Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-03

was ABOUT Sittlng down 10 my noon meal
messenger came, saying that my chapel at
Chang-men was being looted. | took my
dinner and walked to the neighboring
chair stand and hired sedan to take me
to the Wu-yuen district maeistrate). Just
before reaching the office, some very had
fellows came running after my chair,
shouting, kill the foreign devllf The
chair coolies demonstrated, but only got
cursing for their pains.
Reaching the Wu-yuen, l fund that
the magistrate, having heard of the dis
turbances, had gone in person to do what
he could. So sat IN the reception room
until he came back. He had arrested one
home when told TO do so. and he thought
there would be no more trouble. He ad
vised me not to 60 to the chapel. as it
would only attract crowd and make mat
rers worse. After taking the conventional
sip of tea, left, after requesting a couple
of runners to follow me Tor a short dis
iance to rebuke any insolence that might
be offered.
Upon inspecting the mission building
! found hat hole had been broken in the
rear wall Of the chapel grounds, and that
MANY stones were thrown on the roof
breaking some tiles. A few dollars will
repair the damage done, so We may con-
graduate ourselves in having escaped a
serious outbreak, by the good hand of God
in raising up defenders for US in the very
time when much needed.
In addition to the above, DR.. Lyon
speaks of the intense excitement of the six
weeks previous and confirms the story re-
fering to the brutality that accompanied the
murders at Wusuch. He speaks of both
Victims as Englishmen, which has stree
been corrected by a special dis patch which
Identifies the slain missionary as Mr.
Argent, an American.
Other letters have been received at the
various missionary boards of the city, all
of which confirm the report of outrage
and that a widespread feeling of alarm
for personal safety existed at the time Of
writing the letter in China.
1t is to the credit of the Chinese council
of ministers that the imperial decree was
issued so shortly after the news Of the out
RACES was brought to the attention of the
officials. This was done on June II, and
the document contains specific instructions
to the authorities to arrest the leaders of
the riots and infict capital punishment
upon them.
The general impression that the Chinese
government is hostile to the Christian
missionaries Is not shared by the officials
Of the various missionary societies. They
say that the government of the country
has OF recent years greatly aided them.
Whatever opposition the christians
meet at the present time is attributed to
the circumstances set forth in the decree,
which says that lit is evident that among
ITO
laws whose object is t. secretly contrive
and plan to fan discomfort among the
people by circulating false rumors and
causing them to become agitated and ex
cited, and then to avail themselves of the
opportunity to rob and plumber, and peace
able and law, abiding persons are entlced
and led to join them, resulting in ter
mendous uprising"
ianity has for its purpose teaching of men
Jects to China, and are amenable to the
local authorities. Peace and quiet shouId
reign among the Chinese and missio-
naries
''But there are reckless fellows who
fabricate stories that have no foundation
IN fact for the purpose of creating trouble.
and are to be found everywhere. "
Other than these causes the only Difficult.
ty that the missionaries encounter arises
from local opposition to them in various
outlying provinces or among the hill
tribes Of the interior, who are little else
than bandits, and rol and murder Euro
neans and Chinese.
The work Of Tie missionaries in China
is gradually gaining strength and i'm
potu5. Previous to the Marking treaty in
1912, which opened up the FIVE ports Of
Canton, Annoy, Ming Pc, Shanghai aud
Foo Choo, the work was necessarily cir
cumscrihad, and even the Jesuit missions,
which had been established in the early
part of the sixteenth century by the im.
mediate successor Of ST. Francis Xav 6,
were in a languishing condition. The
treaty GRANTED equal privileges to al sectG,
but confined the work Of the missionaries
to the seap2rts. After the Tapping re-
bellion in 1861, which resulted in the total
destruction of four missions and
the determination Of ten thousand
converts, treaties were signed that grant
ed greater protection to the missionaries
and gave them an enlarged field for work.
Gradually the mission stations are push
ing further and further into the interior,
and recently the Inland Missionary society
was organized for the purpose of coDfning
their work to the inland provinces. Under
ordinary circumstances it is Only in such
territory that prosecutions are resorted to,
and the hope Of the American boards Of
missions that these would shortly cease
was high until the recent trouble was an
nOunced.
Missionary work in China is conducted
upon an educational basis, but in addition
there have been many important hospitals
established, and these have contributed
largely to the relief of the inhabitants. In
addition TO the churches, missions, schools
and hospitals, the work of spreading the
doctrines of Christ is carried on 10y timer.
ant clergympn, who in their wanderings
are often subjected to most fearful hard
ships and great indignities, not infre-
qlently paying for their zeal with their
lives.
In addition to the Jesuit missionaries.
who have the greatest number Of establish
ed stations and have converted nearly
FIVE hundred thousand Chinese. there are
Represented in the Empire thirty Protes-
tant societies both UNCONVENTIONAL and
non SeCtarlan.
These latter comprise beth Europeans
and Americans, and have established. &C
cording to the last statistics, 1,7O1
stations and out stations, which are con-
Quoted by 537 ordaine cIergymen and 70
lay brothers. The wives of 353 of the
missionaries are assisted in the work by
208 women teachers. The native workers
comprise 247 ordained converts. 1862 teach
ers and 277 helpers.
These socltieS hive ST. regular preach
ing places and 439 churches. Their Sun