The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-11-26
Tulsa Missionary-Nurse
Writes Letter From
Belgian Congo
EVERYTHING STRANGE
Mrs. Fannie b. Warren Set
Foot on African Soil
Late in September

AtTlCA-ldnQ OIL vast NelutSt OF
heather natives, OF customs and
plants equally strange to the Amer
fran-has now claimed Mrs. Fannie
Y. Warren, missionary-nurse from
Boston Avenue NJ. II. church, South,
and the national mission board of
the denomination. Mrs. Warren set
foot on African soil late in Septem-
ber after a lengthy sea. voyage and
was journeylng by steamer, railroad
and more primitive Conveyances TO
her allotted mission station in Bel
Eian Congo at the time of her last
letter to her sister, Miss Nettie
Cline, at 416 West Fourth.
Mrs. Warren was to have had
half IA years study OF tropical med
icines in Belgium before going to
the Congo, but dire need of mission
workers on the field caused her and
her companion to be sent without
this training. That Americans are
better liked by the natives than
other white foreigners; that launder-
ing is done unceremoniously by the
riverside; that the peril from cant
balls is still very real--these and
other interesting things are con-
tained In Mrs. Warrens letter, writ
ten September % from Matadi,
Africa.
The letter follows:
We arrived in Bona Monday
about o'clock and having the
COON on board, as we passed the
army post we saw the big string OF
flags and saw and heard the cannon
salute II times. also a salute of 20
guns from a British guuboat in the
u harbor. The black soldiers lined
y up on the bank at the pier looked
picturesque in their Khaki uniforms
and red caps and sashes. They had
their brass band and played all the
Belgian national airs. Eight native
boys dressed in white bloomers and
mlddles with little round caps put
up the gangplank for the goon to
so ashore. He went ashore. re-
viewed the army and was whlsked
away in an automobile.
Primitive Laundry.
Then we became interested in a
laundry on the bank of the main
street of the city. a native came
down to the river bank with a table
and bundle of clothes. put his table
in the water and also the clothes.
picked up one piece at time,
scraped it and beat 1t out on the
table, rinsed 1t In the same water
and then took It to the bank and
spread It on the grass or stones or
sand. wherever he could find a
place. The washing finished, he
took the soap and soaped himself
head and all to the waist, then got
on his knees in the water, took off
the sack wrapped around his waist
and used it for wash cloth.
The wet sack pinned on again, he
washed feet and legs, picked up n
wet shirt from the bank, donned Il.
donned a pair OF wet and newly
washed trousers. spread the sack
out to dry and went about his busi-
ness.
Bona IS the headquarters of the
mission to which Mr.. Barter and Mr..
Nicholson wera going Christian al
lance" so they went ashore and
passed their baggage through the
customs house. 1t being Barter S
second term, many of the natives
were there TO meet him and seemed
so happy to see him and to have
Mr. Nicholson come to them. 1t
is such a relief to see with what
respect the natives hold the Ameri-
can white I'm general and especially
the missionaries, They make so
much difference between the ma
tiOnalities Of whites arriving. We
went to the mission and met those
in charge. MIR. Barter and Mr.,
Nicholson had word after arrival
that their sweethearts are to arrive
on the next boat. We stayed in
Bona from Monday afternoon 10
Wednesday morning, looking over
the town and the stores and find
ing in the latter chocolate candy
in sealed tins. Among the plants
strange to us were the bananas
coconut groves and the big palm
that is said TO be the travellers
friend If he runs out OF water, for
each long. curled-up leaf is filled
with water. Another variety OF tree
grows very large at the base but
tapers off quite small and blunt
the the top, some trees measuring
42 feet around at the ground. These
trees are now bare of foliage. but
the fruit is still hanging, each fruit
looking like a rat hanging by a two
feet-long tail from limb, Many
very pretty flowers are in bloom
here and the weather is cool and
breezy. The town IS pretty and is
kept clean. Most of the natives are
well wrapped In very large -flowered
bright-cOlored robes and keep them
selves fairly clean, despite "A great
deal Of dust. once in a while we
meet well-dressed, American-look.
ing group of natives, who are spot.
lessly clean always and who tir
their straw hats, smile and speak
to US, They seem very fond Of hand
shaking.
Houses Well Kept.
The houses in the village are nice
and well kept. one sees quite q
bit of sewing going on in the streets
as most every store has sewing ma
chimes on the walk in front and
natives busy making mems suits
one can't buy anything ready made
for ladies and scarcely any mate
rials. 1t seemed good be on LAND
again and 10 see something besides
water and We greatly enjoyed th'
TEA party given in the mission by
Mr., Crist to us and other Amer
team passengers aboard our steamer
Mr.. and Mrs. Crist have been ou
II years and are devoted 20 thu
blacks. To see how happy they arr
and to see the black natives on th'
streets just out of cannibalism
most OF them have their teeth filed
down to sharp points, which Is th'
signs OF nibalism-makes VI
a.VNN NH. raT