Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-05
SURVEY OF MISSION FIELDS
American Board Hears Report of the
Secretary on Work Being Done
i'm Foreign Lands.

PROVIDENCE, r. l., Oct 4.-The annua
convention of the American Board OF Com.
missoners for Foreign Missions was contin
ued today. The report of the committee or
the treasurers department was presented bJ
It's chairman, Lucien G. Warner, who outlined
a plan for the distribution OF legacies over a
series of years, instead of exhausting them
by consuming them in the year in which
they were severally received.
The annual survey OF the mission fields In
charge Of Secretary l.. l.. Barton, d. D., OF
Boston, secretary OF the foreign department
was read by him.
The annual survey of the work OF the
board, by the foreign secretaries Rev, Dr.
Judson Smith and Rev. DR.. James L. Bar
ton, both Of Boston, was presented. Secre-
tary Barton read the report Of the European
Turkey and the eastern Turkey missions
Marathi, Madura and Ceylon missions in
India, Japan, Austria, Spain and Mexico
The report showed that every post brought
appeals for larger liberty and a more ag-
gressive work In the work OF evangelical
ton.
Among other things DR.. Barton said:
Since the war the missionaries in Spain
have Travelled freely and have carried on
their work as before without the slightest
word or look upon the part Of any one that
any ill-will was entertained, while in some
places it has been made most evident that
the people were especially eager to greet
and honor Americans"
Secretary Smiths department was sur
veyed, himself, in substance as follows
The missions included are eleven in
number, two in Asia Minor, the western
Turkey and the central Turkey missions
three in Africa, the Zulu, the west Central
Africa and the east Central Africa missions:
two in the Pacific islands, the Micronesian
missions and the work OF the board in the
Hawaiian islands, and four in China, the
Shansi the North China, the Foo Chow and
the South China missions.
The event OF the year In Micronesia is
the ending OF the Spanish occupation of
Ponape and the transfer of the Carolines
to the German empire. This undoes, as far
as that can be, the events OF 1887 and 1890,
which banished the missionaries from Pom
ape and opens the way to the immediate
and energetic reoccupation OF this island as
a station Of the board.
In twenty missions distributed among
the great continents and nations and
Islands 80 as to encircle the globe and offer
Ing the gospel to more than 100 900, 900 souls.
a force OF 529 missionaries, assisted by 3,155
native laborers in 1l47 strategic points
preach the gospel in twenty-six different
languages; 492 organized churches have a
present membership of 49,7s2. of whom 5,O47
have been received on confession this year,
and lO2i Sunday schools gather 81, ,9O3 pupils
every Lords day; 133 colleges and high
schools train 9,osS picked youth OF both
soxes and 1.lS7 common schools provide in
struction for 1890 pupils while mission
presses send out their millions of pages 10
instruct the Christian communities and hos
pitfalls, and dispensaries minister relief to
10000 patients, to every one OF whom the
gospel message is given"
Addresses were made by missionaries from
various fields