The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-12-03

Mr.. Ralph d. Smith left this city yes
terday for Shanghai. China. where he
goes in the capacity Of a missionary to
work in the interior of the country. He
was accompanied by Mr.. A. V. Gray.
who is enroute for the same place. and
will engage in the same work. Both are
young men and go to their fed OF labor
with all the zeal and energy OF youth
They have been fitting themselves for the
work they have undertaken for quite a
considerable length of time, and they
have left very much encouraged by their
professors and friends in taking up the
work they have set themselves to do
They had several trunks and pieces OF
baggage and all, or nearly all OF it, was
billed straight through 10 Shanghai.
They go from here to Los Angeles, CAL,
where Mr.. Smith has two sisters. They
will remain there perhaps week and
will go on 10 Tacoma, Wash. After a
brief visit there they will take ship and
GO directly to Shanghai where they VIII
begin their long journey of about 1000
miles into the interior. where the mis-
SIGN is located. They will not be enter
ing into part Of the country heretofore
totally unknown to start a mission, as
so many have done before them; but the
mission is already started, and they VIII
find other Americans there TO welcome
them when they arrive.
Mr. Smith is brother to NJ. r. Smith,
the North Main street barber. whom ne
has been visiting for several weeks past.
1t requires not little nerve for per-
sen, living in this enlightened age, and
in this the most enlightened country, to
90 inf mot l.
BILE from it, into country known the
world over as being so far the opposite,
where ignorance and superstition holds
full sway and has held ii ever since the
time of Noah, when the nation was found
ed, and has continued ever since prac-
ticaliy unchanged. The Chinese are very
slow in accepting what TO them seems
an innovation Of any kind. But the
swiftly moving times now will not allow
any nation to persistently remain behind
without feeling it, Ii Hung Chang's tour
around the world has done much toward
the end Of opening up the more conser-
vative people to the commerce of the
world In this commerce, not only COM
modities are thought CT, but also the in
terchange of ideas in every line Of work.
China sees Japan moving rapidly away
from her. and although slow in bringing
herself TO realize this she is finally COM
ing to il.
The missionaries at this time are not
finding nearly so much opposition as they
have in the past. All provisions save
rice and water must be sent from this
country and this precludes any variety
in diet. These two young men, however.
knowing all these things. willingly go to
do what they can toward assisting the
Enlightenment of the Chinese people,
who. in some parts take kindly 10 it, and
in others they do not. II is reported
however. that the natives upon the coast
are much more hostile 10 the spread OF
religious information than those in the
interior. and the work is being done more
from the latter place than before.
The young men will not arrive at their
destination until the latter part of Janu'
airy. The mission to which they are 60
ing is of non-sectarian character, and
more after the pan of Dwight L. Moody
church in Chicago than any other.