Chentu and Its Methodist Episcopal Mission.

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Sunday morning rose from 50 in the first quarter of 1896 to 311 in the first quarter of 1897.

these, with three members from Chungking, king. The evangelistic and school work comprised the native church. was encouraging. The membership had During my absence a brick dispensary been reduced by some whose home was in had been built and medical work begun, Chungking returning there. In the second and on my return I found a church of eleven quarter seven were received on probation members and nine probationers. Plans at one time. The average attendance on were made for adding one more residence and also wards for a hospital, but ten days after our arrival a riot broke out in the city which on the second day extended to our During the year two new residences were place. The missionaries found refuge in built to replace those destroyed by the riot; the attic of a friendly neighbor while a also a brick chapel seating 125, a brick frenzied mob demolished the buildings, church that seats 500, and the dispensary tore down walls, and carried off everything building was repaired. During the spring movable, literally making a clean sweep, of 1897 Brother Peat returned to Chentu and for in the afternoon old women came with took charge of the evangelistic work.

brooms and swept the ground for kindlings. That night we escaped to the magistrate's yamen, and after eleven days of anxiety departed by night for Chungking. Dr. Canright and Brother Peat, with their families, went to the coast.

One of the native helpers, Brother Chang, the man now at Tsicheo, remained in Chentu, and while we were in the yamen rented a small place where the Christians could meet, so that for only two Sundays were services omitted.

In the fall I returned and secured a settlement of our losses, bought the adjoining property on the west and then returned to Chungking for my wife. The first of 1896 Brother Curnow came to Chentu (but in September was obliged to return to the homeland). Brother Peat remained at Chung

In October, 1897, there were 24 members, 15 probationers; October, 1898, 35 members, 26 probationers; October, 1899, 38 members, 26 probationers.

In 1898 the Chentu Church took upon itself the burden of renting a place for worship at Chiencheo, and in 1899 it added. the support of the native preacher, besides meeting all of their own incidental expenses.

The medical work remained closed until 1897. There were 1,800 visits to the dispensary to October, 1897, the next year 11,214, and in the hospital which is a native building 118 patients were cared for. October, 1898, to October, 1899, 13,517 visits to the dispensary were made, and 197 patients were in the hospital.

The educational work has not been at

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all commensurate with the needs, but most but early removed to Elburn, Ill., where she was edmeager. From the first there has been a ucated. For some years she was a successful teacher day school and lately two. There ought to have been primary schools, intermediate, and high school, but the money has always been lacking. The Annual Meeting in 1898 indorsed the plans for a school of high grade at Chentu. Nothing has been done to carry out the plan beyond the teaching of a few special students.

The Woman's Foreign Missionary Society had been represented in Chentu only by a Bible woman, and a girls' school under the charge of Mrs. Cady until the Annual Meeting of 1897 when Miss Collier was sent to take charge of this work.

While in no department have the results been all we could have wished-perhaps not all they would have been if we had been more diligent and more filled with the Spirit-yet the Lord has been manifestly with us, and his blessings continue; our opportunities are widening. May the fruits

increase.

Chentu Methodist Episcopal Missionaries, January, 1900.

Rev. H. Olin Cady was born in Middlebury, Vt., September 12, 1857, converted when sixteen years of age, and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. Licensed as a local preacher in 1880, and the same year entered the Northwestern University, from which he graduated as A.B. in 1883, joined the Wisconsin Conference in 1883. Entered Garrett Biblical Institute in 1884 and graduated from it in 1886, receiving the same year the degree of M.A. from Northwestern University. Appointed missionary to West China in 1886, and September 10, 1886, left Chicago for China. Remained in Kiukiang until March, 1887, when, with Dr. V. C. Hart, started for Chungking to reopen the work that had been suspended on account of the riots of 1886. Was in Chungking until June, 1891, when he was appointed to open the work in Chentu, remaining there until August, 1893, and, excepting the last three months, was the only missionary of our Church in Chentu. Returned to America in 1893. Was married to Miss Hattie Yates, at Elburn, Ill., June 11, 1894, and started for China with his wife, reaching Chentu just before the riots of 1895. He was then obliged to leave for several weeks, but returned to Chentu in November, 1895. In 1896 he superintended the erection of dwelling, church, chapel, and school buildings, and since 1897 has been in charge of the school work at Chentu, and of the Tsicheo Circuit. He is a brother of Rev. Martin E. Cady, of the Rock River Conference, and of Rev. Gilbert E. Cady, of the Troy Conference.

in Kane County, Ill. She was converted, and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church in Elburn, under married to Rev. H. Olin Cady in 1894, and went with the pastorate of Rev. A. Lincoln Shute. She was her husband to China, passing through the trying scenes of the riots in 1895, the only lady of the missionary company of Chentu who did not leave the province and the first one to return to Chentu. To Mr. and Mrs. Cady was born in Chentu one son who died there. They have one daughter.

Rev. Jacob F. Peat was born in Tuscola, Ill., February 23, 1867; converted at Orange City, Fla., in 1889; graduated from the business College, Atlanta, Ga., in 1890; was instructor in Chaddock College in 1891 and 1892; was married to Miss Emily May Gaskill, at Edwardsville, Ill., in November, 1892. Miss Gaskill was a graduate of the Collinsville High School, and was for some time a teacher in the public schools of Troy, Ill. Mr. Peat was appointed missionary to China in 1892, was ordained deacon and elder in San Francisco, Cal., by Bishop Goodsell, under the missionary rule, and sailed from San Francisco, with his wife for China, January 4, 1893, arriving in Chentu in May, where he was preacher in charge until September, 1895, when he was appointed to Chungking. Since March, 1897, he has been pastor of the church at Chentu.

Harry Lee Canright, M.D., was born near Albion, Orleans Co., New York, October 26, 1864, and the following year removed to Michigan with his parents. He was converted in January 21, 1881, and graduated from the Battle Creek High School in 1885. After graduation he taught school one year and then entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, graduating from the Medical Department in 1889, He was appointed missionary to China in 1891, was married to Miss Margaret M. Markham September 9, 1891, sailed for China, with his wife, September 26, 1891, landed in Shanghai October 20, 1891, and reached Chungking January 11, 1892. After remaining in Chungking one year he went to Chentu, where he had charge of the medical work of our mission in that city until he left on furlough in January, 1900.

Mrs. Margaret Markham Canright was born near Battle Creek, Mich., March 15, 1869, and removed with her parents, while quite young, to Northern Michigan. She was educated at Battle Creek and other places, and taught school for about six years, four of these being at Trufant, Mich. She was married to Dr. H. L. Canright September 9, 1891, her father, Rev. M. Markham, officiating. She started for China the following week and was eight years in China, the greater part of which was spent in Chentu. Dr. and Mrs. Canright have four children.

Miss Clara Collier was born in Albany, Vt., was one of the early graduates of the Chicago Training School, and one of the first deaconesses of the Church to go to China. She was associated with Miss Hanzlik, at Nanking, and afterward appointed to Kiukiang. She was accepted as a missionary of Mrs. Hattie Yates Cady was born in Fayette, Ia., the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society in 1895

and transferred to West China, where she was ap- | in January, 1896, but returned to West China in 1897, pointed superintendent of the Deaconess Home at in the work of the Woman's Foreign Missionary SoChungking. She returned to America on furlough ciety, and has been at Chentu since that time.

IN

WORKINGMEN OF WEST CHINA.

a country like inland China, where | fession of "inventor" has not yet been there are no railways, no factories, thought of.

works, or large mills, such as are in Eng- The introduction in these days of books land or America, one can imagine how describing Western sciences and modern insimple the ways of the Chinese working-ventions has created much interest among man must be without any modern inven- the Chinese, and they account for the fact tions. They have no engines, and of the use of Western nations being in possession of of steam they know nothing. All their present such knowledge in this way: One of the ways of doing things were probably exactly first books that all Chinese schoolboys read the same ages ago. Their implements, is called the Great Learning. It contains a tools, and machines are always after the old few chapters on various subjects, but one pattern. They do not think of bringing out chapter on "Science" is missing. It is suga new plow, or a new kind of spinning gested that at some remote period this parmachine, or indeed, anything else new. ticular chapter, giving the secrets of all There are said to be 72 trades and handicrafts, and no new ones are added to the number, and I suppose that the pro

science, was stolen by some unpatriotic person and carried off to the West!

All the men are divided into four classes,

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Workingmen of West China.

scholars, farmers, craftsmen, and mer- clothes. If his work is sedentary he will

chants. Men of the first class never soil have but two meals a day, and if three their hands, however poor they are (unless meals they will be mainly rice, with a little it be with the opium pipe), and the nails of addition of salted cabbage. He rarely eats the left hand are allowed to grow long. The meat more than twice a month, on the seesecond and third classes are by far the ond and sixteenth. He has long sleeves largest, and the Chinese look upon farming hanging a foot below his hands, but natuas the most important of all occupations, rally these are well rolled up when he is at and certainly, in spite of their primitive work, and in these rolled up sleeves he ways, and whatever they may be in many sometimes folds his indispensable tobacco things, they are second to none in the art of cultivation. They say that they owe the knowledge of that art, like most other things, to one of the ancient emperors.

They are proud of their work, of the immense country they have, and of the many centuries they have occupied it. In West China, on the plains, they grow wheat in the spring, and when that is gathered they flood the fields and grow rice, while on the mountains they grow Indian corn. No patch of land is allowed to remain idle. No matter how steep the mountain side, how poor the soil, or how dangerous the spot, the farmer will grow something on it. The farmer and his men dress very simply; in fact, the dress of the workman of all kinds is much the same. He has bare feet and wears straw sandals; if the weather is warm his clothes consist merely of a pair of pants and a shirt. The stuff of all the clothes is navy blue cotton, so that the sight of a crowded market on a bright day is remarkable. Many of the clothes are nearly white from repeated washings, and the workman of little capital will patch up his worn-out suit of clothes with little odd scraps and pieces. He does not mind the look of it, even if it is all patches. His dress is not complete without a tape round his waist, or a piece of string for a girdle, and to this he attaches his pipe, and in summer the indispensable embroidered fan case.

He is careful, however humble, to wash his clothes and change his suit. If his house is too far off, he will choose a spot by the river side, on a sunny day, and do the washing himself, and sit and wait for his clothes to dry.

Most workmen have a best suit besides, which is only worn on special occasions, such as a feast time or the first few days of the new year. Unless really necessary, he will not wear his best suit any other time, and then he has taken them out of the pawn shop for the occasion.

leaves. His gown is tucked into his girdle, and his long plaited tail is wrapped in circles round his head. His money he keeps on a string round his waist (the ordinary bronze coin has a hole in the middle), and he finds a convenient place for a few odd coins in his ears.

He does not work by the clock. He starts in the morning, soon after light, and stops at dark all the year round. So in the summer he has a very long day, and in winter a very short one. When a number of men work together the "breakfast," or "dinner," time depends on the cook, one of their own number, who, when he has got all ready, calls out, "Come and eat rice."

There are many workmen whose crafts are similar to some in England, for in building houses there is the plasterer, or, as the Chinese call him, the "mud and water" workman. He is skilled in making mud walls, mud bricks, and mud floors. He builds your stores and lays tiles. Then there is the carpenter, who has to saw up his own planks, and often cut down his own timber. Then the painter, who grinds his own colors, boils his own varnish, and makes his own tools.

One curious thing about the arts and manufactures of West China is that by a walk along the streets you can see the process of most things right under your eyes. At one shop there are shoemakers. The "uppers" have been made elsewhere by women. The men sit there sewing the thick layers of paper and rag for the soles.

There is a printer, cutting characters on hard boards or "blocks." He has no movable metal type, nor does he print with a machine. He inks his block and prints his books all by hand.

There is a tailor, and there an umbrella maker. The umbrellas are all of bamboo, and covered with oil paper. In another shop they are making baskets, hampers, and furniture, all of bamboo. The brasier's shop This simplicity is not confined to his is a very noisy place, for the workmen sit

hammering brass bowls and pans by the steel plates which he clinks as he goes

In another street are rows of men sitting at large frames, working embroidery, the patterns for which have first been painted on the silk or satin by an artist. The dyers have their big vats of color on the street poor-looking tools and such dismal worktoo, and their long lengths of silk or cotton material are hung to bleach on a high framework of poles, often on both sides of the street.

The workingmen mostly make up our audiences when preaching, and many listen well, and all are genial and friendly. The majority of our Christians in West China are drawn from this class of people, and Another typical workman is the mender of they are bright and happy.-Rev. O. M. crockery. He always carries a set of small | Jackson, in Awake.

THE CHINESE CRISIS.

BY MRS. BRYSON, OF TIENTSIN.

Each one of these queries I have seen over and over again in the daily press. Fre-pean powers. Last of all, and clearly eviquently they have taken the form of an affirmation, while some of them have been addressed to me personally.