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May 25, 1910. THE
the center of the salt trade for all this
section. A very salty brine is obtained
from wells and the water is evaporated
by the heat of the sun. In days gone by
this city was situated on the sea, but the
entire country has gradually risen till
now we are twenty miles from the coast.
uur Mission, figuratively speaking, has
had her eye for many years on Haichow,
as it has been considered one of the
strategic points of the Mission. Because
of the lack of men and of means, however,
the opening of the station was delayed
from time to time until Mr. and
Mrs. Rice came up last fall a year ago,
fixed up a Chinese house and began the
work. They deserve much credit for the
privations which, they endured and for
the faithful work which they did during
the few months that they were here.
Their work was very much like that of
the American pioneers in the early days
girdling trees, rolling logs, burning
brush and stumps preparing the land for
sowing. Thh people circulated all sorts
of false reports and the work came almost
to a standstill.
The one thing above all others, hu,manly
speaking, which has made the people
friendly is the medical work. Patients
began coming the day after we
reached here and continue to come daily,
in spite of the fact that we have neither
drugs, equipment nor place to treat
them. The question on every lip is:
"When are you going to begin to see
sickness?" The answer to this question
will depend on the friends at home.
There are several facts which we wish
to present not only to Individuals but to
the church at large and leave the results
to the Lord. The facts are these:
No. 1. A well equipped hospital and
dispensary is essential to the growth of
the work here.
No. 2. The need is urgent.
No. 3. We have the land on which to
erect the necessary buildings.
No. 4. Dr. Morgan has excellent plans
for both dispensary and hospital. But?
No. R. We have no money.
These statements need no words of
mine to prove them. They are axiomatic
truths and need no proof. During
the three months that we have been here
we have had to turn away some to die.
Why? Simply because we were not prepared
to treat them.
At our last mission meeting Dr. Morgan
was granted the sum of $3,260 with
which to buy land and build a dispensary
and a hospital. In the judgment of
me mission mis was me very suiaiiesi
sum that could be asked for the purpose
Intended. When this appropriation came
before the Executive Committee at home
for their approval, It was scaled to about
$1,900, and even this will not be available
before January, 1911. The scaling was
done through no fault of the Executive
Committee. The Committee can not give
v us what they have not got themselves.
^ We p.eed, at least, $2,100, In addition to
- * the $1,900 already granted by the Executive
flommittpe and we need it now. Who
I PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOU
will give it? We are only asking that c
you make it possible for the Executive 1
Committee to grant in full the appropria- t
tion made by the Mission last August. *
We want something from every one. If *
you yourself can not give pray that some (
one else may. 1
Our present plan is to use the aonro- c
priation for the physician's residence,
which, by the way, was also scaled, and
build the dispensary or as much of the
dispensary as it will build, then to build
a residence for one evangelist with whom
the physician will live till the "cotton
crop comes in" or until we get what we
want and what we need.
(Signed)
J. W. Vinson.
RELIGIOUS WORK AT THE NAGOYA
EXPOSITION.
In various quarters there are friends
who have given of their funds and their j
kindly interest to the special work now
in progress for the visitors at the Nagoya
Exposition; as we are now passing
the middle line of the ninety days' time,
it is appropriate that some public state- (
ment be rendered of what has been done j
up to this time. ,
So soon as it became know that the
three hundredth anniversary of the
founding of the city of Nagoya was to 1
be celebrated by an exposition, almost
national in extent, the Christian community
here was impressed that this ,
great opportunity for sowing the seed
must not be lost. More than two years
ago, therefore, steps were taken to pre
pare for rightly improving the occasion.
Committees were appointed (1) to raise
funds; (2) to lease a lot and arrange for
a tent or a shed; (3) to provide literature;
and (4) to map out a plan of work. 1
These committees began promptly and
worked with good results. The estimate
called for about a thousand yen, and
that sum has been either provided or is
available. The matter of a suitable lot
was by far the most difficult question.
For the whole region chosen for the exposition
was previously ricefields, no
streets or lots having yet been even
plotted. When, later, this was clear,
soaring up in the thousands, merely for
prices for lots near the entrance went
tVin fhrnft mnniha' l?n
nuv but vv auvsuuuo luaoci x uciiv>
seems to have overtaken some owners
thus greedy, for to this day some of
those best locations are still placarded
for rent. The committee at last decided
to take what seemed a third-class place,
several squares away from the entry;
but, thanks to Him who is our Guide,
this place turns out to be almost ideal,
being passed by the main stream of the
multitudes daily, and yet quiet enough
within to permit of steady attention undisturbed
by outside noises. The third
hna nrovi^ orl Hfnrotnrn 1 r\
abundance, thanks to generous grants
from the tract societies In addition to '
that bought or printed here. The good
planning of the last committee is shown
by the smooth working of these plans
from day to day at present.
Each denomination represented in the
TH. 655
:ity has a block of days when they are
esponsible for details, speakers and the
ictual carrying out of the work; but all
he other churches are quick to respond
o their call, and often come without
sail, to help in getting the people into
he building?for it was early decided to
;rect a shed instead of a tent. About
wo hundred people can be comfortablyseated
on benches or stand on the earthloor,
and, except on rainy days, it is
isual to get the place well filled six or
?ight times in an afternoon. After two
)r more speakers, we invite all interested
to come into the rear large room
or personal conversation. Many come,
ind we question, explain, pray with
:hem and get them to give name and adiress
and also purchase a Testament
ind promise to begin at once to pray.
ivery Monday morning the pastor's
neeting sorts out these addresses, assigning
them to the nearest worker, and
ay mail to the distant points. Thus,
*ach day, many tens of people (recent
iverage over forty daily) sign these
papers for addresses; at least 1,000 come
:n and stay through one group of speakers'
sermons, while outside from one
tiundred to one hundred and fifty buy
Testaments from these devoted Bible
sellers, Mr. and Mrs. Whitney, well
known to many in Japan; and unknown
thousands of tracts are handed to passsrsby.
The Methodist Publishing Company's
display in front of the house is a
valuable educating agency.
Personal conversations with the people
who come are extremely interesting.
Many have heard the gospel before and
now at last become dead in earnest,
even several Buddhist priests deciding to
give up all for the Saviour. By far the
greater number, however, are persons
who know almost nothing of our message.
Yet even these seem greatly benefited
by what little they can grasp.
Some may be but slightly impressed, but
the great number seem sincerely, and
even eagerly, anxious to know the truth
of God. It may be that of that 100,000
for whose salvation we are praying this
year, a large proportion will receive their
impetus at this humble shed-room. In
addition to this direct blessing of leading
men to the Saviour, this work is doing
the preachers good in training them
to preach short, sharp, incisive messages,
weighty with the grand and simple
truths of the gospel. If any one has
ueen aeiuaing himself with the notion
that the preachers in Japan are mainly
Unitarians or otherwise unsound, the
stirring gospel calls that daily ring in
that hall would rouse him to revise and
reverse his opinions. Nothing out of
harmony with the pure gospel is ever
heard there, as is always the case when
men grow profoundly in earnest to save
souls. .
Private Christians also come daily in
encouraging numbers to call in the passing
crowds n_nr1 holn In ~? 1 ?*? -
^ ? -v?|/ ?u fccuci ai. i n?
Lord has already given us a great blessing;
who can tell whereunto this thing
will grow? R. E. McAlpine.
Nagoya, Japan, April 25, 1910.