife, the Rev:
James w. Hawkes., who Is supported
like DIR. Cunningham in China, by the
contributions of the Sunday school
children of the First Presbyterian
Church. Besides the Rev. Mr..
Hawkes. there are there: ]. M. Funk,
M. D., and his wife, Rev. George F.
Zoeckber, Miss Annie Montgomery,
Miss Ada c. Holmes, DR.. Mary Allen
and Rev. Cady H. Allen and Mrs.
Allen.
At Kazvin, 100 miles northwest of
Teheran, the missionaries are f' L.
Lawrence, M. D., and Mrs. Allen.
Resht, occupied in 1904, is 40 miles
northwest of Teheran, very near the
Caspian Sea. The incumbents there
are Rev. A. G. Shute and his wife,
Davidson Frame, NJ. D., Rev. G. r.
Murray and his wife and Miss Grace
j. Murray
Herman Shah, celebrated for CEN
turtles for it's exquisite carpets and
rugs, is 300 miles southwest of
Teheran II was OCCupleu DO u Lille
sion station in 1910. Rev. F. M. Stead
and Mrs. Stead are the resident mis-
sionaries.
Station at Meshed.
Meshed was occupied in 1911. The
missionaries there are the Rev. DIR.
L. F. Esselstye and his wife.
An interesting sidelight on the re-
suit of the dismissal of the American
financier, Mr.. Shuster, brought about
by an ultimatum from Russia is given
in the report from the Teherar sta
ton.
when Russia delivered her ulti-
matum," says this report, "all the
boys schools of the city were closed;
the students took up the agitation
against Russia's demands and or
ganized a boycott against Russian
goods.
collars and cuffs disappeared.
While the boycott lasted the boys of
the boarding department refused to
touch either tea or sugar. Our school,
along with others, was closed and the
high school boys were active in the
movement
when, at last, ii was settled that
Mr.. Shuster had to go, and 1t was
plain that further agitation would be
futile, all the young men returned to
their work, but with a different spirit.
All their usual enthusiasm and vim
were gone, and for the next two
months we had the most nerve
racking effort to lift the school back
e