The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-06-08
ONCE
SAILOR, BARES
HIS LIFE
Rover Of Orient, Now Head OF
Big Church, Got Inspira-
ton From Missionaries.
By DOUGLAS G. TINsLEY.
international News Service.

AAOlA CAO O@nS8ICU WdtSE LIOHlS VI
Far Eastern ports to the passionate
of one of the finest churches in
North Carolina.
Yet that is the romantic pathway
followed through a comparatively
short span of years by the Rev. Karl
d. Stukenbrok. Baptist minister and
delegate to the recent convention Of
Southern Baptists here, who devel.
oped from swearing, staggering
sailor to pastor of the leading
church In Bryson, North Carolina.
Stukenbrok's life history packs
more punches and unusual features
than half q dozen ordinary lives.
Born on the outskirts Of Bremen,
Germany, in 1874, he found the
domination of the German Imperial.
lists too irksome to make living
under them pleasant prospect for.
the future, he says.
AT the age Of fourteen his revolu.
tlonary utterances menaced his free
dom. and rather than risk an en-
counter with the sort OF Justice
meted out by the Fatherland he left
the country and went to sea.
For two years the wide, restless
sweep OF the Pacific claimed hiE1
as seaman con board one of the
hundreds OF weather beaten trarons
plying between the Old World and
the New. Landing in San Fran.
cisco when about seventeen. he an.
tered the naval service of the limited
States and was sent TO the Asiatic
station.
Contact with rough men and
life OF the water fronts opened INV
eyes TO the futility of life where.
IN no one considered the coming of
tomorrow in the dissipation of to-.
0ay' and began to question the
future, to explore tomorrow. in an
attempt to reach some place where.
by l could make life more than one
OF the common failures and frar.
edies to be found in the brotheIs
and resorts OF iniquitous Shanghai. :"
he said.
Every Sunday for the wear in
which my ship was lying off the
shores Of China, near the. citv Of
Shanghai, there came aboard q
group of missionaries who strug.
gled to instill into the minds OF the
men some conception of the beauty
and desirability Of a true Chris
tan life. At that time I was
dangerously close to being an
atheist.
Observed Missionaries.
The fights along the slippery
wharves and in the low dives of the
city among the seamen Of many
nations, these missionaries coming
aboard every Sunday and preach
Ing the gospel Of Christ and telling
US they loved us and were con
cerned with our future, started me
thinking.
Religion must have something
to 1t. thought, If it inspired these
people to brave hardships, rebuffs
and insults. The unselfishness and
apparent sincerity Of these mission.
aries impressed me, and there crept
under my crust Of cynicism and
ear-atheism a desire to under,
stand little more OF God, WHO
so influenced the lives Of these
simple. whole-hearted folks.
From thinking about it I came
to one conclusion-that the ma
terlal pleasures we get from this
life are but passing and tnsignifi.
cant In their possibilities Of happi
ness, and that could I experience
the frame of mind that caused
these people to find content and
happiness in ministering to the
souls OF men, nothing else would
matter a great deal.
Fought Own Battle"
with this in mind 1 fought out
my own battle Of salvation. Nights,
when the cool fingers Of tho sea
caressed the sides of our vessel
and the voice Of the mysterious
East called out its invitation to
hidden pleasures. lay in my ham
mock, sWaying gently to the roll Of
the neVer-resting sea, and prayed
to God, and. praying, I made my
peace with Him.
AT once / was fired with the
flames Of divine ambition to do
my part to better the lives Of sea
rovers who drifted from one port to
another. After my honorable dis.
charge from the navy, in 1890,
returned to China ana, in keeping
with my ambition, opened what
was known as the 'Pinel Rest in
shanghai. where the wanderers
could get a nour1shing meal ard a
clean bed at a moderate cost
Doing this kept the men away from
the vicious places Of the city.
rights between men OF differ
ent snlpe We're common along the
waterfront. and often the street in
front OF my little mission would re.
semble a battle-ground, resoundin9
70 the cries and curses Of the
flghting factions. But never. ex.
cept once in the history OF the
Hest' old a fight occur within the
walls OF my little mission.
He Could Fight Still.
One night. however, three Brit.
ish sailors entered full of the ter.
rible liquor dispensed by the ruff
iians or the brothels. These men
Immediately began to curse In a
most appalling way and, for no
reason at all, began to pick AN
argument with several of. the others
VINO were sitting peacefully at
nearby tables writing or reading. "
pointlng to scar running
said:
Il got this from one of them.
but not before / had. plastered the
man or Ireland all over their faces
ana left them out in the street IN
'front.' OF the mission wondering per-
maps what ship had collided with
them"
Stukenhrok ubo is for+y.aipbr