Norwich bulletin., 1917-05-02
SECRETARY HILL GERS
NEWS FROM CHINA
Letter From Arthur Ruah Tells Of
Work in Paotingfu.


Norwich association through its
friends is paying the salary of the
general secretary of the Z. Nj. c. A.
in this thriving city of 100000 popu-
lation.
The letter was written by Arthur
Rugh, who is making a tour of China,
and who will be remembered as a
speaker in the large meetings held in
ests of Y. M. c. a. foreign work. The
letter follows:
l have Just left the city in which you
and your frienSs are interested If /
could only hep you see all the pic
lures which are 10 vivid in my mem
ory of that wonderful city.
Perhaps it will be enough to sketch
the mornings work. 1 spent the night
in the house built on the ruins of the
home Of the immortal Horace Tracy
Pitkin. In the early morning 1 went
out alone to the spot where he died
and prayed to be given some measure
great confidence in the ultimate tri-
umph of the gospel. After breakfast
l went with Hubbard who with Mr..
Clacll is leading your foreign work, to
the association building.
Two class rooms about the size Of
the stenographar's room in your Y. NJ.
c. A. building. a reading room little
larger, a reception room and a dormi-
a dormitory like that. Fourteen stu
dents sleeping in quarters too made
quate for two American students but
things. are going on in that building
All the splendid work that the Nor
witch association is doing is being done
here. | wonder if you can match the
twelve Mems Bible classes each week
with nearly hundred influential nom
Christian members. Immediately back
Of these rented quarters is the site
given by the city for the building
which is to be built by money raised
by Sherwood Eddy. Two-thirds of one
In., IL -, a.1 1(eSfT rrn
portant street Enough land for the
building, a special dorn1itory for stu
dents, several tennis courts and
running track-you could not ask for
a better site. At 10 o'clock the mis-
sionaries and Chinese pastors of the
city gathered in the association to lay
plans for Mr.. Eddy's visit to the city
next November. The group chose a
as their leader with an enthusiasm
which showed their appreciation of
the association. We asked if it would
not be better to have q church mis-
sionary as chairman and the senior
missionary made US glad by saying
why we are all Y NJ. c. A. men and
the Y. NJ. c. A. men are all missionar-
les: we are all one family.
While We were in conference mes
senger came in and whispered to Hub
bard. l wish you could have seen his
face as he said I'VE have it, which
meant that weeks of negotiations were
city is leased for the Y. NJ. c. A. The
post office building, a fine brick build
ing, three stories high, on the main
street, rented formerly at $50 Mex.
per month, now leased to the Y. NJ. c.
A. at $40 because the owner believes
in the association. After the confer
ence we inspected the new building
and from its roof had perfect view
of the city. a block away the gov
ernor's yamen. The great wall miles
long around the city with it's hundred
thousand people and beyond the wall
unnumbered towns and villages. Just
to the south the army camp with TO-
900 of China'S best soldiers whose gray
Uniform is the predominating color on
the streets. The Army college, the
West Point of China, with 1000 as fine
officers in training as you would care
to see A student Y. NJ. c. A. has
large hopes. city rich in Chinese
history and in the blood of the mar
tyrs a great future is before it.
These new quarters will give the
association the standing in the COM
munity which it's work deserves. Hub
bardTs concern now is for equipment.
The cities finances have not recovered
from the revolution four years ago.
The young association has all it can
do to carry it's budget and adequate
equipment is a serious problem. For
instance Hubbard tells me there ism t
a movie in the city and that if they
d
to the building any group they want in
the city. There is no city library and
the association could become the read
ing center of the educated classes if
Really a few hundred dollars in equip
ment would make that building a
crowded center of life for the city /
hope some of the friends in Norwich
will help their Pao Ting Fu branch
get started with a good equipment.
Two miles across the city to the
Presbyterian mission for lunch, fifteen
minutes through the hospital in charge
of DR.. Lewis of ". & j. and we were
off to the train. That hospital deserves
patient hauntS me, fine tall soldier
who deserted, was caught, sentenced
TO SEQ blows and beaten into uncon-
seriousness. Just before lunch his
friends brought him to the hospital
watched DR.. Lewis take care of him
trying to save his fast pickering life.
Two comrades in uniform watched and
when one asked anxiously If the doe
tor thought it was serious they lost
their soldierly bearing in uncontrolled
fear when the doctor said ell do our
best for him but he is near to another
world" Beaten to death by his own
people. loved and served for loves
sake by the Christian doctor, these
two soldiers who watched will know
that the God we serve is Love. Just
before lunch I watched the doctor fin
ish his third serious operation for the
morning. On a pallet lay a lad per-
haps fourteen years old still under
ether and his father watching for the
return of consciousness. 1 said in poor
Chinese do not fear, he will be bet
ter SOON and the father said 81 have
no fear, the foreign Christian doctor
will make him we'll"
Tell my Norwich friends that they
could see more of the need and of the
power of the gospel here in a, day
than i'm a month in VOIir beautiful city
and that what they invest here is
yielding a hundred fold.
Cordially yours,
(Signed) A. RUGH.