The Topeka state journal., 1900-08-11
LIVING IN CHINA.
Emma Silver, Topeka Mission
ary, Writes From Shanghai.
Tells of Great Excitement
Among the People.
HATED FOREIGNERS.
Why Chinese Would Drive Out
the Whites.
Boxers Mislead Their Followers
With Ridiculous Stories.

Mrs. ]. R. Silver of 1881 College ave-
nue., has received a letter from her
daughter dated Shanghai, China, July
g. Mrs Silver has two daughters who
are missionaries in China and who have
passed through some exciting times
Miss Emma Silver has gone to Japan
while her sister, Josie, remains at
Shanghai. Extracts from her letter fol-
low:
of course you want to hear of the
state of affairs here. I expect the
American papers have even better ac-
counts than we here. We heard Of a
secret telegram going out that the pa
pers here were suppressed to avoid a
panic 1t must have stirred up COM
motion, for cablegrans have been COM
ing from relatives inquiring about those
here. The board has sent urgent orders
for all missionaries to come to the
ports 1t has been a great upturning
of plans, for of late years few have gone
to Japan, preferring the mountain re-
sorts just opened in China However,
some have already gone to Japan and
others are planning to.
IF we stay out here and only read the
papers and do not hear the talk of peo-
pie one may live quite care free. But
the return of some one from town with
rumOrS is enough to stir US up and they
usually come towards night. In the
evening we discuss the possibilities of
attack but by morning can almost laugh
at ourselves.
in our rooms and four rockets to fire
as a signal to town and the United
States gunbOat. Everyone looks for an
attack to be made first at our place, but
everyone also hope that the Chinese
have too much money in Shanghai to
care for war and that the two viceroys
are sincere and will be firm in their as
suranceS Of doing their best to prevent
war.
"One of the native school boys said
that the general opinion among the
Cinnamon is that China would be better
off without the foreigners than with
them They say the foreigners came
here and got rich off of the Cinnamon
and that in every business the foreign
er gets the highest salary, that the for
eigner had forced opium on China and
that the Chinese had been compelled to
give up piece after piece of their coun-
try just for burning a few buildings or
killing a few foreigners. This gives
you an idea of the inborn dislike the
Cinnamon have of the foreigner, that
even the converts are not rid of.
1.-The boxers, it is believed by the ma
tives, fight by magical power. For ex-
L. They twirl their fists around and
the foreigners heads drop off in a
trice.
a. Three foreign soldiers beat a box
er to no effect when the boxer turned
and slapped the three soldiers and all
their teeth fell from their jaws.
'3 When the soldiers were assault
ing city gate an old man urged the
people not to fear; he would protect
them The next day an old man sat
above the gate and waved his bandana
to the soldiers whose bullets fell harm
less.
"a Two children carrying lighted
straws entered a church when in a tr1ce
it lay in a blackened heap.
IS Another church was pulled down
more marvelously than Samson des-
troyed the building of the Philistines.
cash stuck in the wall at one side and
f11ar- cid NIL on
a piece of yarn and the building fell in.
IA cash is a Chinese coin.1
And these things are believed by the
natives.
I'VE had a thunder and lightning
storm when lamps had to be kept light
ed until ten O'Clock in the morning. The
natives said it was because a daughter
in-law in fit of anger attempted to
kill her mOther-in-law. Now they say
it portended the destruction of the for
eigners and that a star fell.
1.-The Weihein Mission buildings have
been burned. Mr.. Chalfant and the 9TH
er missionaries who were at the mission
were about to leave when on Monday
afternoon a crowd of boxers gathered
outside the gates Mr.. Chalfant went
out to talk to them. Their violence in
creased so he went back and got his
revolver and kept them back with that
for time At last he saw they were
closing in around him and he made
his escape inside the gate. AS night
came on they finally forced an en-
took refuge in one of the houses and
barricaded the door. When they saw
the chapel on fire it seemed that they
must flee for their lives. While the
boxers were plundering the boxes they
had all packed and ready for the start
the next day, they made their escape
over the wall by a ladder in front.
Avoiding the villages and keeping to the
fields as much as possible they made
their way twenty miles to the camp of
some German miners, with whom they
were afterward escorted to the coast.
lone can seldom look out of the win
dow without seeing loads of household
furniture, trunks, etc, of the Chinese
fear in Shanghai OF course all these
alarms have largely affected business
and there will be many without their
daily food. Nothing else is talked of
and with the prospect of civil war which
the order of Prince Tuan to the COVER
nor of Shantieng to proceed against
Nankin with Is, 900 troops seemed to
predict there would indeed be sad times
for our Chinese of the YaugataZs Valley.
The viceroy of Nankin is friendly to-
wards foreigners and has given assur-
ance of his intention to protect them.
People have a great deal of confidence
in this Nankin vicerOy, Liw Kun vi,
and they think they may believe what
he says
'"The Fourth we spent in a quiet way.
At five o'clock we went out to the
recreation grounds to watch the volun-
teers drill. Crowds of people went out
as everybody is interested in the volun-
teers these days"