Part 2

—Mr. Cowley writes from Spokan Falls that he returned recently from session of District Court, having been summoned as interpreter in an action of the U.S. Marshal against four white men for selling whiskey to Indians. Two were sentenced to penitentiary, one broke jail before trial, and the other cannot yet be found. It will break up the traffic for a time. The jury in the last case brought in a unanimous verdict of guilty, on the testimony of one Indian, which gives a hint as to the intelligence and absence of race prejudice on the part of the whites, and of the reputation of the Indians in that region for veracity.

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THE FREEDMEN.

REV. JOSEPH E. ROY, D.D., FIELD SUPERINTENDENT, ATLANTA, GA.

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LIVINGSTONE MISSIONARY HALL

Was so far completed that it was ready for occupation at the beginning of the scholastic year, Sept. 4. The dedication has been fixed for Monday, Oct. 30, so that persons in attendance upon the annual meeting of the A. M. A. the previous week in Cleveland can go on to Nashville and spend the Sabbath and be present at the dedicatory exercises.

The Hall is 203 feet in length and 52 feet in width. The central part is ten feet wider, and the whole building is four stories, with a basement. The building contains a chapel, a large library room, museum, scientific lecture room 40 by 30, Treasurer’s office, President’s room, thirteen class and lecture rooms and sixty-six dormitory and living rooms. It is heated by steam.

The completion of this new Hall nearly doubles the capacity of Fisk University. The movement for the erection of this building was begun in England in 1876, and its final success is due to the munificence of Mrs. Stone, who gave, for the erection and furnishing of the Hall, $60,000. It is expected that the exercises connected with the dedication will be of great interest, and a cordial invitation is extended to the friends of our Southern work to be present.

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HYGIENIC DEPARTMENT AT FISK UNIVERSITY.

BY MRS. JULIET B. SMITH

The hygienic classes were to have begun this week, but are of necessity postponed that I may help in the model school until the new teacher arrives. Small-pox being in the city, I have examined the students in all grades and vaccinated all who were unprotected. I have had much pleasure and profit in talking over the matter of the hygienic classes with Miss Parmelee, and she has given me many valuable hints from her work at Memphis. We have fitted up a sick ward to be used in case of severe or infectious disease. It is at the top of the house, with perfect ventilation, and I feel quite happy over its capabilities. Mr. Hawley has been prompt to answer my calls for disinfectants, and I hope to make them tell on the health rates for the coming year.

In the hygienic classes, as full notes as possible are to be taken by the pupils. The magnitude of the task of teaching healthful living grows upon me, but I am glad and grateful to have the chance to go to work in the old field and to be better equipped than years ago. Miss Parmelee and I have it close at our hearts to get strong hold of our city girls, and through them of their mothers with a view toward mother’s meetings sometime and somehow. The health of the school is fair, the most serious ailments being among those who have taught in the swamp lands.

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STUDENT TEACHING

(BY THE STUDENTS OF FISK UNIVERSITY DURING THE SUMMER VACATION.)

REV. H. S. BENNETT.

A meeting of great interest was held in Fisk University on the night of the 15th of September. The occasion was to furnish an opportunity to those students who had been engaged in teaching during the summer to give the details of experience in their work.

Pres. Cravath presided. Rev. Geo. W. Moore was introduced as one who during the past year had been studying theology and preaching in Ohio. Mr. Moore paid a grateful tribute to Fisk University as the place where he had studied. He thought that colored students would do better to study in the South. He had been preaching to a white church, or to white churches. As a colored man he would make no apologies nor explanations. He had a message to carry to the people. He got their confidence and love before they knew who he was. He had three regular stations and preached to eight churches in all. Last Sunday he was called to Sullivan, and was told that they would oppose him on account of his race identity; but he was cordially received, and the result was a unanimous call with increase of salary.

Brethren Anderson and Ously have been highly esteemed in Oberlin. They have been hard students and have won the commendations of their teachers.

H. C. Gray taught school in Shelby County, Tenn. “My school did not have more than thirty on the roll. I tried to give satisfaction because four or five teachers before me had failed and left before their time was out. During the last two months my school was much larger than at first, but the pupils were kept out by chills and fever. I had fifteen or twenty pupils without any books.”

H. F. Mitchell, near Fernanda, Miss. “I enrolled 104 and had two assistants. I was quite successful. I introduced the tonic sol-fa method of teaching music and succeeded well in it. My health was good all summer. I was taken with a chill the last day of school.”

W. H. Ross, who had been helping in holding an institute gave an account of his work. He had attended institutes before, but they were not so much of the nature of a school. “We had a course of lectures, which was a main feature in the work. We tried to inspire the young people with a desire to pursue a course of study. All who attended were pleased with the work done. The colored people of Gibson Co. are far behind in the scale of intelligence. After the institute closed I opened my school the next Monday. The attendance was about thirty. The people have a great desire to go forward.”

Humphrey Jones taught school in Georgia, near Dalton. “I opened school on the 10th of July with nine scholars. They wanted to know whether I was Methodist or Baptist. I told them I was Congregationalist. They shook their heads; they did not know anything about that. They did not think it was anything. My school was very small, because the people would not pay twenty-five cents per month. The people are further behind there than in any place I have been.”

G. A. T. Robinson: “I taught in Georgia near Mr. Jones. The people are very poor and ignorant. They are not interested in education. A strong prejudice exists against the public schools. The most of the people are servants and are content to be such. A teacher is looked upon as a bad man. I taught in a Baptist Church and they would not let me teach in the Sunday school. They want me to come back there.”

Ella Jones, from Texas: “I had charge of the girls in the place where I taught, Huntsville. I made up my mind to live a Christian life. I taught eight months. I also taught in the Sabbath School. They wanted me to teach the next year, but I felt that I must continue my course. I tried to do whatever I did as a Christian. There were some conversions in my school. How much of this is due to my influence I do not know.”

Alice Vasser only taught five weeks at Booneville, Tenn. “When I arrived they had no school-house for me to begin to teach in. They put a floor in an old house and a roof on it, and I began to teach. I walked two miles every day. I had fifteen scholars. I feel that I did some good. The children wanted to learn very much. They were very anxious to have me come back.”

G. A. McLelland taught at Tiptonville, Tenn. “My school numbered about sixty. The children were not so far advanced in their books, but they were more easily managed. I taught in the Sunday-school. The older people were harder to interest. I got them in night school. I sang Jubilee songs and told them stories, and thus got them interested. Fisk University stands very high in the estimation of the people.”

Henrietta Bailey taught in Mississippi for three months; had a pleasant school, but did not get her money till after Christmas. Afterward taught in Lincoln school; had an attendance of forty-five, an average attendance of thirty-one.

Thus closed a very interesting exercise. Most of the students are still out teaching. The record of the evening is a fair statement of the work done by the students of the institution.

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PERMANENT TEMPERANCE WORK.

MISS LYDIA P. AULD.

The first of April, 1869, by the advice of our friends in St. Augustine, Fla., and by express command from the State Superintendent, who said we were working too hard, we gave up our night school, relying more upon their judgment than upon our own view of the case.

The young men in the night class of Miss Bowker (now Mrs. Clift), expressed a strong desire to meet at least one evening in the week for instruction. The idea of forming themselves into a temperance society was suggested to them, and they decided upon a speedy organization.

Accordingly, on the evening of April 6th, about a dozen young men met in our little school room, and proceeded to organize the first temperance society in St. Augustine. After the election of the various officers, the evening was devoted to music. Miss Bowker had previously taught them several temperance melodies. Mrs. Mayhew, of Orange, N.J., who was boarding in town and greatly interested in the welfare of the colored people, was present. She was a sweet singer, and drilled them in two or three new pieces.

On the 13th, there was an increase of numbers. Mr. Berrian, from New York, was invited to address the young men. He gave them excellent counsel, and read the simple pledge he had prepared, explaining its binding obligations. We did not wish any to sign that night, as we desired them to give the subject careful consideration.

A week later, on the 20th, there was a large attendance. The good friend who was with them the previous week plainly stated the object of the meeting. He exhorted them not to do anything rashly; and read the Constitution he had drawn up for the Society, with the following simple pledge attached:

“We hereby solemnly pledge ourselves to abstain from the use of all intoxicating liquors, or drinks, as a beverage.”

A few moments of solemn silence followed the announcement, “We are now ready for signatures to this pledge,” which was broken by one after another rising and stating, in a clear and intelligent manner, his reasons for signing the pledge. Many of their remarks were truly affecting. One young man said, “A gentleman, who went North to-day, offered me a bottle of whisky. I said, ‘I thank you, sir; but I have joined a temperance society, and am going to-night to sign the pledge, so please excuse me for not accepting it.’” Another referred to his beastly intoxication on the Christmas day before, and resolved that the return of that day should find him a different man.

The first to sign was the President, who is even to this day their leader. I think no word was uttered during the signing of the pledge. The firm, manly footstep and scratch of the pen were the only sounds heard. Sixteen names were affixed, and the signatures ceased for that time. Then the organization was completed. The name Lincoln Temperance Society (since changed to Independent Lincoln Temperance Society) was adopted. Some temperance songs were sung, and those young men went quietly and thoughtfully to their homes—nobler, indeed, for the onward step they had taken.

On our return in the fall, we found that the young Society had steadily grown in strength and numbers. Not one of the “sixteen” had violated his pledge, though often and sorely tempted to do so. Such abstinence was very praise-worthy in a community where drinking was the universal custom. The Freedmen’s Bureau had erected for us a new school building, in one of the rooms of which the Society held its meetings every Monday evening.

April 20, 1870, the Lincoln Temperance Society celebrated its first anniversary. The membership had rolled up to 54. Female members had been admitted during the year, and the good the Society had accomplished was clearly perceptible in the elevated tone and manners of the young people. Several white friends were present on this occasion to listen to the speeches of the members. Miss Bowker was referred to in one of these as the “Mother of Temperance.”

A few weeks later, in May, we left St. Augustine, not to return. Years passed, and only incidentally was the Society heard from. In September, 1878, I was rejoiced to receive a letter from the President, D. M. Pappy, giving an account of the nourishing condition of the Society, from which I will make a few extracts.

“Our Temperance Society, that Mrs. Clift and yourself assisted us in organizing, numbers now about one hundred and seventy-five. I have remained President since you left, with an interval of two years. Our struggle was hard, and we had much to encounter. St. Augustine has considerably changed by so many young men abstaining from that great evil, the intoxicating drink. Our Society has also purchased a lot, and built a fine hall of two stories. The meeting room is on the upper floor, and a public reading room and library on the lower floor. The building is nicely lathed and plastered, and painted. The young men of the Society are using every means to elevate our people to respectability and intelligence: but, like everything else, it takes time. Already our Society has achieved much good, and we do tender many thanks to you and to Mrs. Clift for your influence.

“All the young men that were in the Society when you were here are still with us, except one. The young men, including myself, have never regretted signing the pledge, and we promise forever to keep it, because we have found much good in it.”

In 1881, they celebrated their twelfth anniversary, and Mr. Pappy writes:

“Our celebration went off very nicely. We had the hall handsomely decorated with flags, flowers and evergreens. Over the President’s stand was a large anchor, with ‘1869’ above and ‘1881’ below it. On the right was your name, and on the left that of Mrs. Clift. In the centre of the hall was a mound of flowers.

“The exercises consisted of a grand reception, speeches, singing, reading, essays, with excellent music by the brass band, an exhibition of fire-works and a balloon ascension. These were presented to us by some white friends. The celebration was a grand success, and has had a deep effect on those outside. Last Monday evening we received five new members, and shall on next Monday receive a few more.

“I think we are just as strong and firm in the progressive spirit as ever we were, if not more so. We number nearly 200 members now. Our building is not quite finished yet, as everything costs so much. It has cost us already nearly fifteen hundred dollars.

“The members of the Society, for the past month, have been holding temperance revival meetings every Monday evening, for the benefit of the young men. The exercises consist of speaking, singing and prayers by the members of the various churches. It has revived the hearts, not only of the members of the Society, but also of many others.”

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WORK IN TOPEKA.

MISS A. D. GERRISH.

The younger class of people—the boys and girls—seem to gather around us rather than the older ones; but to win the children generally in the end secures the parents. Through music, especially the singing of the Gospel hymns, of which all are very fond, I feel that I am reaching a larger number than I perhaps could in any other way. A class of some twenty-five little folks, a second class of between thirty and forty boys and girls, a band of twenty or more young ladies, also the “Daniel’s Band,” of nine members,—these, besides others, are daily being brought under our influence and control. Their improvement in singing is very marked. Before I left (an excellent teacher having been secured) a goodly number of the young ladies accepted my invitation to attend Sunday-school. A few months, or even weeks ago, a similar invitation would have met with no response from them. In the night school a number of the older ones, who began last January with A B C, now read quite well out of the Bible. In a Bible reading, in which over fifty took part, I thought that the “Uncles” and “Aunties” read quite as well as some of the young people. The religious interest is not as great as we could wish to see; still, the weekly meetings and Sabbath services are quite well attended. We have now a small church organization, eight members. Three have united on profession of their faith; two are promising young men, members of the Band. I look for an increase of numbers in our Sunday-school next season, and we have the promise of several new teachers. July 30th we had a Sunday-school concert, using the A. M. A. concert exercise. At the close, a white gentleman, one of Topeka’s best men, said: “In looking over the crowded audience this evening, I can but say, with many others, that a change has already been wrought in Tennessee town. Improvement is stamping itself upon place and people.”

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AFRICA.

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JOURNAL

OF THE ARTHINGTON EXPEDITION, KEPT BY REV. HENRY M. LADD, D.D.

The time from Feb. 23d to March 31st was spent by the explorers in Khartoum. During their stay Raouf Pasha, Governor General of the Soudan, was deposed for not taking more active measures against the “False Prophet,” and Abdel Kadir Pasha was appointed in his place, with a residence at Cairo, while the Soudan was divided into four provinces, and Khartoum was reduced from the capital to a Mudirieh. During this time also they witnessed the gathering of Giegler Pasha’s army and its embarkation. Owing to the disturbances they experienced great difficulty in getting transport to Berber. The troubles in Egypt were also rapidly culminating, and gave them serious anxiety as to the possibility of returning through that country. They suffered from poor food. Their dragoman was ill with fever. The time, however, was well improved in studying the people, and the language with which they became quite familiar, in selecting and photographing sites for buildings, and in learning from Emin Bey, Governor of the Equatorial Provinces, certain important particulars in regard to that country.—ED.

_Friday, March 31st._—After lunch we called at Emin Bey’s, and then walked down to our boat and little steamer. We went first to a previously appointed rendezvous at Marquet’s. All the “élite” of the city were present to see the party off. We felt that we had some friends in this far-off place. There were present H. E. Giegler Pasha, Marcopoli Bey, Emin Bey, Georgius Bey, the American Consular Agent, English Consular Agent, and other Consuls; there were priests and merchants, and altogether a large crowd. It was something like a first-class funeral. Finally everything was ready, and at 5 o’clock we went on board, amid much hand-shaking, and even kissing, after the oriental fashion, and the waving of hats and handkerchiefs. As we had the French Consul with us, the French and American flags were hoisted. Soon the tug rope of the little steamer tightened, our boat moved, we were off, and before long we had turned the point, entered the Nile proper, and were headed north-ward and homeward. Our quarters were fairly comfortable. We had a covering of mats over our heads, and the room under it was taken up with our cots. There were four of us here, and the rest were on the steamer that towed us. We made good time. Stopped for the night at a sandy bank. Dinner was served on the sand, and then we went to bed in the moonlight.

_Saturday, April 1st._—No sleep! Too novel a position. Off at sunrise. The Frenchman remarked classic beauty in the cook of the boat! Stopped for wood at the cataract. Very hot! Off again. Passed the cataract safely, though the water was very low, and many of the passages dangerous. We noted several wrecks of boats about us. One was a ship belonging to Moussalli, who is with us. Had to throw off the line from the steamer in some places, and row ourselves through. Struck the rocks many times, hard enough to sink ordinary boats. Things were thrown into a little confusion by it, but no leak sprung. Passed the wild gorge “Sebeloga.” Camped at sunset. Several of the party ill. Took dinner on the bank. Went to bed on the sand in the open air and the glorious moonlight.

_Monday, April 3d._—Up early; waked Ibrahim, plunged into the river with Moussalli, to get the sand out of eyes and ears. The sick ones are very poorly to-day. Stopped at Damer about 2:30 P.M. Had some difficulty to get wood. Moussalli is ill. Midani, his bookkeeper, has a high fever. I turn doctor, and nurse the crowd as well as I can. A gale of wind has been blowing, increasing to a tempest. Slept out in it all. We have not left Khartoum any too soon for the health of the crowd.

_Tuesday, April 4th._—Blowing a gale. Start at sunrise. All are ill to-day except myself. The waves are high, and the spray goes over us. Arrived at the rocks, but it was blowing so hard that the captain dared not try to pass them. We tied up at the bank. Tried the pass once more, and tied up again. Finally, we made another attempt; had a very exciting time, but got through part way very well. Sent a boat ahead to pick out the channel. Expected every moment to strike, and perhaps be wrecked. We did strike at last, and were nearly capsized, but, thanks to the strength of the boat, we came out all right. When we were finally clear of the rocks the men cheered and praised Allah, and we gave them a backshish. A little further on we went fast aground on a sand bank, and spent about two hours getting off. At last Berber came into sight, and at 5 P.M. we tied up at the bank, which is now very high, as the river is many feet lower than when we were here before. Went on shore, selected a good site for the tents; put one of ours up, and got into shape for the night.

_Wednesday, April 5th._—Up early, and worked hard in the hot sun. Put up the other tent. Our tents, together with the Consul’s and Moussalli’s and the cook’s make quite a little village by themselves. Made arrangements for camels amid much noise and discussion and haggling of prices. There have been some wordy disagreements in camp among our friends. It is finally settled that we are to start on Friday. The doctor is better, and has good courage. To-day the Consul’s cook was stung by a scorpion, and under the doctor’s directions I painted the wound with iodine. The poor fellow suffered severely for a time. A guard of four soldiers has been sent to act as sentry for us during the night. They will probably be sound asleep as soon as we turn in. The river has risen a few inches to-day, owing probably to heavy rains at the South, but will doubtless fall again to-morrow.