Newspaper Page Text
October 2, 1912 ]
The Problem
By CHA
URAL decay Is one of the
tional life. In the matter
tentlon. The percentage c
been steadily decreasing as follow
per cent of the total population; 1
In 1010. 53.7 per cent
The loss of rural population
causes. Religion and religious ins
problem. We bear much these da
It be noted that tbis is a differei
movement. It may be said broadl
LOSS OF POPUI
GREAT AGRICl
R&rcentages of counties
27.4 |2&4| |S6.l 138-5
.33 >\ O
C g Q (J)
n (ft
^11
tr2 c ^ ?
> ^ * 1
jyui
Illl
pose of benefiting the country, tb
city. Unquestionably more will cc
movement to Improve the conditio!
desire, while the effort to transplai
of natural law. Just as the city a
ay will be compelled'to solve Its
that good farm land and profitable
tlons In the country. Principally,
must be a higher Idealism amoni
standards of education, of social
munlty. The country life commls
report, "Any consideration of the
count the function and the possit
tlons would be grossly lnadequat
dological point of view the church
country life."
Tramping With
Rev. Robt. Dabney Bedinger, wri
from Luluaburg, June 22nd, says: '
Morrison and >1 started on a six hum
mile trip to locate sites for new
Hons. We are walking about 25 mil
day, which .1 And quite enough
makes one ready to sleep at night,
natives everywhere crowd around
M:ere we to chase them away our
fhience would suffer. At night is
?nly time we have a breathing s
and sleep is often disturbed then,
Roats, mosquitoes and noises from
Ullages. When the moon is clear
natives have a gTeat time, not
fmri'iently staying up till it goes dov
some even sacrifice to the moon. I 1
pnjoyed the trin fhun for w.Ub rvm
option of one day, when I was gre
depressed on account of the dlstres
r?nditlon of some of the people. T1
ar? many different trTbes. and often 1
are distinct in their characteristics
habits as day from night. One vil
fill be clean, well constructed, with
I'eople in keeping. The next will
filthy?the people caked with dirt. S
of them do not wash at all during
THE PRESBYTER!
of Country Life
RLES STELZLE '
most staggering problems In American naof
population alone It calls for serions at?f
rural population In the IJnlted States bas
va: In 1880 there lived In the country 70.5
n 1890. 63.9 ner pent* In IflrtO RftR mp nont
Is due to economic, social and educational
tltutions also play an Important part In the
ys about the "country life movement-" Let
at proposition from the "back to the land"
y that the first was inaugurated for the pur.ATION
IN NINE
JLTURAL STATES
slosing population from I900tol9l0
+*3 4ftO| 160-9. Iet.1 171.7
o ? d ? rt
is g ? I
S c -*
e second lor tne purpose or benefiting the
ime of the former than of the latter, for the
as of farm life is in harmony with a normal
it the city man to the country is In violation
tust work oat its own salvation, so the coonown
problems. It must be quite apparent
farming will not settle the most vital questhe
leaders in this movement tell us, there
5 country people. They most have higher
life, of the moral well being in each comision
appointed by the president said In lta
problem of rural life that leaves out of acrilitles
of the church and of related lnstitoe.
because from the purely boi
is fundamentally a necessary institution in
a Caravan in Africa
ting dry season, which is on now, and lasti
"Dr. from three to six months. In one vil
Ired lage they are content to live in the moe
sta- wretched condition, on rats and insect!
es a caught on the plains, whereas in lest
and than five miles there will be another vil
The lage containing abundance of food, com
us. rice, pine apples, bananas, plantain, etc
in- Some are wild as sheep, darting of
the through the weeds or woods if you lool
pell, hard at them. Others show no fear
, by catch hold of your clothes, etc.
the We Bhake hands with all and soon ou
the hands and clothes are as black, nearly
in- as theirs (I mean as their bodies, fo
rn? most of them have no clothes. In mos
lave villages the children are absolute];
ex- naKed. The women wear a cloth, some
atly times, not two inches wide hanging loos,
sing a few Inches below the waist. The mei
here usually have a little more than this,
foey Our march for the past fifty miles ha:
and been a grand procession. The peopli
lage greet us enthusiastically and follow til
the those from the next village meet us. W<
be have found some who had lndependen
ome teachers, church Bheds and Catechisn
the classes that we were Ignorant of. Ii
LAN 0 T T BE SOUTH
one case a young girl was the teacher.
News of our coming has preceded us
hundreds of miles. People I have ne^ler
seen come running to meet us, calling
my native name?Mbote. We are not doing
any examining or baptizing, as we
are on another mission and haven't
time.
This village is a small one. The chief
Is an elder in the Luebo church, and a
most remarkable man. The church Is
in the centre of the village, in which an
evangelist conducts services twice a
day.
On another hill, in plain view, is the
large village of the powerful chief
Zappo. He is chief over fourteen villages?the
greatest chief in all thiB
section?haughty and ove rbearing.
These peoples were settled here by the
States years ago for the purpose of slave
raiding. Being powerful, war-like and
splendid looking they have easily intimidated
the surrounding tribes. Zappo
is the largest man 'I have seen in Africa,
and his wives are the finest specimen
of women I have seen. IHe said at one
time he had from two to three hundred
wives, but now (with a sigh) only from
thirty to forty! Some had run away
from the harem?others had married
other men. The village is slmnlv full of
' buanga" or "medicine." Yet in this
sink hole, the gospel light is shining,
however dimly. A former medicine man
is a convert and is a consistent Christian.
We have two evangelists here.
Yesterday we had 135 out to services.
Zappo himself did not care for the
"palaver of God." How could he with
his affections set on lust and gin! But
in the next village we found the mosrt
encouraging work outside of Luebo.
Practically every one in the village is
a Christian. We keep well,
though our feet are full of blisters.
July 3. We are passing through the
most beautiful country 1 have seen in
Africa, reminding one of the Valley of
Virginia?high rolling plains, beautiful
Vflllovo onH mminfolna In tv>n Hlatannn
Yet It is sparsely settled'?the Inhabitants
having been driven out by the
"sleeping sickness." Curing the first
176 miles we held a service every six
miles and have preached to some five
thousand people.
July 22. We have passed through a
country never before visited by any of
our missionaries. The people were very
friendly and asked for teachers and
evangelists. We have two men in our
caravan from Mutoubo Caishi who had
been sent to Luebo to ask for five evangelists
to be sent there. We are now
three days from Lusambo, the capital
of the Kassai District, where we will
seek "concessions" for the new stations
s we have decided on. Dr. Morrison will
- take the steamer there for Deopoldville
t and Europe. I will return with the carb
avan to \futote, the new station, where
3 Mr and Mra MAWPO HHII Ka wlfu
- me. * The last seventy-flve
, miles took us through very rough, but
. most beautiful country. "We climbed one
r mountain fully 2,000 feet above the
t Sankura River, which could be seen fomany
miles. The country abounds in
wild game, leopard, elephants, hippos
r and buffalo. The latter Is the most
, vicious animal in the Congo. He does
r not hesitate to attack men. The leopard
t will attack any other antmal, man or
f beast, except the. buffalo. I crept: up
- within 160 yards of some buffalo one
a v V>i?* 1? ? ?? t J
, uui, iiaoug will J a gm? gun i uurea
i not Are. A large bull caught sight cf
) me and I fled most lgnomlnlously. The
s path Is narrow and In the early morna
tng the dew drenches us to the skin.
1 We can hear the hippos grunting in the
b long grass. Never felt better,
t except for loss of sleep. Not having
i brouj&t nets, the motfqultoes nearly eat
3 us up.
(1119) 17
HAMPDEN-SIDNEY COLLEGE AND
ITS MINISTERIAL GRADUATES
NOW IN ACTUAL SERVICE.
According to the statements of the
Alumni Bulletin of this institution,
one hundred and thirty of its graduates
are now in active ministerial service.
Of these ten are Episcopalians, among
whom is Rev. R. A. Gibson (class of
1867) Bishop of Northern Virginia; one
of the Baptist Church, Rev. P. W. Hamlett
(class of 1903), now a missionary
in China, and one of the Methodist
Church, Rev. J. W. Dixon (class 1900).
Two are in the Northern Presbyterian
Church, Rev. J. E. Cook (class 1892), of
Baltimore, Md., and Rev. J. E. Trlplett,
Jr., (class 1900), in New York City. Six
are professors in our Theological Seminaries;
three In Austin Theological
Seminary, Rev. Dr. T. R. Sampson (class
1871), Rev. Dr. J. "L. Bell (class 1892),
ami nev. ur. &. <j. Caldwell (class
1898); one In Louisville Theological
Seminary, Rev. J. G. McAllister (class
1892); one In Southwestern Theological
Seminary, Rev. Dr. C. W. Sommervllle
(clasB 1890), and one In Union Theological
Seminary of Virginia, Rev. Dr.
T. C. Johnson (class 1882). Seven are
missionaries in foreign countries; three
In China, Rev. J. R. Graham, Jr., (class
1884), Rev. P. (F. Price (class 1885), Rev.
J. L. Stuart (class 1891); two in Japan,
Rev. W. C. Buchanan (class 1887) and
Rev. H. H. "Munroe (class 1901); two in
Korea, Rev. W. D. Reynolds (class
1887), and Rev. P. B. Bell (class 1902),
now en route. Rev. R. D. Bedinger of a
later date (class 1906), has also entered
On wonlr In t-ho rv*n?r? * rr"? -*-*
VV?BUI nuiLa. 1UC UIUest
ministerial graduate of the College
now living and in active service is Rev.
Dr. J. B. Shearer (class 1850), President
Emeritus and Professor of Bible Studies
at Davidson College, N. C'. For fifty-five
years Dr. Shearer has done noble service
as preacher, teacher, author and
leader in securing Bible instruction as
a part of the curriculum of our Christian
colleges. Next to him comes Rev. Dr.
H. G. Hill (class 1857), of Maxton. N. C.
Besides its ministerial graduates,
many of its alumni, who because of advanced
years or for other reasons were
not able to complete the full curriculum
of the college course, are now occupying
important positions as pastors, evangelists.
etc. The old College has done a
noble work in the past. May its future
be full of blessing to the church and
me world!
YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETY.
(Continued from page 8.)
gence, add to your faith virtue; and to
virtue knowledge; and to knowledge
temperance; and to temperance patience;
and to patience godliness; and
to godliness brotherly kindness; and to
brotherly kndness charity." Have you
worked that example? Then prove It!
The 'betterment In Christian life and
development must he from wltlhln outwards.
It must he by the power of the
rioiy spirit. It must toe according to
the pattern, Christ. And it must always
look forward and think of the past only
to repent "and Improve. "For|g?ttIng
those things whtch are behind, and
reaching forth unto those things which
are before," we are to "press toward the
mark."
\/: :?oi_A- ?
Virginia oxaxe rair
Hli hmnnd, Va? October 7-12, 1012.
Southern Railway offers extremely low
round trip fares from all points.
Tickets on sale Oct. 4-12, Inclusive,
Rood returning up to Oct. 14th, 1612.
For tickets and Information apply to
nearest Southern Rallwjiv Ticket Afrent,
or write, S. 15. BURQESS, D. P.
Richmond, Va.