The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-10-15
In Darkest Africa as is Graph
CaIIy Told in Letters from
Seventh Day AdyentiStS.

Y
WASHINGTON, Oct 14.-How the
march OF civilization in Darkest Afrl-
ca has heen turned backward by the
war is graphically told in letters com
ing from missionaries in the interior
Of the dark continent to the Seventh
/ Day Adventist headquarters here.
| FragmCntary news leaking out from
| time to time has indicated now half
a contury's work in the cause OF civili-
! cation was swept away Of one stroke
when the tribes, taking advantage of
| the warfare between British and Ger
| mans, broke restraint and returned to
the rude customs OF barharism in
[ which they were found by Livingstone,
I Stanley and other explorers.
| The most complete account of con-
. ditions received at missionary head
! quarters so far has come from Mrs.
Minnie Toppcnbcrg. the wife of Valde-
! mar II. TopDenberg. who has charge Of
| the medical missionary operations of
the Seventh Day Adventists stationed
| on the eastern shore of the Victoria
Nyanza. Her report came from Uker-
eve Island. which formerly was part
of German East Africa.
Great Setback.
When The war began, she writes,
al stroke. we were set back 10 the
middle ages. We had none of many
/ things we had to lind substitutes for
| We used bananas. native grains and
nuhoga for flower. wild honey for
sugar, candles made of tallow for
light. soap from wood ashes and lime
clothes were also unprocurable, so
we wore pants, etc, made Of goat and
gazelle skins, and made yarn Of cot
| ton and knitted our stockings.
"Gproar among the natives was
feared by the government pcople at
the beginning Of the war and we were
/ instructed to inform the natives by
our stations that there was no war
between Europeans and natives, only
soldier against soldier. Not long after
| the opening Of the war, the Maias. a
| fierce and warltke tribe cat of Blu
seEwc. our Oldest station. came swarm
Ing the country. robbing cattle, and
at one time when they plundered in
bsukuma by Nanadi one of our work.
ers lost mis- life in defense OF the peo-
pie for whom he faithfully worked. He
was stabbed from behind by spear.
Early last June, the English oc-
cupied Ukcrcwc Island. whcro / am
writing this. and in July they TOOK
Muawza, the seat of the provincial
commissioner Of this province, in
which all our stations on the German
side are located, When the natives
heard Of this, they lost fear Of the
German officials and even openly DISC
| bcyed orders, and 1t got worse when
all the officials as well as military left
lkid2u going south Uproar started
Immediately by the natives in Ikid2u,
killing the native police and watch
men left to guard the station. They
robbed the government property. and
u was reported 10 us that the Chris
fians who had been left behind by DR..
Nascnius to watch mission property
had been driven away. some killed and
, their huts burned. | tried TO send
messengers to them with words OF
courage and instruction. but all re-
| turned with the letters because Of the
war raging everywhere The uproar
spread quickly from tribe 10 tribe. cv-
/ cry day bringing new and startling re
| ports.
,,Y F''
Wy lainily ana ! We're me only Etl-
ropeans leIt IN the district. as far
sonll ~ me river MDalagcti, and We
hau peeh warned by me government
olllciais maj an uproar was 10 be cX-
pectea; also N the last word we heard
from any OF our missionaries, Mr..
oIlihe wrote upon gong south to mee;
ms COMPANY mat ne feared an npris-
ing, but that ne did not know OF any
sac place where ne could advise us
70 60 we could not very well, with a
hIteen months old baby. run around
N lhe unknown with the soldiers. and
whereas we expected that the English
very soon would show up, we decided
10 wait on our station until We should
Eet some evident sign that we ought to
We did what We could TO protect
ourselves. put in night watches and
for the rest committed ourselves ia
Gods protection. Finally mo unroor
spread to Busegwe also. CHIEF and
his subchief with women and children
had fed from Nlagangi vim tbejr 15a