St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-01-31
The Missionary Rally.
Inspiring Addresses and Generous
Financial support from cur
T0wmspeepIc.


the speakers left deep impression on a
their hearers.
The opening service in the Mort
church Wednesday morning was genei
al meeting for conference and prayer
Secretary Hicks of the American Boar,
was the only one Of the speakers present
the Others all coming in from Burling
ton on the noon train.
At the afternoon session in the Nortl
church there was good attendance ant
addresses by Rev. Irving M. Channon O
the Micronesian mission, Rev. F.
Bridgman OF the Zulu mission, Rev. DR.
| J. H. Dennison of the Central Congrega
tional church, Boston, and Rev. DR.
Arthur Ell. Smith of the Chinese mission
The meeting was in charge of Marshal
Montgomery and Mr.. Channon was th
first speaker. Hesaid Micronesia repre-
sented 1000 coral reefs, scattered ovel
a region 1000 miles east and west ant
1000 miles north and south, The islands
are widely separated and few of then
have over 1000 people. he spoke inter
estingly of the people, their homes and
their habits and said their very sim
Pllcity made them susceptible to gospel
influences. There are now in Micronesia
four stations and so out stations, rs
native pastors, II other preachers, 165
regular preaching places, 81 organized
churches with 1884 church members, III
common schools and $500 pupils. Mr..
Channon closed with a striking incident
of missionary work among the far of
islands Of the sea.
Rev. F. B. Bridgman of Durham, Natal,
followed with an exceedingly interesting
address upon the work among the Zuus.
He opened by pleasantly referring to the
fact that St. Johnsbury was the first
American town be ever saw, coming here
some Is years ago direct from ZuIuland
under the charge of the late Rev. DR..
| Josiah Tyler. He said the latter gentle
| man would be astonished could be see
the progress the natives had made in
Natal since the missionaries first begun
to labor there. and cited as the latest
move their petition for great college to
be devoted to the education OF the
natives OF the great countries in South
Africa now under British rule.
Mr.. Bridgman described the daily
work in the busy and modern city of
Durham, the eagerness OF the natives for
Christian instruction ard the obstacles
that the missionaries had to overcome
from the colonial government. He said
the Boer war had brought first a great
industrial boom to South Africa and
later depression, but the missionary
work was going on and the Zulus were
breaking away from heathenism and
embracing Christianity.
DR.. Dennison followed with a fine
description of the mission life as he saw
it on his recent foreign tour and DR..
Smith was introduced to the audience
and spoke briefly of the work in China.
The evening service was supper at
the South church vestry where a fine
banquet was served to nearly 200 men.
Previous to the supper reception was
held in the audience room of the church
and the men were all presented to the
officers OF the American Board and the
missionaries. After the supper P. F.
Hazen raped to order and gracefully
introduced as the first speaker of the
evening Rev. DR.. Dennison. the grandson
Of President Hopkins of Williams Col
lege. Dr. Dennison spoke with great
earnestness and power upon the work
that was being done by the missionaries
in the South Seas, supplementing his ad-
dress with some striking instances of
barbarity and cannibalism which had
come under his notice during a recent
visit to those islands.
DR.. Smith was the principal speaker of
the evening and was received, at the
happy suggestion of the toastmaster, by
all rising. DR.. Smith spoke for an hour
upon missions in general and China in
particular, and no speaker that has ever
visited St. Johnsbury since the days of
Phillips Brooks ever said so much in an
hour or gave his hearers such broad
outlook. His address fairly bristled
with brilliant salles of wit and he was
continually interrupted by applause.
His 33 years residence in China has
made him an authority on Oriental
PiODiCtAS anu uC SCtCAIy SCOEeU our ma |
tion for expecting to gain the markets
of the East when we did not treat the
Chinese decent in our own country. His |
to the intelligence of the Brah-
min, the wonderful success of the lana. !
nese in the late war, and the character
of the Chinese left marked impression |
on all who were privileged to hear him.
Secretary Patton OF the American
Board followed with short but emf
nently telling plea for the support of the
various enterprises which the American
Board has in charge all over the world,
and Secretary Hicks supplemented these
remarks with some instances of the zeal
for missions among the Young
people ON the Pacific coast. At the con.
clusion of these addresses pledges were |
circulated in the audience and about |
5000 pledged for the American Board the
coming year. This with additional gifts |
not reported at this meeting, will make |
about $1,000 for foreign missions which |
have been pledged by the people of St. |
Johnsbury the present year.
The speakers left St. Johnsbury at noon
and have been speaking this week in |
various cities and towns in western