Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-11-20
MISSIONARIES
IN COREA

= repre- utative af rEr American
yesterday enjoyed au interest
ing conversation with Dr q H fr-
vim. of Fu-au. Cor.a. who wita h..
wife and little son. Is q ra.-f ~ tl.
home OF DR. J. r.. Eimarar Dr. &c.
win. who holds commission uuder
the Presbyterian Board cf Foreiru
Missions, i- physician aBI surgeon in
charga 0f fa- Jg1siH Memorial Hos
pital and fl. Mary Collins Whiting
Di-pen-lry and Surgery at Fu-a1 In
company with hi- family a. i- now
winding Mp q years vacation in this
country. ON the nineteenth of Dc
cember they will -aiI f-um San Fran
cisco for Japan via fae Sandwich g.
lands. C1rn1. which h4- .af1vad iudn.
pandenCa since s..s. War bsfwaau
China and Japan. is an empire with
a population of 100000 It s.
country Of infinite resources. nearly
all Of which remain On Dr. developed
Among the minerals arr not only an
abundance Of hard aud soft coal. iron
and copper. but also gold and silver.
II Is q mountainous country with val
loy- of surprising fertility
There are good many Boodhi-ts
and followers Of Confuciu. in Coraa
bat the bulk Of the population ar giv
en- over TO ancestral worship. They
are Of a peaceful and refined type and
offer no opposition 20 tlp innovation
Of western civilization. Electric
railways and electric light are quite
common throughout the empire
There Is a complete telegraph svstem.
with rural FREE delivery aud parcel
post Among the foreigners who
have drifted into the country Ameri-
cans hold the supremacy in trade.
Among Pr0tpstants The Preshvte rian
church was the first 90 enter anon
missionary work iu Corga. Tho Meth
odi,t church, whose great missionary
field Is In India, Dr. also represented
in Corea. bat the great work there
has been done by the Presbyterian
I'm the mission with which DR. Irwin 81
identified there are ~ present - or
dained clergymen and lf physicians.
/ Three hundred churches and rbapels
have been built aud paid for bv the
native Coreaus. Those converted 10
Christianity number n ls1Sr -. GOO
During , years past twenty five Christ
ian schools and two colleges have bern
established The schools were huilt
and are supported by the Coreaus the
colleges, however. We're built and arr
supported BY churches In the United
States
Tho Introduction of Christianity
meets with practically no opposition
ard Dr. Irwin says uo CUauGry "a EflH
world presents such = fruitful field for
missionary effort ~ C0rea. At the
order of the Emperor thr Christian
News. the paper printed at the Mis-
sion. l. sent 10 every government office
in the empire and paid for by the gov
crnment item copies arr received n the
royal palace.
The hospital becomes q great factor
in winning the Corcans. a. they are
here shown the benefcgnt fruits Of
Christian civilization. Upwards 4
1000 cases are treated yearly Du
; years =, 900 eases have been &
treatment. These include 200
surgical operations. one Of the
dreaded diseases J. lepro-y. Dr. l
has come in contact with consider
over 2OOO cases Of this disease. y
of the major operations thar De-
been called upon 90 perform were on
| lcpers
Mrs. irwin, who j. a sister OF Dr. j.
r. kimercr of this cirv. D. very mach
| interested in missionary work. She
| founded aud has charge OF the only
night school for girls in C0raa Dr
and Mrs. Irwin went 20 C0rea. immedi-
ately after their marriage about y
years ago Roderick. their 7-ye1r-Cid
son. was born in COrea and T. masking
his first visit 20 America IT. Is "a
bright little lad aud speaks che Cereau
language a. fueurly o. English