The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1919-04-04
Letter From Rev. Emmel
Harbin, Manchuria.
Feb. 13, 1919.

City ir Chinese territory, so in fact.
| am IN China, yet IN Russian work.
My trip here was most interesting,
with the late trains, poor accomo-
dations as we'll as the crowded
conditions, strange language and
customs, made it indeed interest
ing. For the time being l will
write of the things that now con-
cern me.
We hear very little from Amer
lea, yet we get the "North Americ-
an STAR" very good American
Chinese newspaper, tho the news is
almost week late. Yesterday we
got a telegram telling us of the
Seattle strike. We are only hoping
that the trouble in the industrial
America might be settled without
bad effect, as the whole world has
its eyes on us, especially the Rus
SLAMS. 1t would be a terrible blow
to democracy if America would be-
come afame with industrial con-
flicts. We are thinking in world
wide terms here for Harbin is the
great center where the East, West,
North and South meet.
Harbin has a population Of about
4OO, 1000, ] am told. Not bad city.
situated in the heart of one of the
greatest wheat sections of the
world. 1t looks like the country
around Hermiston or more like the
great plains of Monatna, in fact it
is counterpart of Montana. 1t IS
very cold and quite windy and the
dust blows quite a bit. The sun
shines every day so it seems like the
country we love-Hermlston.
have fur cap tho | have not as
yet used my fur overcoat. The
temperature stays about zero, but it
is a dry cold and you don't notice
it.
| am assigned to two-fold work.
| have the physical work among the
U. S. soldiers and am physical
director of the town of Harbin, and
here is my great opportunity.
| wish you could see what these
people are doing in the matter of
schools, since the Revolution.
Schools have been started all over
the city in old barracks and we are
invited to do the physical work in
the schools. have just returned
from one of the schools where l
photographed one of the physical
culture classes. 1t is wonderful
how these people are taking hold of
these matters.
have four directors under me
now and hope to add more soon.
We are planning big summer
school here this summer where we
will train "Y" leaders for the work
in Russian.
Some Of the Russian young men
and women are of the finest | ever
met. We have one young woman in
our Hobart school who is as fine as
any we can boast of IN America.
My heart is IN this work and il
seems as tho l have found the very
thing | have so longed for these
years. | wish l could write you al
my heart feels and my eyes have
seen since here. But it would take
years to do so. only hope | have
you here to see for yourself.
am now stopping with Mr.. ant
Mrs. Lucas. Mr.. Lucas is the Rus
sian manager of "Y" work in Har
bin. l have a fine room; have ac
cess to the bath and eat breakfas
here. Tiffin and dinner l take a
the R. R. Engineers mess. lam a
comfortable and contented as cal
be. 1t doesn't seem so far fror
here home as it does from Americ
to China.
There are a number of America
people here and many Englis
speaking people, indeed. For m
interpreter have school boy VIII
learned his English in the Russia
schools and he does most remark
ably we'll and is a fine little fellow
They are all anxious to learn Ene
lish and America seems to be tn
goal OF most of them. They hav
the highest respect for all that
American and seem to think tn;
their greatest realizations will
fulfilled in getting to America.
We are trying to teach them
live as Russians for Russia's SAX