Part 4

On Thursday, a class of seven young men presented orations, and received certificates of graduation from the Normal Department of the Institution. These orations were highly commended by the prominent gentlemen who were present from Jackson. In the afternoon, a stirring address was delivered by President De Forest, of Talladega College, upon the topic of “Work.” This was followed by speeches from Capt. Wolf, of Jackson, from Dr. Watkins, the venerable pastor of the Methodist Church at Jackson, and from Dr. Hunter, pastor of the Presbyterian Church of the same city, all of whom expressed appreciation of the good work this Institution is doing. More than a thousand visitors were present at these closing exercises on Thursday, an excursion train running from a point fifty miles distant for their accommodation. The location of the University on this great railroad which passes north and south through the centre of the State, these beautiful groves being only about half a mile from the depot, furnishes rare facility for such a gathering of the friends and patrons of the school. The ignorance among the people in this State is fearful, but it is a very hopeful sign when the colored people are themselves showing an interest in such a school as this one now is, and when they are beginning to appreciate the sort of training given here to their young men and women. Much of this has been brought about through the wise, energetic and progressive management of the President, Rev. G. S. Pope.

The promise for the coming year is flattering. The school will probably be crowded even more than during the year just past. The buildings must be in some way enlarged, or new ones provided, in order to have room for all who will doubtless desire to come. There has been little or no complaining by the students on account of very rough, cold and crowded rooms—the only temporary places which hitherto could be provided. Another year, however, ought to bring better accommodations. Here is a place second to none in our country for the doing of great and far-reaching good.

A. H.

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HOWARD UNIVERSITY.

Theological Department—Sixteen Graduates.

REV. W. W. PATTON, D. D., WASHINGTON

The anniversary exercises of the Theological Department of Howard University, (which is largely aided by the American Missionary Association), occurred on the 7th inst., in Washington. The spacious and beautiful edifice of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church was freely offered for the purpose, and was filled with a large audience of white and colored people. Such an event could not have taken place at any former time, and it marks the rapid and healthful progress of public opinion. Six of the graduating class made addresses, which were a credit to themselves and to their race, and elicited the commendation of many intelligent gentlemen and ladies who heard them. Sixteen students were sent forth to preach, all of whom go to the South, to the Freedmen. Five of these had pursued a full course of study, including Hebrew and Greek: the others had received training in English studies only. Fifty theological students have been under instruction in this department the present year. Each graduate received a handsome Bible from the Washington Bible Society, and an address was delivered by Rev. W. R. Harrison, D. D., chaplain of the House of Representatives, and pastor of the South Methodist Church in this city—a fact which marks the progress of good feeling. Never before was the promise of usefulness in this work so great.

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LEWIS HIGH SCHOOL.

(_From the Macon, Ga., Telegraph and Messenger._)

As announced, the closing exercises of the Lewis High School took place yesterday, May 27th, and reflected credit alike upon teachers and pupils. The latter, embracing both sexes, number 110; and a more intelligent and well-behaved body of colored youth cannot be found anywhere. The singing and music were especially good, indicating great aptitude on the part of the scholars, and very careful training. This Institution is under the care of the American Missionary Association, whose headquarters are at New York. It appoints the teachers, and supplies all the funds that may be needed annually for its support.

The school is under the general supervision of the pastor of the Colored Congregational Church, Rev. Mr. Lathrop, who also teaches chemistry, philosophy and book-keeping. In all of these branches, the pupils exhibited commendable proficiency.

Among those who attended the examinations were Rev. Geo. McDonald, D. D., and Rev. Joseph Key, D. D. Both of these gentlemen expressed themselves highly gratified with all that they saw and heard, and when called upon, responded with neat and appropriate addresses, to the great encouragement and delight of their auditors.

The Lewis High School, under the judicious management of Mr. Lathrop, Miss Christine H. Gilbert, principal, and her efficient assistant, Miss Belle M. Haskins, is doing a good work for the colored people of Macon, and should receive the countenance and support of our citizens.

The college building is a neat brick structure, which was erected at a cost of $5,000 upon the site of the edifice which was destroyed by fire. The school will open again on the first of October next.

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BEACH INSTITUTE.

(_From the Savannah Morning News._)

The scholastic year of the Beach Institute, which closed yesterday, was made the occasion of interesting school exercises in the examination of the several classes of the Institute, and an exhibition of the scholars in recitation, declamation, reading and singing.

The Beach Institute is one of the educational institutions under the control of the American Missionary Association, whose headquarters are at New York, and whose operations in the South have been directed to the moral and educational advancement of the colored people. The Southern work is under the superintendence of Dr. J. E. Roy, whose headquarters are at Atlanta, and who was present yesterday, a gratified spectator of the progress made at the Institute in the education of the colored race.

The school here is, as we learn from the Superintendent, Prof. J. K. Cole, in a prosperous condition, nearly 300 scholars having been registered during the scholastic year.

The Institution is divided into five grades, under competent teachers, as follows: The first grade, or normal class, under Professor Cole, the Superintendent; the second grade, Miss Partridge, teacher: the third grade. Miss Bailey, teacher; the fourth grade, Miss Burgh, teacher; and the fifth grade, under the supervision of Miss Willey.

The examination yesterday evinced the faithfulness of the instructors in their departments and the aptitude of the pupils, and we were particularly struck with the examination of the normal class in introductory Latin exercises, the pupils showing a remarkable proficiency in their recitations from Harkness’ Introductory Latin Lessons.

At 12 o’clock, the whole school assembled in the chapel, when the programme was successfully carried out, to the pleasure of the large number of friends and parents of the pupils present.

The school will re-open on the first Monday in October.

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AFRICA.

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SUNDAY-SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL AFRICA.

A Paper read at the State Sunday-school Convention, at New Britain, Ct., May 26, 1880, by Albert Burton Jowett a native of the Mendi Country, West Africa.

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I represent the Sunday-schools in the Mendi country of Western Africa. These are located in the interior, about a hundred and fifty miles north of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia. The first Sunday-school among the Mendi was established at Kaw Mendi. This place was the site selected for a mission by Messrs. Raymond and Steele, who accompanied the Amistad captives to Africa, when they left Farmington in 1841.

At this school, my mother was a pupil, and had for her instructor, Mar-groo, one of the Amistad captives who had been hopefully converted.

There was a good day-school at this place, and also one at Freetown, a hundred and fifty miles north, which had been kept up for twenty-five years by the Church Missionary Society of England.

My mother has often told me that the missionaries were very much pleased because the Mendi boys passed a better examination than the boys at Freetown, who had had all the advantages of that sea-port city.

Mr. Burton, a missionary who went to Africa from Connecticut, while traveling up the Bar-groo river noticed a fall of water in a wooded country, and determined to establish an industrial mission at that point.

There was no saw-mill on the coast, so Mr. Burton put up buildings for a mill; some one gave him the necessary machinery, and he opened a station and named it “Avery.” A church and some dwelling houses were built, and a community of people gathered who bought logs, converted them into lumber, and conveyed it to the coast for sale. A school was opened in the basement of the church, and a Sunday-school was convened on Sundays. My father is a teacher and interpreter at this station. This Sunday-school and the one at Kaw Mendi are the only ones in the Mendi country proper, where there are about 2,000,000 people. There are Sunday-schools on the Sherbro Island, but the people there belong mostly to the Sherbro tribe.

Our Sunday-schools constitute one of the means by which our young African friends acquire the simple truths taught by our blessed Saviour. I do not know how it is, if I am in the wrong, pardon me, but I do believe it is much more difficult to teach in Africa than in America, because we have no books in the Mendi language and the children know but little English. Our Sunday-schools in comparison with those in America are very small. The bell for school rings at 2 o’clock, and the teachers go round to the houses where they fear the children do not care to come, and bring them to the school. Before bringing them in to the Sunday-school, a shirt is given to each scholar, as many of them wear no garments at home. This is made of English cloth and supplied by the missionaries; when they return from school, it is laid aside to be worn the next time the school assembles. The instruction is mostly oral—the teacher asking the pupils questions and then requiring them to repeat the answer until they are able to say it.

A good deal of time is spent in singing, as the children readily learn the words and music of the Gospel songs, even though they do not understand the meaning of the English words. They are very fond of singing indeed, and the missionaries listen to their songs with much delight, and give them a great deal of credit for them. As some of the children never attend day-school, the alphabet is taught in the Sunday-school.

We have a portion of the Bible, and a few hymns, translated into the Mendi, and hope some time to have books in the language, so that greater progress can be made.

We have some active members who go about into the small villages and act as home missionaries among the people. These frequently bring in new scholars to the mission: and what do you think causes the increase of our members, more than most any other circumstance? Some kind friends in America and England have been sending us illustrated papers, nice little books, and small cards with letters of nearly every color and size.

Such things are very attractive to the little natives. I wish you could know the good you can do, by sending your missionaries in Africa such attractive papers and cards, for those whom the missionaries cannot reach will be instructed and influenced by them in their homes. The children who are brought in, take these papers and fasten them up in their houses for ornaments. The books and cards are offered as prizes to those who commit portions of the Scripture accurately.

We have no Sunday-school Conventions like this one, but sometimes we have Concerts.

Within the past few years, all our missionaries have been Freedmen from America, and one of them was for a time connected with the Jubilee Singers of Fisk University. They taught us some of the Jubilee Songs, such as “Steal Away to Jesus,” “Mary and Martha,” and “The Hocks and the Mountains Shall All Flee Away.” The people had never heard the like, and were very much delighted with them.

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THE INDIANS.

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S’KOKOMISH, WASHINGTON TERRITORY.

REV. MYRON EELLS.

On the first Sabbath in April, we had the privilege of receiving three more into our church, all on profession of faith, two of them Indians from the school, and the other a young lady who has been assistant-matron in the boarding department. The Twanas and Clallams were formerly at war with each other, and even now there is not always the best of feeling between the two tribes: a like unpleasant feeling has often been shown between the whites and Indians: yet, on that Sabbath, representatives of the three classes received baptism, there being one Twana, one Clallam, and one white person.

Another noticeable fact was the motive which induced them to become Christians. In reply to my question on this point, each one unknown to the other said, that it was because he had noticed that Christians were so much happier than other people. Two of them had tried the wrong road very earnestly, and had found to their great sorrow that “the way of the transgressor is hard.” I was led then to think of two or three others who had united with the church on profession of faith within about a year, employees on the Reservation, who had made similar statements. “If the Bible were not true, and yet I could only believe it to be true, I would gladly do so, if it would bring me the happiness that Christians profess to have,” said one. Since becoming a Christian, he has often spoken of his happiness, and has great pity for those who are skeptical, for he knows how they feel, even if they do argue against Christianity. Another of the number, who was for three years very skeptical, a talented writer, and who used her talents against Christianity so strongly that her companions feared to enter the lists against her, and who was supposed to be thoroughly contented in her unbelief, became a Christian, and now speaks of those years, as “three years of horrible darkness.”

On the third Sabbath of April, I was at Dunginess, where I received four more into our church, three on profession of faith. Two Indians and two whites stood side by side to enter the church. The communion season was very pleasant. One white lady, who had not been to the Lord’s table for a year, and who was just recovering from sickness, was so anxious to be present, that as she was unable to walk the distance, a little more than a quarter of a mile, she was carried by her husband more than half the way in a wheelbarrow. Another lady, seventy-six years old, walked three miles to be present, then another mile to where I should preach to the whites in the afternoon, and home again in the evening, about eight miles in all. Ten of the whites sat down there with the four Indians in the Indian church to celebrate Christ’s love.

One person, who lives half a mile from the Indian village, said to me, as we came away, “It is a shame, _it is a shame_, that the Indians here are going ahead of the whites in religious affairs. It is a wonder how they are making advancement, considering the examples around them.” Two marriages, one infant and three adult baptisms, four received to the church, one communion service, one funeral, three prayer-meetings, and other services to the amount of fourteen in all, were the result of the eighteen days I was away from home.

I had been at home but a few days when I was sent for by an Indian on the Reservation who has been an invalid for some time, and who asked to be received as a member of the church. After considerable consultation, he was so received week ago last Sabbath.

Last Sabbath, my work at Seabeck culminated in a small church organization among the whites. I have written you that I have preached at that place, thirty miles distant, about once a month, when not called on some distant trip. The work has amounted to about eight visits a year.

Some six weeks ago, I felt that it was best for the few Christians there to be banded together. I immediately tried to obtain some assistance in organizing, but after three efforts failed entirely, and hence, armed with authority from this church, I proceeded with the organization. Nine entered it, two on profession of faith. The heterogeneousness of the population may be seen from the fact that of the seven who joined from other churches, one came from a Congregational church and two from a Protestant Methodist church in this Territory, one from a Congregational church in California, one from a Presbyterian church in British Columbia, one from the Episcopal church in England, and one from the Lutheran church in Norway, who, however, does not believe that he was a Christian until after he left Norway. “It is the Lord’s doings and it is marvellous in our eyes.”

In the civilization of the Indians we feel somewhat encouraged. One fact has appeared quite plainly during the past winter. It has been the most severe winter known here for twenty-five years—the snow at one time lying five feet deep—and although it was nearly gone on the tide flats in six weeks, yet on most of the Reservation it lay for more than three months from six inches to two feet deep. As late as four or five years ago, the Indians generally lost a large number of cattle or horses every winter for want of feed, even when there were only two or three weeks of snow, selling altogether too much of their hay in the fall; but during the past winter not one of their animals has died for want of food, as far as I have been able to learn. Experience and observation have taught them to secure sufficient food and to keep it until all danger is over.

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THE CHINESE.

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“CALIFORNIA CHINESE MISSION.”

=Auxiliary to the American Missionary Association.=

PRESIDENT: Rev. J. K. McLean, D. D. VICE-PRESIDENTS: Rev. A. L. Stone, D. D., Thomas C. Wedderspoon, Esq., Rev. T. K. Noble, Hon. F. F. Low, Rev. I. E. Dwinell, D. D., Hon. Samuel Cross, Rev. S. H. Willey, D. D., Edward P. Flint, Esq., Rev. J. W. Hough, D. D., Jacob S. Taber, Esq.

DIRECTORS: Rev. George Mooar, D. D., Hon. E. D. Sawyer, Rev. E. P. Baker, James M. Haven, Esq., Rev. Joseph Rowell, Rev. John Kimball, E. P. Sanford, Esq.

SECRETARY: Rev. W. C. Pond. TREASURER: E. Palache, Esq.

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OUR WORK AT THE CENTER.

REV. W. C. POND, SAN FRANCISCO.

I find that for many months I have had little to say about our work in San Francisco and Oakland. I invite the readers of the Missionary to take a look, with me, at these central points.

Oakland is more to San Francisco, than Brooklyn is to New York. The ocean breezes are so tempered in crossing San Francisco Bay, that a very perceptible change of climate takes place, and Oakland is able to boast of a genial air and a clear sky on many days in summer, when San Francisco is shrouded in fog or swept by heavy, dust-laden winds. It has the aspect, to a very good degree, of a large inland city in New England—Springfield or Hartford, for example. There is a good deal about it not yet very heavenly, but, when compared with the bustle and drive of affairs, both climatic and human, on this side of the Bay, it seems, like Auburndale, Mass., to be a sort of “Saint’s rest.” It is constantly skimming the cream off our San Francisco churches, so that when a brother and sister have fairly come to their places as pillars here in the metropolis, we expect soon to hear that “they are thinking of moving to Oakland.”

These considerations have led to a more abundant provision for missionary work among the Chinese in that city, than anywhere else. Persons, coming to California to labor in this missionary work, are quite apt to become impressed with the necessities of the _Oakland_ Chinese. And so, if our mission had not been, by many years, the first in that field; and if there had not gathered about it a large number of Christian Chinese for whom it is a spiritual home; and, if it were not possible—thanks to the generous provision made for us by the First Congregational Church—to do more work there now, in proportion to expense, than almost anywhere else, I should feel like abandoning the field to those who have crowded in to help us. In the new, spacious and elegant church edifice, rooms much more commodious and much better furnished than those of any other school, have been prepared and assigned to our Chinese work. On the Sabbath, they are occupied by the Chinese Sunday-school, superintended so many years by our dear brother, the late Dea. Edmund P. Sanford, and now in charge of one like-minded, A. L. Van Blarcom, Esq. On week-day evenings, they are opened for our mission school, at which about the same pupils gather who are present on the Sabbath, and every session of which is, in large part, a religious service. About eighty Chinese account themselves members of this school, attend it when they can, and are under its gospel influence; but there are so many interruptions through the pressure of their daily work, that the average attendance is about thirty. Two teachers are employed, Mrs. B. C. Hawes and Miss L. Duncan, who, by years of service in this field, have won a warm place in the affection and respect of the Chinese. The expense is $40 per month. As fruits of this labor, we have 17 who are members of the First Congregational Church in Oakland, nearly as many more in other churches, and a goodly number who have professed Christ in the Association, but have not yet been baptized.

In San Francisco there are 4 schools; Central, Barnes, Bethany, and West. The Central school is taught in our Central Mission house, the headquarters of our work for the whole State. This is, I regret to say, a _rented_ building, the cost of which absorbs more than a sixth of the utmost amount we can hope to command for our whole work. We have occupied it now almost six years, have spent in rents nearly enough to have paid for as good a building, if only we could have seized our opportunity; and I cannot even yet get sufficiently hardened to this expenditure, to meet it without a throbbing heart. “If only I could use this sum for teaching and preaching the Gospel of Christ!” is my thought and my longing; when will the time come? The building is a very plain one, but pleasantly located, just on the edge of the Chinese quarter, and overlooking an acre or two of greenness in the heart of our city which we call “the Plaza.” It has two stories and a basement, the latter occupied by our Association of Christian Chinese as a hall and reading room, with some facilities in the rear for hospitality. The first floor is the school room (18 x 50), in which at times no less than 145 Chinese have crowded themselves. The average attendance now is about 60; it is increasing, and I hope will again reach 100. In the upper story are the rooms of our Chinese helpers, with a little office, also, for the Secretary of the Association above named. A great deal of work is done here besides the mere teaching; a great deal of correspondence carried on; a great deal of what may be called pastoral care exercised; a good deal, also, of honest study of God’s word.