Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1902-01-10
CHlNKIANG. CHINA.
An Interesting Letter from that Far Off
Country-How Missionary Work is
Conducted by an Augusta Man.

Country-How Missionary Work is
Conducted by an Augusta Man.
Rev. James E. Bear, Presbyterian
missionary, located at Chinkiapg, Chi
ma, writes us the following interesting
letter, descriptive Of his work in that
county. 1t will be remembered that
MI. Bear spent bis vacation few
years ago with relatives at Churchville.
Chinkiang, China, Nov. 26, 1901 =
The local and personal notes that ap-
pear from week to week in the SPEC
lTAToR telling of the movements of old
friends are so interesting to me that it
has occurred to me that q few lines
telling of my work may not be wholly
unlnteresting to some of them.
Fourteen years have now passed
since babe farewell the first time to
home friends, to take part in our Lords
work in China. My lot has been cast
in rather pleasant place; for outside
of Shanghai, a pleasanter place than
Chinkiang cannot, think, he found
in this part of China. The city of
Chinkiang is situated on the south
bank of the great Yangtsi River about
200 miles from it's mouth. 1t has a
population Of nearly 100000, and a
foreign community of about rs adults
and possibly 80 OF more little folks.
About 16 missionaries of the various
denominations, southern Baptists and
Presbyterians, northern Methodists |
and China Inland mission have their |
homes here The rest of the foreigners |
are in business or engaged in Consular |
or the Imperial Chinese Customs Ser
vice. Six lines of steamers make this
calling place in their river trade.
The hills and open country behind,
give not only home like look, but
also furnish rambles and hunting
(pheasants, rabbits, wild ducks,
geese, &c. } to those who have leisure
for such pass times.
l have good, substantial mission
house built back about mile from the
foreign settlement on hill over look
ing the city and river. But last year
during the troubles, when no one knew
what a day might bring forth, we found
this position on the hill, cut off from
the river and foreign community by a
Chinese fort of 500 soldiers, anything
but pleasant. Nevertheless, we stood
our ground until all the ladies and chill
dren were ordered by the consuls, July
18th, to go to Shanghai for safety. l
returned, however, in. October, and my
family month or two later, as we
saw there was no further probability of
danger. The Boxer trouble has had
very little detrimental effect on mis-
5lons work in the Yangsti Valley.
china is strange country. One part
may be distracted by war, famine or
pertllence without the people in other
parts being disturbed by it. A man
may be dying with cholera or small
pox, and his next door neighbor goes
On unconcernedly about his work I
When at home 1 have chapel in the I
'lty, in which l hold daily preaching t
services. usually in a conversational I
style. for it is very hard to hold heath {
On audience if one takes set text and 6
5ries to preach regular sermon. "a
The congregation simply gets up /,
and leave you if they find you unin-
'eresting. But I am from home much
Of the time; for though Presbyterian,
find it we'll to be as much of or itin-
Grant preacher az any good Methodist {
brother you can point to. In the last g
'lx weeks have made three trip, two I
)f week each into the surrounding
country and villages, and one of two
weeks by boat to more distant parts. I
The trips into the villages are made on {
a wheelborrow. And here l think I Y
am one ahead of the good home Metho- I
dist brother, for while you have otter ,
seen him come in dusty and tired on a I
gaunt horse, l venture to say you 7
have never yet seen him come on foot | ?
followed by man trundling his roll of E
bedding on a wheelborrow. But this 9
is generally the way we have to travel r
to visit our circuits out here. And G
as to the inn accommodation well,
suffice it to say decent barn floor, or
haymow at home would be infinitely
preferable to the majority of them
The boat trips are much pleasanter.
Y GU have the center room of the small
house boat all to yourself, and you
can read, or write as you please with
nOue to disturb you, as you go from
place to place. On this two weeks
boat trip 1 visited five walled cities,
and ID number of large towns and viii
lagos, travelling distance of about 22O
miles, going and coming. You can see
from:this how populous this section of
country is.
1t may be asked how do the people !,
regard you in these cities Well, first,
as curiosity. They never grow weary
of looking at you, second, as a bar
barian. This vice is, however, l am
glad to say, gradually giving way be-
fore their increased knowledge of for
igners. Still. we are generally the OBJ
ject of contempt to the literary class,
and spoken of, by nearly all, as for
eign DEVILS"
And how do we attempt to preach to
them? Generally carrying with us u
handful of Gospel portions, and tracts .
and catechisms explaining Christian
ity, and going on the street we made
a stand here and there where a con-
venient open place is found. A crowd