The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-01-31
THE MANCHUS
ARE STARVING
Letter From Foochow Tells OF
Conditions in City Where
Miss Wylie Is
DIR. C. H. SKINNER'S
CLASSMATE WRITES
United States Blue Jackets From
Torpedo Boat Brainbridge on
Guard in Compound of Ameri-
can Board During Trouble

DIR. Henry H. Skinner, of this city
is in receipt of letter from Leonard
j. Christian, worker with the
American Board Mission, at Foochow,
China, the station where Miss Mylie,
of this city, is missionary. Mr..
Christian is former classmate of
DR.. skinner, who is also interested in
the work of the American Board mis-
sions. The letter was written De-
cember IL, and tells of a period of
the uprising in Foochow that was
not mentioned by Miss Wylie in let
ters to other friends in North Yaki-
ma. 1t is especially interesting be-
cause of the close touch the writer
had with affairs, his work as hos
pital steward and while acting as
guard bringing him right in the uidst
of the activities.
Conditions have become so bad that
outside aid must be obtained for the
starving residents of Foochow, which
is in the midst of the Manchu coun-
try This will give the missionaries
an opportunity to get closer to the
people than they have ever had be-
fore. If they can bring them aid at
this critical time it will make it an
easy proposition to reach the people
with the Gospel. To that end a COM
mittee from the congregational
church in North Yakima is making
an effort to raise a sum of money to
send to Miss Wylie to be used by her
and her associates in relief work in
Foochow The letter to DR.. Skinner
is, in part as follows:
Foochow, China, Dec. IL, 1911
My Dear Henry;
I have long been wanting to write
you concerning my welfare here dur
ing these days of change in China,
but time has been the missing factor,
as it generally is in our busy lives.
Now since the times have become
quiet | must make an opportunity to
give you some idea of how things
went here in Foochow.
For sometime before the fall of the
city into the hands of the Revolu-
tionaries, all sorts OF wild rumors
were set afloat which excited the peo-
pie and caused an exodus which
lasted for ten days. From Oct 31st
to Nov Sth there was a continual line
of sedan chairs and dang" loads
leaving by way of the city gates to
points beyond the zone where fight
ing was expected to take place. AS
the days went by and the time drew
nearer to the day set for the army
to begin operations the people be-
came more and more excited until
the 9Th, 18th and Sth of November,
when that excitement reached fever
heat During those days the lines
just poured out of the city. The Sc
dan chairs were used to transport
families of sometimes as many as
four persons, mother and three
children. Following these sedans
were dang coolies carrying all sorts
of personal and household goods. An
inflowing stream of coolies brought
into the city rifles, ammunition and
food supplies for the army.
Our college continued its regular
sessions until the afternoon of Nov.
T. the day we learned that the shops
within the city walls were closing
their doors The boys were assembled
in the college chapel where President
Peet explained the situation and adj
vised all that could leave before dark
to return at once to their homes. All
left but some half dozen or so whose
homes were in distant villages.
Captain Root of the u. S. torpedo
boat Destroyer cambridge ordered
six of his blue Jackets into the
American Board Compound to help
us guard our property against thieves,
and lawless persons who gathered in
the city in great numbers for the pur-
pose of footing as soon as the city was
in turmoil, These blue jackets
worked faithfully until all approaches
and exits to the Compound were
closed. Guard details were made out
posts selected commanding the several
alley ways that lead through the COM
pound and everything was put in
readiness.
| on the evening of Nov. Z, Consul
! Thompson ordered the ladies out OF
the city to places of safety across the
river SO that if escape became nee
essary, the men could delay till the
last minute without being hindered in
crowded streets with children. Mrs
Hodous and her three children left
the same evening the order came in
| Mrs. Peet, Mrs. Kinnear and Miss
! Wiley with the boys left on the morn
| ing of the Sth Guards were set or
the evening of the Sth and watch was
kept all night AS the detail die
mot call for duty from me until 4 a
m. next morning, ! turned in. for q
good nights rest. Before retiring Mr.
Poets attention was called to move.
Iments on Temple HILL" a hill tc
the east of our mission premises, and
upon investigating it was found thai
srtillery was being dragged up the hill
for the action which some of the mil
itary Informed us was to begin al
4 a. IN,
MIR. Peet awakened me ten minute:
early to be ready for my turn a
lguard duty / had no sooner posted
the relief, when crack of a rifle
rang CUT which was the signal for
general engagement to take place. The
single snut was followed by Il genera
tusillade rrom the hill three hundred
WARDS Il Inn af