The Portland daily press., 1882-10-04
PORTLAND, WEDNESDAY, OCT. 4, 1872.
A. B. c. r. M.
The Seventy-Third Annual
Meeting.
The Board Of Foreign Mis-
SiOnS in Session at City
Hall.
ORGANIZATION OF THE MEET.
ING AND PROCEEDINGS
OF THE FIRST DAY.


American Board of Commissioners for For
eign Missions opened in this city yesterday.
1t is thirty-one years since the Board met in
Portland. In that time it has greatly iu-
creased in power and usefulness, its success
has been greater than its pious founders
could possibly have anticipa ed, and its
work for good has been felt in every quarter
of the earth. The missionaries it has sent
out have carried Christianity and civilization
to remote lands and made the whole world
their debtor. The Oldest missionary organ
ization in this country, it has from the first
entertained the !oftiest conception of the
missionary idea, and carried out its great
and benefcent task wisely and we'll. Deal
ing with the highest spiritual concerns Of
men it has also advanced their material pros
perity, its influence everywhere quickenin2
and promoting the enlightenment OF nations
and the intercourse of peoples, strangers to
each other even by name, century ago
Its faithful apostles in the fields of their en-
deavor have, while spreading the light OF the
gospel over hitherto benighted lands, carried
in their train the blessing of evils liberty, Of
education, of every healthful principle and
practice that underlies the veal of common
life and tends to the general uplifting of the
common people. The Fatherhood of God,
and the Brotherhood of Man is the sign in
which its victories Lave been won and the
banners-of the Prince of Peace carried round
the globe. As has been finely remarked
The Portland gathering is of more impor
lance than any of the diplomatic conclayes o.
foreign lands, as bearing upon the very ques
tions which are liable, with little warning, te
plunge all Europe in commissions and war
The aims and the methods of such organiza'
tions as the American Board have already
proved more potent in unravelling Eastern
complications than all the intrigues anG
srmed observations which scheming monarch
depend upon for the maintenance OF peace ant
the balance of power"
The progress and work of the Board since
its organization may be briefly stated
thus organized in 1910, its receipts the
first year were not quite thousand dol
lars, now they are more than half mil
lion year, indicating what may be con
siderea permanent investment in The
churches of eight or ten millions. In 1872,
it sent out its first missionaries, Newell
Judson, Hall, Mott and Rice-it now re-
ports present number of stations Stout
stations 733-ordained missionaries 159-ss
sistants 2o0-physicians 1l-total from this
country 43o. Native churches 272-nativt
pastors l41--native helpers 1876, natiy'
church members Is, 446--scholars in al
schools IS, 800. Its missionaries have re
duced twenty-six different languages t.
writing and prepared grammars and diction
aries not only of value to them, but to stu
dents of comparative philology. Their con
tributions to geography, archaeology ant
ethnology would fill many volumes. Ii
nearly all the fields occupied, they hav'
been obliged to prepare text books, for us'
in the schools and in all of them have eth
er originated or contributed largely t, tn
production OF Christian literature. Tn
translation of the Scriptures into the yer
nacular language OF the people, has beer
their first work, followed by the introduc
ton of Christian works original or translat
cd. The educational work of the Board ha
embraced primary schools, boarding school
for both sexes, Ct q normal school, the co
lege, and the theological seminary. 1t ha
organized three hundred and twenty-fv
churches with more than 10000 members
and has printed from mission presses in for
ty-six languages, more than .5nn 10000
pages of 2, 400 different publications.
The Place of Meeting.
The City Building is of course the plac
towards which every member of the Boar
directs his steps as soon as he has locate
himself in his boardiau-house. 1t was ih
universal opinion of ali who arrived yeste
day that more convenient or commodiou
building for the meetings of the Board
could not have been obtained anywhere,
Upon entering the broad corridor the fir'
object of the visitor is to seek Room ., 0
the first floor, where he or she registers th
name, and all who have not obtained lod:
ings and meals procure tickets for the sam
from the committee. Here may be foun
many of the leading lights of the evangel
cal church, men whose names are house
hold words in many lands, meeting now IL
the first time in many years, and resnmli
old acquaintance an.i reviewing recoll
lions. Missionaries from North China an
SouthernChina, from Ceylon and Spain; e
ucators whom the leading institutions
learning have delighted to honor Nth tt
titles of Doctor of Laws and Doctor of Divii
.
ity; here they are all found shaking hand
congratulating each other on their the clog
cal triumphs and making new acquaintance
The telephone is kept constantly at work
the committee making arrangements IL
those who are uuprovided for Then thei
Is the package room where day yisito
leave their bundles and where the attendant
exhibit in marked degree the Christia
virtues of patience and sweetness of tempe
All of the various committeeman a
adorned with appropriate badges, so that