The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-08-02

Before the close OF the meeting a sol
dler quartet sang: God Be With You
TIL We Meet Again" and IL Is recalled
that during the singing OF IL Minister
conger broke down and sat facing tho
audience with tears streaming down his
face. The old soldiers who sat facing
him were weeping, too
THEY HAVE MANY FRIENDS.
The warm friends OF the conger fami-
ly are I'm all the walks Of life here. He
~ particularly loved by the Volunteers
OF America" a religious organization IKE
the Salvation Army.
Major Conger had often given literally
10 help this little band and during his
last visit they invited him To attend one
OF their meetings and say something IN
farewell. lie did 80 and what he SAID
there was the last speech he made In THIS
country. The words he said, as recalled
now by those who heard them, seem TO
show that he had n premonition that he
would not return alive from China. lie
said:
II have been appointed to that far-on
country and 1 am going there. i am 60
ing TO do my whole duty as 1 have ever
tried TO do I'm the past / do not know
that / shall ever return. l am glad TO
speak to you tonight.
III am Christian and my sympathy ~
with you, as is that of my family.
shall carry the memory OF this meeting
10 that distant country. and will often
think OF you and this little gathering In
Des Moines. I shall always say God
bless the Volunteers OF America.
Major Conger left for China the next
day, and how hard he worked there Is
shown by his official reports to the de-
partment I'm Washington.
In November 1889 Major Conger start
| ed on an official tour OF the Chinese prov
| ince-a long, arduous trip which lasted
| several months-and at the same time
Mrs Conger Miss Laura Conger and MISS
Mary Pierce left the American legation In
Pekin and came on a visit TO Des MONIES.
Mrs Conger showed with great pride
| the pearl ring which had been put upon
her finger by the dowager empress OF
China. Mrs Conger and the wives OF
the other foreign ministers In Pekin
| spent one whole doy with the Chinese
| empress in the royal palace.
IL is recalled now that Mrs. Conger' In
| relating the story of this remarkable
visit. was enthusiastic i'm her praises Of
the empress. whom she regarded as
| very clever and kind hearted woman.
| During this visit the empress slipped
| tea from the cup OF each OF the foreign
women who were visiting her, and she
gave Mrs. Conger a package OF the royal
| tea and gold band ring set with pearl
of great value.
LETTERS FROM THEM IN PEkIN.
Mrs Conser her daughter and niece
returned TO China last spring. Since they
| reached there they wrote several letters
| TO people i'm Dcs Moines.
| The last letter from Mrs Conger was
written May 2s. to Miss Morine Campbell
a Christion Scientist OF this city IL was
written soon after their arrival In the
| legation from America. An extract from
the letter follows:
You hear much about the Boxers.
| don't you? Well. we do not feel at all in
| danger Next week party of us start
| overland upon a trip to the great wall
OF China.
''There are what are called Boxers
| here. They do not like the foreigners
| They greatly desire the foreigners to go
| home and stay there and let China alone.
| What the outcome will be no one can
| tell
"There has been no rain during the
| winter and spring and the ignorant Chi
| nese think that the foreign devils cause
| this lack of water and the great starva-
tion that threatens them.
'They are superstitious $50 are WEI
Superstition does not always come In the
same way.
In all her letters, Mrs. Conger spoke
OF the fears of other people. but she felt
safe.
Miss Campbell, in speaking of Mrs.
Conger, says:
She was a beautiful character. She
/ was OF the salt of the earth. She was
| kind, considerate and thoughtful of her
friends To an unusual degree. and she
was refined. educated and remarkably
| intelligent"
Miss Mary Pierce, niece OF Major Con-
ger was attractive and much beloved
here She was prominent IN charitable
work Her brother. william Pierce, re-
lxr lafn frnr har rif faf,
MAY 26 of which the following Is an ex-
tract:
Yesterday Uncle Ed and 7 went out
horseback riding to our temple tSummer
home) in the hn,s On the way out uncle
was surprised and astonished TO meet a
large force of armed Chinese men who
bore modern arms and rifles.
He was so interested that he stopped
the detachment and asked to know tie
reason for the presence of The soldiers,
which were headed for the city of Pekin.
The commanding officer tol1 him that the
Emperor was In the fields ami that tie
soldiers were guarding hira and were de-
tailed To prevent persons approaching
near TO his majestys presence.
'''rhe minister thought this was very
queer but said nothing of IL since"
A MAN OF FIRMNEss.
The impression OF Major Conger's char
dctef,kdtnefeu bN tdlhlnS, Wltn tnOSe VINO
knew him nearly all his life. is that he
was good type of the Western man; he
was not a finished diplomat I'm the sense
that representatives of European govern
ments are finished. but he was plain.
level headed man OF business, who was as
firm as a rock when IL was required o.
him to he firm.
lie was much respected in Brazil,
where he served as United States Minis
ter.
story told here illustrates the stern
nature OF Major Conger when IL was
need OF him TO be stern.
missionary OF the Bible society. duly
provided with passports and credentials,
on his way To mission field I'm interior
China, was stopped last spring by
Chinese officials and held In the military
quarters on trumped up charge The
missionary sent word to Minister Con-
ger and the minister went himself TO
see about II.
When he learned of the trumped up
charge. and that IL was really hatred or
foreigners that was holding tho mission
AZ NJ.