Wai-Chow-Fu, Kwangtung, China
By J. N. Anderson
WAI-CHOW is a city of the first rank,—a “fu” city,—situated directly east of Canton, about one hundred fifty miles on the lower reach of the East River. Just next to Wai-chow, but separated from it by a small stream and the respective walls of the two cities, is another city, a district city called Kwaishin (a district city corresponds to a county-seat in the States). The union of the two cities makes that point a large and important center, as it is the head of a large section of country. It is the gateway of all the country up the East River, very accessible from the outside, especially during the time of high water, when launches run daily between there and Canton. The language spoken is prevailingly Hakka, and hence it is a center for work among that class. It was from the Hakkas that some of our first converts came, and additions have steadily been made from time to time, so that now there is a considerable constituency with which to inaugurate an independent work among the Hakka people, who are scattered over large sections of this province, and are said to number no fewer than ten millions. Some of them are also to be found in the province of Fukien. A small building site just outside the city of Kwaishin has been purchased (about two thirds of an acre) for one hundred seventy-five dollars. At the present time there is much trouble in all parts of China to get deeds stamped by Chinese officials when the transfer is to missionary societies. For this reason we were compelled to buy in the name of our Chinese evangelist, who, in turn, will transfer the title of the land to our mission. This necessitates two transfers, and so calls for the stamping of the deed twice; but on the whole it will be the shortest way to the possession of the land. In any case we were driven to this course, since the owner absolutely refused to sell directly to us. His refusal to sell to us foreigners may have been due to superstitious fear, or what is more likely, it may have been due to a fear that his own people would make him serious trouble for thus aiding the foreigner. There have been cases where Chinese have been dealt with very severely11for the offense (?) of selling land to a foreign missionary society. Missionary societies are allowed to purchase land under treaty rights. For some time it has been our settled purpose to erect a house for foreign residence at Wai-chow. We were driven to this resolution by the fact that it is impossible to find native houses that can be made suitable for our workers to live in without exposing them to conditions that endanger their lives. As the land has been secured, we are now prepared to build just as soon as the necessary funds are in hand; and this we confidently expect will be very soon. At our meeting held in Shanghai last January, it was voted to send Brother and Sister S. A. Nagel to Wai-chow to connect with Brother J. P. Anderson, who is our sole worker among the Hakkas. The coming of another family, which is an absolute necessity, calls for the erection of a house that will accommodate the new workers as well as the old ones. In view of this we are planning to put up a double house on the site mentioned above. In the meantime Brother Anderson is living in a very bad part of the city, and in a house that is in every way unfit for a foreigner. Brother and Sister Nagel are compelled to remain in Canton temporarily, until a suitable house can be erected. They are studying the Hakka language; but since they are entirely out of the Hakka element, being among Cantonese all this time, they are working at no little disadvantage. They should be among their own people from the very first; and, furthermore, since the work has been begun there, they are needed from the very first. The chapel and school work at the local station in Wai-chow require a man's close and constant attention. On the other hand the several out-stations at some considerable distance in the country, together with the canvassing work, fully occupy the time and strength of the other man. Moreover, there is need of two workers being together, so they can, in accordance with the plan of our Lord, counsel and work together to lead souls into the truth, and build them up into strong churches, which shall, in turn, be lights in this dark land. During the last year and more J. P. Anderson and his Chinese assistants have been very active in the distribution of our literature in that part of the Hakka territory, and in this way our work has come to be known quite extensively in that part of the field. When our workers are once permanently located at Wai-chow, in suitable quarters, the work for the Hakkas will by that very fact be placed on a good footing. The money for the erection of the house at Wai-chow, we are told, is to come out of the first instalment of the $300,000 Fund. This is very much appreciated by the workers who are enlisted in that difficult but promising field. For this generous aid financially, and the constant faith and prayers of the believers in the home land on our behalf, we all thank God.