The Chinese.
Reading edition
THE LOS ANGELES MISSION.
BY. REV. WM. C. POND, D.D.
An interesting letter from Mrs. Rice, wife of Rev. O. V. Rice, who has charge of our mission at this prosperous and ambitious metropolis of Southern California, prompts me to give my space this month to a review of our work there. It had already begun when, twenty-two years ago, I became superintendent. I tried to visit it in the spring of 1874, but a severe storm on our usually placid Pacific delayed our steamer so long that I could spend only a few hours there. This was sufficient, however, to show me that we had a good teacher and some very promising pupils, but an indifference to contend with on the part of American Christians which was both surprising and painful.
A few months after this I heard that Rev. Ira M. Condit, a missionary recently returned from China, able to talk the Chinese language fluently, and a very estimable brother, had gone to Los Angeles to establish a Presbyterian mission. I did not hear of it by letter from him nor from any one connected with the Presbyterian work in this State. Denominational comity just then had not reached in the minds of our Presbyterian brethren sufficient dignity to call even for a bow in recognition. But I waived this matter, and believing that, with his manifest advantages, he could do better work than we, and that there was not room enough in the field, as it then was, for two missions, I turned over to him our whole school—pupils, teacher, and whatever conveniences or good-will we had gathered—and retired from the locality. It was about two months only when I heard of six or eight conversions in the Presbyterian Chinese mission of Los Angeles, but they were the very ones of whom our teacher had spoken hopefully to me on my visit to the city.
An interval of several years occurred. The great boom came, and Los Angeles sprang to the front among the inland cities of the State and boasted that before long San Francisco would be one of its suburbs. The Chinese population increased to about 6,000. Among these were many of our own brethren and several who were members of my own church. They pleaded for a Congregational mission, and showed that because the two Presbyterian missions were at one end of the Chinese quarter, and there was nothing of the sort at the other end, nearly a mile distant, there was a large field for us where we would come into no competition, and where all that we might do would be a distinct addition to the work done for Christ among their countrymen. We yielded to their persuasions and found their prediction amply verified. Our school became at once the largest and our work the most active and fruitful in the city. In the four months ending with August 31, 1888, 133 pupils were enrolled, and the average membership month by month was 69. Street-preaching, hand-to-hand evangelistic work, and the skillful, faithful labor of our teacher, Mrs. Sheldon, and our enthusiastic helper, Loo Quong, were used of God for the conversion of many souls.
But as in other specially delightful places for homes, persons multiplied who desired to enter into this missionary work. Instead of three, there came to be six or eight missions there. Competition ensued. Our school, though comparing well with any, was reduced in size and influence, and as we began to be straitened for funds and there were many points where no one was caring for Chinese souls, our aid was withdrawn and I supposed the work would cease. Not so. Our Chinese brethren clung to each other and to their own mission work. They rented quarters neither spacious nor comfortable, but cheap, and contrived, with the aid of one true-hearted Christian woman, to keep up their school, maintain their Association, add four members to it as converts to the Christian life, and present seven of their number to the First Congregational Church for baptism. We felt that a mission with such "grit and grace" deserved to live. Long may it live!
Three persons converted at this mission have been brought into our work as missionary helpers. Many have testified for Christ in their own land.
At present it is in excellent working order and our Christian Chinese are enthusiastic, generous, and at peace among themselves. Let me copy a few sentences from a letter from one of them who was temporarily at work at Pasadena. "I am very sorry for I left our school. Pray God for me that I may be back to it again. You will be kind and teach our people; that is such good work for you. God will want thus such person [i.e., God wants persons who do as you do.—W. C. P.] You very much interest our people. May God reward it to you! Before I went to the mission school I never thought to be a Christian; now I did do it. I am very thankful God has direct me out from the superstition to find pathway about the truth, God and Heavenly Father. Now I am feel such good comfort in my mind, but I do not satisfy [I am not satisfied] to know the salvation alone, but needed you pray for my countrymen that they all find life in Jesus Christ."
And now for an extract, briefer than I desired to make, from Mrs. Rice's letter: "Last night we gave a farewell reception to our brother, Yon Mon, who is about to leave for China. The brethren seized this opportunity to present to a lady from Norristown, Pa., who has kindly helped our work, a very nice letter of thanks with their names signed to it. A gentleman who came to the city with her, and who is about to open a fine store here, attended her to the mission house, out of courtesy but very reluctantly, for he was bitterly opposed to Chinese and to any and all efforts made for them. The brethren took him for a friend and when introduced shook hands. He said it 'was as much as his life was worth' to extend his hand in response to theirs. But the same sense of courtesy constrained him to come with his friend a second evening, and at its close he asked if he might be permitted to say a word 'just to the boys.' Whereupon he expressed his pleasure at all he had seen since coming into the school, and advised the boys to keep right on doing right. They would meet bitter enemies among the Americans, but not to mind them but go right forward. Then he announced that if by February 5 we would have thirty regular pupils, he would make the school 'a handsome present.' I wish some of the other opponents of our work could in like manner be compelled to see our schools. Seeing would be believing, would it not?"
The latest contribution of our Los Angeles Mission to our general work is Jue See, who has come to take Yip Bow's place (Yip Bow also having come from the same mission) as helper in Oakland and at the West School in this city, while Yip Bow goes to Sacramento. I am greatly pleased with him. He will, when trained for the work (and we train for work mainly by working), make one of the best of our Chinese helpers.
I add just one word of good news. Our teachers are all paid in full for last year's work. Their faith has not been put to shame. Two of our Chinese helpers still lack something, and two other creditors will probably have to make large donations in order to square their accounts, but I know that one of them will not complain, and the other will be doing only what she promised, and while I fear it may be a hardship, it is no greater hardship than almost every landlord or landlady, in these days of pressure, has been forced to undergo. So I feel like singing the Doxology!
WOMAN'S STATE ORGANIZATIONS
MAINE.
Womans's Aid to A. M. A.
State Committee—Mrs. Ida Vose Woodbury, Woodfords; Mrs. A. T. Burbank, Yarmouth; Mrs. Helen Quimby, Bangor.
NEW HAMPSHIRE.
Female Cent Institution and Home Miss. Union.
President—Mrs. Cyrus Sargeant, Plymouth.
Secretary—Mrs. N. W. Nims, 16 Rumford St., Concord.
Treasurer—Miss Annie A. McFarland, Concord.
VERMONT.
Woman's Home Missionary Union
President—Mrs. J. H. Babbitt, W. Brattleboro.
Secretary—Mrs. M. K. Paine, Windsor.
Treasurer—Mrs. Wm. P. Fairbanks, St. Johnsbury.
MASS AND R. I.
[A]Womans's Home Missionary Association
President—Mrs. C. L. Goodell, 9 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, Mass.
Secretary—Mrs. Louise A. Kellogg, 32 Congregational House, Boston.
Treasurer—Miss Annie C. Bridgman, 32 Congregational House, Boston.
CONNECTICUT.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Miss Ellen R. Camp, 9 Camp St., New Britain.
Secretary—Mrs. C. T. Millard, 36 Lewis St., Hartford.
Treasurer—Mrs. W. W. Jacobs, 19 Spring St., Hartford.
NEW YORK.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. Wm. Kincaid, 483 Green Ave., Brooklyn.
Secretary—Mrs. Wm. Spalding, 511 Orange St., Syracuse.
Treasurer—Mrs. J. J. Pearsall, 230 Macon St., Brooklyn.
NEW JERSEY.
Woman's Home Missionary Union of the N. J. Association.
President—Mrs. A. H. Bradford, Montclair.
Secretary—Mrs. R. J. Hegeman, 32 Forest Street, Montclair.
Treasurer—Mrs. J. H. Dennison, 150 Belleville Ave., Newark.
PENNSYLVANIA.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. J. W. Thomas, Lansford.
Secretary—Mrs. C. F. Yennie, Ridgway.
Treasurer—Mrs. T. W. Jones, 511 Woodland Terrace, Philadelphia.
OHIO.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. Sydney Strong, Lane Seminary Grounds, Cincinnati.
Secretary—Mrs. J. W. Moore, 836 Hough Ave., Cleveland.
Treasurer—Mrs. G. B. Brown, 2116 Warren St., Toledo.
INDIANA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. W. A. Bell, 223 Broadway, Indianapolis.
Treasurer—Mrs. A. H. Ball, Dewhurst.
ILLINOIS.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. Isaac Claflin, Lombard.
Secretary—Mrs. C. H. Taintor, 151 Washington St., Chicago.
Treasurer—Mrs. L. A. Field, Wilmette.
MISSOURI.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. Henry Hopkins, 916 Holmes Street, Kansas City.
Secretary—Mrs. E. C. Ellis, 2456 Tracy Ave., Kansas City.
Treasurer—Mrs. K. L. Mills, 1526 Wabash Ave., Kansas City.
IOWA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. T. O. Douglass, Grinnell.
Secretary—Mrs. H. H Robbins, Grinnell.
Treasurer—Miss Belle L. Bentley, 300 Court Ave., Des Moines.
MICHIGAN.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. J. M. Powell, 76 Jefferson Ave., Grand Rapids.
Secretary—Mrs. C. C. Denison, 132 N. College Ave., Grand Rapids.
Treasurer—Mrs. E. F. Grabill, Greenville.
WISCONSIN.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. E. G. Updike, Madison.
Secretary—Mrs. A. O. Wright, Madison.
Treasurer—Mrs. C. M. Blackman, Whitewater.
MINNESOTA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Miss Katherine W. Nichols, 230 East Ninth Street, St. Paul.
Secretary—Mrs. A. P. Lyon, 17 Florence Court, S. E., Minneapolis.
Treasurer—Mrs. M. W. Skinner, Northfield.
NORTH DAKOTA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. W. P. Cleveland, Caledonia.
Secretary—Mrs. Silas Daggett, Harwood.
Treasurer—Mrs. J. M. Fisher, Fargo.
SOUTH DAKOTA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. A. H. Robbins, Bowdle.
Secretary—Mrs. W. H. Thrall, Huron.
Treasurer—Mrs. F. H. Wilcox, Huron.
BLACK HILLS, SOUTH DAKOTA.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. J. B. Gossage, Rapid City.
Secretary—Mrs. H. H. Gilchrist, Hot Springs.
Treasurer—Miss Grace Lyman, Hot Springs.
NEBRASKA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. D. B. Perry, Crete.
Secretary—Mrs. H. Bross, 2904 Second Street, Lincoln.
Treasurer—Mrs. James W. Dawes, Crete.
KANSAS.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. F. E. Storrs, Topeka.
Secretary—Mrs. George L. Epps, Topeka.
Treasurer—Mrs. E. C. Read, Parsons.
COLORADO.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. E. R. Drake, 2739 Lafayette Street, Denver.
Secretary—Mrs. Chas. Westley, Box 508, Denver.
Treasurer—Mrs. B. C. Valantine, Highlands.
WYOMING.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. P. F. Powelson, Cheyenne.
Secretary—Mrs. J. A. Riner, Cheyenne.
Treasurer—Mrs. H. N. Smith, Rock Springs.
MONTANA.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. O. C. Clark, Missoula.
Secretary—Mrs. W. S. Bell, 410 Dearborn Ave., Helena.
Treasurer—Mrs. Herbert E. Jones, Livingston.
IDAHO.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. R. B. Wright, Boise.
Secretary—Mrs. E. A. Paddock, Weiser.
Treasurer—Mrs. D. L. Travis, Pocatello.
WASHINGTON.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. A. J. Bailey, 1614 Second Ave., Seattle.
Secretary—Mrs. W. C. Wheeler, 424 South K Street, Tacoma.
Treasurer—Mrs. J. W. George, 620 Fourth Street, Seattle.
OREGON.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. F. Eggert, The Hill, Portland.
Secretary—Mrs. George Brownell, Oregon City.
Treasurer—Mrs. W. D. Palmer, 546 Third Street, Portland.
CALIFORNIA.
Woman's Home Missionary Society.
President—Mrs. E. S. Williams, 572 12th Street, Oakland.
Secretary—Mrs. L. M. Howard, 911 Grove Street, Oakland.
Treasurer—Mrs. J. M. Haven, 1329 Harrison Street, Oakland.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. Warren F. Day, 253 S. Hope St., Los Angeles.
Secretary—Mrs. W. J. Washburn, 1900 Pasadena Ave., Los Angeles.
Treasurer—Mrs. Mary M. Smith, Public Library, Riverside.
NEVADA.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. L. J. Flint, Reno.
Secretary—Miss Margaret N. Magill, Reno.
Treasurer—Miss Mary Clow, Reno.
UTAH (Including Southern Idaho).
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. Clarence T. Brown, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Secretary—Mrs. W. S. Hawkes, 135 Sixth Street, E., Salt Lake City, Utah.
Treasurer—Mrs. Dana W. Bartlett, Salt Lake City, Utah.
Secretary for Idaho—Mrs. Oscar Sonnenkalb, Pocatello, Idaho.
NEW MEXICO.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. C. E. Winslow, Albuquerque
Secretary—Mrs. E. W. Lewis, 301 So. Edith Street, Albuquerque.
Treasurer—Mrs. H. W. Bullock, Albuquerque.
OKLAHOMA.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. J. H. Parker, Kingfisher.
Secretary—Mrs. L. E. Kimball, Guthrie.
Treasurer—Mrs. L. S. Childs, Choctaw City.
INDIAN TERRITORY.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. John McCarthy, Vinita.
Secretary—Mrs. Fayette Hurd, Vinita.
Treasurer—Mrs. R. M. Swain, Vinita.
NORTH CAROLINA.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. S. S. Sevier, McLeansville.
Secretary and Treasurer—Miss A. E. Farrington, Oaks.
GEORGIA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. H. B. Wey, 253 Forest Avenue, Atlanta.
Secretary—Mrs. H. A. Kellam, Atlanta.
Treasurer—Miss Virginia Holmes, Barnesville.
FLORIDA.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. S. F. Gale, Jacksonville.
Secretary—Mrs. Nathan Barrows, Winter Park.
Treasurer—Mrs. W. D. Brown, Interlachen.
ALABAMA.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. M. A. Dillard, Selma.
Secretary—Mrs. J. S. Jackson, Montgomery.
Treasurer—Mrs. E. C. Silsby, Talladega.
TENNESSEE, KENTUCKY AND ARKANSAS
Woman's Missionary Union of the Tennessee Association.
President—Mrs. G. W. Moore, Box 8, Fisk Univ., Nashville.
Secretary—Mrs. E. J. Lewis, 15 Echols Street, Memphis.
Treasurer—Mrs. J. E. Moreland, 216 N. McNary Street, Nashville.
MISSISSIPPI.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. C. L. Harris, 1421 31st Avenue, Meridian.
Secretary—Mrs. Edith M. Hall, Tougaloo Univ., Tougaloo.
Treasurer—Mrs. L. H. Turner, 3012 12th Street, Meridian.
LOUISIANA.
Woman's Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. C. M. Crawford, Hammond.
Secretary—Mrs. Matilda Cabrère, New Orleans.
Treasurer—Mrs. L. St. J. Hitchcock, Straight Univ., New Orleans.
TEXAS.
Woman's Home Missionary Union.
President—Mrs. J. M. Wendelkin, Dallas.
Secretary—Mrs. H. Burt, Lock Box 563, Dallas.
Treasurer—Mrs. C. I. Scofield, Dallas.