Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1915-07-20

idi1y LUZ Ills uedlIu, anu ike Da1
Crawford, he found health and lif,
and home there, as we'll as a CONT
nent of friends. In Rodesia he nov
owns large ranch on which is {
small gold mine which provides hin
with means for carrying on his worl
for the uplift of native life. Mr.. Bal
mer's father was a Methodist minis
ter, and Mr.. Balmer has expanded
his life into most effective Chris
tian philanthropy. In his opening
remarks last night he pleaded with
white folk to understand black folk
ending his appeal with the fine
punch, "the folks that you hate are
the people you do not understand
The Kaffir Boy entertainment is
a study in ethnology and human up
lift. The boys themselves are brands
plucked from heather life. The last
addition of the group has only been
out of the bush twenty-seven
months. He is a Hottentot whose
father gave him away. When he fell
into Mr.. Balmer's kindly hands he
was emaciated with hunger, and the
little fellow was of so low type
that many said that here was an in
dividual even Mr.. Balmer could not
touch. He is now one of the most
interesting in the group, shows a
clear intellect, is the most teachable
of all, and has expressed the desire
to go back to his people as a Chris
tian missionary.
Most Of last nights program by
the Kaffir Boys was given in Eng
lish, yet only one of the boys, (the
oldest) understands >or speaks Eng
fish. The program was unique. It
consisted of singing, the exhibition
of native costumes and the exposi-
tion of native customs and life CIV
en- by Mr.. BaImer and Miss Clark,
his interesting and efficient helper,
as interludes between the musical
The music the boys sing
is archaic and has in it the charac-
teristic minor strain Of the negro
melodies which have grown up on
our southern plantations. 20 Thou
Great Cod" was the opening num-
Der of the program, and it was sung
in the quaint Kaffir tongue. A cur
ous native clack occurred during
the song, and later Mr.. Balmer ex-
planned that three forms of this c1ack
we're introduced by missionaries to
fiji the place of our three letters, c,
! and x, the sound of which would
not fit into the native tongue.
The prima donna Of the company,
l bright lively little Zulu boy, Won
he hearts of all by his face, his ges-
lures and his singing. The ages Of
The boys nobody knew, for they we're
all born in land without a calen-
dar, where time is reckoneG by
moons and distance by days of trav-
81. A Teddy Bear Solo, with one of
The boys dressed to act the part like
Buster Browns Tige, brought down
the house, and a laughing song by
The boys caught up the entire audi
ence in it's chorus A war harangue
in the native tongue was very eff
tective and suggestive, for the chief
in working up the tribe
INTO the mood of war, and the en-
ire party seized their weapons and
set out upon a bloody night raid.
Miss Clark had taught the little Zu-
u boy some little idea Of the better
and, and Mr.. Balmer touched the
hearts Of the huge audience by tel
ing that when the little chap first
saw America from the deck of the |
steamer he naively asked if this was
he better land.
The program closed by one of
he boys singing the well-known So
0, I'm the Child of a King" The
title fellow made good evangelist.
Mr.. Balmer capped the climax by
quoting Paul's great phrase on Mars
Hill, God hath made of one blood
III the nations of the world" He
aid that money spent on Africa was
fine investment. God Almighty
lad made the races and he was go
ng to take care of their future. The
ntire program was a fine preach
nent on the subject of missions and
nter-race comfy. 1t will perhaps be
onger remembered than anything
PRESENTED at Chautauqua this year,
nd it is possible that it may do more
,ood than any other message.