The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1900-08-17
A LETTER FROM CHINA
\ Missionary at kinkiang Writes to
His Brother. Rev Maclean in
lola of the Troubles.

Rev. Maclean. OF the Methodist
church in lola, has brother in Kin
kiang. China, a missionary sent out
10y the Methodist board. Letters have
been few and far between since the
breaking out of the troubles and Rev.
Maclean was worried considerably
about his brother. A letter came
from the latter a few days ago, and
through the kindness of the recipient,
the REGISTER is permitted to publish
it. 1t reads as follows:
Kinkiang, China, July 8, 1900.
My Dear John:-Thinking that per-
haps you may be little anxious
about us during these disturbances in
China just now, | write to say that
we are all right so far, and expect no
trouble serious enough to prevent us
getting out if necessary.
We are still in Kinkiang. but not
living within the Chinese city,-in our
own property. We are now staying
in the British Concession on the water
front within a hundred yards of a
British gunboat. There are some
thirty foreigners linen here. We are
all we'll armed, and If attacked, will
probably give good account of our
selves. Quite large number of the
missionaries have left for Shanghai
and many for Japan. If we are com
PEELED to move we will probably go
on to Japan, as everything is des-
perately high in Shanghai, and the
expense would be less there if the
trouble continues any length of time.
| received word yesterday from our
Consul ordering us all out from the
interior to the ports where we can be
Immediately relieved if the worst
comes.
For a week before we left our places,
within the Chinese city here our lives
and property were threatened con-
stantly. But we went about our bust
ness and passed along down the
streets among the surging multitudes
apparently Indifferent, while the peo-
pie cried kill the foreign devils, {"
"Cut off their heads" "Drive them
from the country with their devil
religion"
! was off on case | had with the
Consul and the Chinese magistrates,
when the trouble began, and as ! was
compelled to stay longer than ex-
pected, word went out that / was
killed and word communicated by the
British consul here to the captain of
the gunboat to go up the river and
investigate. But like the bad penny
| returned. The place is considered
one of the very worst on the river,
and when / left the steamer to 90
ash the captain said he wouldn't
stay at that place for thousand dol
lars night. / was the only foreigner
there but the fact that | was there on
business with a high Chinese official,
and he returned my visits in their
elaborate way, prevented any inter-
ference from the outside.
The stu ton is very alarming and
very puzzling in many ways. The
current news now is that the ministers
and all the foreigners in Pekin are
killed-an awful thing. Only British
warships are patrolling this valley,
a significant thing. Russia is con
fning herself to the north, although
she has quite extensive interests here,
"a significant thing. English troops
from India, although promised oven
two weeks ago, are not as yet moving
a step,-a significant thing. japan
has landed in the north 10000 mer
and is ready to land 10000 more a
a moments notice, but can't because
of international jealousies, "a signif
cant thing. The answer to every
question is Russia.
God only knows how this thinG
will end, and where. The partition o
the Empire will mean war, undoubt
eddy. This is by no means a savage
people and they comprise third o
the human race.