The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-13

follow the red and blue, he has some
sanguine, If peculiar, expressions, as the
following bears witness:
I fully believe that when we have Chinese
work started in prosperous way lots of Chris
tan Chinese will rally round us and fght
beneath our colors to bring China to Christ
Yours to lick the devil. FoNG F., Sec.
There is charming naivete about Cap
tain Fong and he tells of his career both in
his native land and this country with
candor that is all the more remarkabl,
considering his race. This is his story il
brief:
at is Just twenty-six years since / wa.
born in the little, low, gray village of Lur
On, in the province of Kwang-Tung anG
near the city of Canton. One-half of that
time have been in China and the othel
half in this country.
"My father was a farmer and my boy.
hood days were chiefly spent in herdine
our cattle. My schooling began when
was nine years of age and continued until
with some relatives and friends, left to
seek my fortune in far-away California al
the age of -.
"Our little home was full of all sorts OF
idols. There was god of mercy upon a
big shelf in the back part of our sitting
room, which we thought had influence
over the rain and sunshine. This, OF
course, was very important idol to us.
There were others bearing the names OF
our ancestors for several generations back.
All about the house were notices referring
to deities, such as the god of the cattle
kings place, god of the stove kings
place, door judges place. There was
another god under our beds to protect us
from sickness and danger, and another
sign near the sky read, God of heaven,
bestow blessing
''These deities we worshiped by burn
ing incense and placing cup of tea on the
1st and 18th of every month, and at New
Years we placed before them pork,
chicken, rice and burned incense and
papers. To the God of heaven we did
not pay as much respect as we did to the
others, because, | suppose, we regarded
ity who would not do US any harm even if
we did not pay him the attention sup
posed to be due to him. Our people, how
ever, look upon the devil as a very mean
fellow and fear if they don't serve him
that he will do them great injury.
Our teacher at school wrote the name
of Confucius upon piece of paper and
hung it on the wall and that piece of paper
we worshiped to inspire US in learning.
Zone of my relatives was a priest-a
sorcerer. l used to go with him beating a
drum to help perform such ceremonies as
we fancied would placate the devil.
81 had never been in cities, therefore
had not learned the wicked ways of city
life, but l learned how to gamble all the
same and sometimes stole my father 8
money to gamble with. Once took some
money from store and my mother gave
me good thrashing for it.
when, in the spring of 1882, We were
having hard times in China my parents
asked me if I would like to go abroad, and,
having heard marvellous things about Cali
fornia, said would. My grandmother l
babe good-by first, and she told me to fol-
low the good companions / was dumb
and tears came to my eyes, and went out
on the street and wept. All my people ad-
vised me the same way-to follow the
good companions, and for few months
after landed did so, but soon fell into
all kinds of vice, particularly gambling.
"a cousin in Sacramento took care of me
at first, and was directed to the Chinese
mission school to learn the English Ian
guage. After period of degeneration /
came under the wholesome influence of a
Chinese missionary there named Chin Foy.
1t was not long before | found myself en-
tering a 'Pi-Shi-Kai'-'Jesush hail.
"In the winter of 1883 went into a
Methodist meeting which was very spir-
itual, and six years ago l joined the Saliva
ton Army. l am satisfied with my new
life, and believe other Chinese would soon
join if they could only realize what was
in If .;