Catoctin clarion., 1918-09-12
NEWS FROM THE ORIENT.
Miss FirOr Returns Safely TO
YOchOw And Resumes Teaching
Yochow, Human, China,
April, z, 1918.

Dear Mother:
After writing you the letter while on
board the Tungtoo, there were some very
interesting developments. The captain
was especially good to US and we were
having quite gay time, when word came
that the ship had just been fired upon.
None of US had heard it, as it was from
a gun, not cannon. There was North
ern encampment at that place and the
ship was running quite close to the shore.
Later we passed the>Kwei-Li which had
just come from Ichang. and they signal
ed to US that they had been fired upon,
that tho considerable damage had been
done the ship was not disabled.
Sunday night was quite stormy and the
captain decided to anchor below 1.-THE
Rocks, rather dangerous place in the
river. This meant that we would reach
Yochow port the next morning instead
of at midnight. We reached there about
10. 80 and when the customs boat came
out and the men saw us, (the ship does
not pull up to shore, and you generally
have to take sampan) they insisted on
our going to shore with them. When we
landed, we were offered Red Boat, Ia
big Chinese JUNK to take US to Yochow.
A family of Chinese and two sick men
went along and when a thunder storm
came, we had some time crowding into
the cabin filled with gas fumes from their
coke oven. Mrs. B. became quite sea-
sick, and at this writing has not fully re-
covered.
We landed at schooljjustat at recess time
and when the girls caught sight of US,
they came running and gave US royal
welcome home, Today Mary and l be-
gan the afternoon Sunday School for the
street children. At this time we have
the graded classes. In the morning we
have an ungraded school. The church
was packed and jamed today. The men
kept carrying in benches and stools, and
still the people kept coming. 1t is GER
tainly wonderful opportunity to reach
the people, for they are all so willing to
listen. The little street children were
the ones who received the packages at
Xmas and it was for this purpose l gave
the Mission Band m oney from Frederick.
Almost nothing can be bought in Yo-
chow now. The stores have made no
pretense at starting any business. The
merchants seem heartbroken, crushed,
spiritless. The Northern soldiers are be-
having pretty we'll in the city, but the
country people are suffering. Although
1T seems impossible that the Southern
troops can rally for long. long time,
yet the present condition of fairs would
seem to indicate that the Northerners
were getting ready to run again.
wish you could hear Mr.. Hemrickson
tell how the Southerners were defeated.
While the Kwangsi and Kwanting troops
were still fighting hard at the front, be-
low Yochow, the Hunanese were bribed
to leave and evacuated the city. Not
getting the supplies they needed the
/ Kwangsi and Kwangling troops began
retreating. The city was deserted and
for fear that local bandits would seize
the opportunity to terrorize the people,
the Red Cross with very few policemen
patrolled the city and kept it in order.
Mr.. H. one day had suitcase brot to
him by Tsao Low Pan, a christian car
,ha hn xuhn 10
wood was stored. The suitcase had been
robbed but left in it were several suits
of clothes, one hundred Kwantung dol
lars. and pack of visiting cards. The
suitcase belonged to Southern General.
While sealing up places in which ammu-
niiion was stored, Mr.. H. found this same
Generals headquarters, in it 20 small
trunks, each of which had been broken
into. He had them all removed to one of
the Red Cross Hospitals to prevent fur
ther stealing. That night, between nine
and ten, the General called. He proved
to be fine young man. He came beg
ging Mr.. H. to help him get food to his
soldiers at the bay, but this would have
been an unneutral act, and could not be
done. However, the bodyguard was fed,
and the General invited in to the table.
The poor fellow was half starved, but
while Mr.. H. was talking, out of polite
ness woul not eat, but later ate like a
starving man.
When he saw his trunks he was over
whelmed, but asked Mr.. H. to take care
of his officers trunks. for he said, "theirs
are more important than mine". When
he found intact small box containing
his gold medals, he nearly cried. When
he left, this box was all he took. All
else was left in the care of Mr.. H.
This General, with two hundred men,
is the one who kept the opposing army
out of the city for part of day and a
whole night, and it was his men, who,
when the big gunboats appeared, began
peppering them with their machine guns
until the boats disappeared, retreated to
the Port and returned severalhours later
at night. He and his men were brave
soldiers, made of the real stuff.
April 9th.
1t rains constantly, the sun seems to
have forgotten how to shine, and weather
prophets say it will continue thus for two
weeks.
The plague. the pneumonia form of the
Bubonic, has broken out not far from
YochaW, at a village called Fuchi The