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CORNELL
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

 

GIVEN IN MEMORY OF
JACOB anp MARY TUVIN

BY

JULIUS H. TUVIN, 12

 

 

 

 

 
Cornell university Liprary

BV 3625.L6K36
isi iii
3 19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

JACOB

 
 

 

The Life and Work of
Jacob Kenoly

 

 

By
Cc. C. SMITH.

¥

 

 

 

CINCINNATI.
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY
METHODIST BOOK CONCERN,

 

 

 

 

 
COPYRIGHT, 1912,
BY C. Cc. SMITH.
DEDICATED TO ALL WHO AIDED

Jacoh Kenoly,

WHOM HE EVER HELD IN LOVING
REMEMBRANCE.
FOREWORD

THERE are scenes so beautiful as to defy artistic
genius. There are emotions so deep as to stifle
words. There are lives so noble that tributes
seem only to detract. Such a life was Jacob
Kenoly’s.

But if any one in all the world could get at
the whiteness of this black man’s soul, clothing
longings with speech and translating deeds into
words, surely the sympathetic and discerning
heart of the author of this little sketch would
enable him to do it.

That the task has been mastered, the story
itself declares. Here is a message that is more
than a record of mission conquest. It is more
than a story of the overcoming of almost insur-
mountable obstacles. It is more than a tribute
to a great race struggling for the light. It is
more than praise of an institution in the South-
land, committed to the task of uplift. It is an
inspirational record, rather, of the transforming
power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let him

Vv
vi FOREWORD

who doubts what God can do see Jacob Kenoly
as he was, and as he came to be. In such nar-
ratives is the birthplace of clearer visions,
greater hopes, loftier life. The blessings of
God upon this little book!

CHARLES S. MEDBURY.
Des Moines, Iowa.
INTRODUCTION

Tus sketch of the life and work of Jacob Kenoly
goes from the hand of the writer with many mis-
givings on his part as to his share in it. It has
been prepared necessarily within a short space
of time and along with much other writing and
work. Were it not that the letters and records
of Jacob Kenoly and the writings of others in
regard to him so largely tell the story, we would
have more anxiety lest we might have failed to
give to others what we have gained from a study
of his letters and records,—a vision of a mar-
velously noble and Christlike character.

The letters of Jacob Kenoly from Liberia were
written always under the greatest difficulties, al-
ways amid great pressure of work, sometimes
while taking the long, difficult, and hazardous
trip to Monrovia, and yet in reading them for
the preparation of this sketch the tears would
often spring to tle eyes because of the uncon-
scious pathos of some of them, and very often
were we impelled to marvel over the exceeding

Vil
vill INTRODUCTION

beauty of passages they contained. Written
amid the stress and sufferings of his life in Li-
beria, they did not always, perhaps, take the
form they would have had if they had been
penned under more favorable circumstances.
However, they have an originality of expression
and a quaint phrasing all their own. They have
been placed in the following pages very largely,
as Jacob wrote them.

The study the writer has made of the letters
and records of Jacob Kenoly placed in his hands
to aid him in the preparation of this sketch, has
blessed his life. He gives the story to others
hoping it will bless them as it has blessed him.

We wish to acknowledge special indebtedness
to Mrs. Elizabeth W. Ross and to J. B. Lehman
and to the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions
for letters and records placed in our hands, and
to Mrs. Ross and Mr. Lehman and D. A. Brindle
for what they have written for this sketch. The
sketch is also indebted for very much to Dr.
Royal J. Dye.

Cc. C. SMITH.
Cincinnati, Ohio, January 1, 1912.
CONTENTS

Foreworp, : - - - : a = S v
INTRODUCTION, - - - ES - - a vil
Cuapter I.

Earzy Lirs, - - - - - < 1
Cuapter II.

Scuoot Days at THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE, 12

Crapter III.
InterIM BETWEEN LEAVING THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN
Institutes aND Lanpina aT Monrovia, Liperta, 31

Cuapter IV.
Prriop Between Lanpine at Monrovia anp Locat-

ING AT SCHIEFFELIN, - - - 44
CHAPTER V.
Tue First YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN, - - - - 61

Cuapter VI.
Tue First Burtpinc Erecrep AND InctpENTs Con-

NECTED WITH THE GROWTH OF THE WoRK, 77
Cuapter VII.
Tue Erection of Tag ScHooL BuILDING AND THE
Work or tot Two Years Fouiowine, - 94
Cuapter VIII.
Jasos Krno.uy’s Vision ror Liperia, - - - 114

CuaptTer IX.
Crosinc Days anp DratuH, - - - - - 125

CuapTer X.
CHARACTERISTICS, - - - 145
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

FACING PAGH

Jacosp KENOLY, e - - - - Frontispiece.
ALLIson Haut, SoutHERN Curistian INstTITUTE, - 20
JacoB Kenoty AND OnE or His Lipertan Poplits, 40

Tue SKIN or THE SNakE Wuicw Jacop Kernoiy
KGLLED, = - - - - - - 84

Tue Dwewiinc House Errectep sy Jacop KEnoLy
AP THE Mission Station, - - . - 90

Tue Scnoot Burtpinc Erectep spy JaAcop KENOLY AT
THE Mission STATION, - - - - 100

Some or THE MempBers or THE CHURCH AND SOME
OF THE PUPILS OF THE SCHOOL ON THE VERANDA

oF THE ScHooL BuILDING, - - - - 110
James RuNDLES, - - - - - - - 120
Jacop Kenoty anp His WIFE, - - - - 130

View or tHE Lagoon at tHE Movuta or Wuaicu
Jacos Kenouy Lost His Lirs, - - 142
The Life and Work of
Jacob Kenoly.

a

CHAPTER I
EARLY LIFE

THE most that is known of the early life of
Jacob Kenoly is found in a sketch furnished by
himself to Mrs. Elizabeth W. Ross, of Eureka,
Illinois, who had written him for such a sketch.
As we read this some things are to be remem-
bered. It is the simple story of the struggles
of a poor Negro who had neither generations of
culture back of him, nor any advantages not
given to the average freedman of the South.
This sketch is given largely as he penned it.
There is no art bestowed upon it but the art of
simplicity. He would never have written thus
of himself had it not been asked of him. He
was urged to speak fully and frankly of his
struggles and trials as he sought an education.
To enter into sympathy with this account, one
1
2 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

must remember the natural inheritance of those
who were the direct descendants of those who
had been slaves, and thus were reared in the
reconstruction period. It was not easy for him
to learn. He not only had to work hard for a
chance for education, but had to work harder
than the ordinary person when he obtained the
chance. By this sketch we also learn that his
parents were godly. He was nurtured in an at-
mosphere of prayer. We now give this sketch
of his early life and struggles as written by
himself :

“‘T was born in Laclede County, Missouri,
about six miles north of Lebanon, in the year
1876. My parents had formerly been slaves in
the State of Alabama. Upon the cotton planta-
tions in this State they served their masters and
prayed earnestly that God would set them free
and give their children an opportunity of living
a better life.

‘‘Their prayers were answered. When they
had spent a good portion of their lives in faith-
ful service their emancipation came. My father
had learned to read the Bible, but my mother
was illiterate and had not learned well the prin-
ciples of a civilized life and was not prepared
to manage well life’s problem.

“*T was the oldest son among thirteen children,
though I had one sister who was my senior.
When I was eight years old my parents moved
EARLY LIFE 3

near Lebanon, where we attended the public
school; this being the only colored school in the
county. My sister and I attended this school a
part of two terms. Then my parents secured
a homestead of about one hundred and sixty
acres of land which was located twelve miles
west of Lebanon. This brought our school days
to an end.

‘“We were very anxious to attend school, so as
to be able to read and write. We spent many
hours at night studying, with no one to teach
us. My parents would sometimes say (to our
white neighbors), ‘I guess our children will have
to grow up ignorant, since we can not have
school.’ Some of them expressed their sym-
pathy, and promised that when they would visit
our home they would be glad to teach us, or help
us as much as they could with our lessons, which
they did. We were so anxious that sometimes
we would take our books to their homes. It
was not long until we had reached the place
where they could no longer help us with our
lessons, but we continued to study.

““The teacher of the white school came to our
home one day and said, ‘In some States the
white and colored children are permitted to at-
tend the same school,’ and that he meant to use
his influence in our behalf at the next meeting,
which he did with such effect that some of the
white people agreed to let us attend the white
4 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

school. I remember how glad we were to have
another opportunity to attend school, but we
only attended the first day, for some had com-
plained and said this could not be tolerated in
that State; so we went home with permission to
stay. My mother, who was illiterate, felt that
God did not mean His blessings for black people,
and after she expressed herself in this light we
all felt this had proven too true.

“‘T remember how dejected and sad we were
for a time. We remained in this secluded place
until I had reached the age of fifteen, when my
eldest sister and myself succeeded in getting a
place to work Saturdays and evenings and morn-
ings for our board; so by this arrangement we
were permitted to attend school in Lebanon.

“‘T remember what a severe winter we had
that year, and being unable to properly protect
ourselves from the severity of the weather, we
consequently became ill, from which my sister
never recovered. I felt very keenly her loss,
but attended school there another term.

“Tt was during this term when the colored
people were having protracted meeting that I
was persuaded against my will to the mourners’
bench. It was some months afterward when I
learned from the Word of God what He would
have me to do. A great many were converted, or
‘got religion,’ as they called it. Some saw some
very strange things during their conversion, but
EARLY LIFE 5

I could not see what they saw. I did not join
the Church when I learned to obey the Lord,
because there was a great contention between
the Methodists and Baptists as to the mode of
baptism.

**‘T continued in school until the close of the
term, when I went to St. Louis and secured a
position as carriage driver at 1637 North King’s
Highway at twenty dollars per month. This
position I held all summer. (I was there until
school opened.) I had saved my money, and
this time I attended summer high school in St.
Louis under Professor Ware’s administration.
Miss Armstrong, my teacher, was an experi in
making every lesson so clear that the dullest
pupil could gain a clear conception of the les-
sons taught. I boarded at King’s Highway and
went to school on the Eastern Avenue cars. I
made good grades at the examination and was
promoted to another class; so I had to buy new
books, which took most of the money that I in-
tended for car-fare.

“‘T felt very thankful to my Heavenly Father
for this opportunity and for the progress I felt
I was making; but my car-fare was just about
spent, and it was a long distance from my
boarding place to the school building. The time
had come to make different arrangements, for
I could not think of quitting school.

“‘T sought a place to board nearer school, but
6 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

failed; so I set out to walk. By starting at three
o’clock I could reach the school building in time
for class. I remember how sore I was the first
week from my long walk. Evcry policeman be-
tween King’s Highway and North Street was
acquainted with me, for they had occasion to
ask what my business was so early on the streets.
As I walked down the paved streets with the
electric lights which illuminated the surround-
ings, I would sometimes ask myself, ‘Will my
education ever benefit me if I should be success-
ful enough to get it?’ I would sometimes say,
‘I hope it will benefit some unfortunate boy or
girl.’ It was during this term I learned to
sympathize with any one who was unfortunate,
and I would say, ‘Had I a street car I would
make it my business to carry the boys and girls
to school every day.’

“‘T would sometimes think I had the hardest
time of any boy on earth. Even Providence
seemed against me; but this was the only time
which daunted me.

“One day the man with whom I was boarding
told me that he meant to pay my car-fare until
school was out, then I could pay him back. This
he did. God only knows how much I appreciated
this. I felt that now God was with me. I spent
the rest of the term in faithful study. Since
my opportunities had been so poor I meant to
use this one well. I thus continued until school
EARLY LIFE @

closed, and soon paid the good man and was
ready to return to Lebanon.

‘*When I reached Lebanon I found that an-
other one of my sisters had been buried—one
week before I reached home.

“‘T this time stayed at home on the farm
nearly two years. One year I was employed by
another farmer to make rails and shingles, and
part of the next year I worked in a woodyard.

**T one day went to Lebanon and bought a pa-
per. In this paper I saw an account of Professor
W. H. Councill’s school at Normal, Alabama,
where one might work for his education. I
thought this was my chance. I decided to go.
I went to Springfield end worked for the street
commissioner for one dollar and fifty cents per
day, and saved enough of it to pay my fare to
Huntsville, Alabama.

“*T this time decided I must not write home
until I had ceased to attend school, for I would
probably worry myself over something which
I could not help.

“‘T met Professor Councill in his office at Nor-
mal, Alabama, which is about four miles from
Huntsville. I applied for work so as to enter
school. He said: ‘I don’t know you, but I think
I see something in you. I will give you a trial
of one week.’ I remained there three years at
work and in school. I worked one month on
the plantation which belongs to the school. He

2
8 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

then gave me charge of his farm, with four boys
to assist me. While there I took a course in
scientific agriculture. That year I made the
farm clear four hundred dollars. I remember
how Professor Councill would often refer to
what I could do with a poor farm.

“The next year I had charge of the garden
which belonged to the Agricultural College, and
this was made a great success. There were ten
acres in this garden, and the pupils did not con-
sume all the vegetables raised there.

“‘T stayed in this college three years. At the
expiration of this time I went to Georgia and
secured a position as porter in a hotel. In this
hotel I met Brother Brindle, a (white) Christian
preacher, who took a great interest in me. I
would sometimes go to his room, aud we would
sit and talk for hours.

“‘T one day told him (after hearing Bishop
Turner preach a missionary sermon in which he
told many things about Africa) that I wanted
to attend school and prepare myself to help
those suffering ones in Africa.

“It was while in Georgia that I was baptized
by a Baptist minister, though I did not unite
with a Church. Brother Brindle told me of the
Southern Christian Institute and the opportu-
nity it afforded for colored people. These were
not idle words, for they have meant something
to this people in Africa.
EARLY LIFE 9

“Brother Brindle wrote the first letter to Pro-
fessor Lehman for me. We soon had a reply
which made me giad. This letter requested me
to come at once while there was an opening for
one more work student. I remember how thank-
ful I was to the Lord for another opportunity.
I scon arranged to leave the hotel. Many came
down from their rooms and expressed their sor-
row to have me leave. They all advised me to
be faithful and obedient as I had been there,
and God would make friends for me and would
open opportunities for me. I have found all
this to be true.

‘Somewhere in Alabama there was a bad
wreck. We had to stay there in the woods very
nearly all day. I remember that the fireman
was badly crushed (though not dead). I helped
to carry him into the sleeping-car and stayed
with him until we reached Birmingham, where
he was taken to the hospital.

““We reached Edwards, Mississippi, at six
o’clock A.M. I went to a business establishment
of a Mr. Moss, who directed me to the Southern
Christian Institute. It was ten o’clock when I
reached the station. President Lehman was
busy with the Bible class. Professor Compton
had one of the normal classes. Miss Britton had
the preparatory class. Going over to the next
building (which was the teacher’s home) I met
Mrs. and Mr. Ross. I met several students who
10 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

made me feel welcome. Many things happened
while here. I worked in the printing office part
of the time and on the farm awhile.

“‘My health was very poor the first year, but
the teachers were all very kind to me. Ars.
Ross was a mother to me. She was the proper
one to meet in the hour of discouragement. She
has many times scattered sunshine along my
way when it was darkened by adversities. I be-
lieve she had a gift from heaven which tended
to make burdens light. I always thank the Lord
for her life and for all who are connected with
the Southern Christian Institute. I soon felt
that the best friends that I had ever met in all
my life were those whom I found at this school.

“Tt was here at this institute that I learned
so many valuable lessons which have been so
helpful here in Africa. I became a Christian
and felt that I was the proper person to make
a sacrifice for the unfortunate ones. It was
here, through Mrs. Ross, I became acquainted
with Miss Denham, who has shown and is still
showing great interest in this work. I am very
thankful that my life has been touched with
such consecrated men and women.’’

It is also to be taken into account that this
modest sketch of Jacob Kenoly’s early life was
written in the midst of labors abundant in
Africa. It was written during equatorial heat
and when he had not proper food to strengthen
EARLY LIFE 11

his body. It not only reveals the providence
which guided him, but it also reveals much con-
cerning his character. He was obliged to obtain
his education and his Christianity in the hardest
way, and yet he became a self-appointed mis-
sionary to Africa. It was while he was getting
up at three o’clock A. M. and walking miles to
attend school that his first call to service came.
As he walked he asked the question: ‘‘Will it
benefit me? If not, I hope it will benefit some
other boy or girl.’’ The struggle he made to
get the light made him a good lightbearer to
others. The long lonely road in St. Louis trod-
den in the early morning hours leads direct to
Africa and to all the unfortunates who had not
a chance to receive the light. His long search
after religious truth and salvation for self
caused him, when the light came, to so prize
it that his desire to impart it to others became
the ruling passion of his life. When light
streamed upon his pathway he not only walked
in that light, but was anxious that all darkened
pathways should be lit with truth.
CHAPTER II

SCHOOL DAYS AT THE SOUTHERN
CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE

WE never know what may come from our slight-
est word or act. Two men and what they said
were the two direct influences which led Jacob
Kenoly to go to the Southern Christian Insti-
tute. In the fall of 1899, while on his way to
the Jubilee Convention, J. B. Lehman met D.
A. Brindle, then pastor of a church in Georgia,
and in parting Mr. Lehman said, ‘‘Send us a
Georgia boy to be educated, that he may return
to his State for future work.’’ Later Mr. Brin-
dle met Jacob Kenoly and took an interest in
and helped him, and remembering, no doubt,
Mr. Lehman’s request, pointed him to the
Southern Christian Institute. In the following
words Mr. Brindle tells of this:

‘‘Twelve years ago Jacob Kenoly was a porter
in the hotel at Conyers, Georgia. The same year
I was pastor of the Christian Church in that
town, and boarded at the hotel where Jacob
served. Soon my attention was attracted by his
politeness and faithful service. He was con-

12
SCHOOL DAYS 13

sidered honest and truthful, and we all trusted
him as we would but few of his race. I soon
became sufficiently interested in him to ask him
to come to my room, where I could talk with
him on the subject of religion. He told me that
he had made a profession of religion, but did
not know what Church to join. I told Jacob of
the Christian Church and the simple New Testa-
ment plea. That seemed to meet his wishes ex-
actly. He asked if there were any colored
churches of the New Testament order. I told
him of the many colored disciples in North Caro-
lina (my native State), and in Virginia, where
I spent three years in pastoral and evangelistic
work. He expressed a desire to go to school
where he could learn the New Testament, that
he might teach it to the people of his own race.
I told him of the Southern Christian Institute
at Edwards, Mississippi. At once he expressed
a desire to enter that school. I sent in his ap-
plication for admission, and it was received fa-
vorably.

‘Before writing a letter of recommendation
for him, he promised me that when he entered
the school he would obey the gospel and become
a member of the Church and begin at once to
study the Bible, that he might preach it to the
people of his race. He entered the school and
faithfully kept these promises. This is the first
chapter in the religious history of Jacob Kenoly.
14 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

After a brief but remarkable career the Master
has called him from his service as a missionary
in Liberia, Africa, to his eternal reward.

““D, A. BRINDLE, GRIFFIN, Ga.’’

We know not which will thrive, the seed sown
as we preach to the many, or as we plant the
truth in a single soul. God be praised that
D. A. Brindle took a deep interest in the spir-
itual welfare of a modest black porter in a
Southern hotel.

At the close of his sketch of his early life,
Jacob acknowledges his indebtedness to the
Southern Christian Institute, where he received
the training which fitted him to do the work he
had resolved to do. This is more fully revealed
in his letters to President Lehman and Mrs.
Ross, from which quotations will be made in fol-
lowing chapters. This points to the value of
the threefold training given at the school at Ed-
wards, Mississippi. Jacob Kenoly was given a
good education (in the common acceptation of
that term); then he was also trained to skill in
the different departments of manual labor, and
then there was the spiritual atmosphere in
which he obtained the definite religious train-
ing which, no doubt, was the means of stimu-
lating and fixing Jacob Kenoly’s half-formed
purpose of going to Africa. President Lehman
has ever selected as his teachers and co-workers
SCHOOL DAYS 15

at the Southern Christian Institute those not
only competent as instructors in the various
branches taught, but those having also high
ideals of Christian service and a lofty concep-
tion of the spirit of the Master and of personal
obligation to Him. Jacob Kenoly was pecul-
iarly susceptible to this influence. In his letters
he often acknowledges his obligation to it, and
was always anxious when he went out from it
to have others of his race blessed by its power
as he had been. When he was teaching in Africa
he was anxious from the very first that certain
ones of special promise should return and be
trained at the school which had been so much to
him, and he was willing to make any sacrifice
that they might receive this blessing. All this
illustrates the wisdom of providing the kind of
training given at the Southern Christian In-
stitute and of sending as instructors those of
spirituality of life having generations of Chris-
tian culture back of them to the Negroes of our
land who have come, as a race, but a little way
on the road of civilization. Lives such as the
one of whom record is given in this book do not
come by chance, but are the product of training
guided by the spirit of the Master. Blessed is
the one who when a vision of higher service for
Christ comes to him is so equipped as to be able
to make that vision a reality in his life’s work.

Jacob Kenoly was for four years a student
16 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

at the Southern Christian Institute, and so un-
der the direct influence of President J. B. Leh-
man and his co-workers. Then from the time
Jacob left the institute to the day of his death
Mr. Lehman kept in touch with him, and all
through his life in Africa wrote him often words
of advice and cheer, and often sent him material
aid. How much all this helped Jacob and was
prized by him is fully shown by his letters given
in the following chapters.

This sketch of the life of Jacob Kenoly would
not be complete without the following from Mr.
Lehman giving an account of Jacob’s school
days under him.

Mr. Lehman writes: ‘‘In going from Chatta-
nooga to Cincinnati en route to the Jubilee Con-
vention in October, 1899, I fell in with David
Brindle of Georgia. After a somewhat extended
conversation about the work, he said upon part-
ing, ‘What can I do for you?’ I said, ‘Send
us a Georgia boy to be educated, that he mav
return to his State for future work.’ He prom-
ised he would, and late in October I received
a letter from him saying that he was sending
a young man over who would enter as a work
student. He told me something of the religious
attitude of the young man and said that he
thought the Southern Christian Institute was
the place for him. About the first of December
the young man came, with just fifty cents in
SCHOOL DAYS 1”

his pocket. He gave his name as Jacob Kenoly,
and we put him to work in the printing office.
He said he had recently been at Normal, Ala-
bama, and that he had gone there from Ohio,
where he had either been servant at the Mc-
Kinley home or had served as servant to dele-
gations that visited Canton that summer. At
any rate the students here began to call him Me-
Kinley. He said he originally came from St.
Louis.

“‘Wrom the first day he came he was a very
hard-working man, but rather expensive, for he
was strong and was very hard on his clothes.
He soon impressed us as an exceptional young
man. After being here a month or more he
came to me with his religious difficulties. He
said he had once united with the Church, but
had become confused by the many denomina-
tions and was not then affiliated with any. He
said my sermons satisfied him; that he had
found just what he was looking for, but did not
know before that any people was preaching it.
He expressed a desire to become a member of
the Church, and did so the next Sunday morn-
ing.

“His grades were never high, for he had to
work too much for the good of his class-room
work, but his deportment was literally perfect.
After he had been in school about a year and
the struggle to support himself by work became
18 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

fierce, Mrs. Ross, then matron of the institution,
succeeded in inducing Miss Florence Denham,
then of Bloomington, Ilinois, to undertake to
raise him some support from her Endeavor So-
ciety. Help for him to the amount of probably
twenty dollars came from this source. When he
selected his site for the Liberian Christian In-
stitute he named the station Denham Station, to
keep fresh this gratitude. In memory of the
kindness of Mrs. Ross in this and other instances
he named his school building the Ross Building.

“The years from 1899 to 1902, the period in
which Jacob Kenoly attended the Southern
Christian Institute, were the last part of a pe-
riod which might be termed the sad and most
difficult period of the school. Beginning about
1596, we suffered fearfully from malarial and
yellow fever epidemics, and our finances were
entirely inadequate to meet such conditions.
Often one-half the students were busy nursing
the other half. In the years 1897 and 1898 we
went through two of the most severe yellow fever
epidemics experienced in this section, and in the
year 1898 we lost one of our most devoted work-
ers, Miss Blanche M. Beck, of Hiram, Ohio, and
in the year 1899 Will T. Allison gave the last
full measure of devotion. In the year 1900 two
of our workers had to go away, while many of
the student body were in the hospital. Jacoi
Kenoly contracted chronic malaria and was at
SCHOOL DAYS 19

the point of giving up his hope of fitting him-
self for larger usefulness. I prevailed upon
him to hold on a little longer. Soon thereafter
the doctors published their new theory that a
certain variety of mosquito was responsible for
malaria, and we began to act upon it at once,
somewhat to the derision of our local physicians.
Jacob slept under a mosquito bar and got per-
fectly well, and remained so for a year. <At the
end of that time our dormitory was full, and
he asked permission to sleep in a cabin. In just
eight days his malaria was back again, and he
was brought back and put under a mosquito bar
again, and he got well. This established the
theory for us, and we began in earnest to rid
ourselves of malaria. A curfew bell was rung
at sundown, and every boy and girl was re-
quired to get behind the mosquito bar. At first
they thought it a hardship, but they soon saw
that it was for their good; and so when the bell
would ring it was common to hear some boy yell,
‘Hurry up, boys, the mosquitoes are coming.’
By this method and the destruction of the breed-
ing places the institution was soon freed from
malaria, and in ten years succeeding probably
not a dozen hours of study or work have been
lost from this cause.

““To show how Jacob impressed us while he
attended school I wish to relate an incident:
One day I read in a paper of a Negro and a
20 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

white man in Indianapolis, Ind., who were in a
boiler, cleaning it, when a criminally thought-
less engineer turned the steam on. Both men
rushed for the ladder. The Negro got there
first and started up the ladder, when he sud-
denly stepped aside and said: ‘You have a wife
and children; I am single. You go first.’ By
the time the white man got out of the way the
Negro was so scalded that he could not get out.
Some one said he doubted whether this were
possible. I said, ‘Jacob Kenoly could do it.’

“On one occasion a number of our students
became insubordinate and inaugurated quite an
insurrection, and it required some heroic efforts
to put them to their proper place, and it is al-
ways very depressing to have to do such things.
Jacob, who had always been a boy looking for
advice and counsel, came around so much like
a father and said his people so little knew their
best interest and needed to be compelled to do
right. He seemed to be more of a man from
that moment.

“‘On another occasion I tried to persuade the
boys that it would be better for them to buy
coarse shoes, which the boys designated by the
cognomen of ‘bulls,’ for rough work out on the
campus. All but Jacob refused to be convinced.
He not only did not hesitate to wear the ‘bulls’
in his work on the campus, but kept them clean
and came into the classroom with them on. It
 

 

 

 

Tustitute which Jacob Kenoly said his big, African hands helped
, October, 1I0S.

  
SCHOOL DAYS 21

had a wholesome influence on the others, and
since that time we have had no great trouble in
having them wear these in rough work.

“‘One fall we built a porch at the back of the
mansion. We had plenty of time, but no money.
Jacob was assigned to the work. We hewed out
the sills, upper and lower joists, and rafters,
and I taught him how to level up carefully. He
asked me why we did not get sawed timber,
I replied that we had no money, and, besides
this, he might some time go to Louisiana into
the swamps to work, and then this experience
would be valuable. How little we knew we were
fitting him for just the work he chose in Liberia!

‘“‘When the day of graduation came in May,
1902, he was the only member of his class. He
was on the program for an oration and a solo.
The song was, ‘Then cling to the Bible, my boy,’
and he sang it with such unction that the large
audience fairly went wild. They called him
back the second and third time, and each time
he sang it with more force, ‘Whether roaming
on land or sea, cling to the Bible, my boy.’ It
fairly became an inspiration of his life, and I
am sure it was one of the songs with which he
afterwards said he made the jungle ring.

“‘On the night of the reception Mr. Babcock
and I presented him with a square, a saw, and
a hammer, for we knew he would have to do
manual labor as soon as he left school in order
22 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

to replenish his depleted wardrobe. In pre-
senting them to him I tried to make it a little
facetious by saying: ‘Here is a square; if you
find things crooked, square them up. Here is
a saw; if you find things that you can not square
up, saw them off. Here is a hammer; if you
find things that are good, nail them down.’ He
replied that he intended to go to Africa. This
was the first time that he revealed his purpose
to me, though I think he had mentioned it to
some of the others.

““Thus closed his career at the Southern Chris-
tian Institute, and as we look upon it now it
looks more like a combination of incidents. It
was the preparation of a life for great useful-
ness in the field he chose as his field of labor.
To us his death seems untimely and a great loss.
He was cut off just as his mission began to take
hold of the mission-loving people everywhere,
but our Heavenly Father knows best. He could
have given safe conduct through the angry cur-
rent off the coast of Schieffelin, but He decreed
otherwise, and we bow to His will.

“J. B. LEHMAN,
“President Southern Christian Institute."’

While Jacob Kenoly was a student at the
Southern Christian Institute, Mr. and Mrs. A.
T. Ross were workers there; he as superintend-
ent of industries and she as matron of the bovs’
SCHOOL DAYS 23

dormitory. Mrs. Ross was a great help to all
the boys who came under her care; but to such
a spirit as Jacob’s she was a great inspiration,
and was, no doubt, one of the influences used of
God which helped in the perfecting and molding
of this marvelous life. She was to him as a
spiritual mother, and he loved and esteemed her
probably more than any one else. In his letters
he speaks most often of her and of Miss Flor-
ence Denham, formerly of Bloomington, Illinois,
but now of Des Moines, Iowa, who aided Jacob
in his struggle to remain at the Southern Chris-
tian Institute and in his work to the close of
his life, and for whom he named his mission at
Schieffelin, calling it ‘‘Denham Station.’’ To
Mrs. Ross he wrote often, and in his darkest
hours in Africa ‘poured out his soul to her as
to no other. He called her ‘‘Mother’’ and
named his school building the ‘‘Ross’’ Building.

The following tribute from Mrs. Ross is of
great value and interest. She too writes of his
life at the Southern Christian Institute and
throws additional light on certain phases of his
character. In sending this concerning him, Mrs.
Ross says: ‘‘I am sending a few remembrances
of Jacob’s life. But no tongue or pen could do
him justice.’’

*‘T thank my God upon every remembrance
of Jacob Kenoly for his fellowship in the gospel
from the first day until now. My own faith is

3
24 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

strengthened, my sympathies quickened, my con-
science smitten whenever I recall his fidelity,
his faithfulness, his unselfishness, his absolute
trust, his devotion to God. I think all the
workers at the Southern Christian Institute
would sanction the testimony as given by the
registrar of the State Agricultural and Mechan-
ical College of Normal, Alabama, where Jacob
was a student in 1897-99. Mr. Hopkins writes:
‘Jacob was a diligent but not a brilliant student.
He finished our course in agriculture in 1898.
He was faithful to duty, correct in his moral
life, and a devoted Christian. Our late presi-
dent, W. H. Councill, held him in high esteem.
Jacob contributed no little to the maintenance
of his sister, Ella Kenoly, who was in school
here for several years, having graduated this
year in domestic science.’

“‘T want to mention a few characteristics and
incidents of his life at the Southern Christian
Institute. His love for God and His Word of
Truth was a striking element of his character.
He seemed to have reverence for the Book itself.
While using his Bible daily, he took the greatest
care of it, often wrapping it in a soft paper
when he laid it away. One of his favorite songs
was, ‘O cling to the Bible, my boy,’ which he
would sing as a solo, always holding the Book
tenderly next to his heart. He had great re-
spect for and appreciation of his teachers. It
SCHOOL DAYS 25

was a matter of keen regret and humiliation to
him when any of his fellow students made us
trouble. His people meant so much to him, he
was so much one of them, that he really suf-
fered when one of them went wrong as if they
were a part of himself; like the Master, he bore
their sins on his heart. At one time we had an
incorrigible boy in school—bad-tempered, inso-
lent, and vicious. He had been reproved, ad-
monished, and punished, but to no avail. Jacob
had reasoned with and entreated him with seem-
ingly no effect upon the refractory boy. One
day, when they were in the woods chopping,
Jacob took the boy, tied him to a tree, and gave
him a hard whipping. I can never forget the
expression on Jacob’s face as he told me what
he had done. He was serious and earnest as
if he had faced a hard duty and performed it
conscientiously. The bad boy was helped, at
least he always manifested: a wholesome respect
for-Jacob.

“At one time Jacob was so destitute of clothes
he thought he would leave school and go out to
work a while. President Lehman did not want
him to do that; so I said, ‘Wait a lttle, Jacob,
and I will see what can be done.’ I wrote to
the Christian Endeavor Society at Bloomington,
Illinois, and to the Ladies’ Aid at Pomona, Cali-
fornia, and soon heard from both places. Mrs.
Mamie Denham Strohmeir answered from
26 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

Bloomington, saying the Christian Endeavor So-
ciety would like to take Jacob and help him
through school, and enclosed eight dollars. Mrs.
H. T. Buff sent five dollars from Pomona. We
called Jacob up to the office and told him, but
he straightened himself up and thanked us, but
said he could not accept the money, as he was
able to work for his clothes. ‘Better give the
money to some weak one who can not work,’ he
said. Mr. Lehman gave him extra work around
the premises to let him feel that he had earned
the money. The young people at Bloomington
continued to send money at regular intervals,
and sent letters to Jacob, which he answered
promptly, always bringing them to me to cor-
rect. J would mark them, and then he would
laboriously and with great care rewrite them
and bring them again, to see that there were no
mistakes. One day the Bloomington letter came,
but in a strange handwriting. It was from Miss
Florence Denham, with the inclosed amount of
money, but bearing the sad news that her be-
loved sister, Mrs. Strohmeir, had died suddenly.
‘When I read the letter to Jacob his great eyes
filled with tears, and with trembling lip he said.
‘T have lost a friend.” The account of Mrs.
Strohmeir’s death was sent to me, and also her
picture. Jacob wished so much that he could
have the picture; so I cut it out of the paper
and gave it to him, and he pasted it in his Bible
SCHOOL DAYS 27

and wrote under it, ‘My true friend.’ I have
no doubt but that the Bible that was stolen from
him on his trip from Liverpool to Monrovia
bears on its fly-leaf the sweet likeness of Mrs.
Strohmeir. The society at Bloomington at one
time wrote to me, wanting to send Jacob to
Eureka College; but he was graduated from the
Southern Christian Institute, had gone to Ar-
kansas, built a log schoolhouse, and was teaching
and preaching and doing so much good that it
seemed wiser to let him stay at his work. But
Bloomington has always felt a deep interest in
Jacob, and Miss Florence Denham kept up cor-
respondence with him and helped him in many
ways. Jacob in loving remembrance called his
place in Liberia ‘Denham Station.’ The con-
versation with Jacob that remains most vividly
with me was one Sunday after morning worship.
He asked me to tell him more of my girlhood
friend, Lydia Walker Good, who spent twenty
years in Africa. I had told the Young Men’s
Christian Association the night before something
of her life. I told Jacob of the heroic lives of
Mr. and Mrs. Adolphus C. Good, and how he
had laid down his life in Africa, and that Mrs.
Good was now in this country educating their
only child, Irwin, to go back and take his fa-
ther’s place.

‘* Jacob listened so earnestly and thoughtfully,
and said, ‘Mrs. Ross, white folks can’t live in
23 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

Africa; you all can’t stand that climate, but we
ean. I'll go myself some day.’ I just felt in
my heart that Jacob would do what he said.
I did not know how or when, but those words
rang in my ear like a prophecy; and when I
broke the seal of that first letter bearing date
July, 1905, Monrovia, Liberia, West Africa, I
knew that God had led Jacob into his heart’s
desire to teach his people in that dark land. I
have kept all of Jacob’s letters. In them there
is never a fault found with any one, but his
heart was full of thanksgiving and praise for
what had been done.

“The first foreign missionary sent out by the
disciples was a Negro slave boy of Kentucky,
Alexander Cross, who went to Monrovia in 1852.
It has always seemed to me a significant thing
that Jacob Kenoly should after all these years
have gone to the same place and lifted again the
banner of the Lord Jesus where the nerveless
hands of Alexander Cross laid it down. I wrote
to Jacob of that early work. He made inquiry
and found people who remembered Alexander
Cross and his work, though he lived but a short
time. Another life for Africa!

‘<¢ oT Gg the way of the cross.’ It takes life
to save life. Young Golaz and his wife died
within a year after going to Africa. To the
friend who wiped the death-damp from his brow
SCHOOL DAYS 29

he said: ‘Tell the Church at home not to be dis-
couraged if the first workers fall in the field.
Our graves will mark the way where others will
march past in great strides.” Jacob Kenoly has
not lived in vain, neither labored in vain. Years
will come and years will go; his body will lie
near the mission he so loved, where the ocean
waves will sing his requiem, but the story of his
heroic life will be told, others will be constrained
to go, and so the old, old story will be told
until every river town and every forest tribe
shall have heard of the salvation of our God.
Then shall the King see the travail of His soul
and be satisfied in the redemption of Africa.

‘*HLIZABETH W. Ross.

“Bureka, Ill., Oct. 8, 1911.’’

In the above account Mrs. Ross speaks of
Alexander Cross, the slave boy who was sent as
a missionary to Monrovia, Liberia, in 1852. On
a recent visit to Kentucky a member of the Ex-
ecutive Committee of the Christian Woman’s
Board of Missions obtained additional informa-
tion in regard to this, and writes of it as fol-
lows: ‘‘Some of the officers of the Church at
Hopkinsville, Kentucky, bought a young Negro
slave, Alexander Cross, and educated him as a
missionary and sent him to Liberia, Africa, in
1852. This church justly feels a pride in hav-
30 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

ing sent out the first missionary among our peo-
ple. They were very hopeful of results from
the work of Alexander Cross, but this young
man lived less than two years after reaching the
field.’’ ;
CHAPTER IIT

INTERIM BETWEEN LEAVING THE
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN INSTITUTE
AND LANDING AT MONROVIA,
LIBERIA

AS THERE is no consecutive narrative of the
above period, the incidents are traced, as nearly
as possible, from letters in the writer’s posses-
sion. These letters are all addressed to Mr.
Lehman.

Jacob Kenoly finished his course at the South-
ern Christian Institute in May, 1902. His first
letter after this is written from Bentonville,
Arkansas, January 27, 1903. In it he speaks
of his work in Jared, Arkansas, which place is
twenty-eight miles from Bentonville and from
any railroad station. A white man had given
Jacob the privilege of cutting trees on his plan-
tation in order to get logs for a combined school-
house and church for the colored people, who
were so isolated that they had no school privi-
leges. He writes, ‘‘I hewed all the logs for this
building excepting five.’’ He then describes the
old-fashioned ‘‘raising’’ they had for this build-

81
32 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

ing. In this he notes that a large number of
white men tock part, and that a Brother and
Sister Casey furnished the dinner near by, so
that no time from the work was lost. And so at
night the building was nearly completed. In
this letter he speaks very highly of the moral
condition of the people there and says: ‘‘They
are quiet and orderly, and there is no intem-
perance. I am told Satan does not lift very high
his banner where he has to walk so far and en-
counter so many hardships.’’? Satan as well as
God was a very real personage with Jacob. But
the people lacked some in both intelligence and
enterprise; so it was his purpose to teach and
inspire them. He taught day school and or-
ganized a Sunday school and Christian En-
deavor Society and preached as opportunity
afforded.

In his next letter he tells of working three
weeks at Fayetteville helping to build a house
for a Mr. Young. He also built a house in Ben-
tonville and one at Lincoln, about twenty-five
miles from there. He speaks of meetings held in
Bentonville and Huntsville and in the log school-
house built largely with his own hands. As
there were not enough families in the church
where he ministered to continue the Sunday
school, he taught in the Baptist Sunday school.
Of this he writes, ‘‘One old brother wanted the
school to stop me from teaching because I had
LEAVING FOR MONROVIA 33

taught that Apollos and those he baptized were
Baptists until Aquila and Priscilla showed them
their mistake.’’

In a letter written from Bentonville, June 5,
1903, he says: ‘‘I am certainly glad to see in
The Gospel Plea that five students have been
faithful enough to complete their course. This
has taken sacrifice on your part. I am glad
there is one there who can have patience with
my people until they can overcome their many
mistakes. I thought I knew all about my peo-
ple’s mistakes, and I did know some things
about them; but when I began to teach and to
deal with them, I now feel like saying that no
one knows anything about any people until he
deals with them. Since I wrote you last I have
been over to Huntsville. JI have completed the
church which I began to build last winter, and
have organized a Sunday school and held a meet-
ing. They are certainly proud of their building,
and they will have public school there this fall.
I had the good pleasure of saying I used the
hammer and saw and square, which the good
people of the Southern Christian Institute
gave me.’’

In different letters he tells of his various em-
ployments—sometimes working at the carpen-
ter’s trade, sometimes running a reaper in the
grain fields, and always preaching as opportu-
nity afforded. At last he is called to teach in
34 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

the public school in Bentonville. Here he taught
eight months, all the time working among the
weak churches in Northwest Arkansas. He also
tells of a visit he made among his relatives in
Missouri, and of his soliciting students for his
beloved Southern Christian Institute. The last
letter written to Mr. Lehman while in the United
States was in January, 1904. In none of these
letters does he mention his purpose of going to
Liberia. His next letter to him was written in
August, 1905, from Monrovia, Liberia.

This period of Jacob’s career is given thus
fully not because there is anything especially re-
markable in it, but because it reveals to some
extent the spirit of the man. His reference to
being glad because of the patience of Mr. Leh-
man with his people explains much in his after-
life. The sins and follies of his people rested
on him. Whatever was done for them was done
for him. This making himself one with them
accounted in large measure for the great pur-
pose of his life. Their need was his call. Then
the call came to him from his people near at
hand as well as far off. So many dream of mis-
sion fields far away and pass the open door near.
In the mountains of Arkansas working on log
buildings and in the fields, and teaching his
people in day school and Sunday school and
preaching for them, he was receiving perhaps
the best training possible to fit him for his mis-
LEAVING FOR MONROVIA 35

sion among natives in Liberia. He started to
Africa by way of Arkansas. In the Ozark
Mountains he finished his schooling for work
among the wild men in the jungles of Africa.
The best training for werk among the heathen
is work among the half-heathen at our gate. All
this time Jacob was planning his journey to the
“Dark Continent.’’ Strange as it may seem,
while doing this kind of mission work he was
saving twenty per cent of all he received, for his
proposed mission across the sea. The call which
came to Jacob was not to have some one send
him to the millions who know not God, but the
call he received from the Father was for him
to go to them with the Bread of Life. So in the
three years of toil in Arkansas he must have
had the vision of his future field before him.
Then stranger still was the fact that he made
no mention of his purpose, as far as we know,
to any one. The only allusion found in any
of his letters was this, ‘‘I have saved money,
and if I do not go to school any more I want
to go where more of my people are found.’’ The
first letter from Liberia gives a hint as to why
he did not mention his purpose: ‘‘The people in
Bentonville, Arkansas, and Okmulgee, Indian
Territory, where I have been at work and where
they have had an opportunity to learn some-
thing about me, say that I believe in showing
my determination by my works. I had planned
36 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

to go to the Southern Christian Institute, to
see you all before I went, but did not succeed.
I started from Muscogee, Indian Territory,
June 5, 1905, and arrived in Monrovia, Liberia,
July 26th. I stopped many days in New York
City and many days in Liverpool, England.”’

The reference to Okmulgee in the above is
the only mention found in the letters in the
writer’s possession of his year’s work in the
Indian Territory. The following from F. L.
Van Voorhis in The Missionary Tidings, issue
of May, 1909, throws light on this period:

“It was while I was ministering for the
church at Okmulgee, then in Indian Territory.
One Monday morning, early in the fall of 1904,
I met a Negro on the street who, even while
some distance away, gave me the impression of
being different from the other colored men of
the town. As we approached each other he
lifted his hat and in a genteel, unhesitating man-
ner said, ‘This is the Christian minister, I be-
lieve.’ I said it was my honor. ‘I took the
liberty,’ he said, ‘to hear your sermon from
the sidewalk last night, and I hope you will not
consider it an intrusion. I am a member of
the Christian Church, and it is a great pleasure
to hear the kind of preaching to which I have
been accustomed. I seldom get to hear our
people now.’ I assured him that he was more
LEAVING FOR MONROVIA 37

than welcome to all that he could get from our
services. His unusual intelligence, simplicity
of manner, and seeming straightforwardness
appealed to me at once. He then told me that
his name was Kenoly, ‘Jacob Kenoly,’ he said.
‘I am a graduate of the Southern Christian In-
stitute—Mr. Lehman’s school, you know. You
no doubt are acquainted with Mr. Lehman and
with C. C. Smith?’ How his face did light up
with pride and gratitude at the mention of these
names! He told me some very interesting things
concerning the institution and individuals con-
nected with it. He told me that he had come
to Okmulgee in search of work, and had found
employment with the Frisco Railroad as baggage
manager and mail carrier. ‘But,’ he said, ‘I ex-
pect this to be only temporary, for I expect soon
to start a school, a Bible training school, for
my people. I came to this part of the country
hoping that I might find an opening for such
an enterprise. I realize that I will have to wait
God’s own good time, and that whenever I do
start it must be in a meager way.’ I was in-
terested. I like the black fellow. The feeling
grew on me. Many a Sunday evening he would
come quietly to the study after the congregation
had assembled, and depart with as little intru-
sion before it was dismissed. His presence,
lnown only to me, was always an inspiration.
38 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

There seemed to be a response which was lacking
when he was not there. He came to me on the
street one day and, handing me seventy-five
cents, asked that I have The Christian Standard
sent to his name for six months. He informed
me not long after that he had found a few mem-
bers of the Christian Church among his people
and expected, with my advice and help, to try
to do some work amongst the Negroes soon.
I assured him that he would have my hearty co-
operation. ,

‘‘One day some one else began carrying the
mail. It was a week before I thought much
about it. I then began to inquire for Jacob
Kenoly. All I could learn was that he was gone.
Where or in what direction he had taken his
way I could not determine. I missed him. He
had made an unusual impression upon me.
Some way I expected to hear from him again.
Two years passed, and then I read his story in
The Missionary Tidings and other periodicals.
I was not surprised, but delighted beyond meas-
ure. Some way it was about what I had ex-
pected. As nearly as I can trace, he had gone
from Okmulgee to the fair at St. Louis, and that
was the beginning of his remarkable and event-
ful journey to Africa. Some day, when I am
relieved of heavy church-building obligations
and duties, I hope to be accounted as one of the
liberal supporters of the work of Jacob Kenoly
LEAVING FOR MONROVIA 39

in Liberia. May the good Father give him
physical strength and faith for a great work
among his people.

“‘BRaNK L. Van Vooruis.”’

The most connected account in the writer’s
possession of his journey to and landing in
Africa is in a letter written to Mrs. Ross from
Marshall, Liberia, after he had been in Africa
a year and four months: ‘‘It has always been
my desire to do missionary work among my peo-
ple in Africa. The last time I met our Chris-
tian Endeavor Society at the Southern Christian
Institute I told the Endeavorers that I meant
my greatest work to be in Africa, and on leav-
ing school this was the greatest thing before me.
I taught school in Bentonville, Arkansas, and
managed to save a little money. I then went to
St. Louis to the World’s Fair. From there I
meant to go to Eureka, but I met several people
from the Congo, South Africa. After hearing
my plans they became very anxious for me to
go with them. The steamer on which they in-
tended to go left New York on a certain day.
This would be a great deal cheaper for me. I
must first go to Oklahoma to see my cousins, and
be in New York in time. On making the rounds
I reached New York City after my friends were
twenty-four hours on the way. I was greatly
disappointed. I stopped in New York many

4
40 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

days, and met pecple who lived in Liberia who
gave me information. I decided to go alone, and
was soon on my way to Liverpool. I had to
wait many days on the steamer in Liverpool.
After paying board in New York I found my
money had disappeared very rapidly, so I had
not enough to go on this steamer. I went to
the Liberian consul’s office and told my in-
tentions and condition, and asked him to use
his influence that I might get work to help pay
my passage, which he kindly consented to do.
He added, ‘We do not generally do this; in fact
we have made a rule against this, but I feel sure
you will be a great help to those people there,
so you may come here early to-morrow and I
will see what I can do.’ As I came the next
day he said: ‘Get your baggage down to the
stage at eleven. The next steamer leaves this
morning, and I will be there and see that you
get off.’ His voice was like something we don’t
hear every day. You might guess how I felt
then. It was while working in the kitchen of
this steamer that I had the misfortune of hav-
ing my clothing and valuable papers stolen,
which made me think I was doing wrong in
going to Liberia. I had many things to dis-
courage me.’’

In writing of the above he says: ‘‘I do not
like to tell my misfortunes, but on this occasion
feel it necessary. While coming from Liverpool
 

 

 

 

ya Kenoly and a Liberian pupil who made the highest
e

grades through one lerm of school,
LEAVING FOR MONROVIA 41

to this place there was a man claiming to be
a preacher who got on board for the Madeira
Islands. His bunk was next to mine. He spent’
much time every night in telling why every one
should belong to his own denomination. When
he went on shore he took one large telescope of
mine with all its contents, including my recom-
mendations and my diploma.’’

From later letters it appears that all of
Jacob’s books, his Bible, his all was in that tele-
scope; so when he landed in Monrovia the 26th
of July, 1905, all he had were the old clothes
in which he had served as cook on the steamer,
his faith in God in his heart, and the truths
of the Bible in memory.

Some things in the above wonderful account
should perhaps be noted. How intense was his
desire to go to Africa to carry the message of
salvation to those who knew it not! Everything
revolved around this desire. He found what
he was looking for. Who but one filled with
such desire would have found the people in
St. Louis going to the Congo? Can we imagine
his disappointment on missing connection in
New York with that steamer? Perhaps we can
not, for it may be we have never felt so im-
pelled to carry the gospel message to those who
know it not. In the great city of New York
he found people who had lived in Liberia. He
again found, in the midst of the multitude, the
42 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

very people who could aid him on his way.
They must have told him of a better chance of
getting to Africa from Liverpool. Who but
one so filled would have thought of going to
the Liberian consul to get an opportunity to
work his way in an African steamer that he
might go to the Dark Continent with gospel
light? What expressions of joy when the way
was open! ‘‘This voice was like something we
do not hear every day.’’ ‘‘You might guess
how I felt then.’? We may not ‘‘guess,’’ for
it is probable we have never felt the intense
desire. ‘‘How I felt,’’ when the way was open
through separation from all the things he had
loved, to go to a dark continent where igno-
rance and superstition prevailed. Yes, the way
was open to mud huts and hunger and thirst
and destitution and peril and sufferings with-
out number, for the joy of bringing salvation
to the lost. If such an intense desire filled the
souls of all who bear the name of Christ, we
could take the Glad Tidings to every soul on
the face of the whole earth in a single generation.

Then another trial was to come. He lost all,
and so for a long time was crippled in his mis-
sion—no letters of introduction, no Bible, no
books with which to teach the natives, no fit
clothing in which to seek aid or direction. All
gone. He was alone to face heathenism, If
before he had understood the words concerning
LEAVING FOR MONROVIA 43

the Redeemer, ‘‘who for the joy that was set
before Him endured the eross, despising the
shame,’’ he now felt the awful separation of
one who thinks himself deserted by the Father.
Jacob wrote to a friend after the above loss,
‘It made me think I was doing wrong in com-
ing to Liberia;’’ and to another, ‘‘I thought
God was displeased with my going to Liberia;”’
and again, ‘‘I was landed in Africa, where I
met the greatest trial of my life; insomuch I
began to think it was a mistake to come, and
God did not want me to do this work, else He
would have prevented these things, for my bag-
gage was all taken, and IJ landed almost bare
among strangers who had no kind words to give
one coming in this state.’’ Yet with all this
he turns his face to the jungle with the torch
which God had lit in his own soul.
CHAPTER IV

THE PERIOD BETWEEN LANDING AT
MONROVIA AND LOCATING AT
SCHIEFFELIN

It may be well for us at this time, as we follow
this narrative, to have in mind the condition of
our missionary who was come to bring the gos-
pel to the natives in Africa. He is without any
support. His friends in the United States do
not even know of his undertaking. He is ragged
and utterly destitute. He has no thought of
appealing to any one for aid. He is as yet ig-
norant of the conditions he must meet and the
dangers he must avoid. No one there has any
sympathy for him in his undertaking, and no
welcome for one in rags. Humanly speaking,
what must the end be? If we had been con-
sulted, would we not have replied, ‘‘Utter fail-
ure?’’ And would we not have given some
such sage advice as this, ‘‘It is well, before un-
dertaking even an enterprise so worthy, to sit
down and count the cost; even in working for
God we must be prudent, and not undertake the
impossible ?”’

Before entering upon the story of Jacob

44
JUNGLE LIFE 45

Kenoly’s first experience in Liberia we will
briefly give some of his impressions in this, to
him, strange land. In a letter from Liberia,
written soon after his arrival, he mentions the
difference between conditions as he found them
there and those to which he had been accustomed
here. In a letter to J. B. Lehman, dated
August 6, 1905, two weeks after he landed in
Liberia, he says: ‘‘I started from Muskogee, In-
dian Territory, June 5th, and arrived in Mon-
rovia, July 26, 1905. Last Sunday I spoke in
the Presbyterian church and am to speak in
the Methodist church to-day. I do not find
any brethren who claim to be Christians only.
The opportunities are great here. They only
need to be used. There are not many who speak
English, but they have one who interprets for
them when an English-speaking man instructs
them on the Lord’s day.

“The people do not understand farming here,
and the market is very slim. The natives eat
almost anything, and some of those who are not
natives do this also; and it is, I believe, the cause
of so much sickness in this place. If they would
eat their food from cultivated soil it would be
much better for their health.

“There are no railroads or horses in this
place, and there is a great deal of walking done.
The natives are used to carrying heavy loads
on their backs. There are railroads and horses
46 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

farther down the coast. Here it is something
like America was in the early days. There is
plenty tc do, and doing it will change this coun-
try and make it what it should be.”’

We now give quotations from letters written
by Jacob during 1905 and 1906 which give his
ideas of the strange land to which he had come:

“In this country medicines, cloth, paper, and
things of that nature are very, very dear, and
money is very scarce. Almost any kind of vege-
tation grows here, and yet but little attention
is paid to farming. They seem to satisfy them-
selves with coffee and rice. The greatest thing
I have seen in the line of machinery is a coffee
mill,

“‘Around Monrovia the Americo-Liberians are
generally successful in trading, but there are
no manufactories or anything of that kind.
The lumber is sawed by hand. There is only
one newspaper at Monrovia and one at Bassa;
so you see the reading matter is somewhat scarce.

‘““They have very good government schools,
but the teachers are paid no cash. ‘The govern-
ment can’t afford it,’ they say. No preparation
is being made for the heathen boy or girl that
I can see. These are very anxious to learn.
But when they do have opportunities opened
to them, the pafents become alarmed to see that
their children know the books.’’

December 1, 1905, Jacob was about thirty
JUNGLE LIFE 47

miles back from Monrovia and wrote: “‘I have
seen about one dozen white families in this part.
They are all German traders and have a great
many natives working for them. The native
man, or ‘bush man’ as he is called, wishes for
education, though he has but little opportunity
to obtain it. When his boy is about four years
old he is sold to some one who has a coffee farm,
or to some business man that he may become
civilized. A man will sometimes give his boys
away, I learn. These bovs sell from twenty-five
dollars upward, but the girls are more expensive
than the boys. They cost from two to three hun-
dred dollars, which is paid in country currency,
which consists of cloth, brass kettles, rubber, and
such.”’

Again he writes: ‘‘There is a great demand
for teachers in this country, but the country
needs farmers more than anything else. The
people have nothing with which to cultivate.
They only plant, and then go home to come back
no more until gathering time.’’

When sixty miles back in the jungle from
Monrovia, Jacob writes: ‘‘Here almost every
kind of animal, reptile, and insect is found.
Here the forest is so dense with millions of vines
and plenty of undergrowth that it is impossible
to walk through without cutting your way.
Here there is a large population of natives who
live in their little thatch huts. Some few are
48 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

Americo-Liberians, old settlers of this place.’’
In this same letter, written August 4, 1906, he
says: ‘‘We are having our rainy season now,
which will last until December. We will then
have six months of hot, dry weather. I have
been teaching during the rains. While I am
writing this letter there are twenty African
boys before me conning over their lessons which
they will recite afterwhile.’’

September 4, 1906, he writes: ‘‘Monrovia is
a not very healthful place. The water there is
not good. The expenses for living are very
great, and many times those who have n’t plenty
can not get food when the steamers are late and
the heavy rains prevent the farmers from bring-
ing in what they have to sell.

“The main bread for this country is the
casada, bread-fruit, and rice. We have the eddo,
which is something like the Irish potato in taste,
but looks nothing like it. Most of the meat is
taken from the African forest except in the sea-
port towns. The lard is taken from the palm
tree, one of the most valuable trees in Africa.
The outside of the palm nut makes a red oil,
but when it is burned a little, becomes clear;
the palm nut is broken and the kernel makes a
clear oil. The palm tree makes a cabbage which
is used like our cabbage of the United States.
The leaves of the palm tree are used in cover-
ing houses and to make hammocks and ropes
JUNGLE LIFE 49

and fish lines. I will send you part of one leaf,
so you can see the fiber.

“The casada is boiled in water until thor-
oughly cooked. Some of them, when cooked, be-
come very mealy, others are starchy and can be
eaten as though they were bread. Most people
put it ina churn and with a pestle churn it until
it looks and behaves like flour dough. This they
call ‘dumboil.’ After putting with it broth of
whatever kind of meat they have, they will eat
with a long spoon. They think they must not
chew, so they swallow such large pieces that it
is very unbecoming. The bread-fruit can be
prepared in like manner. Our rivers have
plenty of fish; so when the people are fortunate
enough to catch fish or kill animals fit for food,
they do very well. Very few people have hogs
or cows, and I see no reason for this excepting
laziness.

“The houses in which some of the Americo-
Liberians live are very good houses for Liberia.
They have a zine roof, and the frame covered
with zine and sealed with this country’s lumber
on the inside and openings cut for windows with
shutters, but no glass in the windows, especially
in this part. The native builds his house with-
out any foundation or pillars or nails. In some
eases he cuts small poles and ties the ends to-
gether and arranges the roof of his house in
the form of the cone. This is generally ten
50 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

to twelve feet covered with thatch from the
bamboo or palm leaf. Some drive sticks in
the earth about two inches apart and plaster
with mud, but leave no windows for air or light.
In many cases it is dark as night at noonday
in these huts. The people seem to fancy this
kind of building above any other kind. Their
bed consists of a mat generally about one-fourth
inch thick, made with their own hands from
the pith of the bamboo. When this is spread
on the earth in their houses, the bed is ready.
They sometimes make it large enough to lay one
part down and cover with the other; so you see
they can take up their bed and walk et any
moment.

“‘ Although they live in this loose manner, the
standard of morality is better than might be
expected. I do not know that one could call it
morality, either, but it is the strict country law
made in their secret society called the ‘Devil’s
Bush,’ that whoever troubles their women must
die. You may mistreat a man any other way,
and nothing much is done or said; but when
one comes across this obligation the end comes.
There have been several deaths here in Liberia
since I have been here from this, and some few
Americo-Liberians for the same reason have
been poisoned. Some who are more civilized
and do not get into the ‘Devil’s Bush’ must re-
gard this law also,
JUNGLE LIFE 51

‘“‘They have a belief in God which is tainted
with superstition so much that their belief in
God is no advantage to them. A horn of a cow
or sheep or goat is very sacred. It is believed
that it has power to do almost anything they
wish to have it do. Almost every country-man
here, other than those who are civilized, has a
horn of one of these animals about his person.
I have seen several Americans with the same.

‘“Those who are converted to Christ are gen-
erally more faithful than are many professing
Christians in America.’’

Jacob was pleased to note the high place ‘‘big
Ameriea’’ held with the native. America with
him being next to heaven.

In his stay of a few weeks in Monrovia he
tells of a trip he made into the country with a
government agent who was carried in a hamn-
mock. He wrote: ‘‘I went along for exercise
and experience, and got plenty of both.’ He
could with difficulty keep in sight of them, so
fast did they travel. When they came to a
stream they would wait and carry him aecyoss.
He writes: ‘“‘If one could get even a glimpse of
this country and its inhabitants, he would won-
der why more real work is not done to uplift
the people. Almost everything done in a re-
ligious way is a sham, even when the whole is
not asham.’’ Jacob seldom thus wrote or spoke
in the spirit of criticism. He always saw the
52 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

good rather than the evil when there was any
good to see. We learn from his letters that
when he first landed he hired out as a carpenter
at Monrovia at seventy-five cents a day, in order
to renew his wardrobe. He was soon taken with
the acclimating fever, and because of the very
unhealthful conditions in Monrovia he made his
way into the country. His first stop was thirty
miles out. Of this experienee he writes thus:
““The second day I could not walk and did not
know anything, but with God’s help I got over
that bad spell. I do not know how.’’

Some years later the writer of this sketch re-
quested him to write more fully of his trials and
experiences In Africa, in order to aid in the
representation of his cause to the churches here.
A part of the reply to this request we now give,
as it undoubtedly belongs to this pericd:

“‘T soon left Monrovia and went fifty miles
east. The rains were very heavy. One travel-
ing in Africa at this season has to wade the
African swamps, which are sometimes four or
five feet deep. I found it very difficult in
traveling. I became partly dissatisfied and
wanted to return to Monrovia till the rainy
season had passed, but the African fever took
me while on the way. I fell helpless on the
roadside, my strength all gone at once. When
I came to myself I remembered being in Africa,
when something told me that the lons and
JUNGLE LIFE 53

leopards would make a meal of me if I remained
there; so, placing my hands on the earth, I
crawled to the center of the path, where some
one might see me. As soon as I could command
enough strength I made my way to the nearest
hut.’’

So loath was he to make any mention of his
sufferings that the above was called out only
by earnest request and because it was told him
that his friends especially wished an account of
any trials or hardships he had experienced.
When he got back to Monrovia the steamer (on
which he had worked his way to that land)
landed on its return trip from farther south.
The crew urged him to accept his old position
as cook, as they said no one could do his work
so well. Here now was a fine chance for our
homesick, lonely, suffering, destitute, self-ap-
pointed missionary to return to his homeland by
the way he had come. What was his answer?
“‘T could nct think of accepting this, as it inter-
fered with the work I came to do.’? What was
that work? This is stated in one of his letters:
“*T came here to work among the heathen, teach-
ing them that they may know the way of sal-
vation, and I expect to stay in Africa four or
five years. I may not stay in or near Monrovia
all the time.’’

In this connection he says, ‘‘I had many op-
portunities to return home,’’ which opportuni-
54 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

ties one not so possessed by a great purpose
would have accepted. He had made no proinise
to any one to do this work. He had not, up to
this time, received anything from any one to aid
him. He was under the pay of no board. He
was destitute, and racked with the fever. Yet,
brave soul that he was, nothing could change his
Christlike purpose. Of this he writes: ‘‘I was
soon among the native people, but could not
understand their language, could get no medi-
cine nor proper food nor a bed. I said, ‘But I
came to help this people; I may not be able to
live very long this way, but it is best to die
at the post of duty.’ ’’

It was after all these discouraging experiences
and sufferings that ‘‘many chances came to him
to return home.’’ Neither destitution nor peril
nor disease could daunt him. It was after all
this that he made his way sixty miles into the
jungle, with the determination of staying with
the wild men till he could learn their language
and teach them his, so they might read for them-
selves the story of redeeming love. Here he
remained one year. He would have made this
his permanent mission station but for failing
health, and at last he left it only because he
was convinced he could make his life count for
more for the redemption of Africa by going to
the coast. During his stay here, for ten weeks
at one time he was down with the fever and un-
JUNGLE LIFE 55

able to leave his hut, and often while he was
too ill to teach only one boy came to minister
unto his needs.

It was here on the side of a mountain, as he
says, ‘‘I cut my way and built me a house out
of poles.”’ (His only tool was an ax.) ‘‘We
had school in it six months during the rainy
season. When the dry weather came we cleared
the forest and made a farm. I started with five
boys who could not speak a word of English.
We now have twenty. Some are beginning to
read. As I write’’ (this was the beginning of
a new term) ‘‘twenty African boys are conning
over their lessons which they will recite to me
after awhile.’’

At an early period he writes from this moun-
tain hut to Mrs. Ross: ‘‘The card you sent me
shows that you must have a very beautiful home.
You must be very happy in such pleasant sur-
roundings. It pleases me that God has thus
blessed you all. My home is a contrast in the
extreme to yours. I would not like to have you
to see it just now. You would say it is a very
poor place to live in, though I try to keep it
tidy.’’ What kind of a place must it have been
‘to live in?’’ If we have followed this account
we know, from the very circumstances, what
kind of a hut he must have built out of poles,
and that he had no furnishings but what he
gathered from the forest, no covering but palm

5
56 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

leaves to keep out the awful downpour of rain
for weeks at a time. Yet he says, ‘‘I tried to
keep it tidy.’’ Yes, to the twenty boys crowded
into this log hut in the side of the mountain
he no doubt brought, in the way he ordered his
home, a higher conception of civilization.
Writing of this period, he says: ‘‘I wished many
times I had been at the Southern Christian In-
stitute when I had the African fever, but I was
far away, where I could get neither medicine
nor proper food. So yeu see there have been
weeks of dark days.’’ Can we imagine those
days? Tossing for weeks on his water-soaked
mat of palm fiber, with no one to speak a word
of sympathy or bring him a cup of cold water!
Is it any wonder he ‘‘prayed with his face to-
ward the United States?’’ Is it amy wonder
“‘he watched the sky as the clouds parted toward
his native land?’’ Is it strange that he ex-
claimed, ‘‘How lonesome is this place!’’ He
writes: ‘‘Oh, how lonesome sometimes this place
is when the boys are all gone home. I sometimes
look at the sky in the direction of the United
States and say, ‘Most people over there do not
dream of what one comes in contact with over
in these jungles, but I am becoming more used
to it now.’ ”’

Again he says: ‘‘Then, when the fever would
abate, I would teach the native boys to read.
They would come and sit down on the ground
JUNGLE LIFE 57

for hours to ask questions about ‘big America,’
as they called it.

“You must know this was a very dark period
with me. One might better understand some
of the sore trials which come to some if they
could know how it is to start from a land which
flourishes like the United States and, through
many disappointments, arrive at a wild country
stripped of all their earthly belongings and be-
come helpless. I tried to console myself by say-
ing, ‘These rivers and mountains are the handi-
work of God, and He is the only One who knows
my condition; and if there is any help to come,
I must look to Him for it.’ But the Great Sym-
pathizer was near and came to my relief, and
I began the work I came to do. I am stronger
to-day than I could have been had I not had
these trials.’’ For what has he suffered thus?
And we repeat, he is here simply that he may
learn the language of a wild people, in order
to tell them the story of redeeming love in their
own tongue. Yet amid all this suffering and
privation listen to this note of cheer. When
‘“‘making his farm’’ he writes, ‘‘My school is
out, the rainy season is over, the sun comes down
with double force, the natives are singing, the
animals and birds make the woods ring with
their music.’’ We envy the man who, amid the
above conditions, could write those lines.

Of the worship of the natives at this mountain
58 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

home he writes: ‘‘There is a large cave in the
side of this mountain which roars like thunder.
The native people go there to worship. One of
my boys told me that his people say God lives
in that cave, and He has a large family. He
does not know all His family’s names, but one is
Joseph, one Mary, and one Jesus. He thinks
he has seen Joseph, but is not sure. They carry
clothes for the family, for he says they dress
like American people. They also carry rice,
tobacco, and liquor. This boy is anxious to
learn to read, so he can read the Bible to his
people.

‘The tribe where I am teaching is called the
Bassa tribe. Every tribe has its own language.
I am beginning to understand the language very
well. I am told the natives learn English bet-
ter and quicker when you do not know too much
of their language. They will become accustomed
to English by hearing it spoken. Some of my
boys can now speak English well. All can speak
some.

“In a place like this it requires the patience
of Job. Without this, little can be accomplished.
The people here seem to be up to everything
which is low and wicked. Even those who wor-
ship in the cave claim that their god does not
care what they do, so they are good the day they
come to the cave and bring a good sacrifice of
plenty of clothes and provision§ to support his
JUNGLE LIFE 59

family. This is almost paralleled by some of
my people at home. They had to be good only
on the day they went to Church.’’

Let us remember that up to the close of this
year’s work Jacob had had no Bible nor books
of any kind. He had received no aid of any de-
scription from the homeland. He not only was
down with the fever for ten weeks at one time,
but had returns of the fever again and again.
Can we imagine him amid the awful heat, almost
under the equator! Yet he rejoices to ‘‘hear
the birds sing.’’ Weak as he was, he with his
wild boys works in the jungle to bring a new
civilization, teaching the good news of better
farming along with the good news of salvation.

‘We repeat what he said of this time, ‘‘I know
I can not live long this way, but it is best to
die at the post of duty.’’ And again we ask,
Why does he stay, as the way is open to him to
return home by the way he came? He stays to
bring salvation to the people who are dying with-
out God or hope.

In the midst of this lonely, almost hopeless
life an educated Negro (who had been trained
in England for service in Liberia) found him
and urged him to come to Schieffelin on the
coast to teach among the descendants of those
who had been colonized from the United States
in 1820. Weakened by disease, he turned his
face to his new field, but not away from the

é
60 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

twenty boys whom he had learned to love in
their jungle life, for he bears them in his heart
of hearts and under the new conditions plans
for their betterment. When preparing to leave
his hut on the hillside and go to Schieffelin, he
says: ‘‘Things are not as discouraging now as
they have been, though I have not had a com-
fortable place to stay ; but my satisfaction comes
when I know I am doing what the Lord would
have me do, for He has blessed my weak efforts.
I can look with pleasure over my experience in
Liberia.’’
CHAPTER V
THE FIRST YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN

In a letter written from his jungle hut under
date of November 27, 1907, we find the first
mention of Schieffelin. In this letter he says,
“Schieffelin is a little settlement of Americo-
Liberians, a short distance from this place.’’
As his mountain hut was sixty miles from Mon-
rovia, his ‘‘short distance’’ must have been about
thirty miles, for Schieffelin is about thirty miles
from Monrovia. He had been urged to come to
Schieffelin and cpen a school, and had been told
of an old school building which could be used
for this purpose. In another letter of this pe-
riod the following is found, ‘‘I must go to
Schieffelin and make some repairs on the school
building.’’ This proved to be a very dilapi-
dated building. The only part which could be
used was a sort of basement, and this he was
obliged to brace with timbers before it could
be occupied with safety. He expressed the hope
of being able to get this room ready so he could
commence school in February, 1907.
61
62 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

When Jacob came from the jungle to Schief-
felin he found about thirty families called Amer-
ico-Liberians, They were the descendants of
those who were colonized from the United States
in 1820. Having few advantages, they had
lapsed toward barbarism. However, he found
them much farther advanced than those near
his jungle home. Some had accepted the meager
opportunities for education furnished by the
government schools. Some of the better fami-
lies lived in cabins covered with zinc shipped
from England, for with such climatic conditions
this was the best material for that purpose.
Their beds were mats made of palm fiber. In
some cabins there were seats made of slabs. The
cabins had no windows, only openings with
shutters. Many of the people could read some,
and all spoke a broken English. These he found
eager to learn, and they welcomed him into their
midst.

What must have been Jacob Kenoly’s condi-
tion at the time he commenced work in Schieffe-
lin? He was in poor health and his clothes
were ragged. He had been with the naked sav-
ages for a whole year while living in his moun-
tain hut. We learn of their naked condition
only by references such as the following: ‘* All
the boys I taught in the jungle would come to
me, only I would have to put clothes on them
before admitting them to the school here.’’ The
FIRST YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN _ 63

only chance he had to replenish his own ward-
robe was by working two weeks at the ‘‘Cape.’’
He does not say what he received for this work.
We can guess his appearance as he came to make
arrangements for his ‘‘private school.’’ My.
Lehman had the honor of sending him the first
money to aid him in his work. This was a gift
from the teachers of his beloved school at Ed-
wards. He acknowledged the gift September 4,
1906, while yet back in his jungle hut. ‘‘I wish
I could tell you how glad I was on opening your
letter to find eight dollars and to learn that you
had sent ten dollars to Monrovia. JI wish I knew
how to thank the people to my own satisfaction,
so they could know how greatly I appreciate
this, but I can not; so I thank God for people
who are alive to the cause of Christ, and I pray
that He may bless them and their efforts to
uplift fallen humanity.’’

How many must have been his personal needs
at the time he received this eighteen dollars!
And yet, speaking of it in another letter, he
says: ‘‘It was indeed a great help to me in many
ways. Since then I have been able to get nails
and lumber, and to make eight very good seats,
some with desks. Eight dollars I found it neces-
sary to use for myself. I have not been able to
keep the necessary things, but I shall not grum-
ble. I have tried to learn to do all things with-
out murmuring. These eight seats will be used
64 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

in the school which I hope to open in February.’’
(This was the Schieffelin school taught in the
old basement.) ‘‘The prospects are, there will
be between twenty-five and forty pupils, and
most of them will be Americo-Liberian chil-
dren.”’

The larger part of the first money gift he
received was used for his beloved work. Here
is manifested unselfishness almost beyond the
comprehension of many in this land. Does not
this black man from Missouri in unselfish hero-
ism lead us all? Then, in March, 1907, just
when he was opening the school in the old build-
ing in Schieffelin, he writes to J. B. Lehman
concerning another gift which the teachers and
students of the Southern Christian Institute had
sent him: ‘‘With your letter I found enclosed
thirteen dollars, which, I learned, was given by
the students and teachers of the Southern Chris-
tian Institute and sent as a Christmas present
to me. I wrote a short letter in reply while on
my way to Monrovia; but having returned, I
write this. I can not find words to express my
thanks to them for the interest they show in
me and my work. All of them are poor people,
and this is a sacrifice they have made. God bless
those dear people there! The present came just
at the time when I was in a hard place. I was
praying that God would show me the best thing
to do. Thirty-four pupils were looking to me
FIRST YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN — 65

to see what arrangements I could make for them
in school. No books, not enough seats, no black-
board! I have used a part of the money for
my own needs and part for the school. It was
stretched as far as it would go. I will enjoy
my Christmas present the whole year, and the
community will help me to enjoy that part which
was spent in the school. School operted in
March. I purposed to open in February, but
on account of the rush in coffee-picking and be-
cause I was expecting some books from the
United States I deferred. The books have not
come yet; so you see it makes the work more
difficult.’’

From later letters we learn of his physical
condition at the time of getting started in this
work. In October, 1907, he writes the following:

“‘T have great pleasure in working and teach-
ing and preaching among my people, although
my health has not been very good. Not having
the proper protection, I have often been exposed
to the rains, and this and teaching in a dark
room very poorly situated, with very few books,
has had its effect.

**T have tried to be faithful in spite of the
adverse circumstances. I have been so pressed
for room and time that it was necessary to teach
the primary classes first and send them home,
so as to be able to find room for the more ad-
vanced classes. Some of the advanced pupils
66 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

sometimes assist in teaching the primary grade
and have been helping in every way they could.
The children are more interested than the par-
ents, who often keep them out to work. They
sometimes have to be punished by the parents
because they leave their work and come to school
when school hour arrives.

‘“When I began, in March, everything was
very dark. I did not think I would live to see
December, but I wanted to be sure that I had
used my time well by faithfully doing my duty
the remaining days I was allowed to live, and
I felt the presence of God with me.’’

Again he writes: ‘‘You remember that on
opening the school here everything looked very
dark and discouraging, but what God has been
pleased to do through His people in the United
States has sent a flood of joy into this place,
and since the darkness has been moved, I have
had more pleasure in doing this work than any
which I have undertaken. I did not think at
the beginning I would live to see the school
close. I thought it well to be faithful the few
days God did let me live.’’

Dr. Dye, while there, heard a story from the
people concerning Jacob’s illness at this time
which he (Jacob Kenoly) had not written to his
friends. He was very sick when he came to
Schieffelin. On arriving he was received into
the home of a well-to-do colored man; but when
FIRST YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN _ 67

he became so ill that it seemed death was near,
he was cast out into an old shed with no one
to minister unto him. A kind-hearted Americo-
Liberian by the name of Brown came to the
landing with his dugout and carried Jacob in
his arms to his boat and took him to his own
home and nursed him back to comparative
health. This story is recounted both to throw
light on what Jacob wrote concerning losing
hopes of being able to live longer and to com-
memorate the great kindness of the one who
eared for him in this dark hour.

In the letter.referred to above is the follow-
ing: ‘‘I have not had many idle moments since
I began. Even when it rained so I could not
see but a short distance, I found my way to
school. I have gone when I would not have got-
ten out of bed for any other purpose. The
people are so interested in the school that they
will not fail to come under any circumstances
the weather produces. I am glad I have been
faithful. I have worked harder this year than
any since I have been teaching. I have noth-
ing to regret, but many things at which to re-
joice.’’

A Mr. Lett had taken him into his own home.
This was only a small cabin home. One may
imagine what chance Jacob had for study or
writing. While very grateful to Mr. Lett for
his kindness, the conditions at this time were
68 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

very trying to his health. July 30, 1907, after
having given himself and school a two-weeks’
vacation, he writes: ‘‘The light in the building
is very poor. I have injured my eyes some, but
T have been refreshed by the vacation.’’?’ Again
he says: ‘‘T have a full school now. The number
has increased to forty-five day pupils and six
night-school pupils. We are packed like sar-
dines in this dark room. When we have a clear
day and the sun comes out, we move out under
a large mango-plum tree which is near the build-
ing; but we do not have many nice days this
time of the season.’’

The pupils were poor and could not pay for
schooling, so that probably all Jacob got this
year above the thirteen dollars sent him from the
Southern Christian Institute was a very little
which he charged for teaching vocal music and
five dollars sent him at this time for a black-
board. He says: ‘‘I do not get anything for my
services as teacher. The greater number of pu-
pils are orphans who can not pay, and some
others are poor; so I give them this year’s
schooling. I support myself with those large
African hands which helped to build Allison
Hall at the Southern Christian Institute.’’

Again of the school work he says: ‘‘I have
had to take one of the advanced pupils to assist
with the primary classes, and then send these
classes away so as to have room for the more
FIRST YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN 69

advanced classes. This has helped me wonder-
fully.

“The music class is greatly interested in the
chart. Twenty belong to the class. I am sur-
prised at the progress they have made. Every
one sings. We practice three times a week and
can now sing almost any ordinary song if we
have the music. There is an old organ near here
that is considerably out of order. If I can do
the needed repairing on it I will begin to teach
some to play. This will have its effects for
good, I know.’’

Soon after entering upon this work a tempt-
ing offer came, which is given in his own words:
“‘Since I have opened school the government
school commissioner has come to see me. He
offers me three hundred dollars a year if I will
break up here and go where he would send me.
The Episcopal Mission has been trying to em-
ploy me to go down the coast. I do not see
how I can accept either of these offers. The
people here say: ‘We need the light here as
badly as any place, and you must not leave us
in the dark. We cared for you when you were
going through the fever, so you can not go any-
where yet.’ ”’

Jacob did not accept either of the above of-
fers, although they must have been tempting in
the condition he was then in, for soon after this
he says in a letter, ‘‘I will be glad if I can con-
70 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY-

tinue my school until December, yet I fear lack
of clothes and my many other necessities will
cause me to stop sooner.’’

Hlis heart’s desire was ever to reach the wild
man back in the ‘‘Bush.’’ So here in this dark
basement plans were formed for the future. He
made up his mind to build a home for himself
where he could be in the dry, make temporary
quarters for the school, then to erect a school
building in which he could teach and make a
home for his wild boys, and then to ‘‘make a
farm’’ by which he could raise supplies for his
needy children. Surely, Jacob, great is thy
hope! So great that neither poverty nor sick-
ness nor a little dark, damp room, nor the slow
response to thy needs by friends can quench it.
Through it all thou dost see the naked savages
‘clothed and in their right mind,’’ knowing
God, uplifted and freed from the cruel heathen
practices.

He even went so far as to hope some of his
old schoolmates would join him in his effort to
redeem Liberia, and that he would in his own
lifetime see a great school and home for or-
phan children. Nevertheless he says: ‘‘I can,
God being my helper, do something myself. I
cultivate a little crop evenings and mornings
and Saturdays—corn, eddos, casada, and peas.
It has been a pleasure to see how well they have
done by cultivation. We have been having corn-
FIRST YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN 71

bread since I have gathered the corn. It has
tended to improve my health. We have a poor
way of getting corn into meal, for we have no
mill here of any kind. So we put it into a mor-
tar and with a pole six feet long churn it till
it becomes meal or grits—a very slow process.
I intend to ‘make’ a large corn farm next year.
I believe I can get a hand-mill with which to
grind corn for about five dollars. I hope to
have several more boys after the building is
erected. I could have them now if I had my
own house, as I did last year.’’ The house to
which he here refers was his mountain hut made
of poles.

“‘T have many things planned for the coming
year. I do not see how I can get through it
if my health continues to be as poor as it has
been. But I know the Lord will provide a way;
so I mean to do what I can, and leave the re-
sults with God.’’ His account of a trip to Mon-
rovia will throw some light on what it meant
to live and work in that place, and this will be
all the comment needed on his having said that
“‘he had never worked so hard any year since
he had commenced teaching.”’

To Mrs. Ross he writes: ‘‘I received your let-
ter just before coming to Monrovia. I am writ-
ing this reply here. I came for nails for my
house. I will soon get into a canoe [a log ‘dug-
out’] for my trip to Schieffelin. There will be

8
72 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

about four hours’ run [imagine the run in that
old log boat] on the Monserrado River. Then a
five-mile walk across an ‘old field’ [which, we
suppose, was at one time the floor of the sea].
Then we take a canoe on the Junk River, and
about four hours and one-half will land us in
Schieffelin.’’ This reveals that a ‘‘trip to Mon-
rovia’’ cost ten hours of hard labor each way.
It must have been hard, indeed, for him in his
weakened state.

But a somewhat brighter day dawned about
this time. The Christian Woman’s Board of Mis-
sions had adopted him as one of its missionaries.
He mentions near the close of this term of school
of having received fifty dollars from the Chris-
tian Woman’s Board of Missions. He says:
“‘With this money I mean to get the land sur-
veyed which the government has promised me
for the school, and have it deeded to the
Christian Woman’s Board of Missions.’’ No
thought is expressed of improving his own con-
dition with the money sent him, but all is to
be used for his school. He found, on going to
Monrovia, the first box of books sent him from
the United States. In the box were twelve
Bibles. There were not enough to go around;
so some pupils were disappointed.

Again, he mentions that Mrs. Barr had sent
him two dollars with which to purchase a Bible,
but he found a better one in the box than he
FIRST YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN 73

could buy there with that amount. So he used
her money to buy lumber for the new house, so
she might have part in that also. Without a
Bible of his own he had been teaching the Word
of God to his pupils for two years and four
months.

Of another consignment of books he writes
thus: ‘‘After searching the custom-house at
Monrovia I found a good supply of books.’’ We
think the money for the purchase of these was
furnished by the New York State Convention.
He says of these: ‘‘ Words can not express my
gratitude to God and His people for what is
done for this work. A great obstacle has been
removed. This work wiil be much more ef-
fective now that we have the books.’’ -

His expressions of gratitude for all the aid
received would lead one to think ‘‘the good
friends in America who had their faces turned
toward Liberia’’ were doing most of the work.
Picture, then, Jacob Kenoly at this time making
his way in the early morning in ragged clothing
to the old damp, dark, badly-ventilated base-
ment, often through rain so heavy that he could
see but a little way before his face. See him
teaching the primary classes in the forenoon
and the more advanced classes in the afternoon;
then returning at night to teach a night school
and a singing class, teaching Sunday school and
preaching as he had opportunity, cultivating his
V4 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

farm and churning the corn into meal, making
the many necessary trips to Marshall and Mon-
rovia, and forming plans for a new home and
school building. All of the above, and more, was
rather good service for a man cast out to die
at the beginning of the year, and who himself
did not think he would live to see the close of
that terin of school.

Some incidents are now added which form a
part of this period. To Mrs. Ross he wrote:
‘“We had our Sunday school under a large
orange tree last Sunday evening. It reminded
me of the days I spent at the Southern Chris-
tian Institute. You were not here, though I
had your picture before me. I told them how
you used to make the outdoor Sunday evening
lessons interesting.

“‘It makes me very sad to read of the awful
destruction (by the earthquake) in Jamaica. I
am. glad relief has been sent to them by God’s
chosen people. You can say, on receiving this,
that somewhere across the Atlantic in the jun-
gles of Africa, in the basement of a dilapidated
old building, that every morning before school
hours we pray for Jamaica and ask God’s bless-
ing on the friends of the United States and on
our work here.’’ Later, on hearing of the death
of Miss Ella Ewing, a missionary to Bolenge,
Africa, he writes:
FIRST YEAR IN SCHIEFFELIN 7%

“‘T have read about the death of Miss Ella
Ewing, who guve her hfe for the people at Bo-
lenge. It was very sad to think that we could
lose one as devoted to those people of Bolenge
as she was. This proves that the love of God
is stronger than death.’’

The writer ventures the assertion that there
is nothing more touching in all missionary his-
tory than this. Think of him there in such
wretched surroundings, himself in ragged cloth-
ing, praying first for suffering Jamaica, then for
friends in the United States, and last for them-
selves, and then especially remembering the one
who had given her beautiful life for Africa.
Surely this black man has not only taught us
the practical in religion, but also the ‘‘beauty
of holiness.’’

At one period he greatly needed and desired
a blackboard. Mrs. Ross and some friends sent
him some money for this, and he says: ‘‘ All of
us exclaim that this is the blessing of God. The
pupils had rather see this blackboard than any-
thing in the school because God has viven it to
them through His people. It is all but wor-
shiped by the students.’’ And again: ‘‘The pu-
pils calls it ‘America,’ and every one wants to
work on the American blackboard. This helps
wonderfully in my work. So you see what sun-
shine came into our schoolroom by this gift.”’
76 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

God bless him! he even got sunshine out of
a blackboard, because by it he could help elevate
the people.

In summing up all his blessings and aid for
the year he adds, ‘‘I am very grateful to know
that I shall have the privilege of spending my
life for Christ’s cause in Liberia.’’
CHAPTER VI

THE FIRST BUILDING ERECTED AND
INCIDENTS CONNECTED WITH THE
GROWTH OF THE WORK

WHILE teaching in the old basement Jacob had
longed for a better place in which to teach and
for a home of his own. He said that if he had
his own dwelling-house he could take the jungle
boys, for he could keep them with him; and
from what we have learned in the preceding
chapter of the place in which he taught, we will
not be surprised that he longed for a better
place in which to care for his school.

Toward the close of the year in which he
taught in the old basement, he writes: ‘‘I mean
to build a house for myself as soon as school is
out. I have been staying with Mr. Lett, a mer-
chant in Liberia, this year. I wish to have my
own place, where I can have a better opportu-
nity to study. This will be an advantage in
many ways.”’

Before he could commence this house where
he hoped to live and found a great school, he

77
78 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

must determine upon the most suitable location.
Naturally the people wished this located in the
midst of the settlement, so the smaller children
could attend even when the rains would be
heaviest. Jacob’s choice of a location, however,
was a rolling piece of ground commanding a
view of the ocean, about two miles from the set-
tlement and three miles from the river.

Writing of his reasons for selecting this site,
he says: ‘‘I built outside of the settlement, first,
because there are many things which are carried
on in the village which would be detrimental.
Second, I could not get enough land on which
to carry on the work; and if I should keep stock,
that would trouble my neighbors. And third,
out here we have good water and the sea
breeze.’’

Writing toward the close of his first year in
Schieffelin he says: ‘‘I intend to have the land
surveyed. It will cost about twenty dollars’
merchandise to have the surveyor come and sur-
vey the land and get a deed for it. It will be
about two miles from the little village and about
one-half mile from the nearest house. I like this
place on account of the water. There are three
springs which run through the longest ‘dries’
[dry season], and the sea breeze will be accept-
able and tend to keep the atmosphere pure.’’

Again he says: ‘‘I waut to begin teaching in
April at least, if I can possibly get ready. There
FIRST BUILDING ERECTED v9

are thousands of acres of ‘old field,’ excellent
for stock-raising, near the land I will have for
the school, and as it will be partly an industrial
school I shall teach the art of cultivating the
soil, stock and poultry raising, as well as the
literary studies. The former is very badly
needed in this part. I mean to break steers to
work, to relieve the natives of their burdens.

“‘T shall expect some of the boys and girls
to come from the Southern Christian Institute
by and by. I am sure there is no telling what
God will do for my people if they will do all
they can to help themselves. 1 remember that
when the soles of the priests’ feet touched the
waters of the Jordan the waters were divided
because they had gone as far as they could.
Then God helped them to do what they could
not do alone. We can always see what He will
do for us when we do all we can for ourselves
first.’’

Of what value even his short stay will mean
to that whole section from the industrial stand-
point, no one can say. He developed many new
sources of supplies for the poor people there.
Building his house! Of building in general he
writes thus: ‘‘We can not move here as we do
in the United States. We must have some one
to saw all the lumber by hand out in the woods.
[We learn the method of procedure in sawing
was to fell a tree across other trees or logs, and
80 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

then one man would stand above and one be-
low, and with a cross-cut saw make lumber. ]
This lumber is carried on the heads of the men
out of the forest to the place of building. Then
you must prepare this lumber for use with the
plane and saw. You must have the money be-
fore the sawyers will commence work. Most of
the sawyers are natives.’’ This description re-
ferred more to the building of his schoolhouse,
for, as we learn from his letters, he did nearly
all the work on his own dwelling with his own
hands in the midst of other labors abundant.

He wrote thus, March, 1908: ‘‘I have been
very busy with my house and farm. As you see
I have used my vacation at hard work. The
roof of my house was shingled last week. You
must know I am very proud of my new house.
It is a two-story house, twenty by sixteen feet,
with a piazza eight feet wide and twenty feet
long. J have gotten everything for this building
out of the forest excepting the nails. It has
thus made me look very lean, not having the
proper food for such work.’’

He was, no doubt, too busy to even prepare
the meal in the mortar for his one luxury, which
would be cornbread without butter.

“‘T thank the Lord for a mind to build, and
now I have a nice dry place in which to live,
and from my room I can see the ships passing
from Monrovia to Marshall.’’
FIRST BUILDING. ERECTED 81

And again: ‘‘Just now I am busy working on
my house, which will be completed in about three
weeks, I cut the frame out of the woods, and
with a frow made the shingles for the roof. I
learned to make shingles in the United States be-
fore I went to the Southern Christian Institute.
My house is sixteen by twenty feet, and two
stories high. I am somewhat disappointed in
the time of completing it. We can not come up
to our expectation, especially when we have to
be horse, wagon, and driver. I don’t faney be-
ing the wagon when the sun shines as it does
here.’’

Later he writes: ‘‘I am now living in my
house on the beach. A very beautiful location
it is. We are having a very busy time in school
now, though the rains are so heavy that the little
ones who attended last year have not been able
to walk the distance, but we have a houseful
every day. Our present number is thirty-seven,
and more are preparing to come from this and
other settlements.’’

This house in its beautiful location was the
first sided and shingled house in all that part
of Liberia and was a great curiosity to the peo-
ple. It was the first time since coming to the
land that he had a dry place in which to teach
and sleep. This building he had taken from
the forest with his own hands, his only tools be-
ing an ax and frow. This truly illustrates the
82 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

value of his industrial training; yet with that
training he coupled most wonderful persever-
ance amid difficult surroundings.

It was at this time he named and began call-
ing his school the Liberian Christian Institute,
making the name as nearly like that of the
Southern Christian Institute as possible.

In a letter written the writer the day after
Christmas, 1908, we find the following: ‘‘Since
1 received your last letter I have been waiting to
receive the things which you informed me had
been sent. I am very proud to say that I re-
ceived them all yesterday at Marshall; the books,
the tools, the sewing machine, gun, and ammu-
nition; and what was more pleasing to me, I
found that nothing was,damaged. Everything
was well packed. I am very thankful to my
Heavenly Father and to you for these articles.
They will be of great value to the work. Will
you please accept my thanks for them? though
I can not express how grateful i feel; but the
Lord knows. The sewing machine is a very
fine one, and the only one of the kind in these
parts. I am well pleased with the gun. It is
also a very fine one and exactly right for con-
ditions here. I have learned the combination
and tried it onee and killed three pigeons.’’
And then he adds: ‘‘I found in the machine-
drawers lead pencils, pen points, crayon, thread,
and hand needles, as your letter indicated. It
FIRST BUILDING ERECTED 83

was certainly thoughtful in you to remember
that these articles are needed so badly in this
country. There are so many things we need that
I only speak of some we can not well do with-
out.”’

In one of his letters Jacob had written con-
cerning the things he could raise on his farm,
and adds: ‘‘T could raise cattle also, but I would
have to have a gun to keep the leopards off.’

As he, in another letter, tells of several natives
near who had been killed by the leopards, one
would have thought he would have asked for
a gun to keep the leopards off of Jacob. Not
so; he wished a gun to protect the cattle. This
letter was read to a friend, who sent him a fine
breech-loader Winchester and four hundred
rounds of ammunition.

In one of his letters he throws light on the
question of their meat supply. In the wet sea-
son, during the time his school is in session, from
April to January, the floods drive the game out
to higher ground toward the settlements. But
in the dry season (when he was always doing
hard, manual work, ‘‘making’’ his farms and
erecting his buildings) the game returns to its
haunts, and hence was hard to get; and so he
wrote, ‘‘I have not proper food to sustain me,
as the smoke-house is empty.’’ From this time
on he has his gun and writes, ‘‘Sometimes it
furnishes a squirrel to add to my diet;’’ and
84 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

speaking of its use: ‘‘Mr. Lett and I shot a large
snake [which had captured one of his sheep]
which measured twenty-one feet in length. One
was shot last week which had killed a large dog.
They sometimes attack people also, and calves
and other small animals.’’

When James Rundles came from Jacob’s mis-
sion to the Southern Christian Institute he
brought with him the skin of the snake killed
by Jacob and Mr. Lett, and this skin, without
the head, measured eighteen feet.

Later he writes that the gun had been a great
help to the work, and he told of having Med
four deer and a great amount of small game,
and stated that his ammunition was just fin-
ished. A new supply was at once sent him by
the friend who sent the gun.

It was told at one time in a meeting what
Jacob had said about wishing to take the wild
boys of the jungle into his school, but that he
would have to clothe them; and about his having
said that there were girls in his school who
could learn to sew on a sewing-machine if they
had one, and that then clothes could be made
for these boys. Mrs. Holbrook, then of Onawa,
Iowa, gave money with which to have purchased
and sent to Jacob a sewing-machine. This is
the sewing-machine referred to as part of the
box received at Christmas. Later he writes of
this: ‘‘The sewing-machine has also been a great
 

 

 

 

James Rundles, who
FIRST BUILDING ERECTED 85

help to the work, for clothing had to be made
for all the native boys.’’

Of the Christmas time of this year, 1908, the
first one after he was in his little house on the
beach, he writes to Mrs. Ross: ‘‘ Yesterday was
Christmas day. Judge Walker and family spent
the day at the beach. We had prayer-meeting
in the morning, and a talk on the meaning of
Christmas. The people here do not have any-
thing which seems like a Christmas day. We
had green corn, which I gathered on my farm
that day. I have quite a lot of dry corn, but
I did not succeed in getting a little corn-mill to
make it into meal; so we will continue the
process of beating with a pestle.”’

In the midst of his school work this year he
was again taken down with the fever. He says:
“‘For some days I was not able to be about my
work. I think it was a return of the African
fever. I am told it will return every time I
am exposed too much to the sun or rain.’’

His closing labors for the year are thus men-
tioned: ‘‘I am getting out the frame of our
new schoolhouse, which will be a two-story build-
ing, twenty-five by forty feet. I want to make
it large enough, so I can accommodate in the
upper story twenty-five or thirty boys. [Be-
fore he closed his life-work he kept fifty-one
boys in this upper story.] Iam not pleased with
the slow progress I make on this, but I must be
86 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

thankful for what I am able to do. You see [
teach every day but Saturday, and it is only
evenings and mornings and Saturdays, when
the rain is not too heavy, that I can work on
the building.’’ Later he writes: ‘‘We have now
all the timbers out for our new school building.
We have been cutting the frame; but since the
tools have come we can all devote our spare time
to this, and it will soon be finished. I will be
glad if I can get the nails soon, as I can not put
the frame together without them.’’

He here describes the close of school and his
vacation: ‘‘My school closed three weeks ago.
Forty-eight pupils went home to await the open-
ing of a new term of school in April. I took one
week’s vacation, in which I paid a visit to Con-
ersburg, which is one day’s walk toward the in-
terior. It is an old settlement of Americo-
Liberians. While there I met several native
kings, who say they (each) want to put a boy
in school next year. From all I can learn, all
the neighboring settlements will be repre-
sented.’’ This prediction was fulfilled.

At this period is his first mention of fishing.
“‘T have succeeded in getting a small float-net
from a man in Marshall. The boys have caught
a lot of nice fish from the lake (though it is
more of a sound than a lake). It is about eight
miles long. If I had a small seine we would
not want for meat.’’ A little later a seine net
FIRST BUILDING ERECTED 87

was sent to him, and another shortly before hig
death.

He now speaks of the progress of his work
and in one letter tells of his singing class of
twenty. He had been to Monrovia and searched
the town for note-books, but could find only six.
He says, ‘‘The pupils have learned all the four
parts, and we make the jungle ring with the
Jubilee songs, but they have nearly stretched
their necks off trying to sing from the six
books.’’ What a picture! Twenty scholars with
the six note-books, and with one little kerosene
lamp for light, yet making the jungle ring with
the Jubilee songs! One boy always wanted to
sing ‘‘Beulah Land,’’ because Jacob had told
him so much of ‘‘Mt. Beulah,’’ the name of the
plantation at the Southern Christian Institute.
I read this letter to a friend and he exclaimed:
‘‘There is nothing since the days of the apostles
to equal that boy. Send him at once at my
expense seventy-five ‘Jubilee Song Books’ and
seventy-five New Testaments.’? When Jacob
got the news that the books were on the way, he
writes: ‘‘We look forward to the time when the
song books will be in the school. They will
greatly add to the interest. Thank the Lord
for such glorious results from faithful ones.’’
In Jacob’s conception the ‘‘faithful ones’’ were
bringing most of the results. ‘‘I can not find
words to thank you to my satisfaction. J will

7
88 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

try to be faithful and leave the results with
God.’’

A letter was written to him commending him
for his heroic work in which it was told him
that if he would make known his personal needs
many would be glad to have part in supplying
them. This letter came to him near the time of
opening his own house and at a time of dire
need. Yet this is his reply: ‘‘I make it a rule
never to ask anything for myself. I feel as
though as much of self must be left out of this
work as possible. I would be very glad, though,
if at this time I could get a mosquito-bar for
my bed, as I can not get one here.”’

At another time to a similar request he had
written: ‘‘I ask not for self. It is enough joy
just to work for Christ.’? One always felt re-
buked on receiving one of his letters, though
Jacob never meant that this should be. He had
learned at the Southern Christian Institute that
the bite of a certain kind of mosquito introduced
into the blood a germ which caused malarial
fever. After using the mosquito-bar for a time,
he writes that he had not had a return of the
fever since he had had his bed protected by the
bar. He did in this letter, however, ask for
one-half dozen Physiologies and one-half dozen
“United States Histories’? and a ‘‘Webster’s
Dictionary.’’ Shortly before this he received a
letter and seven dollars from Mrs. Ross, which
FIRST BUILDING ERECTED 89

she sent the last of November, 1907. In reply
he writes: ‘‘Your good letter dated November
30th came te hard yesterday. I was truly glad
to have a letter from you and know that God
had blessed you with good health while you
have been engaged in doing what has pleased
Him.

“‘T have always felt that you were a blessing
to all who came in touch with you. While at
the Southern Christian Institute all of the stu-
dents expressed themselves as being of the same
mind. It is a great pleasure for one to know
of people who use every opportunity for good.

“‘T have read your letter three times. The
students are all anxious to know what Mrs. Ross
said. I also found inclosed seven dollars which
you wished me to use for my own comfort and
which I learned was sent to me by friends who
are deeply interested in me and the work here.
I do not know how to thank you or them for
the great interest which crosses so much land
and water to reach this place. I can but say,
‘Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.” It
seems He told the friends over there that I
needed clothes and shoes, I had patched my
shoes until I could not patch them more. Now
I thank the Lord for His blessings. The Lord
told you of my need. [The Lord was always
counted in with Jacob.] The best way to show
my gratitude is by showing how faithful I can
90 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

be. I am afraid I can not come up to what you
might expect, though I mean to do the best I
can and leave the results with God.’’ His
thanks for the seven dollars is characteristic.
Then we would never have known of his great
need and the condition of his clothing at this
time if it had not been for his desire to thank
the friends far across the sea for their gift.
Then, and not till then, we learn of the ‘‘shoes
patched till he could not patch them more.’’
Yet, as the cheapest shoes he could buy cost him
four dollars and fifty cents, there was left the
enormous sum of two dollars and fifty cents for
his other needs. One would have thought, from
our standpoint, that he would have thought the
Lord was very moderate in His representation
of needs. It is also to be remembered, in order
to get the full force of this, that at this time
he had in his possession the fifty dollars, first
installment from the Christian Woman’s Board
of Missions. But he felt that this must not be
used for himself.

When Jacob was working on his little house,
and shortly before he moved into it, he received
this first money from the Board. He says, writ-
ing to J. B. Lehman under date of November
20, 1907: ‘‘The day I received your letter one
came to me from the president of the Christian
Woman’s Board of Missions saying that they
 

 

 

 

 

he dwelling house erected by Jacob Kenoly at the station near Schicffelin, Liberia; the house whose
materials he took from the forest, his only tools being a frow and an ax, The only money-cost for
this building was for the nails.
FIRST BUILDING ERECTED 91

had sent fifty dollars to me the day before. I
have been to the office in Monrovia and found
the same. I mean to get the land surveyed and
the deed first. I shall try to get a government
gift of one hundred acres of land for the school.
T am told that it is possible. Then there will
be room for great things to be accomplished.

“‘T have not used any of the money yet, though
I mean to use some to have the land surveyed,
and then I will get the tools needed to build
the schoolhouse. I will have to order the zine
as soon as possible, so as to give time for it to
get here by the time we are ready for it.’’

He must pay for the survey of the land and
pay for the deed, and hire sawyers to saw out
timbers for this schoolhouse. For himself he
used but little, even though he had many needs.
Even the seven dollars would not have been used
for himself if he had not been told that friends
had sent it for his own personal needs. He might
have written something in this fashion: ‘‘I have
now been in this country two years and six
months trying to bring the Good News to Liberia.
I have been sick many months, often near to
death. I lost all and am working hard for this
people. I have had no chance to restore my
loss. You Christian people are living in com-
parative luxury, while I suffer with hunger.
You are warmly clothed, while I am in rags;
92 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

so 1 would be glad if you would come to my re-
lief, and that quickly.’’ No such thoughts ever
entered the mind of Jacob. When he received
seven dollars he wrote, ‘‘God told you of my
need.’’ Why did he not use part of the fifty
dollars sent him by the Christian Woman’s
Board of Missions, which he had in his posses-
sion all the time, to supply some of his personal
needs? He had not time at this period to even
pound the meal to make corn-bread to give him
health and strength. This man’s desire was so
great to bring the gospel to Africa that he will-
ingly suffered great privation to accomplish this
great end and bring Christ to the people who
knew Him not.

Jacob had made the acquaintance of the Presi-
dent of the Liberian Republic, and in letters
written at this period he speaks of this: ‘‘I am
well acquainted with President Barclay. He isa
very fine man. J understand that he is an Eng-
lish subject by birth, but that he was raised in
this country.’’ And again: ‘‘I have been to the
mansion and had a talk with President Barclay.
This is a very critical period with our country.
Liberia is indebted to England for a good sum
of money, and England threatens to take the ter-
ritory if the sum can not be raised. The govern-
ment has sent ambassadors to the United States
to see if it can borrow money. We learned
FIRST BUILDING ERECTED 93

that they had reached Washington a short time
ago, but we can not tell what the success will be.’’

Jacob also wrote at different times of up-
risings and wars between the different native
tribes, and of one such in and around Schieffelin,
where many were killed.
CHAPTER VII

THE ERECTION OF THE SCHOOL BUILD-
ING AND THE WORK OF THE TWO
YEARS FOLLOWING

Ever since Jacob Kenoly had determined to
make Schieffelin his permanent home he had
been planning for a school building. He wrote
of his need, and as a result the Christian
Woman’s Board of Missions decided to help him.
The Iowa Missionary Societies, under the direc-
tion of Miss Annette Newcomer, secretary, asked
the privilege of raising one thousand dollars for
this work in Africa. The writer went to Iowa
and assisted in raising thisfund. From the time
Miss Neweomer first heard of Jacob Kenoly and
his work in Liberia to the close of his life she
was his true friend and loyal supporter not only
in leading the noble women co-workers in Iowa
in giving to support his cause, but personally
doing much to make his way brighter, and for
what she did he ever held her in grateful re-
membrance.

The Christian Woman’s Board of Missions
sent the following message to Jacob Kenoly, De-
cember 10, 1907: ‘‘In our annual Board meet-

94
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED 95

ing held in Norfolk, Virginia, the members of
our Board decided to aid you in your work of
establishing a Christian mission school in Mar-
shall. We are in correspondence with an Eng-
lish hardware dealer, and hope to be able to
send you the carpenter’s tools you will need for
the building of the schoolhouse.

‘‘May you ever remember that you do not
work alone, but that you work with God, and
that your brethren and friends in the homeland
are remembering you and praying for you.’’

The following February the Board sent one
hundred and fifty dollars to be used in the con-
struction of the schoolhouse and home, and
twenty-five dollars for the education of one of
the boys.

A little later the following encouraging word
was sent: ‘‘We shall be ready always to answer
your letters and shall always be glad to hear
from you and to know of the progress of your
work, The Christian Woman’s Board of Mis-
sions, which has tried to do a good work for
your people at Edwards, Mississippi; at Lum,
Alamaba; at Martinsville, Virginia, and at
Louisville, Kentucky, and by evangelistic work
in many States, hopes to be able to do good for
your people in Africa.’’

From the time the Christian Woinan’s Board
of Missions took Jacob Kenoly as one of its mis-
sionaries and his work as one of its mission
96 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

fields, it sent to him three hundred dollars a
year. In regard to this we have the following
statement from the Board: ‘‘ Correspondence
was carried on with various missionary organi-
zations working in Africa, and information was
secured that three hundred dollars a year is the
amount generally paid to those rendering this
kind of service under Boards there; therefore
this amount was fixed as the salary for Jacob
Kenoly.’’

A letter to the friends in Iowa comes into this
period. As it gives such an all-around picture
of Jacob’s life and work it is quoted almost in
its entirety: ‘‘I am very thankful to my Heav-
enly Father for the members of the Christian
Woman’s Board of Missions who are so busy
in their Master’s vineyard and whose love
for God’s creatures is as broad as the earth. It
was especially pleasing to note your relation to
my people in Africa and that you find pleasure
in lending a helping hand in this work which
I have attempted to do. You must know I am
very thankful that God has chosen me to work
in this place. I feel sure we will be able to
accomplish great things in the near future.

“‘T have been in this country three years, do-
ing what my hands found to do when my health
permitted me to work. I have seen many dark
days and have had many sore trials and disap-
pointments. I would sometimes exclaim, ‘How
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED 97%

dreadful is this place!’ And many times I
have also said, ‘Surely God is in this place, and
I knew it not!’ He was near, even though I
did not always realize it.

“Tt is my purpose to establish an industrial,
literary, and Bible school in this place, which
I feel can not fail to be of inestimable value to
these my heathen brothers as well as to the
people who are civilized. I have succeeded in
building a dwelling-house about two miles from
the main settlement out on the beach. I am
using the first story to teach in this year.

“Our present number on the roll is twenty-
nine. This number is increasing. Some have
come from other settlements. If this continues
we will have to teach the primary classes and
send them home to make room for the advanced
classes.

“‘T have not been well the last two weeks. I
think it was the acclimating fever making its
last attack. I am very much better now, and
able to attend to my school work.

“T am getting out the frame for our new
building, though I have not been able to do any-
thing at it for some little time. It is a slow
process when I am teaching every day. There
will be so much work I think I shall have to
have some help with the frame. I have received
the money for the zine and will send to Eng-
land for it in this mail, that it may be here in
98 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

time for the building. I am so glad we are to
have a building. We will then have room to
do more effective work. There are many more
pupils anxious to come, but there is not room.
I earnestly pray that I may be able to open
school in the new school building in 1908.

“*T will get my petition ready to meet the next
session of the Legislature, which will be in Jan-
uary next. I want to get one hundred acres of
Jand for a site for the school.

‘*We have a good Sunday-school for this place.
It is very interesting to all. We were very
thankful to some good brother in the United
States who sent us a number of song-books and
Testaments. We sang, ‘Praise God, from whom
all blessings flow.” God has blessed us in so
many ways this year that this seems like a new
work. I have been made strong by having to
face so many obstacles which I dare not men-
tion here. I am glad to say there is a God who
stands ready to shield, support, and strengthen
us for His work.

‘‘There are only two boys who live with me.
After school hours we take our axes and go into
the forest to cut the frame for the building.
They are my school boys; so you see we do not
have very much time to spend, especially when
it rains so much.

“‘Next year I would like to set out about three
thousand coffee trees for the Liberian Christian
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED 99

Institute, all of which would be of value to the
school. I would like to enter the industry of
stock-raising as well as cultivating the soil. I
can not just now tell what will be the cost of
getting all this established, but when I have com-
pleted the building I will study out what it will
cost.

‘‘T have planted a large farm of eddas and
casava and some corn, that J may be able to
feed several boys next year. You know, I sup-
pose, that the products of the soil here are dif-
ferent from those of the United States. It takes
those who come to this country a long time to
get used to the diet. Some never get used to it,
and those who can order from England do not
eare to. Corn and rice and potatoes are some
of the things which will grow here if properly
eared for, and will, I believe, do as well as in
the United States.

“‘T note that Brother Smith will soon make a
visit to Iowa in the interests of the work among
my people. We are all thankful that he is an
instrument in God’s hands to bless them, and
every boy and girl and the old and young who
know with what great love for their uplifting
Brother Smith labors, will join us in asking
God’s blessing on the Christian Woman’s Board
of Missions and Brother Smith.

“‘T ask an interest in your prayers for this
work. Jacosp KENOLY.’’
100 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

Mr. Lehman had carefully prepared plans for
Jaceb’s school building and had sent these to
him, together with instructions, advice, and en-
couragement for his undertakings, and the build-
ing, as erected, and as it stands there in Africa
to-day, a wonder to all that region, is according
to these plans. It is twenty-five by forty feet,
and the first story was used by Jacob for his
school and for religious services, and the second
as a dormitory for boys. He named it the ‘‘Ross
Building,’’ as has before been stated, in honor
of Mrs. Ross.

Many delays came, and the work went very
slowly. In September, 1908, he wrote: ‘‘The
men are getting along very well sawing lumber
for our new building. By the last of October
I hope we will have all the frame cut. The zine
which I ordered in July is now in Schieffelin.
The school boys bring some every day. We now
have one hundred and twenty-seven sheets over
on the beach. There yet remains one hundred
and twenty-one in Schieffelin.’’ But Jacob does
not tell the difficulties and hardships in getting
this zine, for the building, as far as Schieffelin.
It was shipped from England to Monrovia, and
the trip from Monrovia to Schieffelin was made
as follows: Four hours’ ‘‘run’’ in the old dug-
out boat on the Monserrado River, and then a
walk of five miles across the ‘‘old fields,’’ and
then in the dugout boat on the Junk River a
 

 

rhe School building which Jacob Nenoly erected at the Mission station near Schicfelin, Liberia,

Jocob is standing on the upper veranda.
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED 101

‘‘yun’’ of five hours to Schieffelin. This was the
way by which the two hundred and forty-eight
sheets of zine had been brought to Schieffelin ;
and then, as he says in the above quotation, they
had gotten one hundred and twenty-seven sheets
out on the beach, meaning out near the school
or station. Since talking with Dr. Dye, who
made this trip twice each way from Monrovia to
Schieffelin, it is known to be a much more la-
borious trip than had been supposed from Ja-
cob’s description as given in a previous chapter.
Dr. Dye says it took them twelve hours in time,
and very hard labor on the part of the boys
on the river and very hard walking and wading
(for he made the trip in the rainy season) on
the part of all over the five miles of ‘‘old fields.’’
They rowed for hours through the heavy down-
pour, and would stop by the way and cook their
scanty food. In one letter Jacob, in telling
about bringing goods which had been shipped
from the United States to Monrovia, tells of their
wading across the ‘‘old fields’’ waist deep and
carrying the things in their arms or above their
heads. Yet all the heavy covering for that
school building, not only for the roof, but for
the sides, and all the window-glass, ete., had to
be brought from Monrovia in this way.
Writing, March 1, 1909, of what he had re-
ceived locally in money, labor, ete., toward the
building, he says: ‘‘The community has not been
102 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

able to do much outside the settlement. Many
of the Monrovia people say it is so far back that
they will not be benefited muck; so you see they
have not yet reached the plane where they can
give excepting where they can see immediate
benefit, though they are able to do so. Some of
the neighboring settlements have promised to
give aid. Schieffelin has given or paid already
in means for the building one hundred and fif-
teen dollars, and forty-five is still to be paid by
those who subscribed in Schieffelin.’’ It is our
remembrance that Jacob received from the peo-
ple of Schieffelin and surrounding country in
money, lumber, and labor at least four hundred
dollars, and he himself gave nearly all of his
own salary. In December, 1909, about two years
from the time he commenced to get out the
frame for this building, he writes as follows:
‘““We have just closed a very successful term of
school. The number enrolled was sixty; so you
see I have been hard at work with all the assist-
ance I could get from advanced pupils. We had
eleven in our night school, and about fifty-five
in Sunday school, and forty-eight in our Tem-
perance Society, and we now have eleven mem-
bers of the Christian Church. We have been
doing what we could on our new school building
(though we have used it all this term). It yet
lacks the windows, which we have been expect-
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED — 103

ing for some time, but they have not yet ar-
rived.”’

He wrote to the Executive Committee of the
Christian Woman’s Board of Missions: ‘‘We re-
joice to see that the Lord is near to bless our
efforts here in Africa. This helps us to know
that faithful service is always attended by bless-
ing from the Lord. I feel very thankful to the
Christian Woman’s Board of Missions for our
new building. On the day we opened it and
saw what the Board had done in Africa we sang
a song of praise.’’

A letter to My. Lehman of August 12, 1910, is
now given, because it throws light upon many
things connected with tlis period: ‘‘Your good
letter dated June 21st reached me August 5th;
so you see it has been one month and fifteen days
on the way. We had been expecting a letter
from you for some weeks. Your letters are
looked for with great eagerness. When we are
so fortunate as to get one it is like receiving a
letter from home.

‘‘T have been having good health this month
and also a part of last. I have been kept quite
busy at the station. All the work moves along
nicely. It is indeed a great pleasure to work
for the unfortunate ones of Africa, especially
when one sees with what eagerness the uncivil-
ized seek knowledge and the manifestations of

8
104 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

their appreciation of what they receive; and as
we see that our Heavenly Father continues to
bless the work, we can say it is true that God
lias opened a way for the heathen to be lifted up.

“On the 26th of July was our national holi-
day. We gave a two-weeks’ vacation, and some
of the boys spent their vacation in carrying
across the ‘old fields’ cargo which was sent by
the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions. This
consisted of blue denim and check for shirting
for boys, tools, window frames, glass for the win-
dows, and some rice. You must know we feel
very thankful to the Christian Woman’s Board
of Missions for these articles. Some of the boys
said, ‘Providence is a great thing, because He
sent these things at our national holidays, so as
not to let us miss anv from our school days.’
We have the things all at the station now. We
were exposed to some heavy rains while crossing
the ‘old fields.” The water was up, and in many
places had to be waded; but we were so proud
that the things had come for our station that
we thought it a good time to take them to their
destination.’’ What a lesson here! Making
that twenty-four hours’ trip to and from Aon-
rovia, and carrying those heavy articles across
the swamps covered with water for five miles,
and yet rejoicing that it was the holiday season,
so they would lose no time .from school! As
Jacob had given to his boys his_spirit, so all
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED = 105

felt that all these things came to them by the
hand of a kind Providence or as a good gift from
God; and hence the occasion for joy and rejoic-
ing. The beauty of Jacoh’s relation to his God
is apparent and makes light the heaviest burden.

At this period we have the following: ‘‘Our
new building is up and inclosed, and the first
floor is laid. It is a commodious building and
has a nice appearance from the outside. It will
seat, when finished, three hundred people, and
will accommodate one hundred pupils. You
must know we are very thankful to the Lord and
the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions for
this building. Our school opened in it the first
Monday in April. Owing to the busy season of
the year our enrollment was twenty-five, but
since then it has reached twenty-eight. The
busy season will soon be over, and then pupils
will come pouring in from all the nearby settle-
ments. We keep very busy before and after
school hours working to complete our building.
There is a great deal of work still to be done on
it before it is completed.’’

Writing to Mrs. Ross at the close of the school
of 1909, he says: ‘‘I have nine boys which I am
supporting in school. About six weeks ago a na-
tive man brought two little naked heathen boys
and gave them to me. He said, ‘I want them
to have English names and learn civilized hab-
its.’ They are seven and eight years of age.
106 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

As we looked on their starved and naked forms
we were moved to great sympathy. The first
thing to do was to name them. One was called
Johnie and the other Lewis. They are now
happy in their new home. To-day another na-
tive man brought another boy, and we call him
Aaron. Ruth is now at the machine making
clothes for them.

“‘T received a letter from you some time ago,
but my health was so poor and I was so busy
that I could not reply until now. In that letter
I believe you asked me for a sketch of my life.
I am sending in this mail, under separate cover,
a part of what you requested. You will at some
future time receive the rest.’’ But the ‘‘rest’’
will never be received, for Jacob was called home
before the sketch was completed. What he did
send, referred to above, is found in the first
chapter of this book. How thankful we are that
Mrs. Ross was moved to ask Jacob for this, and
that he wrote as he did! This is now prized
beyond words to express.

Of his work at this time, May 18, 1910, he
says: ‘We are keeping twenty boys on the cam-
pus. Our number during the busy season is
thirty-five. I have to look after their food,
clothes, medicines, and laundry as well as be-
havior. Our Temperance Society and Sunday
school and church services are very interesting.
At our regular church service on last Lord’s day
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED 107

{wo came forward and made the good confession.
The baptism will be next Lord’s day. This
makes fourteen in number in our Church,’’ And
again: ‘‘We have six tribes represented here in
school. There are six Crue boys, ten Congo boys,
seven Bassa boys and one Gola boy, and three
Pessy boys and three Aimerico-Liberians. You
see we have thirty boys boarding at the Liberian
Christian Institute. We are doing all we can
for them, for their lives must be the product of
whatever influence is thrown around them.
They are (most of them) small boys. You must
know it takes work as well as management to
feed this number. I trust we can have them un-
der such control that their lives may bless thou-
sands of other lives who otherwise would remain
in a state of wretchedness. I need not say my
expenses are greater, but God knows we are do-
ing the very best we can under the circum-
stances.’? Again he writes: ‘‘We have forty-
four boarding pupils, and the expenses are very
great. It is only in case of extreme necessity
that I use any of my salary for my comfort, but
I can not meet the needs. . . . Some time in
October last a native man brought his little son,
but he ran away and went home. He did this
the second time and the third. Then the man
sent his older son to stay until the little fellow
should become tame. When two months had
passed the father came for the older son to carry
108 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

him home, but he did not want to go. He said,
‘I want to stay and be civilized too, and I shall
not go back to the country;’ so both boys are
still in school.

‘‘About two weeks ago a large boy ran away
from the country and came to the station. He
said, ‘I hear good about this place, and I have
come to stay so I can become civilized.’

“Now, with the teaching and laundry work
and cooking, it is more than we can very well
manage. I think I will have to take twenty-five
dollars of the amount received each quarter from
the Board, and with this employ a primary
teacher. If I do not do this I would have to
send some pupils away. This I will not do, for
if it takes all I have to keep those who come
to me, I will not lose my reward by making the
sacrifice.”

In November, 1910, Jacob wrote to the Board:
“*T feel that God is pleased with the year’s work
and that the prayers of the Christian Woman’s
Board of Missions have reached Africa. Ay
health continues good, and I feel very happy in
the work here. I cease not to ask God’s blessing
on the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions.’’

As the year drew to a close he again wrote to
the Board: ‘‘We have had the good pleasure of
working together, the Board and I, another
twelve months. My salary has been coming quite
regularly each quarter, and I have received aid
SGHOOL BUILDING ERECTED 109

in the way of provisions and clothing for the
boys at this station. I thank the Lord that we
have been blessed through the Christian Wom-
en’s Board of Missions. When working in a field
like this, experience furnishes every year a new
store of knowledge which better fits one for the
work of another year. . ;

‘*We continue to thank the Lord for the Chris-
tian Woman’s Board of Missions. May the Lord
continue to bless you, its president! May many
who sit in darkness be brought to the light in
1911, so it will then be a happy new year to the
Christian Woman’s Board of Missions and mis-
sionaries.”’

Then, April 18, 1911, two months before his
death, he writes to Mr. Lehman: ‘‘We have
forty-six boys to support. These live in the
Ross Building. You will realize that it keeps
us all worked down, and that we have hardly
enough means for so great a work as we are
now doing. Sometimes we have not enough
money for postage for letters we would lke to
send to friends in the homeland.’’

And again: ‘‘One Crue man wants me to take
twenty-five Crue boys when school reopens. He
has just learned of this school. I am sure we
will be crowded out next year, and I will be glad
if we are allowed to have one primary teacher
to help with the work.’’

This primary teacher and an appropriation
110 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

for her salary were allowed by the Christian
Woman’s Board of Missions. Early in 1911 the
Auxiliary of the Walnut Hills Christian Church,
Cincinnati, Ohio, raised six hundred dollars and
took Jacob Kenoly and his mission as its ‘‘Liv-
ing Link;’’ and his salary was increased by the
Board from three hundred dollars a year to six
hundred dollars a year. Jacob received this good
news about a fortnight before his death.

Dr. Royal J. Dye visited Jacob Kenoly and
his mission about two weeks before his death,
being there when the letters containing the above
‘‘good news’’ reached Jacob. Farther mention
will be made of this visit. We wish now to tell
some incidents related by Dr. Dye which throw
light on Jacob’s methods in and ideals for his
work, If any have the impression that Jacob
Kenoly was a weak character they certainly have
a wrong impression of him. When Dr. Dye was
there at Jacob’s mission he said that different
ones would take him aside to ‘‘tell him about
Jacob.’’ One of the boys of the school told
Dr. Dye that he had come to school for two days
in succession with poor lessons, and that on the
second day Jacob gave him a whipping. The
boy did not tell this in the way of complaint
at all, but rather as illustrative of Jacob’s disci-
pline for his school. Again, Dr. Dye learned
this, that one of the school girls had fallen into
sin, and he at once expelled her and would not
 

 

 

 

So of the members of the Church and some of the pupils of the school on the veranda of the school building
4

cffelin, Liberia, Jacob Kenoly is the tallest of those standing inthe back row,

 

at the mission station near 8
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED 111

permit her to return to school. The whole com-
munity became indignant at Jacob, and threat-
ened to take their children from school, ete., and
taunted him, and the news of this spread all
over that section of country, but Jacob could
not be moved one jot. He told all that nothing
could be done without social purity. Some said
to him, ‘‘ You can not make a white man’s coun-
try, and you need not try.’’ Jacob replied, ‘‘I
am not here to make a white man’s country, but
a Christ country, and such things can not be
tolerated in my school.’’ In the end the firm
stand he took in this made the people believe in
him the more and flock to him. Again a man
took Dr. Dye aside and told him he had some-
thing he wanted to tell him about Jacob Kenoly,
and after some preliminaries he said, ‘‘I want
to tell you that Jacob Kenoly is a great ’splainer
[explainer], he just ’splains and ’splains the
Word of God until we can all understand it.’’
So this then was the worst Dr. Dye heard of
Jacob Kenoly, that he was a great ‘‘ ’splainer.’’

In August, 1910, Jacob writes of one Henry
Lewis, who had come to the settlement about two
years before to sell rum. This man was born
in one of the West Indies and had been a sailor
most of his life. He was married to a native
of Liberia in 1909, and both he and his wife
were converted by Jacob and joined his Church,
and he became as a second ‘‘Timothy’’ to Jacob,
112 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

and both himself and wife were thereafter of the
ereatest help to him and the work. He was
one of those who met death with Jacob, and he
will be farther spoken of in a closing chapter.

Many times had Jacob mentioned the negoti-
ations with the Liberian Government for a grant
of land for his work, and when it finally came
te him it was for two hundred acres instead of
the one hundred he had thought to get. The
deed for this land Jacob sent to the Christian
Woman’s Board of Missions, and it is now in
their possession.

Under date of May 18, 1910, he writes: ‘‘I was
married to Ruth Walker in April, and she has
been a great help to me in the work here. She
is a sincere Christian girl, who is a missionary
in spirit. Her age is twenty-four years. Since
April she has been looking after the cooking and
laundry and sewing for twenty-one boys. She
also assists some of the classes in school.’’ From
this time to the close of his life Jacob and Ruth
walked hand in hand in the work.

In May of 1910 Jacob and his boys built a
dining-room sixteen by twenty feet. They hewed
this out of the forest, and all it cost was for
the nails.

A number of times during the last years Jacob
had spoken of his health as being very poor and
had often expressed the desire to come back to
this country on a furlough. He wrote to Mrs.
SCHOOL BUILDING ERECTED 113

Atwater about this, and in February, 1910, he
wrote to Mr. Lehman: ‘‘ Your good letter came
a few days ago. I was not well at the time, but
was anxiously looking forward to the time when
I would be coming to America.’’ Almost five
years he had toiled there, and God alone knows
what he had suffered and endured. Then he
writes: ‘‘I have received word from the Board
that did not make it possible for me to go.

. So lam content to stay and work for the
Lord.’’

Does not all of the above form a wonderful
picture of a wonderful life and work? Does not
this life forever answer that profound query,
“What good does it do to train a Negro?’’ and
does not this one marvelous life forever answer
every question concerning work for this race,
which holds in it a touch of sarcasm or scorn
or an implied doubt? These questions all, which
should never be asked by followers of the Christ,
ean be auswered by the two words, ‘‘Jacob
Kenoly.’”’
CHAPTER VIII
JACOB KENOLY’S VISION FOR LIBERIA

Jacos had a wonderful vision of what the work
for Liberia should be. While he thanked God
continually for what He had enabled him to ac-
complish there, yet he saw his work in its true
proportion, and, comparing it with the need,
saw it as but a small work and as only the be-
ginning of what he longed for in that land.
His vision was of a redeemed Liberia and a
work large enough to accomplish this. He, look-
ing forward to this day, saw another and a much
larger school building, one which could accom-
modate many hundreds, and then he saw dormi-
tories, and he saw a hospital and medical school
and a home for the aged and a department where
many industries should be taught, and then he
saw (and this was the ‘‘vision beautiful’’ to
him) all of the above as a radiating center from
which many were to go out, north, east, and
south, to carry the torch of truth lighted there
at the great central station. Yes, Jacob’s vision
was for a redeemed Liheria, for a redeemed
Africa! He yearned over those sinful needy
114
JACOB KENOLY’S VISLON 115

ones who, while having a form of godliness, deny
the power thereof. And then his great heart
was filled with compassion beyond power of
words to express over those wild, heathen peoples
back in the jungle, ‘‘to those thousands of naked
forms whose lives are tormented by the cruel
native customs, to the thousands of infants
thrown into the African streams, these who plead
for the true God.”’

Jacob wrot2 just three months before his death
concerning his wishes for the enlargement of his
work: ‘‘I learn that there are thousands of can-
nibals back in the bush, and my greatest desire
is to reach them, that they may learn of the glory
of God who drives away the gloom of night from
even Africa; but the work needs to be enlarged
here, that it may spread and cover Africa.

““Now, concerning my wishes for the enlarge-
ment of the Christian work at Denham Station,
there could be no surer or better way of en-
haneing its interest to the glory of God and
the betterment of the benighted heathen than in
providing suitable shelter, food, and raiment for
as many native pupils as there could be a suffi-
cient corps of competent teachers and matron
to attend upon. In alluding to the competency
of teachers I do not confine my ideas to mere
intellectual training, important as this is. There
is required a large and progressive work here
on the manual labor system. We need teachers
116 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

of the different trades for both the male and
female students.

“Tt is this that makes it necessary, in my
opinion, to send as many of the pupils to the
Southern Christian Institute to be trained as
possible; this and to give them a conception of
what the slow march of Christianity and eivili-
zation deprives them of here.

“‘T feel sure that when a boy from Africa is
trained in an industrial school in the United
States and returns to his people he can do more
for them than those who must be acclimated
first. About fifty per cent of those who have
come here of late years have not lived to become
acclimated, and a large per cent of those who
have lived have never had good health. They
find such a contrast between this and the coun-
try they have been used to that it unfits them
for the work, and about nine out of every ten
make failures.

“Then, again, I think it would be of great im-
portance to the advancement of the work here
to have something like a home and orphanage
which would subserve the twofold purpose of
caring for the aged and infirm and those who
would need medical attention as well as the
destitute of all ages. You can searcely imagine
how much such a benevolent contribution as this,
in connection with a Christian station, would
accelerate its growth and extend its influence for
JACOB KENOLY’S VISION 117

good far and near. Such things as this Liberia
is very much needing, and an institution here
with such provisions would indeed become to
this country the Good Samaritan.

“T can say, while I live in Africa let me make
every possible sacrifice to heal their broken
hearts and bring light around their way; and
if I must die in Africa, let me die in active
service for this cause—then I know I will be
happy.”’

Such was Jacob Kenoly’s desire for Africa,
and coupled with it, as is seen in what he says,
and as a means to its accomplishment, was his
constant desire that the most promising of those
in his school should be sent to the Southern
Christian Institute to be trained and returned
again to Liberia for Christian service. We be-
lieve he began planning for this back in the ‘‘old
basement school.’’ Certain it is that one of the
first pupils to be enrolled in that school is now
at the Southern Christian Institute as the re-
sult of this longing and prayer of Jacob’s. A
few months after he was installed in the first
little building out on the beach he writes of
this boy and his growing desire to have him
go to the Southern Christian Institute: ‘‘There
is a boy in my school, a native of this country
and belonging to the Congo tribe, who has been
very faithful in attending for two terms. He
is a member of the advanced class and is an ex-
118 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

ceptionally good boy for this country. He has
helped me with the little ones ever since he has
been in attendance. We call him James Run-
dies. He has written to ‘Uncle Isaac’ once.
I would be very glad to have him spend three
or four years at the Southern Christian Institute
if possible. I feel sure he will be a power for
good among his people in this country, being a
native here. He is not able to pay his way to
the United States. He is very anxious to go to
the Southern Christian Institute to finish his
education and learn a trade, so as to come back
to work among the people here. I know it will
have its effect for good on the other boys. I
will help to pay his fare to the United States
if some one else can help a little.’’ Jacob had
referred several times to the help this boy had
been to him in the schoolroom and in various
ways, and one would think he would have felt
he must keep him with him. Not so with Jacob
Kenoly, for in this, as in all else, he thought
not of himself, but looked forward to what would
be for the ultimate good of the work for Liberia.

‘When this desire of Jacob’s for this boy was
made known, Mrs. Manning Davis and her Sun-
day school class of the Church of \nderson, In-
diana, furnished the money for James Rundles
to come over to the Southern Christian Institute.
When Jacob got the letter in which J. B. Leh-
man told him of this, he writes, in reply, from
JACOB KENOLY’S VISION 119

the postoffice in Monrovia, June 15, 1909: ‘“Your
letter reached me to-day. I am truly glad to
know you have the money for James’s passage.
I am not very well prepared just now, as I am
building, but I am having some clothes made
for him, and as soon as I get the money for his
fare I will have him on the way.’’ Jacob’s help-
ing James to get suitable clothes for the voyage
did not have its full meaning to us until long
after, when we learned something of his own
great needs at that time. James Rundles left
Liberia, August 16, 1909, and word was sent
on as to the date when he sailed. When two
months had passed and no word was received
from him, Mr. Lehman became very uneasy as
to his safety. He wrote to proper authorities in
France and to the shipping ports on the gulf,
but no intelligence was received, but James Run-
dles arrived at the Southern Christian Institute,
November 2, 1909, having been two months and
seventeen days on the way. Mr. Lehman says:
‘‘Jacob did not start him from the port I had
planned, and the boat landed him at Marseilles
instead of Bordeaux, and he had to go by rail-
road from the former to the latter, and arrived
there one day too late for his boat, and so had
to wait a month. The American consul kept his
money for him and paid his beard bill, ete.” We
learn that James Rundles saw but two persons
while in France who could understand him, and
9
120 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

he telis also that his ship was driven out of its
course by storm on the way from Liberia to
France. He is now in school at the Southern
Christian Institute, and one of his teachers re-
cently wrote that his conduct in her classes last
year was simply perfect. He seems to have
caught Jacob Kenoly’s spirit. Our prayer is
that he may always hold to this high standard
and in a few years return, an incarnation of Ja-
cob’s spirit, Christ’s spirit, to those people who
yet sit in gross darkness.

Soon after sending James Rundles, Jacob
wrote of another boy whom he wished to send:
“*T hope by this time our boy whom we sent is
in the United States at the Southern Christian
Institute. There is another boy here whom I
would like to send. He belongs to the Congo
tribe and is very apt and well reported. I be-
lieve he also will be a power for good in this
country if he is given a proper chanee.’’ And
again, ‘‘A Mr. West, of Rock Island, Illinois, has
become interested in him and has asked what
would be his fare to the United States.’’

It is the policy of the Christian Woman’s
Board of Missions, as it is of the missionary
boards of other religious peoples, that those from
their foreign fields should not be brought to
this country to be educated for the purpose of
returning them again to their own country as
missionaries. Jacob, however, felt that these
 

 

 

   

of Suc

ees Runales, one of tke piy Kenolys school,
e now at the Southern Christian Lnstitute,
JACOB KENOLY’S VISION 121

whom he had especially selected as most fitted
to take the gospel message to their own in Li-
beria should receive a better training than he
could possibly give them or than they could ob.
tain any place in that land. Then he felt that
from the very spirit and atmosphere at the
Southern Christian Institute, and because of the
peculiar training given there, it was especially
adapted to give these boys just the training they
would need in order to fit them as missionaries
to Liberia. He also felt that it would not, in
any particular, educate them out of sympathy
with their own or with Christian service to their
own, but would give to these, just as it had to
him, not only the right training but the vision
of service necessary.

He says: ‘‘I believe the native people of this
country will make the best missionaries, when
trained properly, because they understand all
the wretchedness which belongs to heathen cus-
toms. . . . It would be the means of bringing
here that which would lift up many, many more
of the wretched ones of this country.’’ Jacob
knew of the boys from Jamaica who had been
educated at the Southern Christian Institute and
had returned to their own country as missiona-
ries, and that there had not been the disastrous
results from this such as many fear from for-
eign education. He knew, on the contrary, that
some of the very best native workers on the
122 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

Island of Jamaica to-day are these very same
boys sent here and trained at the Southern
Christian Institute, and now working among
their own in their own land.

When Jacob heard of the decision of the Chris-
tian Woman’s Board of Missions in regard to
this matter he wrote stating his reasons for
wishing to send boys here to be trained, and then
wrote in addition: ‘‘I was made very sad on
learning that it is against the wishes of the
Board to send boys from here to be trained in
the United States for this work. In the case
of the one boy I have somewhat obligated my-
self, and he has sacrificed a part of his studies
so as to help with the work here. Should the
people lose confidence in me it would not be
good. You will note some of my reasons for
wishing to send some of the boys to the Southern
Christian Institute to be trained, but another
reason for wanting them to go to the Southern
Christian Institute is because I know it will meet
the pressing needs of Africa by developing them
in the threefold way, and I also think Missis-
sippi is near the temperature of their African
home. I will not tell him positively that le can
not go until I hear from you again.’’

The Christian Woman’s Board of Missions
took this special case into consideration and, in
view of the circumstances, so far departed from
their policy as to allow the sending of two more
JACOB KENOLY’S VISION 123

boys from Jacob’s mission to the Southern
Christian Institute, for at this time Jacob wrote
also of a third boy who had won the interest
of a sister in the far Western part of our land
who hopes some day to bring him also to the
Southern Christian Institute. We feel that such
a decision was greatly to the credit of the Board,
and that all who read this will be glad that this
was so ruled.

Before the letter in which the policy of the
Christian Woman’s Board of Missions in this
matter was stated reached Jacob he had written
about the sending of the second boy, Peter Dun-
son by name.

He says: ‘‘I wish to have him enter school, if
possible, at the beginning of the next term at
the Southern Christian Institute. Therefore I
would like to send him next April. I will be
glad if I can borrow one hundred and thirty-
eight dollars to be used for this purpose, and
pay back twenty-five dollars each quarter until
it is paid. Otherwise I could not meet the ex-
pense of the work here. I will be pleased if
you will make these arrangements for me with
the Board.’’ Jacob’s salary was seventy-five
dollars a quarter, and this year he had sixty-
four pupils and twenty-four hoys who boarded
at the school all the time, and yet so great
was his desire that another boy be sent and
trained, to return again to help redeem Africa,
124 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

he was willing to give all the passage money
himself and have twenty-five dollars taken from
each quarterly installment of seventy-five dollars
until this was paid. Does our desire for the
salvation of any land or people measure up with
this? ;

But Jacob did not have to give the above, for
L. E. West, of Rock Island, Illinois, and some
others whom he interested in the matter sent to
the writer one hundred and fifty dollars for the
purpose of paying the passage of Peter Dunson
to the Southern Christian Institute. It was sent
about the middle of last May, but long before
it reached Liberia, Jacob Kenoly had been called
home to his eternal reward. However, Peter
Dunson will come to the Southern Christian In-
stitute.

We hope that when the time is ripe for it,
the third boy selected by Jacob, whose name is
Jerome Freeman, may also come to the Southern
Christian Institute for training, that in fullness
of time these may all return to help in carrying
forward the work Jacob sacrificed so much to
establish and to help in making his vision of
a redeemed Liberia a reality.
CHAPTER IX
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH

We have now come to a time in our narrative
when Jacob Kenoly is nearing the close of his
earthly labors, nearing the rest which remaineth
for the people of God.

We ask ourselves what he has accomplished
in Liberia? He has there, two miles from the
little village of Schieffelin, two hundred acres
of land, a grant from the Liberian Government,
and on tnis, chiefly by his own labor, he has suc-
ceeded in erecting three small buildings. He
has a farm in cultivation, and he has gathered
about him a very meager equipment for his work
of educating, training, and supporting over half
a hundred boys and girls. He carries on here
a day school and a Bible school, and has a
Church and temperance society. These are the
visible, the tangible results. But of the influ-
ence of his great life and character and of the
truths he has implanted in living souls we can
‘not thus clearly speak, for time and eternity
alone can reveal what these shall accomplish.

125
126 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

The last of May, 1911, Dr. Royal J. Dye,
inissionary to Bolenge, Africa, on his way to
the United States from his station, stopped at
Monrovia, Liberia, for the purpose of studying
Jacob Kenoly’s mission. This visit of Dr. Dye’s
brought great joy to Jacob, and we ean not be
thankful enough, in the light of the following
events, that it was made. Dr. Dye’s account of
this forms an interesting and wonderful story,
verifying in every detail what Jacob had re-
vealed through his letters to his friends here.

Dr. Dye tells us that Jacob received, while he
was there, the word before mentioned which
brought him great happiness; that the boy Peter
Dunson was to be brought to the Southern Chris-
tian Institute; that the Christian Woman’s
Board of Missions was going to double his (Ja-
cob’s) salary and also allow him a primary
teacher. Dr. Dye’s visit, as Jacob said, came
to cap the other good things.

How thankful we are that this good news
reached him before it was too late. Here are
quoted, just as he penned them, the last two
letters which Jacob Kenoly ever wrote. The
first, to the writer, was dated May 26, 1911, just
two weeks before his death. It is written in
Monrovia while Dr. Dye was with him, and in
haste, that it might go with the next mail.
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH = 127

“Mr. C. OC. Smith, Cincinnati, Ohio.

“‘Desar BroTruer Situ: I have just received
your good letter of April 25th. I was especially
pleased to have this good letter. It indeed
makes me feel that some of God’s people are
helping greatly with this task of redeeming
Africa.

‘While I am writing this letter Brother Dye,
of Bolenge, is in my presence. He is writing to
his people at this moment. He has paid me a
visit, and I feel very greatly helped by this visit.
He is on his way to the homeland and came to
my station about eight o’clock yesterday morn-
ing. <All have been greatly strengthened by his
lectures. Many things he has said the smallest
boys will never forget, for he is full of good
things. He has left some medicine for me and
some for the boys. We would be glad if he
could stay with us always. I am feeling quite
well since Brother Dye has been with me, and
his visit will be of untold value to the work
here. I am just writing this in haste to get
it ready for the mail, so you will please excuse
the poor writing and mistakes this time. I
wanted you to have a letter through this
mail.

“Yours for Christ’s cause,
“‘JacoB KENOLY.”’
128 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

The last letter he wrote was to Mr. Lehman,
dated June 7th, and was left unfinished when
he died. It is given here:

“‘DENHAM StTaTION, SCHIEFFELIN, LIBeRia,
“‘June 7, 1911.
“Professor J. B. Lehman,
“Southern Christian Institute,
“Edwards, Mississippi.
‘‘DEaR BrotHer LEHMAN:

“*‘T am pleased to have the pleasure of writing
you again during this rainy but busy period.

‘We are well excepting two native boys, but
their health is improving some since last week,
and this makes us feel happy. My health is also
improved since my last writing.

“Dr. Dye, of Bolenge, spent about five days
in Liberia, three of which were spent at the Li-
berian Christian Institute. His Sunday morn-
ing discourse was very impressive, and his un-
expected visit was of inestimable value to the
work. He made some pictures and administered
some medicine. All the community has been
favorably impressed by his coming, and all re-
gretted very much to have him leave for Eureka.

““We now have fiftv-one boarding pupils and
are doing the best we can for them. They are
making rapid progress in studies and we are
doing fairly well with their discipline. To be
sure, we need help with this, and I would be
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH 129

glad if Patrick Moss and wife could come. IL
feel sure they are the proper persons and could
do great good in this country.

‘*T would like to thank the good people again
for the box which came to us from the South-
ern Christian Institute. It was indeed a bless-
ing from heaven. We feel very thankful to every
contributor in every way. ‘Praise God, from
whom all blessings flow.’ And in this case they
flow by way of Arkansas and Mississippi.

“The seine was quite short. However, we
have caught some very nice fish. Everything
was profitable to us in Africa.

“‘Tt is very sad to relate the death of Brother
George Owen, who came to Liberia about six-
teen years ago. He lived a consistent Christian
life. On last Lord’s day morning he told us
good-bye and said his soul was prepared to
rest with Jesus. Brother Owen was the first to
join the Christian Church here. He leaves his
widow in Africa, but his son, James, is in Miss-
issippl.

*‘Our school’? ——

The letter stopped here. The Mr. George
Owen referred to in this letter attended the
Southern Christian Institute in the early days,
when there was but one building, and his son
attended school there under Randall Faurot’s
administration. Jacob had stayed with this man
130 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

and wife part of the time while he was building
his first building, and Dr. Dye gives a most
touching picture of how, when Mr. Owen’s health
became very poor, Jacob built a little house for
him and his wife and cared for him as a son
would until he died.

There were now fifty-one pupils at the station.
These were mostly the native boys, for whom he
provided a home and food and raiment. Others
came to the school from the surrounding set-
tlements. He ‘‘made’’ a farm to help with
the support of the pupils, and went fishing
to help supply food for all. Then we have
learned that he took care of Mr. Owen, and
that probably at this time he was helping a
sister in this country through school. His salary
was three hundred dollars a year, seventy-five
dollars a quarter, twenty-five dollars a month,
or about fifty cents a month for each boy he was
supporting. These fifty-one boys slept on mats
in the upper part of the school building, and in
the rainy season the nights were very chilly.
When Dr. Dye was there and the word came
that the Board had increased the amount he
(Jacob) was to receive, he said, ‘‘I thank God,
for now I can get some blankets for my boys.’’
This expression seemed the more wonderful
when we came to know that through all the
years spent in that country Jacob had not had
 

 

 
 

 

yee.
ef Duth dh. Eenolip.

 
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH = 131

for himself a rubber coat or any kind of special
protection from the awful rains.

Can we not see with the eye of our mind
this family at meals in the little dining-room—
the half a hundred and more boys and girls,
and Jacob and his wife and the assistant
teacher, Mrs. Lewis, and her husband? Jacob
said: ‘‘I do the best I can to have my boys eat
in a civilized manner. We have but few dishes,
but I have them sit up to tables and eat from
plates.’’ With the schools and Church and
farm and the swarm of dependent, unruly chil-
dren, can we not imagine his accumulated cares ?

Whenever it was possible they went fishing,
to help supply food for those in the mission,
and he spoke often of what a help it was when
they could obtain fish. Most of their fishing
was done in a sound or lake or lagoon, all of
which terms Jacob, at different times, used for
it. These lagoons are formed when the floods
of the rainy season fill a depression in the earth
around which the sand had been washed. The
lagoon in which Jacob fished near his school
was about eight miles long. It had become so
filled by the sand at its mouth that its waters
could not flow out to the ocean, and so this
“‘mouth’’ must needs be opened. On the morn-
ing of June 9, 1911, Jacob with seven others went
out in the old log ‘‘dugout’’ to perform this task
132 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

and also to fish, When they had completed the
opening of the lake they were on the farther side
from the mission and undertook to cross back,
but the waves were too strong for them to stem
and carried them out to the ocean and capsized
the boat. With Jacob were Mr. Lewis and two
other men and four boys from the mission.
Jacob Kenoly and the three men and one of
the boys were drowned. Three of the boys swam
to shore. One of these is the Peter Dunson
who is to come to the Southern Christian In-
stitute.

The body of Jacob Kenoly was found two days
later and buried on the beach near to where
it was found. Later he was buried near the
mission station.

The news of his death reached the United
States while the National Convention was in ses-
sion at Portland, Oregon. When Dr. Dye heard
it he wrote as follows:

““HuREKA, Inu., July 20, 1911.
‘“‘Dear BrotHER SMITH:

“‘T ean not tell you the shock I felt upon ar-
riving home and learning of the death of our
dear ‘Jacob’ only a week after my departure.
Truly this is hard to understand, but we know
that it must have some meaning and purpose in
the Father’s plan.
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH = 133

““We had such a good visit. Jacob had asked
my advice on everything. We had planned to-
gether large things for the future of the work
there. He had told me all his ideas and desires.
The people had felt so encouraged by my visit.

“Then the letters from the Board increasing
his salary and allowing his assistant teacher’s
salary, coming, as he said, to cap the climax of
my visit, gave him new hope and resolve to do
a work worthy of your support to the very ut-
most. He was a brave, noble, self-sacrificing,
consecrated man, serving his Master to the limit
of his ability.

‘‘His fishing was but an attempt to provide
food for his boys without spending any more
money than was necessary. I was going to rec-
ommend a steel launch for him, such as we have
in Bolenge. It is sea-worthy and has air-
chambers like a lifeboat, while he was risking
and lost his life in the little dugout leg canoe.

“Surely God meaus this as a call to the
Church. His heroic life and death should call
the very best we have into that service.

“With the sincere expression of my most
heartfelt sympathy with you in this personal
loss of your son in the gospel (whom I loved as
a brother and fellow-worker), I am as ever,

“Yours very sincerely in His glad service for
Africa, Royau J. Dyz, M. D.”’
134 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

Mention has before been made of one Henry
Lewis, who was a native of the West Indies and
who, after leading a roving life for a good many
years, had come to Liberia, near to Schieffelin
and settled there to sell hquor. This man was
in some way, we know not by just what means,
reached by Jacob and converted. At his con-
version he gave up his liquor business and
thereafter led a godly life and was of great help
to Jacob in all his work. This man’s wife, a
native girl of Schieffelin, united with the Church
when he did, and she was the one Jacob chose
to assist in the mission school as primary teacher.

At the time when Jacob Kenoly and this man
lost their lives there was with Jacob’s unfin-
ished letter to J. B. Lehman one written by
him, which Jacob, no doubt, intended to send
with his letter. This letter is now quoted, be-
cause it gives an account of what Jacob had
done for one man in the words of the man
himself :

“*SCHIEFFELIN, LIBERIA, AFRICA.
“Dear BrotHer LEHMAN:

““Tt has been a long time since you have heard
from me. Nevertheless I have been thinking of
you and all the good folks over there.

“Since I have found the true light and have
taken the yoke of Christ on me I find it is very
easy, and nothing gives me more joy than when
I am doing some duty for the Lord. And now
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH — 135

that I have put off the old man and put on
the new, I want to live and work and die fight-
ing for the Master to spread His light abroad.
I came to this place to make strong drinks to
destroy the souls and bodies of men and women.
But, like Paul on his way to Damascus to per-
seeute the Christians, the Lord caused the light
to shine down into the bottom of my heart and
called to me. I have obeyed the call and was
baptized in the name of the Lord. And to-day,
praise the Lord! I am in His service trying to
gain souls into the Kingdom of God, for His
harvest is ripe in Africa, but genuine laborers
are few.

“Dr. Royal Dye on his way home from West
Africa visited us. We were glad to see him. He
lectured for us Thursday and Sunday. He did
lots of walking and canoeing in visiting our sur-
roundings.

“We are all through planting the farms, and
this is now the rainy season. The lake is full,
and we are going to break it this week, so we
can fish with the small net Brother Kenoly
brought.

“‘T will be glad when Brother Kenoly goes
home on a furlough, for he has been working
hard, and a few months’ rest will do him a great
deal of good. All the same I hope the good
folks will not keep him in America too long,
for Africa needs men like him and Dr. Dye,

10
136 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

and plenty of them. For missionary work in
Africa it does not need one just out of college
with a head full of education only, but it takes
genuine, all-around men and women who have
been truly converted and have made up their
minds to live for God and to die for God. I
bring my letter to a close for this time. Love
be with you all. I remain
‘Yours in Christ’s service,
“HENRY LEwIs.’’

With the foregoing letter came this little note
from this man’s wife, she who was the assistant
teacher in Jacob’s school:

“Dear BrotHer LEHMAN:

“You will find enclosed in my envelope a
letter that my husband had written the same
day that I wrote my other letter. Both of us
were trying to get our letters ready for Brother
Kenoly to carry to-morrow, as he was expecting
to leave for Monrovia on the tenth. But it is
too sad to tell that Brother Kenoly and my hus-
band both were in eternity before this time, and
three other souls besides. They left home early
on the morning of the ninth to let the lake out
into the sea, as it had filled up so they could
not do any fishing with the net. They succeeded
in getting the lake open and were coming home;
but when crossing from one side of the channel
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH © 137

to the other the water was very swift and the
swells carried the canoe out to sea and capsized
it. There were eight in all that were in the
canoe, and five of these were drowned and three
were saved. The whole school mourns the death
of our teacher.

“*Please excuse all mistakes, for I have no
mind to write at present.

“‘Yours in Christ Jesus,
‘‘Repecca H. Lewts.’’

In his letters Jacob spoke of having visited
several times at the home and mission of one
Shadrach N. Williams, a native of the country,
a man of intelligence and education, who had
an independent mission at Evergreen, on the
Farmington River. At several times during his
residence in Schieffelin Jacob had gone to his
home and spent there short seasons of rest and
refreshing.

After the death of Jacob he wrote the follow-
ing letter to Dr. Dye:

“EVERGREEN, FARMINGTON RIVER,
“Tapenra, W. C. A., Aug. 16, 1911.
“My Dear Docror Dye:

‘‘This is my third letter to you, as a diversion
of my mind from its solitary subject of thought.
Jacob Kenoly was indeed my best friend. I[
liked him for his Christian piety and the work
138 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

so dear to his heart, which is according to my
own idea of Christianity. We were as often
together as circumstances would allow, and had
frequent correspondence. Now that he is no
more, it is natural for my mind to revert to the
individual who was with him when I last saw
him; that individual was your good self, who
alene I think of in connection with his work.
I am indeed very glad that Providence sent you
to inspect the work, as you better know what is
the mission’s property and what is not. There
may be some omissions in the inventory, for
which I am not accountable, as I could only
put down what was presented as mission prop-
erty.

“‘Kindly make our best compliments accept-
able to yourself and family, if you please.

““Yours very sincerely,
“Smap. N, WiiiaMs.’’

The hope of our mission in Liberia, Africa,
rests (until the Christian Woman’s Board of
Missions can find some one to go there from the
United States) with Ruth E. Kenoly, Jacob's
wife. As we read her beautiful letters that
hope is strengthened, for we feel that she has
caught much of the spirit of her husband, who
was for several years her teacher before they —
were married.

Her letters written since his death, as she
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATIHT — 139

was bowed down with a great sorrow and many
responsibilitics, are remarkable. We now quote
from those written to Mrs. Ross:

“LIBERIAN CRISTIAN INSTITUTE,
‘“DENHAM STATION.
“Mrs. Ross, Hureka, [llinois.
“My Dear Motuer in Curist:

“Tam proud to be blessed with the privilege
of writing you, and to know that you partly
trained Jacob Kenoly, who came to Liberia in
1905 and began giving his services for the up-
lifting of his heathen brothers and sisters. I
attended his school as primary student and I
continued to improve and try to prepare myself
for future usefulness, and I worked that I might
be useful in the vineyard of the Lord.

“After five years I was married to Jacob
Kenoly, and his work became my work; and oh,
my dear mother, he was equipped for the work
he loved so well! He would say to me, ‘Ruth,
I love my work so well I could give my life
for it.’ And, Mother, so he did. He was
drowned on the ninth of June.

“‘He had fifty-one boarding students, and fish
were not plentiful; so a crowd of them went out
to try the new seine in the lake about eight miles
toward its opening into the sea. The lake was
opened, and the canoe was upset by the force
of the waves, and five persons were swept to
140 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

sea that day, and he was found on the eleventh
on the seashore.

‘Oh, Mother, I have lost a dear husband and
a guide to my way, for he has trained me for
six years to prepare for this very day, that I
may be able to carry on the work!

“‘Dear Mother, I owe great debt to your Jacob
for the care and patience he has taken with me
in preparing me for life’s great work. I shall
love his dust in the grave.

“‘T am your bereaved daughter. I ask an in-
terest in your prayers.

“‘RutH E, Kenoty.’’

“August 15, 1911.
“Mrs. A. T. Ross,
“Eureka, Illinois.
“My Dresar Moruer in CaRIsT:

‘Your good letter of sympathy was received
about an hour ago.

“‘T was proud indeed and thanked the Lord
for having raised up my dear Jacob with the
spirit he possessed to come to Africa to work
for his people. By his coming here I am able
to try, through the power of God, to stand near
his post in the great battlefield and hold the
banner that he raised up in dark Africa, which
is the flag of Christ. It is a grand work. I am
sure I will have to meet with many hard prob-
lems, but with your prayers and my prayers I
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH 141

will overcome them. I know the prayer of the
grand convention was answered in behalf of this
work, for I feel stronger every day when I am
on my way to Ross Building to teach the boys
and girls and explain to them the great good-
ness of God and how He came and suffered and
died and rose from the dead and is now making
intercession for us. Mother, I use the first verse
of the One Hundred and Twentieth Psalm as a
breast-plate, for the Lord has heard me... .

“‘T am glad to know that Jacob never quit the
battlefield, but died fighting for a country that
was seen through the faith that is found in Jesus
Christ our Lord. May all of the Christians give
us their prayers that we may do our duty here
as faithful servants! I would to God I might
also be so blessed as to drop my cross for a
crown! But, oh, that I may also have gathered
sheaves for the Kingdom when that time comes!

“T am your daughter,

‘*Mrs, Jacop KENOLY.’’

To the Christian Woman’s Board of Mis-
sions Mrs. Kenoly wrote as follows:

“‘We are indeed a flock without a shepherd,
but we are doing our best in trying to carry
on this work. I am appealing to you, O Chris-
tians, and praying to God that He may touch
the heart of some good follower to come and
help us to hold the light of the gospel up where
142 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

it will shine in many dark places in Africa, that
the heathen may come and be saved.

“One of our brothers died the first Sunday
in June, and Jacob, in preaching Sunday, said,
‘I may be the next; who can tell?’ Thursday
he preached again in our prayer-meeting. He
and I led the meeting that evening, and he sang
this little song,—

‘I gave my life for thee;
What hast thou given for Me?’

And every person in the meeting was in tears;
and on Friday he had gone home to be with the
Master whom he served. He surely gave his
life for his people in Africa. His sympathy for
them was greater than one could tell. THis time
was used for the uplift of his people in getting
them to see their mistakes. His prayers were
always very sympathetic in behalf of the un-
fortunate ones. His life was example enough
if he had not taught the Bible, and his life be-
ing parallel with the Bible made his teaching
sweet to us. He practiced what he taught.

“‘T am told by the boys that when the canoe
was upset and carried to sea he clung to it, and
he was brought near the beach, and they said
to him, ‘Hold on;’ but he said, ‘No; I must let
it go now; I am weak; I haven’t any more
strength; I am going,’ and he sank beneath the
wares, to take up his abode with the Lord.
 

 

 

Zicw of the lagoon (near the Schicfelin Mission Station), at the mouth of which
Jauceh Kenoly met death. The School Building is seen tn the distance,
CLOSING DAYS AND DEATH 143

‘‘Dear sisters, make me and the work here a
subject of your prayers. Our schools, Sunday
and day schools, are going along nicely; only
our Lord’s day preaching is vacant; but as far
as we can reach in this work it is being kept
up regularly. I am doing as much as I can in
trying to keep these people together. I am very
lonesome out here now.

‘“RutH E. KEnouy.’’

September 25, 1911, Ruth Kenoly wrote:
‘‘May God speed the day when other workers
will be sent here to assist in spreading the news
of salvation in our heathen land! I am doing
the best I can in carrying on the work in the
schoolroom and around on the campus. I now
have about thirty students attending, and seven-
teen of them are boarding.”’

Other letters are in the writer’s possession
from the leading men of the Schieffelin district,
and these are most interesting and instructive,
for they form a beautiful tribute to the esteem
and love in which Jacob was held by all, and
they also show how he had impressed his spirit
upon others. His pupils all adored him, fairly
worshiping, it is said, the ground he trod upon,
and all who came in contact with him seem to
have partaken of his spirit. How like his in
spirit are the letters of Ruth Kenoly and of
the man, Henry Lewis! So it is with all the let-
144 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

ters coming from those who had learned of hini.
The teachers of the Southern Christian Institute
say that James Rundles is the most like Jacob
of any boy ever attending that school.

I shall not philosophize about the workings of
Providence in that this life was ended so soon,
excepting to say that the only way I can see
the hand of God in it is that He has transferred
the trust laid upon one to us all. The last words
written by Jacob Kenoly were, ‘‘Our school.’’
Is not responsibility laid upon us to see that
this work brought forth by the suffering and
sacrifice and final surrender of this life shall
not be allowed to die?
CHAPTER X
CHARACTERISTICS OF JACOB KENOLY

THE character of an individual is the sum of
his characteristics. If a person can be said to
be great, he must possess great characteristics.
In our opinion the subject of this sketch stood
on a level with, if not above, any in his age
in the degree in which his soul was filled with
Christlike qualities and his life filled with Christ-
like deeds, and hence that he was great in the
highest sense of that term. Let us then prove
this affirmation by mentioning what we know
to have been some of his characteristics. It is
difficult to give a perfect word-picture of a
character. Words sometimes refuse to tell a
perfect story of the endeavors and struggles of
a truly great soul. Yet, if we can in these lines
convey, though imperfectly, our conception of
the character of this Christ-filled man, we will
be satisfied.

Great was his sense of obligation. An expres-
sion of his was, ‘‘I owe all to Christ, and I can
only pay that debt by doing good to my fellow-

145
146 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

?

men.’’ When he said he owed, he meant it. No
obligation could be more binding. It was just
as real to him as a note in bank. He reasoned,
“‘All I can bring by way of payment and place
at the feet which were pierced for me is my
reasonable service in view of what He did for
me.’’ He also reasoned, ‘‘I can best pay my
debt by carrying the news of salvation to my
own race who know it not.’’ The millions of
lost in Africa appealed to him for salvation.
Even the cannibal in his ignorance and super-
stition called loudly to him. All in darkness
said to him, ‘‘Give us light!’’ ‘‘I owe a debt
to God for my Christ. I must pay that debt
by giving Christ to my people.’’

The amount of toil he gave and the suffering
he willingly—yea, joyfully—endured showed his
conception of the greatness of obligation. I owe
all, and hence I must give all; not simply the
tenth, but all. If the Christian world could get
that conception of obligation it would carry the
message of salvation to every soul on the face
of the whole earth in a single generation.

Then he was singular in the degree in which
he conceived of that obligation as personal. ‘I
owe all to my Redeemer.’’ He did not say,
“‘T ought to be a lightbearer if some one sends
me, but I owe my light to all in darkness.’’ He
said, ‘‘I ought to go and tell the millions who
know it not that Christ died for them,’’ and
CHARACTERISTICS 147

he simply went. He did not say, ‘‘I will help
to send some one else to go.’’ He did not ask
any aid in his far-reaching enterprise, not even
confiding in his most trusted friends his great
purpose. He trod the winepress alone. He was
laboring for the lost in Africa before any one in
the United States knew of his going. It was,
“As much as in me is I will carry the message
of love to the unlovely and of healing to the sin-
sick.’? When in Africa laboring for the be-
nighted ones there, he did not in any way inti-
mate to his friends that any were under obli-
gation to aid his enterprise. He was but ful-
filing his own sense of obligation to his Re-
deemer. When any aid came he received it with
surprise and as an evidence that God was
pleased and had heard his prayer for the salva-
tion of those for whom he was working.

To an unusual degree he had personal com-
panionship with God. It was told by one of
his schoolmates that at school he loved solitude
and was often found on the banks of the Big
Black River alone. He was walking with God,
and not alone. He was laying plans with his
Father for future work. When alone in the
jungle and sick for weeks at a time, and when
only one wild boy ministered to him in his hut
on the mountain side, he wrote to his friend
that he ‘‘felt his Savior standing very near.’’

When his way seemed blocked by unsurmount-
148 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

able walls of difficulty, he simply thought, ‘‘I
was mistaken. God did not wish me to do this.”’
‘When the sunshine of success came to his path
he reasoned that the Father was pleased. When
he returned thanks for any aid rendered to him
in his work he always included God in his grati-
tude. ‘‘I thank my Heavenly Father and you.”’
In cloud and sunshine God was his constant
companion. He said often, ‘‘If I do what I can
I know my Father will open the way.’’ If it
had not been for this constant companionship
he would surely have died in the jungle from
loneliness.

His companionship with God led to great faith
in prayer. He never closed a letter without a
request for prayers. This was no formality.
He not only asked God for the things he most
needed in his work, but expected an answer; and
when the answer came he received it as a gift
of God. When success came from his efforts
and light streamed on his path, he would write
to his trusted friends, ‘‘I know you have been
praying for me.’’ He wished to adopt as his
motto, ‘‘In my distress I cried unto the Lord,
and He heard me.’’ When without equipment
for his school, he prayed for a blackboard; and
when the money came he thanked the Father
as he would have thanked an earthly friend.
The infinite was let down to earth for him.
When disaster came to others, he led his school
CHARACTERISTICS 149

in the dark basement in a cry for mercy for them
to the God of heaven. Every day he asked God
to bless the teachers and all who had helped him
in his work. When he was almost barefooted
and in rags, and seven dollars came with the
request that he use it to supply his personal
needs, he wrote, ‘‘I know God told you of my
needs.’? No matter what may be a soul’s en-
vironment, it is safe if it makes God a constant
confidant. Disaster can not sweep away the one
who keeps hold of the hand of God.

His love of truth! THe not only spoke the
truth but lived the truth. All who knew him
intimately speak of his absolute truthfulness.
When one of his letters came telling of his work,
though it was told in a most modest way, some
one deeming such things impossible said, ‘‘He
must be lying!’’? Mrs. Ross, who knew him so
well, exclaimed: ‘‘Jacob lie! He don’t know
how.”’’ We have studied his letters written to dif-
ferent individuals about his work and giving his
estimate of people and conditions, and while dif-
ferent people called out a somewhat different line
of thought from him, yet there is a beautiful
harmony in them all. After making careful
inquiry of Dr. Dye and from others who knew
of conditions near him, we are convinced not only
that he told the truth about all the things con-
cerning which he wrote, but that, if anything,
all his difficulties were minimized. In place of
150 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

exaggerating he always stated things under
rather than over the full truth when he told
of his own struggles or of his own successes, and
this was as he saw it because of his humility and
modesty. After a conference with Dr. Dye, who
had studied his mission, we now have a much
fuller appreciation of the difficulties surround-
ing him than we did before. All his statements
are borne out by the facts. He was more than
truthful. He was true.

He was singularly grateful to all who had in
any way aided him in his struggles upward.
Jacob Kenoly’s gratitude was not only great, but
beautifully expressed. It was always a delight
to do for him because his appreciation was so
unbounded and so hearty and as natural as that
of a child. His expression of gratitude coming
for the first gift to relieve his necessities after
he went to Africa was not only unique, but very
beautiful, coupling as he did in his thanksgiving
not only the giver, but God who inspired the
gift. All who had in any way aided him in his
struggle upward, his teachers and friends, had
at all times a large place in his grateful remem-
brance. Amid times of great suffering and dis-
couragement he poured out in all his letters
thanksgiving not only for what friends had done
for him, but had been to him. One of his letters
to Mrs. Ross, telling her what she had been to
him in the way of inspiration, is most touching.
CHARACTERISTICS 151

He always called her ‘‘Mother,’’ as that term
was the one which came the nearest to express-
ing his sense of obligation to her. His letters
to J. B. Lehman abounded in touching acknowl-
edgment for what he had been to him. He
often spoke of what God was doing in Africa
through the friends in the homeland which He
had raised up. To the Executive Committee of
the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions he
wrote, ‘‘I feel that the Christian Woman’s Board
of Missions is the hand of God here in Africa,
in India, in America, and in the islands of the
sea, and is bringing sheaves for His Kingdom.”’
He was so grateful for the things he did receive
that he never murmured about the things he did
not receive. His little was glorified by his ap-
preciation until it became much. His gratitude
became a fountain refreshing to himself and a
holy tie binding his friends to his cause.

A special characteristic was his humility.
With a purpose as high as an apostle, he was
still meek and lowly in heart. This was no as-
sumed or sentimental humility. There was al-
ways the dignity born of a noble purpose in all
he did or said. Yet there is not a line in all
he wrote which would indicate that he thought
he was doing anything out of the ordinary in
going to Africa alone to try to redeem the land
from sin and win it for Christ. It was with him
as a matter of course. ‘‘I am a child of God”’

11
152 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

and ‘‘I must be about my Father’s business.
I am redeemed by Christ, I must carry that re-
demption to others. Necessity is laid upon me.
I can best take the message to my own race.
Of course I must go with the ‘Good News’ to
my people who have never heard it.’’ Then,
with but little exaltation of his own deeds, he
was quick to appreciate greatness and goodness
in others. We have to read between the lines,
as it were, to discover his own noble deeds and
achievements, but he would exalt others, not for-
getting to mention the least thing another did.
Then nothing of his own desire was to be con-
sidered for a moment if it stood in the way of
taking Christ to the lost. It was difficult to
get him to speak of his own personal needs be-
cause he was always so full of the needs of those
about him whom he had gone to help. Yes, he
had that which is perhaps rare, a mighty pur-
pose coupled with a lowly heart. Humility may
be born of weakness, a mere negation, but
Jacob’s was of strength. And because he was
meek and lowly in heart and went to redeem the
lowliest, he stands with the uaoble of earth.
Another characteristic was his practical com-
mon sense. With a passion for souls which in
this age would be called almost fanatical, yet
all his actions were controlled by sound common
sense. He harnessed an unbounded zeal to wis-
dom. One would have said it was a wild project
CHARACTERISTICS 153

to go as he went to take Christ to Africa. Yet,
who would have managed the whole affair more
wisely than did he, for the accomplishment of
his purpose? He was wise in his employment
of methods to reach the land he wished to bless.
Then he was wise when he first reached Africa.
He was wise in his movements at Schieffelin.
While he was wise enough to seek wisdom from
others, yet when once his best judgment dictated
a course he could not be moved from it by the
caprice of others. Who can read his reasons for
selecting his permanent school site and for all
his building enterprises and for all his move-
ments amid great difficulties and not be im-
pressed with the unique wisdom of the man?
“ Who among us could have adapted acts more
perfectly to conditions? Indeed, what unwise
step did he take, though he walked continually
in the midst of great dangers and difficulties?
His purpose was not simply to do a little good
among a few, but to redeem Liberia, and he pro-
ceeded in the very sanest way to accomplish his
purpose. He was a man of visions, but he was
not visionary. He was wise in beginning his
work, wise in its development, and wise in his
dealings with men; but above all he was full of
the wisdom which ‘‘cometh from above,’’ for he
continually sought it from God. Things were
revealed to him not revealed to the ‘‘wise and
prudent.’’ By the unconscious power of his
154 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

great life he won all—won the confidence of the
Liberian government officials and the confidence
and love of the Americo-Liberians as well as of
the wild natives and (most difficult, perhaps) the
confidence of us in the homeland.

Another element was that of hope. On all
his dark way in a dark land amid sin and dan-
gers and suffering, his hope shone on his path
as bright as the promises of God. In the darkest
hour he saw the light of a better day. By his
hope he walked in a glory-filled future, though
he dwelt in a darkened present, and this hope
was an anchor to his soul, for it reached within
the veil. One sentence written in a letter by his
wife since his death is of peculiar significance.
She says, ‘‘I am glad to know Jacob never quit
the battlefield, but died fighting for a country
seen through faith that was founded in Jesus
Christ our Lord.’’ This is just as it was—a
country seen through faith and hope in God.

In times which would have been to most of
us most discouraging he saw hope for a redeemed
land. He saw others from America, who were
under like obligations with himself, coming to
his aid. He saw the boys inspired with his pur-
pose and trained at his beloved Southern Chris-
tian Institute bringing back their light to dark-
ened Africa. He saw great buildings meeting
the needs of a great school in which lightbearers
could be trained to go into the darkest paths in
CHARACTERISTICS 155

the jungle. He saw a great training-school along
industrial lines lifting the land out of heathen-
ism and bondage to its terrible practices. He
combined in his hope redemption present and
future; combined things material and things
spiritual for his adopted country; a new Africa
wherein did dwell righteousness. And will it
not be a shame to us, who have been led to new
visions of service by him, if his hopes are not
fulfilled ?

Another characteristic was that he made every-
thing in his life tend to one great purpose. His
work for Christ was first in all his plans and
thoughts. Everything in his life was molded
by this purpose. ‘‘This one thing I do.’’ He
considered everything in relation to its effect on
his mission to the lost. Did he receive money
unless specially stipulated otherwise, it could
not be used for self. All—all must aid his be-
loved work! He said to his wife, ‘‘I so love my
work, I would gladly die for it.’’ ‘‘Yes, I need
James Rundles and Peter Dunson to aid me in
this hard present; but how about the future?
They must receive the best training possible to
fit them as missionaries for their native land, no
matter what it costs me.’’

The thing perhaps most wonderful in this
black man’s life was his marvelous consistency.
Have not all of us our mountain-tops and our
valleys? If judged by our best moments we
156 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

stand high with God and man. If judged by
our worst, we cry to man for charity and to
God for mercy. Jacob’s life was great in its
uniformity. He always walked seemingly on
the mountain-top with God. He had lofty as-
pirations, and the trend of his whole life was
true to his highest ideals. All who knew him
personally would agree that every act in his re-
ligious life was in harmony with his purpose to
uplift humanity. After careful study of many
of his letters, written to different persons, not
one passage is found in them which seems un-
true to the highest purpose which ever filled the
soul of man or a line untrue, amid all his strug-
gles and difficulties, to the spirit of the Master.
Surely this life is a marvel of consistency.
Living under pressure of work which would have
dismayed the strongest, amid sufferings which
would have weakened most, through discourage-
ments which would have disheartened even the
most steadfast, in a loneliness which would have
made heartsick the most loyal to Christ, under
burdens which would have crushed any whose
strength was not in God, amid dangers which
would have daunted the bravest, yet not one
sentence did he pen unworthy of a messenger
of Christ to the lost. Studying him in his
school-life; in his work among the ignorant
of the Ozark Mountains; in his sacrifice to lay
by in store for his dream for Africa; in his
CHARACTERISTICS 157

journey to a far-off land bearing the torch of
truth; in his destitute and helpless state as he
landed, a ragged stranger in a strange land;
in his year of sufferings in the jungle-life,
sick and surrounded with naked natives and wild
beasts; in his teaching in the dark basement; in
his struggle to build a house for himself so he
could better serve the needy; in his toil amid
awful heat to erect a schoolhouse so he could
make a home for native children; in his gather-
ing together and supporting half a hundred of
these who were worse than orphans, seeking to
provide for them and teach them and send them
to be trained to bring light to their own; in his
long journeys to and from Monrovia to bring
supplies to his mission; in his struggle all alone
to redeem Africa,—yet during it all, as far as
can be learned, he did not pen one sentence or
perform one act unworthy of the spirit of the
Master. Does not this black man, in the great
characteristics of Christ, lead us all? Who of
us, measured by his conception of indebtedness
to Christ, by his lofty purpose to pay the debt,
by his unselfish method in making payment, by
his wisdom in carrying forward his mighty un-
dertakings, by his joyful heroism in bearing sut-
fering, by his faithful toil for others, though
sick in body, by his faith in prayer and effort,
by his hope which saw success through the dark-
est cloud, by his lasting friendship for any who
158 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

had aided him in his undertakings, by his love
for the unlovely, even the naked savage, and by
his meek and lowly heart, by his faith which
clung to the hand of God in the darkest hour—
has as much of the Christ spirit as he? Yes, by
the extent in which in his life he did reincarnate
the spirit of the Master, Jacob Kenoly, thou
black man, thou dost surely lead most of us.

If the character of Jacob Kenoly had sprung
from one who had generations of culture and
spirituality back of it, it would have been a
wonder; but coming as it did from a child race
and from one whose parents were slaves, it is
a marvel in our missionary annals.

What is the relation of this life to all mission-
ary work? It certainly does not teach that there
is no need of organization in order to evangelize
the world. There are at present few Jacob Ke-
nolys. Then, while he went as an independent
missionary, his work was made vastly more ef-
fective by the aid of the Christian Woman’s
Board of Missions. All our missionary boards
are needed as the most effective method of send-
ing the good news to all lands. His life illus-
trates that the lowliest of earth can do with
God great things if a mighty purpose in-
spires the life. Yet the greatest value, perhaps,
to those who seek to send the light to all dark
lands is the nature of the call from God which
filled his life with its mighty purpose. The call
CHARACTERISTICS 159

came not to him mysteriously. Let him tell it
in his own words. He had with almost incred-
ible toil climbed upon the mount from where he
could see the world in a measure as Christ sees
it, and he said: ‘‘It had always been my desire
to relieve suffering humanity, and the happiest
hours I have ever had were when I made some
sacrifice for this cause; even before J was con-
verted I felt that God intended to use me some-
where in this earth for this purpose of lifting
up the fallen.

“‘T was converted at the age of nineteen, but
found no comfort in living for myself. Through
God’s guiding influence I was led to the South-
ern Christian Institute, where I began to realize
what following Christ meant. It was there I
got a vision of duty. I learned of the suffering
creatures of Africa, India, and China. Through
some means I became greatly impressed with
Africa and began to read everything concerning
this country I could find. ‘As you have received,
freely give,’ came to me. Then I began to feel
that I owed my time to Africa, and was con-
tinually impressed with the fact that God in-
tended me to be in that field. I felt that I could
face the cannibals, the wild beasts, and whatever
climatic conditions I found there. The above
message appealed to my inmost soul.

“Then I decided that nothing but death could
prevent me from reaching the shores of Africa.’’
160 LIFE OF JACOB KENOLY

If this vision of the world’s need could be seen
by all, and the call to relieve it be heard and
obeyed by each Christian, the glory of the Lord
would soon fill the whole earth. If his concep-
tion of stewardship could come to the Church of
the Redeemer, all our missionary treasuries
would soon be full. Who of us is not rebuked
by such a life? Who can carefully study it and
not be quickened in spiritual life which mani-
fests itself in serving others? The light which
he lit in an obscure hamlet in a dark land will
never go out, but it will ‘‘shine more and more
until the perfect day.’’

Then tell this story everywhere. Tell it to
the ungodly, it will give a new meaning to con-
version; tell it in all churches, and it will give
a new conception of spirituality; tell it to all
Mission Boards, it will give an added sympathy
for those who struggle with problems in heathen
lands. Let all missionaries of the Cross hear it,
and it will show anew the exceeding glory of
suffering for Christ. Interpret it to the heathen
world, and it will proclaim the coming of the
Lord.

May we then repeat that this was one of the
great characters of the world—‘‘a life hid with
Christ in God.”’
 

 

 

 

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