The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1901-07-05


China. who, with several native helpers,
have been supported in active mission
work for a number of years by the
Men and Boys Missionary Society OF
the South Street Presbyterian church,
writes interestingly of his work in the
Celestial Empire so badly disturbed by
the war:
CANTON, May 10, l90l.
[ am sorry my letters have not been
more definite regarding my Whereabouts
and the whereabouts of my family. we
all returned to Canton the day after
Christmas and have been here ever
since. My absence from Canton was
very limited.
was clad to hear that the interest in
foreign missions was on the increase.
The openings here and in other parts of
China are many and will be more in
the near future We lack native help
ers as we'll as more foreign missionaries.
In fact we do not like to apply for more
foreigners until we can have our appro-
priations increased. The more we pay
for the foreign missionaries the less we
have for native helpers. | think we can
better afford to do without the mission
airy than to reduce or hamper our native
helpers. Then, too, the price of all ar
ticles of food and clothing has increased
so much that our helpers are clamoring
for more pay.
In fact we must increase the salaries
of our helpers or they cannot remain IN
connection with the mission. Then
again the good men who would De glau
to work for the mission are kept away
because they could not live on the sal
aries we pay. The mission has just
authorized me to increase the salaries OF
my helpers $100 per month. But we
will be obliged to make a further In
crease before we can keep the men we
have and secure others. There Is no
danger that we will make the salaries
SO large that unworthy persons will be
attracted to the mission for the living
which they will receive.
Recently held very interesting ser
vice in my Cheung Pan chapel. This
chapel is in a small village about ten
miles east from Canton City. 1t is just
a year since / opened this chapel. The
people are nearly all farmers. When /
went out yesterday [ found twenty men
waiting to be examined for admission
to the church. 1t took me several hours
to examine this number. Out Of the
twenty baptized nine and the others
will be formed into class and instruct
ed for another three months and if
found faithful will then be received.
This is one of my most encouraging
out-stationss From the very beginning
the people have seemed anxious to hear
and learn the doctrine. Several of those
baptised yesterday said to me that just
as soon as they heard the doctrine they
gave up the worship of idols. In Cheung
Pan and two or three villages near it,
there are large number of persons APP
parently waiting for the gospel. Our
chapel is small and for four hours yes
terday it was packed and none of those
present showed any desire to have the
service come to an end.
My Shek Lung congregation is also an
interesting one. Perhaps | have written
you that the chapel at this place has
been destroyed four times by mobs
From the beginning of the work twenty
years ago until now the Christians have
been prosecuted. After each destruc-
tion of the chapel there has been re-
vival of the work, Now we have some
splendid Christians in this congregation.
During the last year or two the number
of additions to the church has been so
many that our chapel is now too small.
We cannot seat nearly all the male
members. Last year before the troubles
began we planned to build new
chapel. The members promised to raise
$500 and | promised to get 5000 from
my friends. Two or three friends in
California sent me $3.50 for the purpose
of putting my chapels in better order, so
we were looking forward to new
chapel during last year. Then the
trouble came. | received from the gov
eminent about seventy per cent. of the
claims of the Christians and when this
was paid them each person set apart a
certain amount as a thank offering to
be used in getting a new chapel. In
this way nearly $1,000 was raised
hope soon to be able to report that a
building has been bought and repaired
for our work at this place think l
have told you that Shek Lung is about
80 miles east from Canton.
Sorry to have to report that the bu-
bonic plague is bad again In Canton
City there is good deal of it, but not
so much as in Hong Kong At my
Tung Kung station, % miles east of
Canton, the assistant reports it to be
very bad Shek Lung has good deal
One of our Christians has died from it.
In San vi City, 70 miles southwest from
Canton, there are ten OF twelve deaths
day from plague. am sorry plague
has appeared just now. do not relish
travelling in plague-stricken districts at
this time of the year.
Yours truly,
MIDI r w DIE rIIl