Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-06-10
OLD CUSTOMS OF
CHINA RELATED
Interesting Facts Related Concern
ing Experiences Of Miss LOOMS
in China


Mrs. F. A. Nehs recently received a
etter written by Miss Jean Loomis,
Who formerly resided in Merriam, Wis.
out who went several years ago to
Marking, China, as missionary and
after learning the language and teach
ing several years in girl school went
1900 miles to Chengtu in west China
to learn a different dialect and to
teach in another girls mission school,
She became interested in the Chinese
when a public school teacher in Pasa-
dena, Cal, and taught them English at
one of their night schools. The letter
in part is here given:
We have been hearing good deal
about the Mao people lately. / don't
know whether you know who they are
even. l had hardly heard of them
when l came to China. They are the
aborigines and when you remember
that China has had a civilization and
national existence for so many CEN
turtles you can't help wondering that
there should be any thing aboriginal
left. They must have been power
full people for[it took the Chinese two
thousand years to subdue them, and
they never have been exterminated.
About 100000 still hang out on the
outskirts of this province, principally
in the mountain heights. The books
of Szechuan are full of terrible en-
counters with the Chiangs, as they
are called here. The stories are heroic
enough to delight Homer or Virgil.
Many of the old paintings describe
those bloody encounters.A
Well the desert of Cobb is gradually
encroaching upon the fertile lands.
The old missionaries say the famines
in the north area are much more fire.
quent than of old. There has been a
great famine this year and we have
been called upon repeatedly to help
these people. This has led to consid-
cradle interest in them and several
men have made trips into their coun-
try. They have come back with re-
ports of an entirely new field of oppor-
tunity. They find that the Chiangs,
identity. They have distinct Ian
guage and religion. And, strange to
say, their religion seems to be mono
theistic. There are no idols in their
temples, but in every temple there is
a white stone which stands for the
spirit of God Over this stone they
pour the blood of sacrifice.
One of our Chentu missionaries has
been up into the Chang country sew
eral times and has just got the rest OF
us stirred up to want to do something
or them There is no missionary
free to go to their help, but young
Chinese preacher has volunteered to
go and is now on the field. We are
not sure yet how he is going to be re-
ceived since he is of the hated con-
querors of the Chiangs, but we are all
interested to see. 1t is home mission
airy work and certainly to be encour-
aged. The ideal thing of course, would
be to educate some of the Chiangs,
some promising boys and girls, in, our
mission schools and send them back
to Christianize the others. Perhaps
that can be done now in this time of
famine, when it would be impossible
at ordinary times. 1t would not be
anything easy to handle these girls
but | would like to try it. Some steps
are to be taken this year toward bring
ing out couple boys for the expert
ment.
l will tell you of one of the three
or four matrimonial projects that are
now in process. You know every thing
has to go through my hands. The
young people may not see or speak to
each other until they are engaged.
The young man does his counting to
me and j convey his sentiments to
her. And then take to him what she
says. About a month ago Mr.. Ruan
came and asked for Miss Djeo. told
her all he said. She was sweet and shy
and timidIy said, "As you like, Miss
Loomis." 1 said mo, Shen Fan, it is
as you like" She hid her head on my
shoulder and | couldn't tell whether
she was pleased or not. A few days
later, another man came to ask for
her. When I told her of him, her face
Just beamed You can easily guess
which will get Shen Fan. Poor man!
He is now asking for another girl,
Chen Sui Ian. She has ideas of going
to medical college sometime, SO I can
not say how his second suit will pros