Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-01-21
SSIONARY TELLS HOW HE CAPTURED HUNDRED WILD BOYS
escued Children Who Had
 Been Left to Perish

 aof Central India have been captured " Dr. Howard Musser and his ISarties. Dr. Musser, after 10 years
 bent in the wilds of the Indian jun 36es that shave been immortalized by kipling, has returned to America
 hd become a national representative
 f the Centenary movement of the
 rethodist Episcopal church. Visit. Hhg Knoxville, Dr. Musser related Xbme of his experiences.
 # The 10 years that Dr. Musser was
 h Central India he characterized
 half-score years of adventure
 rim full of new experiences every
 lay; in that time fights with wild
 easts, and almost equally wild
 eople, were to be expected as q halter of course in his daily life
 He has been on some of the most laring hunting expeditions offered Py the luxuriant vegetation in the
 ungles. He has shot tigers, lcop
 rds, elephants and wild bear.
 "The greater part of my work has |een rescue york;" said Dr. Mus
 Ter, after telling of his establish nent of the first Christian mission
 n Central India 10 years ago. This mission has grown and. prospered ind has had many other converts bo it's credit. It serves an area as
 arge as Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. Teaching 5,000,0O0 persons.
 Rescued Boys from Jungle.
 "With my parties l have rescued bbout 100 boys who have run wild in the jungles," he stated. "The h. Hian parent follows the custom of exposing their children when they are not perfect. This often means that they are left to perish in the jungles. Sometimes they are saved most miraculously, but they are swild and untamed and afraid of hu mans when they are approached. Many of them run on their hands and knees in the manner of animals land are caught onl with great diff Eficulty."
 Dr. Musser captured the famous ["Wolf Boy," who was supposed to have been nurtured by the wolves l in the jungles. At any rate the boy was wild animal, as wild as any thing in the jungles.
 When Dr. Musser caught him he bit and scratched, leaving indelible marks of the struggle on the body of his captor. Dr. Musser still bears the scars of this encounter and exhibits them with pride as an evidence of the triumph of his mis- sionary activities.
 "This boy was cross-eyed. a de- feet that the Indians do not easily condone," Dr. Musser said. "He was about six years old and although he could not speak, he surely could fight He kicked, bit and struggled, but was finally mastered and taken to the mission school, where he was educated. When he was first to the school he paced the floor like a young animal, which he was al- most, and refused to be calmed. Fi- nally he did grow more calm, and after six years of constant effort on the part of his masters he was taught things that American chil- dren learn in their schools At the age of 12, after six years teaching, ne had the mental development of a child of about nine years. He has developed wonderfully since that time and was found to have voice of wonderful beauty. He was train ed to sing and is now our evangelist ic singer.
 At another time we found 23 boys in cave where they had strayed to escape the pestilence in one of the villages. After some time we were able to persuade them to go into the mission school and be taken care of. sent out an appeal for some one to. care for them and Bishop w. A. Quayle of the Omaha area as- sumed the responsibility of 20 of them" With all the modesty of a really great man, Dr. Musser replied that he had cared for the other three.
 Opposition from Brahmins.
 Dr. Musser's views on the Brahma class are most interesting. At first there was little opposition to his teaching from this sect, and he was met half way by the lower classes. "You know" he remarked, "there are no middle classes in the sense that "S nhoW IHcHl HcIt, cACepC do WE are making them by our teachings. The Christian element is now becom- ing the middle class. The lower class feels that it can get some sort of social uplift if it embraces this new doctrine. The Brahmons feel this and resent it, and they are, therefore, not. as cordial to us as they were some years ago"
 Dr. Musser is a man of striking appearance, having youthful face and white hair. He is a rapid-fire speaker, but he enunciates so clear ly that his audience is able to hear every word. He is regarded as one of the most able speakers in the pulpit and on the platform today. To quote his own characteristic language, he is in America "just on 1urlough," as he expects to return to India as soon as he is permitted by the Centenary Movement off cials.