The Portland daily press., 1893-08-14
REV. FRANCIS E. CLARK.
Greeted by Large Audience of Christian
Endeavorers at wi1liston Church Last
Evening-His Entertaining Description
of His Tour Around the World.

A large audience of Christian Endeav-
orers greeted Rev. DIR. Francis E. Clark
at Williston church last evening. 1t was
in this church, twelve years ago, when
DR.. Clark was pastor, that the now world
famous society was formed. He is now
called Father Clark by Christian En-
deavorers in every cline, and Williston
church is known and honored where
Portland would never be heard Eof were
it not for Mr.. Clark's happy idea.
In his address last evening DR.. Clark
began by saying, in commenting ON his
scripture text. that as the handful of
corn that drops from the farmers hand
is to the waving of the corn in the great
fields so are the small beginnings of soul
movements to the great results which
they attain. The movement which began
in this church twelve years ago had
spread wonderfully until it had extended
throughout the world. In speaking of
the tour around the world that he and
Mrs. Clark had just completed, he should
address his hearers informally as he
would old friends and co-workers.
1t was almost exactly year ago that
they left Boston for San Francisco to
take the steamer. Christian Endeayorers
crowded to see them all along the route
and after they got on board the steamer
he and Mrs. Clark computed that they
had shaken the hands of about ten thou
sand young people. Those ten thousand
handshakes were not for himself, the
speaker said, but to be borne by him
around the world as the greeting of
American Endeavorers to their brothers
and sisters abroad. One of the most in
teresting meetings held before sailing
was held in one of the big trees of Cali
fornia. An immense throng of Christian
Endeavorers saw them off at the pier,
sending after them the glorious strains
of the song, "God be with you until we
meet again. song that has been trans
lated into nearly every language on the
globe.
After short stop at Honolulu and an
other at Samoa, they arrived OF the
port of Sydney, where steam launch
came to meet them, flying at one mast
the Stars and Stripes and at the other
the Christian Endeavor banner.
Their greeting in Australia was most
hearty. For six weeks he spoke almost
daily to large congregations in all parts
of the continent Australia has many
problems in common with America, and
the feeling between the two nations
should be warm.
Speaking of the heather countries
that have adopted the Christian Endeav-
or plan, Mr.. Clark referred to the fact
that the societies were introduced very
early into the churches of Madagascar,
where they have had conspicuously
vitalizing influence.
The speaker said he could spend many
hours telling his hearers Of the wonder
Jul empire of Japan, which they visited
after Australia. Heathenism is. en-
trenched IN all the eastern countries
with remarkable strength, and although
many temples are falling into decay and
many priests have no heart in their
work, vet there is suill much of love and
service left in the old heather warship.
In the old imperial city of Kioto he saw
beautiful Buddhist temple, the timbers
of which had been brought from the
mountains by relays of men and raised
into place by ropes made of the hair cut
from the heads of devoted women who
had nothing else to give. So it is diff
cult for the missionaries to make head
way against idolatry, about which there
yet clusters SO many of the old associa-
tons of the people.
But Christianity has made great
strides; and in this same Kioto there is
splendid national Christian university,
with its law department and medical de-
partment like our own universities.
There are many societies of Christian
Endeavorers in Japan, and by them they
received most hearty greeting.
From Japan they went to China.
| Shanghai is great centre for the mis-
sionaries, and there the Central Union of
| the Christin Endeavor for the Empire of
| China has been formed with three papers,
printed in Chinese, devoted to its in
| terests
| they saw class of Junior Endeavorers,
little Chinese boys and girls, whose
parents were heathens
From China they went to India via
Ceylon. In India they passd through the
northern portion, going from Calcutta to
Bombay via Lucknow and Agra. AT
one of the cities they were going one eve
white draped figures going along the
streets beside them. These figures soon
began to sing Christian Endeavor songs
to attract the heathens from the crowded
alleys to the meeting. At that meeting
the Endeayorers had magic lantern with
which they threw upon a white wall
near by scenes from the life of Christ.
The meeting was held in the open air
under a banyan tree; and a curious
feature of it was the presence near by of
an old car of Juggernauts from the top
of which many curious heathens viewed
the pictures.
From India the travellers went to the
Mediterranean, whence they penetrated
into the Turkish missionary region. The
Journey was full of excitement and peril.
Turkey is the hardest missionary field.
Everything is against the missionaries
The reactionary government the stubborn
people, and every influence of power.
Yet they found Christian Endeavor
societies even here But the Turkish
government lays heavy hand upon
these societies because it's policy is to
allow no associations whatever to be
formed among the young people. The
printing presses are not allowed to print
| the literature of the society, and any
thing with the words christian" EN-
deavor,n Brotherhood" ETC., is under
| tho ho,, Of tho onvarnInent He found