Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-05-08

the bark of trees and covered with
leaves from the giant palm. Their
only piece Of furniture was a bed
made OF round poles from the PAIN
swaunps; their cooking utensil a ella.
pot of their owl make. Their homes
were without windows or ways Of ven.
tilation O light except by a. small
door or hole in theNstde OF the house
sThe people were worshipers OF
idols, believers in witchcraft and were
more skilled il the art and use Of
poison that in anything else. They
shoot animals with small poisoned. ar
rows no larger than Knitting needles
and death soon results. But they de-
not cOnfine their knowledge in the
use OF pois0ns to animals, but turn II
on each other as well. 1t IS q fixed
custom that before q guest is offered
any drink or food the hest tastes 1t
to show that 1t does not contain poi
son. t& va iss 81 49,.
Almost Gave Up.
Three yearssthe missionaries work
ed before anyone seriously inquired
for the things OF God. It was exceed
ingly difficult to teach people OF
God when in their language there was
n 10 word for Cod, no word for sacred
for forgiveness, no word for greeting
and none for home. On account oil
the loss Of SO many of the young mis-
sionaries sent out to this station
THAT being n Of the most unhealthy
places on the glooe) and so little, ap
parently, being accomplished, thu
board wanted 20 close up the work.
but the missionaries objected and, al
a compromise, the mission was placed
on a ten years trial, which ended jus,s
a few years ago. a.E
Thirteen years ago the church al
Flat was organized with six members
This was after eight or nine years
work in the field AT first the church
grew slowly, but still the membership
has nearly doubled each year. h
1907 the Sunday school averaged 600.
The average church attendance was
500; the collection for that year $205.
and the number of converts vas 500.
AN addition was put onto the
church and IN communion Sundays il
was entirely too small. We would
have to take away the bark walls
from the sides and back so that the
crowds could see and hear. Oftel
there would be people who had walk
ed Is and even some who had walked
40 miles to attend these services. lr
1910 the Sunday school averaged
1,700, the church services averaged
1000 and the collection was s1,199.G(
that year, and 1900 converts wert
taken In.
THAT year a new church was bull.
seating 1000, and the very first Sun.
day that services were held there 500
people attended and three months lat
er at a conference 5,745 we're present
Last year the Sunday school averaged
1,S00,, the church services averagel
1920, the collection was $3,5S3.7O, and
11,S00 were converted, a. thousand {
month being taken into the churc,.
the latter half Of the year. The tota
attendance at the four commune!
services was over 2 1900. The pastor
Mr.! Dajer, baptized LOAF into full!
snip, HII1Fo IlAC doolSl0At ga"
ter baptized 300 more at an cut sta
ton called Fulu-si. On one of the
communion Sundays services e
here held at five other points and the
total attendance was 20,783. it.3
The church has now 2,317 (includ
ing FuIu.si) in full membership, while
the waiting list, In training, there
are over $4,000 more;; altogether mor'
than $4,000. Counting the other sta,
ton among the Bnlu, there are o
80, 900 Christians, where % years age
The word God was not ever in their
language"
Election Of Officers.
Tomorrow morning the business
meeting will be held and the state 81.
icers for the" ensuing year will be
chosen. Rev. II. II. Rottmann viii
speak. In tho afternoon the delegates
will be- taken on a sightseeing trip
about the city. Y - 70
COMEDY FOR A WEEK
-#rry Ar-TAE nnnAEIIA