ON THE TRAIL OF THE
AMERICAN
By WILLIAM T. ELLIS
This Distlneulihed American Journalist Is Traveling Around tins World for
ths Purpose of Investigating the American Foreign Missionary from
Pureiy Disinterested. Secular and Non-Sectsrlan Standpoint.
Illustrated with Drawings and from Pl.ctocraphs.
ONE OF AMERICA'S
LARGEST ENTERPRISES
'vri(tht, by Joseph B. Bowles.)
Mid Pacific. I am. on the trail
of the American missionary- His
foot-prints are large and deep and
many, and I shall certainly come up
with him. Then we shall know what
sort of Individual he is whether a
haloed saint, att the religious papers
represent, or a duble-dyed knave, as
many other papers and people assert,
or a plain, every day American, try
ing to do an extraordinary job to the
host of his ability.
Rather queer, isn't it, that after hav
ing been In the business of exporting
missionaries for well-nigh a hundred
years, America should actually know
ao little about the article himself, and
be so decidedly divided as to his
value?
For the American missionary has
been more a subject of controversy
than American canned beef. Hundreds
of persons who have visited foreign
parts and say that they know, and
thousands who declare that they have
their information "straight," declare
The American
that the missionary is a sort of pious '
bunco-man; that he is not wanted
where he works, that he is an unmiti
gated nuisance, and that he is keenly
alert to the welfare, of number one.
Contrariwise, a vastly larger num
ber of persons, In every part of the
land, firmly believe, and support "their
conviction by their coin, that the mis
sionary Is a saint and a hero, and the
selfless servant of a thankless world's
wejfare. All criticism of him they
sweepingly resent; and are loath to
hear aught to his dispraise. The
apotheosis of the missionary is a char
acteristic of modern religious life.
On a Still Hunt for Facts.
Curiously enough, the public hears
only these two opinions of the mis
sionary, one of which represents him
as a scoundrel or a fool, the other of
which exalts him as a demi-god. So
far as I am aware, nobody has ever
set out. Independently, and represent
ing no board, society or cause, to find
out, impartially, the exact facts in the
case. This Is the mission I have un
dertaken. My Journalistic integrity is
pledged to the duty of ascertaining,
without favor or fear, exactly what
sort of person the missionary Is, how
he works and amid what conditions,
and whether the task he has imposed
upon himself is worth doing at all, and
If so, whether he Is doing It well,
To that end I shall personally ex
amine, on the ground, representative
enterprises of all denominational and
. undenominational missions. ' I shall at
tempt to study the workers them'
selves, and hear their own side of the
story. With equal diligence I shall
tonsult qualified native opinion and
4earch out the foremost foreign critics
and ascertain their views. In a word,
with no other purpose than to give the
American public a fair, frank, full
story of this controverted subject.
have started on this journey around
the world. Whatever the conclusions
I may report, they will at least be
honest.
The Largest American Business
Abroad.
The biggest single foreign enter
prise in which America is engaged is
this one of foreign missions. The rest
of the world, and esieclally the Orient,
knows the Western Continent chiefly
by Its missionaries. Figured in dol
lars, the business last year cost the
American public $5,807,165, paid in by
an organization with approximately
17,000,000 shareholders of all religious
denominations, Protestant, Roman
Catholic and Mormon. (The foreigu
mission work of all countries costs
$15,000,000 yearly.) For all this enor
mous output the tangible returns to
America were practically nothing.
True, the missionary helped to create
- a market for the American packers'
products, and for. American locomo-
MISSIONARY
tlves, and sundry other forms of mer
chandise. But the church members, as
church members, who put up the
money, profited not at all by this.
Apparently, the missionaries them
selves, of whom America maintains
3,776 in Japan, China, Korea, the Phil
ippines, Burma, Siam, India, Thibet,
Persia. Turkey, Egypt and the South
American countries, do not get rich
out of this vast sum. According to the
official figures, which I gathered be
fore leaving the United States, the
missionary's salary ranges front noth
ing to $1,800 a year. The last-named
figure is paid to veterans of the Bap
tist denomination, who are married
and have families; the former repre
sents the salary promised to the mis
sionaries of the China Inland Mission,
the Christian and Missionary Alliance,
and a few other undenominational
bodies.
What It Pays to Be a Missionary.
The unmarried college-bred man
who goes to the foreign field gets
Invasion.
about $700 a year;
dred dollars more,
it may be a hun
or, more likely, a
hundred dollars less, according to his
denomination. A married man gen'
erally from $1,000 to $1,200, with $100
extra for each child, if he belongs to
one of four or five denominations. An
unmarried woman gets $500, $600 or
even $,00 a year, with no prospect of
increase. The missionary's stipend is
based not on the idea of compensation
but of simple support. A mere living
is all that it is designed to afford the
missionary. AH who choose this call
ing, say the boards, must renounce
hope of earthly gains.
Every missionary contracts to stay
seven years before receiving a fur
lough; then his expenses home will be
paid, and he will receive one-half sal
ary while off duty. He Is forbidden
to engage in outside money-making
pursuits. As a rule, If he writes a
book, its royalties must be turned
back into the treasury of his board
So it strikes one that, even consider
ing the lower cost of living in the
Orient, the financial inducements to
a cultivated young person to become a
missionary are rather meager. Wheth
er this fact shuts out all but second
clasB men and women remains to be
found out.
8ending That Penny to the Heathen.
Everybody has heard the charge
that for every penny which gets to the
mission field, 99 cents is required to
send it. Business men, who believe in
business methods even in religious af
fairs are the most frequent critics of
the expensiveness of the conduct of
the missionary propaganda. I deter
mined to look this matter up, with
quite surprising results. Here are the
official figures. In all their dryness, of
the cost of collection and administra
tion of foelgn mission funds last year
by leading denominations:
Per cent.
United Presbyterian 4 1-3
Methodist, North 5 2-5
Methodist, South 5 7-10
Baptist, South 6 1-10
Presbyterian, North....- 6 3-10
Presbyterian, South 7 7-10
Reformed Church 8 7-10
American Board 10 3-5
Protestant Episcopal 111-10
Baptist, North .11
' On the way to these interesting fig
ures I learned that last Vear the aver
age American church member gave 54
cents to foreign missions, the record
being held by the United Presby
terians, with $1.77 per member. It
seems that there has been a general
increase in giving, the Southern Bap
tists having doubled their foreign mis
sion gifts within a decade, and the
Southern Presbyterians nearly so.
Smoothing the Investigator's Path.
I found these missionary board of
ficials a civil lot. I could have wished
the Armstrong committee such luck
in its investigation of insurance mat
ters. The boards open wide up, and
then deluge one with information upon
his approach. In fact, the considera
tion which, more than any other, tends
to predispose me, as an investigator
toward the missionary people is the
heartiness and fraukness with which
they seem to welcome an investiga
tion. Without hesitation they have
afforded me every facility for looking
Into their work at home and in for
eign lands. They say: "Find out the
worst and tell the public, including us.
We want to see the thing with the
eyes of a disinterested observer."
A New Side of College Life.
Picked up in the forest of facts amid
which I found myself, is the news that
Yale university has established a mis
sionary lectureship, with Prof. Harlan
P. Beach, an ex-missionary, as incum
bent; and that Yale, Harvard, Prince
ton and the University of Pennsyl
vania all now have foreign mission en
terprises of their own, manned by
graduates . and supported by alumni
and students.
On the foreign field to make a big
jump there are now 400 translations
of the Bible. Of native, converts the
American missionaries claim half a
million, while the total native Chris
tian population of so-called "heathen"
lands is a million and a half.
Hard Knocks for the Missionaries.
Quite different are the stories I
hear in other quarters. One of the
higher officers of the Pacific Mail
Steamship company assured me, as
one who knows, that "the mission
aries are a lot of grafters. But," he
added, with the characteristic com
mercial spirit of the day, "I do not
want to see their graft stopped, for it
pays, us to carry them."
A Hong-Kong merchant aboard ship
declared that '"the missionaries are a
pack of scoundrels. They are over
bearing, lazy, pestiferous fellows, re
cruited only from the very lowest
ranks of society in America and Great
Britain." That last was a little more
than I could swallow, for it went con
trary to my personal knowledge In
numerous instances. The missionary
may prove to be a bad egg when he
reaches foreign shores; but every col
lege man in the land knows the stock
from which he springs. I recalled
while leaning over the rail conversing
with Mr. Hong-Kong merchant,
that a few weeks before I had read an
enthusiastic autograph letter from
President Roosevelt to Rev. Dr. Ar
thur H. Smith (father of the project
of bringing Chinese students to Amer
ican universities) concerning the lat
ter's books on China. A few days
previously Dr. Smith had been the
president's guest at luncheon.
As a matter of candor I may say
that thus far I am having some diffi
culty in running down to particulars
the countless charges against the mis
sionaries. I hope to have better for
tune in foreign lands. As an illustra
tion of my troubles, there is the in
stance of a fellow passenger on the
Trans-Pacific steamer, the wife of a
Philippine official. She had learned
the nature of my quest. ,"I am glad
you are going to get after the mis-
On
the Trail of the Missionary.
sionaries, and I hope you will rip them
up the back," she began, breezily
"We who travel and live out here
know that they are a bad lot." Yet
she could not, when urged, become
more definite, and, although long a
resident of Manila, and an Episco
palian, she confessed that she had
never heard or met Bishop Brent, the
brilliant head of the Philippine mis
sions of her church.
Good Morals But Bad Manners.
Already I have a dim suspicion that
one reason for the antipathy which
many travelers have to missionaries
is to be found in the latter's attitude
toward life aboard ship and in port
cities. The missionary is, I infer, often
narrow and intolerant, and desirous of
imposing his standards jipon every
body. He is prone to make unman
nerly remarks about the amount of
drinking that goes on, seven days a
week, aboard ship. The incessant
gambling, also, of the smoking room
and ship saloons gets on his puritan
ical nerves. He cannot see and he is
entirely too blunt and Inconsiderate, I
believe, in expressing this opinion
why practices should be counted good
form aboard ship that are contrary to
the law of the land when ashore. That
Is the way he justifies his tactlessly
aired opinions.
Tourists do not like to have the
narrow standards of the missionaries
thus flung at their heads censoriously;
and they are not likely to form an en
tirely favorable estimate of their crit
ics. "Too many young missionaries,"
said a famous veteran missionary to
me a few minutes ago, "think that
they must start out by trying to con
vert the, whole ship. They do not try
to mingle socially and congenially
with their fellow passengers. They
acquire an identity as missionaries,
rather than as men and women."
Suicide Is Rare Among
Ball Playeis of Present
"Chick" Stahl Fourth Prominent Dia
mond Star to Die by His
Own Hand.
"Chick" Stahl's pitiable death at
West Baden, Ind., recently created no
less surprise than regret. '
Suicide is rare among tall tossers.
Considering the number of men who
are now engaged in the national game
the proportion of such deaths is much I
less than In any other calling whose
votaries are subjected to an intense
daily strain.
Actors and brokers furnish far more
additions to the suicide list.
It might be expected that athletes
who compete day after day under the
most trying conditions, with hot sun
beating on their heads, with hostile
crowds baiting them, with success pos-
Manager of the
sible only by the most intense exer
tion, would find it hard to maintain
that balance which enables a man to
support bis misfortunes and not be
led into extremes by his success.
Actors frankly break down, under the
great white light that ever beats on
them, and . stock operators walk daily
in peril of sanitariums. -"The suicide
route is ever open to these, and is all
too frequently traversed.
But when "Chick" Stahl passed out
by his own hand he made himself only
the fourth prominent baseball suicide
in recent years.
Marty Bergen, crazed by drink, mur
dered his wife, child and himself. Win
Mercer, famous pitcher of the Wash
ington and Detroit teams, did the busi
ness for himself in San Francisco four
years ago, when two teams were tour
ing the west. It is also as good as cer
tain that poor Ed Delehanty was re
sponsible for the act that made his
body a buffet for the Niagara river.
This is a small total in a profession
which certainly numbers not fewer
than 50,000 members. It should prove
that, despite the racking strain of the
great national sport, there are com
pensations in it that help to keep a
man in the normal path.
Admitting that the wear and tear on
a player is terrific, the rarity of sui
cides shows that for all the mental
overburdening there is ever a physical
relief and upbuilding that preserves
the balance. The splendid exercise of
all the muscles, the upbuilding of the
lungs, the cleansing value of the daily
shower bath and the careful attention
of trained masseurs enable the body to
do its share in helping out the brain.
Actors and financial men, to stick
to the original comparison, find no
such compensations. They get little
exercise. The member of the dramatic
profession works at night in a closed
room, whose atmosphere is generally
laden with impurities.
The broker may after his day's work
is over take a spin in his automobile
or carriage, but he does not get out in
the fields and do. the actual exercising
himself.
Suicide's infrequency in baseball
forms the best possible argument for
the value of strenuous outdoor sport.
GREEN
DIAMOl
Giants Will Not Have
Donlin This Season
Star Player Quits New York Team
and Accepts Position at
Chicago.
Mike Donlin has quit the New
York giants and signed a contract as
assistant manager of the Whitney
Opera house of Chicago.
The news came as a great surprise
to those of Mike's friends who heard
of it, because it was generally sup-
posed that the winter's differences be
tween Donlin and the management of
the New York National League team
had been amicably patched up and
that the famous center fielder and
hard hitter again would be seen with
the old forces of the former cham
pions of the world.
"McGraw and I parted company in
Louisville and I will not return to
Brooklyn Team.
him," Donlin said in an interview.
"Already I have closed a very pleas
ant contract with Mr. Whitney whicji
will enable me to remain with my
wife during the entire season. That
I regard as a bigger concession than
anything McGraw or Brush or anyone
else connected with baseball possibly
could offer me."
"Did you have a row with Mc
Graw?" was asked.
"Well, things hadn't been going In
a way to suit me and I spoke in pret
ty plain terms to McGraw, I guess
Yes, you might say we had a row, but
as I was indifferent about what he
had to say I didn't care much what
passed. All I wanted was to get back
to Chicago and my wife. And here
I am and here I will remain."
Donlin's row with the giants start
ed over a doctor's bill for $65, it is
claimed, after Donlin had broken his
leg in a game last season. He was
out of the play for the greater part of
the playing season. This spring he
asked the management for a raise in
salary of $600 in all, this amount cov-
ering the doctor's bill that was dis
puted. '. .
John T. Brush, owner of the New
Yorks, refused to grant the rise and
a bitter row began. Donlin assailed
the management for its penurious
policy and although the enthusiasts
of New York were aghast at the pos
sible loss of Donlin Brush was un
yielding. Actor Richard Carle at
tempted to patch the matter up, of
fering to stand half of the $600 in
dispute, but this was turned down by
Donlin.
Finally Donlin received a telegram
from McGraw asking him to join the
team in New Orleans, as he would
see that the salary question was ad
justed satisfactorily. Donlin at once
went south and joined McGraw and
everybody supposed that would be an
end of it. But now it appears as 11
everything is off again and probably
for good.
Donlin undoubtedly will have many
opportunities for keeping In the game
by playing with semi-professional
teams about the city during the com
ing summer.
GOSSIP OF THE NATIONALS
"Speedy" Miller,' a youngster whom
the Pirates drew in the minor league
grab-bag last winter, is slated to go
back whence he came. Manager Clarke
says that he will carry the youngster
a while longer, though.
Manager McCloskey, of the Card!-
nals, has made little Carl Druhot
change his style of delivery with great
success, say the St. Louis critics. Dru
hot had a -pernicious habit of tying
himself into knots before pitching,
which was especially bad with men
on the bases. McCloskey says that
Druhot's work has improved all
around since the change.
Manager Billy Murray, of the Phil
lies, says that one of the best minor
league pitchers in the country got
away from the National league when
Griffith got Keefe from Montreal. Mur
ray says Keefe is a wonder. ,
A brother of Vic Willis, of the
Pirates is pitching for the Charleston,
S. C, team. He has been doing good
work in the spring games.
The Columbus team in the Ameri
can association Is pulling hard for all
of the Cleveland team to get well, be
cause they think that Lajoie will then
turn over either Hinchman or Congal-
ton to them. ,
Catcher Orendorf, of the Boston
club, who was badly bitten by a dog
at Thomasville, Ga., a few weeks ago,
is back in the harness. Tenney thinks
that Orendorf will make a great catch
er in a year or two with the big league
teams. "
"Stony" McGlynn, the pitcher that
McCloskey sprung on us in the Cardi
nals' last run around the circuit last
season. Is justifying the manager's
high opinion of his ability, though he
was badly beaten by the Browns, 6 to
2, in the first game of the St. Louis
series. Errors helped to give Mc
Glynn one bad inning in which the
Browns got three hits off him. That
was the first, and Jn the next eight
they got only four htis off him. .
From the dope on the Dodgers in
the south the rest of the teams must
have done something to Lewis. The
lazy shortstop has bucked up and is
playing a rattling game. ,
The Enquirer says: There is not
much doubt that Jake Weimer will be
showing up here before so very long.
Jake's Chicago proposition is not so
glittering as he thought it was,.; and he
will soon see the big difference be
tween what he can make there and
what the Cincinnati club will be glad
to pay him,, A rainy Sunday or two
will send the Tornado down here fly
ing. . Look for him early in May.
Hans Wagner is as fast to-day as he
ever was in his life, which is saying
something. The effects of the rheuma
tism with which he was afflicted last
fall have entirely disappeared.
After reading Jack O'Connor's weird
tale about the Pittsburg players doing
their washing on trains, Hans Wag
ner remarked . contemptuously:.
"Humph, I spend more money -in a
season for gun shells than O'Connor
makes."
Duggleby has shown the best form
of any of Billy Murray's Philadelphia
twirlers this spring. Murray will de
pend on him for the spring work to a
large extent and expects "Dugg" to do
great stunts this summer.
AMERICAN LEAGUE NOTES
. For the .benefit of any persons who
are not "fans," but who may read
these lines, it may be stated here that
Jake Staml and Chick Stahl are not
brothers. They are not related at all;
This fact is well known to the mitl-V
ated, but by those not so well posted
in the dope of the national game, 'the
question has often been asked, since
the death of Chick Stahl, whether he
and the Washington manager were
relatives.
Jennings has made but one change
since he took charge of the Detroit
team, and that was to place Rossman
at first Instead of Lindsay.
St. Louis American management has
issued a season ticket, making grand
stand price of about 60 cents per to
fans who wish to attend all of the 77
home games. '
' Buck Freeman, Fred Lake and Bill
Dineen all played together , in 1895 on
the Toronto team. - While Dineen is
still a star, Freeman is about ready to
go back to the minor organization,
while Lake has gone back so far that
even New England league ball is too
fast for him.
. Connie Mack seems to have "known
something" when he predicted that
Coombs would be well worthy of his
hire this year. Coombs has been
twirling good ball with cheering con-
) sistency
Pat Powers is there with a big
boost for Jimmy Collins of the Bos
tons. Powers saw Collins work In
the south, and he says that he never
saw the great third baseman in better
form. ' ,
Big Ed Walsh, the star of the
world's champions' pitching staff, has
a brother who is showing some good
speed as a twirler. His name is Mar
tin. He was tried out by Newark last
spring and has now signed a contract
with Binghamton.
It is said that Joe Cantillon is giv
ing the Senators a series of daily lec
tures on . how to hat. It may work
wonders with the stick work of ihe
Nationals, hut 'most all great batsmen
say vhat all they can tell about how
to hit is to step up and hit it .out.
An exchange unkindly remarks that
Lajoie is making "his old excuse oi
hoodoo, and Cleveland ought to get
tired of that 'baby talk.' " Never
heard of Lajoie making any excuse
for anything, but if ever two man
agers have had a right to cry "hard
luck" many times in their baseball
career, they are Napoleon Lajoie and
Clark Griffith. '
