The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-16
THR pBlTH OF law. ]. CRQssETl.

The Extraordinary Life Work Of IN Inde'
pendent American Missionary In China,
A RashiRgioR diSpaleh
The Department Of State has received
from the Legation at Pekiug, under date
Of the third Of July, an account Of the
death and extraordinary life work otthe
Rev, ], Orossett, an independent Amer
lean missionary in China, His career
appears to have been a very remarkable
one, characterized by absolute selfde,
yotion, He died on the steamer III
Dorado enroute from Shanghai to Tient-
sin on the 2lst Of June last, He leaves
a widow living at Schuylersville, New
York.
In speaking Of Mr.. orossett, Minister
DENLY couples his name with that OF
Father Damien, the French missionary
who lately died on the Island OF Molon'
kali and says,
doing good TO the poorest class Of
Chinese, He had charge OF q winter
refuge for the poor at Peking during
several winters, He would go out In
the streets the coolest nights and pick
up destitute beggars and convey them to
tie refuge, where be provided them
with food, He also buried them at his
own expense. He visited all the prisons,
and often procured the privilege Of re-
moving the sick to his refuge. The
officials had explicit confidence In him
and allowed him 10 visit at pleasure all
the prisons and charitable institutions.
"Ae was known by the Chinese as the
Christian Buddah,' He was attached
TO no organization o. men. He was Q
missionary pure and simple, devoted
rather to charity than proselytism, He
literally took Christ as his exemPlar'
He travelled all oyer China and the East.
He took no care for his expenses, Food
and lodging were voluntarily furnished
him. Inn.keepers would take no pay
for bis private person and were ever
TO entertain him, II must be said that
This wants were few, He wore the CHI
nese dress, had no regular meals, drank
only water and lived on fruit with a lit
tie rico or millet, He aimed at trans
lating his ideal, Christ into reality
"He wore long, auburn hair, parted
In the middle, 80 as to resemble the
pictures Of Christ. Charitable people
furnished him money for his refuge aud
he never seemed to want i0r funds, He
slept on a board or on the floor, Even
In his last hours, being deck passen'
ger on the FL Dorado, he refused TO be
transferred TO the cabin, but the kindly
captain, some hours before he died, re-
moved him to a berth, where he died,
still speaking OF going to Heaven and
entreRtlng the bystanders to love the
Lord,
"As an instance OF the character Of the
, man | will state that when on one oCca
sion gave my annual dinner on Thanks
, giving Day to the Americans, Mr.. eros,
sett wrote to me beseeching that ! would
, have no dinner, but would give the cost
, to the poor. He attended the dinner
, but touched nothing but water and rice
In theology he eau hardly lie said tc
, have been Orthodox. He found good In
all religions. Alter long conversation
with him one day, told him he wa
} not a Christian buta Buddhist. He an
swered that there were many good thing
} In Buddhism.
, "The last important work OF Mr.. eros
sett was an effort to provide for the dea
. and dumb. 10 further this project he
, travelled to Haukow and thence to Can
i ton, establishing everywhere schools FOL
, these uniortunateE. He was successful
wherever he went,
"This man laughed at the pure love o
God and goodness. He completely sacri
, feed himself to the good Of the poorest
Of the poor. He acted out his principles
plainly as the poorest Of his patients
On charitable subjects he wrote well
! The ideal TO him was practical. Let thil
, American then be enshrined, along witt
/ the devoted FrenChman, In the annali
, Of men who loved their fellow men,"