Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1922-04-29
'TIE FAMOUS MISSION SCHOOL
IN AFRICA GRADUATES
FIRST CLASS.
The Reverend T.. II. Greeley, Methodist
Missionary to Old Umtali, Nho'
dosiu, Tells Of Four Negro
Graduates Receive Full
Rights Under British,
Government.


and industrial training school main
tanned by the Board Of Foreign Mis-.
sions of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in the entire continent, is toll
by the Reverend T.. ii. Greeley, of that
place, just returned. Mr.. Greeley has
been at Old Umtali School us II mem
Der Of the faculty and Us evangelist III
the outlying territory for the past thir.
ty-thrcc years and hrs witnessed tho
slow but steady progress of the mis-
sion work there.
"The Training School at Old Umta.
Ii was founded in its more elementary
departments as far back as 1900" said
Mr.. Greeley, land was enlarged and
higher courses put in in 1917 In the
early days the natives about us were
in the rawest stages of hcathenism,
having had hardly any contact with
civilization and possessed Of none of
the knowledge necessary to earning a
successful livelihood from the soil.
Then 1t was most rare to see single
Negro wearing even Il shirt III addition
to his lon cloth. These people, many
OF them Of high standard Of intelli-
gence by nature, were in the grip of
the witch doctors who had developed
q sot Of superStitions based OH fear OF
disease and the malignancy Of the Sp!r
its Of the departed. These men practic
ed n crude mummcry against the spir-
It's and know practically nothing Of the
simplest medicines. They taught that
IL Il child cut it's upper teeth first It
was cursed by the spirits and must be
cast into the jungle to die, or else that
was assign Of maternal perfidy; THAT
the infirm:ties OF age were caused by
the malevoence Of the spirits and the
presence of aged attracted the hatred
Of demons. Old people, sick and ailng,
were driven into the jungle to be eaten
by wild beasts or to perish Of thirst or
hunger.
"Thesc people cked out an existence
by the crudest means of farming, with
out plows. using only n short-handled
hoe to break the soil. This was back
breaking labor and the soil, capable Of
yielding excellent crops, rewarded
their toll in tho smallest way. Tho lit
tie round huts Of one room were made
Of poles plastered with mud, no win
dows. only a low door through which
the members Of the family could crawl.
None but'a hardy virilo rice could
have survived such conditions OF hard
ships as the black folk OF Rhodesia
have lived in for centuries. .' -
"Our mission work had to deal with
practically everything fundamental in
the lives Of these folks. Through our
mission doctor many natives were
healed OF sickness and infection In n
way that was, marvellous to them. Grad
TALLY the prejudice against lis as now
Corners and the opposition Of the witch
doctors was overcome. A Few of our
black neighbors became Christians AMI
we started in to educate them in bet
ter methods OF living and In how to
mako Il better living out of the soil.
That Is ono thing that Is essential to
successful mission work,--to take care
OF the Christians and help thenH adj
vance In material as we'll as spiritual
things to q standard where they can
surround themselves with enough nee
essitles to allow them to control their
lives In ways of morality and decency.
The school at Old Umtali hasLe.
come ono Of the most potent influence
es In the life Of the black natives OF
that Vicinity for development of. his
latent powers Of mind and manage
mont. The mission was started by the
Reverend DR.. Morris W. Ehnes, then a
new missionary now Treasurer OF the
Committee on Conservation and "Ad-
vance In charge OF the 800, doc, 100
Centenary movement Of this den6mifa-
tlon. Bishop Hartler OF Africa obtained
from the British government an indie
Unite tenure OF 10000 acres OF tract
land with dozen small brick build
1ngs. which had once been the town Of
hnPNrn
railroad line. This area was too large
10 manage then, so all but 5000 acres
were turned back to the Government
IN exchange for farms Of that size at
Vega. Mutambara, and smaller plots
elsewhere. In this way the foundation
was laid for vast system Of agricul
tural schools and demonstrations
farms through which the natives could
be taught the means Of earning a dcs
cent living instead Of their scanty one
from the rich soil.
In the years that have passed litela
~ hundreds and thousands Of black
men and women, young and mature
have come to these schools; learned ia
read write their own language and
English, learn to do all the household
things that are so simple
to the people Of America and
Europe but are great mysteries to un
civilized people however bright they
might be. Many of these people learn
ed fast: And everyone who learned a
= few things wanted to go back and
teach his people. In this way simple
learning Of all kinds spread rapidly
The use fthe white mans farming I'm
PIGMENTS spread far and wide. Youna
men who attended our schools went
home and built square houses witt
windows and doors Of sundried brick
with chimneys and fireplaces, earned
money In various ways and stocked
the:r homes with dishes and comforts
of one kind or another. They could
work as carpenters, as farm hands or
big plantations; as cooks; as herdsmer
and other employment peculiar to cor
tlitions there, 49,.
Today Old Umtali is a groat cente,
of native life and culture. With about
twenty-five white missionaries in it:
enrolment it has schools Of young
men and young women totallnp at al