The morning call., 1893-07-04
WITH HER TROWEL
A Chinese Woman Lays a
Cornerstone.
NEW PRESBYTERIAN MISSION
An Interesting Ceremony Yesterday
Afternoon at Sacramento Street
and Prospect Place.

with strong faith in the redemption of
my count ywomen in this land and in
China | lay this cornerstone in the name
Of Jesus Christ"
Mrs. All Tsun uttered. these words yes
terday afternoon as she knocked three
times with silver trowel upon the solo
piece of masonry that The workmen haQ
lust put into position as the cornerstone
of the new Presbyterian Mission Home on
the corner Of Prospect place and Sacra-
mento street.
The scene was quite novel and interest
ing. All around Mrs. All Tsun, grouped
on the foundations of the new building and
standing around the cornerstone, was a
crowd of well-dressed men and women,
members of tile Women's Occiden tai Board
OF Foreign Missions and prominent
Presbyterians of This city. Miss GILBERT
son and her forty odd Chinese girls took
an interested part in the proceedings The
girls ranged upward from 3 and years
old to full-grnwn women, and one and all
gaZed with delight at Mrs. All Isun, be-
cause they knew that she had been
III issiGn girl herself once.
Yesterday Mrs. All Tsum was an honored
guest of the Occidental Board andthe o.
served Of all beh0lders. as she quietly per-
formed her part IN the ceremonial. The
spoke, and all the Chinese in the quarter,
who formed the outskirts of the crowd.
craned their neckS to get better sight OF
the honor done 10 their country woman.
1t was pretty and modest Idea of the
Women's Occidental Board OF toregn
Missions to give one OF the fruits OF the
home, so TO speak, the. most prominent
nj IN ha
women who have toied and fought heroic
ally for the missions success stood quietly
in the background OF took secondary
part in yesterdays programme. Yet the
foundation OF a new building s distinct
triumph for the aides of the board.
The home has oulgrown its presentquar-
tiers. and Pres5y terrain Sunday-sch00l chill
dren / over the United States have sub
scribed $4,000 to erect the new building.
Rev. John Hemphill, i, D., speaking in
yesterdays exercises Of the missions
establishment twenty years ago, observed,
1T has gone forward ever since the day of
tie birth, because Occidental women were
at the head of it, and most of the other
speakers paid tribute to the ladies' work.
Rev. George Burrows, d. d., alluded par
ticuiarly TO the heroic hight which Miss
CulbertSon has made for the freedom OF
Chinese slave women.
Mrs. George Barstow, vice-president of
the Occidental Board, was mistress CT
ceremonies yesterday. The post was a
little onerOus rs there were no seats. All
the SSembled members, however, showed
their interest in The eXercises by standing
cheerfully for an hour and half in the
sun. and Mrs BarstOw conducted the pro-
ceedings without seeming at all tatlgued,
Just before the laying of the corner
stone she deposited the copper box, which
contained. among other Interesting articles,
I. 81,
lal Board; Scriptural texts Of greet Dc from
other missionary boards; photographs of
Miss CulbertSon and of other prominent
women connected with the mission.
The exercises commenced with hymn,
1ff5An we'd by a prayer, pronounced by Rev,
L. Y. Gazette of Alameda. Rev. II. II.
Ketchum of Berkeley then read some pas
sages from the Scriptures appropriate to
the occa sion. A good deal OF interest was
aroused by the singing Of Chinese. Japa-
nese and Syrian girls, led by Miss M: Gull
bertson. The chorus was not strong in
volume, but it sounded quaint and melOdl-
Gus, and its effect as helped By the odd,
picturesque appearance of The girls.
After the singing came another Scripture
and then a prayer by Rev. Campbell Ii Coyle.
A series of brief addresses followed in the
programme. E. A. Surge. of tie japanese
church, Oakland, touched briefly npon the
Chinese and japanese problem.
Rev. W. ". Faris, D., stated that the
latest advices from China showed a
tendency toward the foundation Of an in-
dependent Chinese church, and urged the
necessity of training Chinese workers for
it. Speaking of the home he added :;
There is no missionary work in America
that brings more concentrations than this
work of women among Chinese slaves.
Let us hope to-day's departure is but the
harbinger of greater things"
Rev. Z. S. Chapman, ID. observed ::
THE distinguishing characteristics of this
Institution are the distinguishing charac-
teristics of home. 1t is love that makes
a home, and love. even for the unlovely. is
at tie bottom of this movement"
Rev. q. G. Smith then spoke interest
ingIy of the thirty long years OF work &C
cumplished by the mission. and a Zenana
hymn, com posed by Mrs. 2. d. Browne,
president of the Occidental Board, was
sung more or less by every one present.
After the cornerstone had been laid,
Rev. |. Nj. Condit pronounced prayer of
conservation. asking that through the new
mission Light may come to many dark
hearts and freedom to many ensiaved
scrfSD