The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-30
MISSION WORK IN CHINA
ENIH USI4STIC MISSIONARY RALLY
 ATTIRE FIRSTM n. CHURCH.

In China-Perils Upon the Ocean--Difi-
 culties of Acquiring New Language
 Prospects of the work-An Interesting
 Address by Dr. s. L. Baldwin.
 Very fortunate indeed was the large audience present, last evening, at the semi-centennial of the Methodist Chi nese mission, given in the First M. ID. church, in being permitted to hear the addresses of pr. s. l.. Baldwin, one of the missionary secretaries; and of Dr. M J. White, for fifty years mis- sionary in China. Both talks were from the standpoint of deep conviction as well as personal experience in the matter. As these gentlemen proceeded with their addresses something of the enthusiasm of the great possibilities of the the subject animated both speakers and audience.
 Dr. White said. in part:
 The year 1847 marks an important era in the missionary work of the M. E. church. Rev. Steven Olin, D. D., president of the Wesleyan university, is authority for the statement that pre- vious to that date we had no missions where the laborers used any other than the mother tongue. In Liberia and generally among the American Indians missionary work was conducted in the English language. In May 1S45, it was resolved to commence work in China and pr. Olin and Bishop Jones urged the importance of sending young men, who, by thorough study in Hebrew, Latin and Greek and the modern lan- guages. would be prepared to learn and use a difficult language like the Chi nese. The first missionaries appointed and sent to China in 1S47 were Judson D. Collins of the Michigan conference; Moses c. White (the speaker of the evening" of New York, graduate of Wesleyan university, and at that time a student of theology and medicine in Yale university. and Mrs. Isabel J. (Atwater) White, graduate of Gaze novia seminary, New York, whose fla ther, Ezra Atwater, was native of New Haven.
 The influence which led to the estab- lishment of our China mission was in timately connected with our literary institutions. When Rev. D. P. Kidder, D. D., was student at the Wesleyan university, the members of his class were deeply impressed with the impor- tance of esta blishing a Methodist mis- sion in China.
 At the Oneida conference in 1S41 was founded the theological and missionary society. At one of its earliest gather ings a young lady from Homer, born and nurtured in Methodist family, arose and read an essay beginning: "A mournful sound is bourne on the east ern breeze; our missionary treasury is in debt" Starting from this declara- tion she read an earnest and enthusias- tic apepal for self denial and sacrifice prompted by love for the Master and the souls of men, that marked her as eminently fitted to be as she became our first female missionary to China. This young lady, then Miss Atwater, soon became Mrs. White and sailed as the first lady of the M. E. church, who landed in that dark empire. Mrs. White died at Foo Chow in May, 1S4S, after short period of earnest labor, and her remains lay buried under the beautiful green olive tree in our mis- sionary cemetery.
 So these three sailed. It was from Boston, April 15, 1S47, in the ship Heber The owners of the vessel had made every provision for our comfort, and nothing occurred to mar the pleasure of our long voyage in sailing vessel around the Cape of Good Hope and across the Indian ocean. After 114 days in our ocean bethel we arrived at Canton, China. When we were half way from Rio to Good Hope we encoun- tered our first storm at sea. Our ship lay-to. under close reefed sail and jibs, and was riding at ease, when a long rolling wave, miles in length and straight as an arrow, was seen ap- proaching. Onward and upward it came, it's lofty crest pouring the water forward like cataract. AS this ma jestic wave came sweeping toward us sthere was a scurrying on deck to hide behind masts and bulwarks, the cap tain expecting that it would sweep the deck clean. But just as it approached the bows of our noble vessel rose over the wave, and we were safe. Other waves of great height and depth and beauty followed. It was worth a voy- age to the Cape to see that one wave.
 It will be interesting to note the To- cation of the Foo Chow mission. Foo Chow is one of the five ports opened to foreign commerce by the treaties of 1S43 and 1844 The climate of the coun- try is much like that of southern Flor ida.
 The walled city of Foo Chow lies about three miles north from the river and embraces circuit of about seven miles, with population estimated in 1S47 at 500000, with about an equal number in the southern suburbs on both sides of the river.
 Great number of Chinese junks and occasionally a foreign vessel of light draft (6 by 10 fee) anchor below the bridge, and there discharge and receive cargo
 Seven miles above the great bridge is another bridge of similar construction, where the speaker saw an arch repair ed by a granite beam which measured 53 feet long 3 feet wide and feet thick, this beam having been brought from Mingan Pass.
 From our first house on Tong Chin, looking to the east, we saw Koosang mountain, eight miles distant, 5000 feet