p. 10 | THE SITUATION IN SAMOA by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, Cal. · May 31, 1899

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 25, No. 22.

THE SITUATION IN SAMOA.

By Editor

UNDER date of April 20, Dr. F. E. Braucht writes as follows from Apia:—

“You will no doubt see accounts of the seriousness of affairs here in Samoa, and thinking you might be interested to know how it is with us, I am glad to say that we are all well and perfectly safe. No harm has come to any of our company, or to the Lord's property of which we are in charge. However, several white people have had to flee for their lives and narrowly escaped. All the stores and houses away from Apia have been plundered and wrecked, and even many of those near the city have suffered the same fate. Our neighbors all around have been cleared out, but we have been spared. The revolutionists have been driven out of their district now; their last stand was at Robert L. Stevenson's old home, and last Monday this place was the scene of a very hard fight. The battle began at 9 o'clock A.M., and continued until 4 P.M. The loyal natives did the fighting against the revolutionists, and succeeded in driving them back out of two stone forts; but the last one was too much for them, and they had to retire and let the men-of-war finish the contest with shells. There were only four killed and seventeen wounded on the side of the loyalists, and no one knows how many were killed and wounded of the revolutionists. It is reported that the first shell burst in the midst of a crowd who were holding a council, killing six chiefs and twenty-two others. The revolutionists left the place in great haste, leaving their food ready cooked in the ovens.

“On the first of April, in a battle on one of the German plantations, seven white men were killed. They were part of a reconnoitering party of about 150 white troops and 75 natives. They fell into an ambush of 500 revolutionists, and were attacked while in the open and the enemy in a thick bush. They had a pretty warm time for a little while, and at a critical moment the rapid-fire gun (Colt's automatic) would not work. Had they not hastily retreated, they would have been surrounded and the whole party killed. Thus far twelve of the white troops have been killed—six American and six British. The officers were beheaded, and each of the mariners had an ear cut off. One of the American marines was killed by a sharpshooter, who must have been a white man, as the Samoans do not fight that way. There is a law here against the importation and sale of arms and ammunition to the natives, but they have had no trouble in getting all they want. The natives will not tell from whom they get such supplies, but it is expected that it will all come to light eventually.”

OUR WORK AND WORKERS.

A CAMP-MEETING will be held at Marshfield, Wis., June 7–19.

A CAMP-MEETING will be held at Ravenna, Neb., June 6–12.

A CAMP-MEETING at Anoka, Minn., is announced for June 6–11.

AT Indianapolis, Ind., April 30, seven persons were baptized by Brother O. S. Hadley.

ABOUT fifty members have been added to the church at Kingston, Jamaica, the past year.

THE addition of nine members to the church at Redwood Falls, Minn., is reported by Brother D. Nettleton.

AFTER some “excellent meetings” held at Milton Junction, Wis., Brother Wm. Covert reports the baptism of twenty-five persons.

IT is encouraging to note that Brother Wm. J. Keele is still selling the Quarter-Centennial issue of the SIGNS with good success in Colorado towns.

A NEW house of worship was dedicated at Cañon City, Colo., on the 14th inst. Brother J. M. Rees, president of the conference, preached the dedicatory sermon.

THE main office of the International Religious Liberty Association has been removed from New York City to Chicago, Room 750 Monon Building, 324 Dearborn Street.

BROTHER J. O. CORLISS and family arrived in Oakland, Cal., on the 19th inst. On the 22nd they left for Stockton, where they will remain until after the State camp-meeting.

A SUMMER training class for the benefit of those who contemplate teaching church schools will be held at Healdsburg (Cal.) College, beginning June 20 and continuing ten weeks.

WORD has been received that an interesting tent effort is being held in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town, South Africa. “A cloud of Kaffirs, Malays, etc., abide by their tent day and night.”

A CHURCH of twenty members was recently organized at Sartoria, and another of twenty-five members at Burwell, Neb. Brethren E. L. Stewart and J. W. Boynton officiated in both instances.

FIFTEEN candidates were baptized at Stockton, Cal., on the 15th inst., by Brother S. Thurston, and after the service two others decided to follow the Lord's example at the next opportunity.

WHILE at the General Conference, Elder F. W. Westphal told of one experience in Buenos Ayres, where he baptized one man and his family in a well. Since coming to the States his wife writes that this brother has already paid $200 tithes.

AN industrial school is soon to be established at Salmar, on the Yazoo River, near Jackson, Miss., for the preparation of workers for the southern field. The site has been approved by Professors Sutherland and Magan, of Battle Creek College.

IN two hours and twenty minutes' labor, Brother J. F. Bahler recently sold ninety copies of the Quarter-Centennial issue of the SIGNS at Galveston, Texas. He aptly remarks that “the truth in a magazine never grows old, if it is dated Jan. 5, 1899.”

BROTHER D. U. HALE recently made a trip to Nickerie, Dutch Guiana, where he found ten persons keeping the Sabbath “according to the commandment.” This is the result of the labor of Brother Henry Beck, who went to that field some time ago as a self-supporting missionary.

THE workers in Honolulu are receiving occasional requests that some provision be made for the education of Chinese girls. Who could contemplate a more noble work, uplifting those who have been so long degraded? Openings are multiplying, workers are volunteering, but where is the means?

ON the 22nd inst., Brother S. N. Curtiss, who has been superintendent of the manufacturing work at the Pacific Press main office, left Oakland for New York City, to take charge of the branch office in that city. Brother T. A. Kilgore, who has been in charge there since the branch was instituted, eleven years ago, will return to the home office.

A LATE issue of the Oklahoma Gleaner has a report from Brother C. Sorenson, who is visiting churches and companies in the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations. He says: “The first place visited was Keller. The brethren there are all pressing together in Christian love, and the Lord is blessing them in imparting the light to others. We enjoyed rich blessings in the study of the Word of God, and in studying how to work for Him both with our periodicals and in the Sabbath-school. Several there will work with the SIGNS.”

A LETTER from Dr. J. E. Caldwell, of Rarotonga, Cook Islands, dated March 29, gives an encouraging report of labor. It is pleasing to know that his two sons, aged 17 and 14, are proving valuable help both in example and in teaching. They can both translate from English into the native tongue, and from the native to the English. The elder of the two is the organist, and makes very good native hymns from our English hymns. Leonard Christian and Mary Ann McCoy, of Pitcairn Island, are now with the company. The doctor's family are now caring for five native children.

THE officers of the new Chesapeake Conference are: President, K. C. Russell; secretary and treasurer, C. D. Zirkle; executive committee, K. C. Russell, H. W. Herrell, A. Kalstrom, John F. Jones, R. M. Rosin. The address of the conference office is 826 N. Mount Street, Baltimore, Md. The secretary and treasurer of the Sabbath-school Association is Miss Emily Kirkwood, 1309 Ninth Street, N. W., Washington, D.C. There is no tract society organization, as in the other conferences, individuals and churches being left to deal directly with the publishing houses. The conference includes Delaware, Md. (excepting the three western counties), and District of Columbia.