The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-18
Both the French and Italian
Missions Have Known
Hard Times.
EXPENSES TO BE CURTAILED.
The Sick Pastor Says 1t Is Unjust to
Send Him Away Without
Due Notice.

PoAAA uii UOtu 10 the pastors VINO were sup
posed to subsist upon them anG to the
presbytery, which was supposed to re-
ceive the salaries from the various Presby-
terrain City churches, each of which had
undertaken certain amount of indebted
ness in supporting the French and Italian
missions.
Rev. Eugene Dupuy is pastor of the
French mission and Rev. G. Vinai was
brought from South Carolina a couple of
years ago by the San Francisco Presby-
terry to take charge of the Italian work.
Mr.. Dupuy is supposed to receive $3.50
from the San Francisco Presbytery and a
like amount from the Oakland Presbytery.
Oakland has no indebtedness in the Ital-
ian work, but the San Francisco Presby-
terry is supposed to give the Italian pastor
$500 year, though the board of missions
in New York supplies some of the amount.
Neither OF the pastors has had his salary
paid with that regularity which marks the
cheerful giver. Some of the churches
have paid UP regularly, others have not,
and the pastors have had at times to bor-
row from their friends or live on credit.
Rev. Eugene Dupuy. when questioned
on the subject yesterday admitted that so
far this year he had lived ON hope and the
Italian pastor said there had been months
at time when he had to depend on the
clemency of his landlady for board and
lodging. Oakland Presbytery still owes
large slice of last years salary to the
French mission.
On Monday last the San Francisco Pres
bytery held session with closed doors, at
which the subject of the foreign pastors
and their salaries was thoroughly argued
out. The pastoral year begins with July,
and Rev. f. r. Farrand, moderator of the
presbytery, urged in the most emphatic
way that the churches should pay up
their obligations to the foreign work be-
fore that date.
Calvary, st. Johns, Westminster and
the Howard Church had nothing to re-
proach themselves with in that respect,
but Rev. F. R. Farrand urged that the
other churches should follow their ex-
ample. There was somewhat warm dis
cussion, and it was finally resolved that
the money should De raised by July l. 1t
was also resolved to abolish all expense
in connection with the Italian mission by
dismissing the pastor, Rev. G. Vinai, and
turning the work over to John Russell,
who would continue it gratis.
This summary action has given rise to
considerable feeling among Rev. Mr..
WHATS friends. The Italian pastor is at
present sick in bed at his home, 1000 Lom-
bard street. When seen yesterday he
was at first disinclined to talk, but finally
said: 81 am strongly averse to notoriety,
but for the sake of my wife and children 1
shall see that justice is done. You cannot
discharge man in a moment, when he
has a family, and / am a foreigner with
scarcely friend here, and they brought
me 5000 miles.
Before coming to San Francisco 1 was
pastor and director of fifty Waldensian
families in South Carolina. would never
have left that position if l had known
what l was coming to, for man with wife
and children must have the means to live,
and the salary there though small, was
regularly paid by the Congregational Board
of Home Missions. l left my position be-
lieving they were truthful. On the way 1
was delayed at Los Angeles by the strike
and had to stay at hotel till my small
means ere almost gone. When 1 got to
San Francisco what was my surprise to
find that the presbytery had no money.
However. said nothing. but lived on
credit from July till November. One day
in that month a Mr.. Logan, think his
name was, of the Young Peoples Society.
came and gave NE Sc so; it was small
sum, after living so long on nothing, but
l took it and said nothing"
The pastor stated that there had been
months at a time, when if it had not been
for the kindness of his landlady, he would
have been without the wherewithal to
live, but he went on laboring at his mis-
sion and taking his salary when it came.
Lately he has suffered from racking
cough, and the committee of the presby-
terry, consisting of Rev. ]. Cumming Smith,
Rev. Mr.. jerks and Rev. f. r. Farrand,
have urged him to take months vaca-
ton. but he refused to leave his work, and
having received no salary since January
he had not the means to go away and pro-
vide for his wife and three children during
his absence.
1t is on account of his wife and children
that the pastors sudden dismissal has
broken him completely up in health. He
looks like man on the verge of con-
sumption.
all lOIelSHers almoSe WiIuouI
friends here, and am TOO sick to take any
steps at present" he said yesterday, "but
if they do not do their duty will do mine.
The work was so promising, too. We had
converts last Pentecost, and
there were ninety-five scholars in the
school last Sunday"
Rev. F. R. Falrand stated yesterday
that the churches would pay up all their
Indebtedness before July. ''Dr. Mac
kenzie's church, for instance. has had a
mber of other charities on hand, but it
will pay up. We dismissed the Italian
pastor to curtail the expenses and because
we were not thoroughly satisfied with the
Italian work. As for arrears, we are not
bound to pay oftener than every six
months, and the pastoral year does not be-
gin till July L.