The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-30
MISSION WORK IN CHINA
(Continued from First Page.l

Pass, where the great Min river flows out of this mountain-girt amphitheater to the sea.
 This great fertile plain watered by the Min when seen from Koosang mountain appears to be about twenty miles in diameter, with the Min flowing by two branches through the center. The city of Foo Chow, near the northern border, with hundreds of villages with populations of 800 to 10000 each, dot ted all over the plain, forming our parish of two million people speaking dialect not reduced to writing and not yet learned by any European. As Rev. J. D. Collins and myself looked over this great amphi-theater in October, lS47 we signed for more laborers to enter this golden harvest.
 Dr. White then spoke of the many difficulties of learning a foreign lam guage, of which there were no written manuals. In regard to our reception by the natives, we were generally kindly received, and although some rude fel- lows would call out Tai Whang Yang,' kill the foreign devils, we were never molested. In accordance with the in- structions given us we hired a Chinese teacher and opened school for boys in a room adjoining our own residence, commencing with eight pupils. The teacher was paid $6 month provided he would bring pupils to form a school. One half the day was devoted by the chinese teacher to teaching the boys Tn the ordinary Chinese fashion, the other half of the day was spent in teaching them to read Christian books in the Chinese language.
 Presiding Elder North then intro duced the Rev. $. l.. Baldwin, D. D., one of the recording secretaries of the Methodist board, stating at the same time that Dr. M. c. Leonard, who was expected to be present, was detained by sickness.
 Dr. Baldwin said. in part:
 l count myself happy to be present on this occasion, especially as this is the fiftieth anniversary of my friend, Dr. Whites ordination. Some one has said if you want to know a mans character you must go back to his
 
 status of affairs is due to the labors of those who have gone before. The beginning of the Chinese work lays far back in the missionary lyceum of the Wesleyan university at MiddletoWn, in 1855. The labors of Dr. White and Dr. Collins were not in vain. The speaker never saw a convert ill the first ten years of his work, At that time many friends at home said: 'Let us give up the project; it is only doomed to fail- ure." But there were men like Dr. White who held on with a mighty courage. These are the men who did so much to prepare for what followed When I was on board ship sailing to- ward China it was the little pamphlet prepared by Dr. White that helped me in the study of the Foo Chow dialect
 In July, 1S47, we baptized our first converts, a few weeks after the wife and children of our first convert were brought into the church. In 1887 we had thirteen converts. In natural way the gospel was carried to friends and relatives, and from place to place till in 1877 we had 2011 members, and a conference was organized. These peo- pie who joined us had nothing to gain and much to lose, and were often sub ject to prosecutions and many personal losses.
 In 1881 a new mission was commenced in North China, 5000 miles from the coast. Dr. Wheeler, who started this, had much exploratory work to do. In 1884 Bishop Wiley paid his last visit to T1,; Dof I T. < premonition that he would never re- turn. An incurable disease had fas- tened itself upon him. He became weaker and weaker as he advanced un- til, when he reached Foo Chow, he was too weak to be present, and when the hour for ordination came the candi- dates filed into the bishops chamber only to see him pass away. Next day he was buried under the green olive in the missionary cemetery.
 We missionaries who followed Dr. White were never presumptious enough to think that the results we saw were our work. Every day we had evidences of the contrary. Dr. Baldwin at this point spoke very appreciatingly of Dr. Whites work in Foo Chow.
 There are many differences now from the conditions in Dr. Whites time. Then it took 147 days to make the ocean trip, besides a long journey over land. The other evening a young lady sat down at my table in Boston and remarked: -Four weeks ago tonight I was in Foo Chow" This is only an evidence of the way in which the Chi nese have been drawn toward the west What should we think when the Chinese government call upon us to send out a medical missionary and offer to pay his expenses? Or when at another time they asked for graduates of our col leges to fill important positions in the railroads, making this express promise Nothing shall devolve upon your young men that shall cause them to work or act in opposition to their Christian faith?" Or again, what shall we think when We see the emperor of China seeking to learn English of our mission aries. and our own primers going into the imperial palace? The spread of Christianity is not hindered in all the Chinese empire. You can travel from Pekin in the north to Canton in the ex- treme south. or from the west to Shan gai in the east, and every evening in all that journey you can abide with