Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12
BOSTON, July II. 1908.

BOSTON, July IL, lSpo-
LII the foreign missionary move
~ ments of the year have an eye
4 u almost solely on the far east 1t
is assumed that England and its vast
church interests take care of the pop
ulous country to the south of the Hima-
layas, so that the missionary societies
of the United States and Canada do not
have to concern themselves with this
tremendous field.
The far east, then, is for missionary
purposes made to include China, Japan
and Korea, three countries with an area
nearly 1,O00O0o square miles greater
than the United States and a population
over six times as great. The oGO,UOo,090
persons no reside in these three lands
of idolatry furnish a wider opportunity
for the spread of Christianity than al
most any other country that is safely
open TO the purveyor of the gospel. 1t
is row 100 years since the first mission
airy started work in China, and the re-
suits seem discouragingly small for the
time, but il has to be remembered That
il is only within the last decade that the
civilization of the western hemisphere
has made any impression on the land of
the Mongol.
The total number of Protestant socie-
which 81 are British and colonial, 81
American and from continental Eu-
rope Connected with these foreign mis-
sionary societies are 3,44o missionaries,
of whom ,443 are men. This does not
include the medical staff of 30l physi-
clans.
The total number of stations and out
stations occupied is DO at G:s2 of which
foreign missionaries reside Enrolled in
the $50 mission schools there is a total
of % 1913 pupils. The number of COM
municants is enumerated as 1J4142. The
total of Chinese Christian workers allied
with these missions is 1901, of whom
345 are ordained pastors. Connected with
these missions are IO7 hospitals and dis
pensares, and the patients recorded the
past year number l,OSJ,240.
1t is still difficult to impress upon the
| ordinary Chinese the value of Chris
| tian life, but the leaven is working and
reform is gaining stronger hold every
day This is indicated by statements
| of Rev. +. Ohlinger. a Methodist mis-
! sionary. who has spent good part of
| his forty years as minister In China.
| Once he tried on small scale to hustle
| the east. fellow missionary had
| brought a grain cradle to Chipa Is a
| curiosity. When the wheat harvest
| came Mr. Ohlinger shouldered the big
] knife and started toward the city gate.
] The highest as well as the lowest digni-
! taries of Methodism in the place, in
! Guiding those connected with a theo-
| logical school, followed to the scene of
action. The crowd increased at every
! turn and barely found standing room
| around the one-quarter-of-an-a field.
1 A swath was cut. 1t took. about five min
| utes to cut as much as one can cut with
| a sickle in an hour. 'El-ya" the crowd
| applauded at every stroke. But the Wom-
| an in charge of the field called out
| Thank you, teacher. Don't cut the rest.
| The grain did not lie straight and the
| stubble was far more than the regulation
! inch high. TOO much waste of fuel in
| that stubble. And" agreed the aston
| ished spectators. 1.-The big knife. though
truly wonderful. must never be introduced
here in China. Why. thieves could cut all
the grain you have and carry it off in
one night" But low wages alone are
keeping modern implements and labor
! saving machinery out of China, though
| the Chinese usually give reasons that to
! us seem ridiculous.
In the autumn of 1875 Mr.. Ohlingel
| visited Tens-ping, lao miles west OF
| Foochow. When within twenty miles o.
! his destination he received a letter from
| the Chinese preacher stationed there in