p. 16 | Eastern Training-School by J. Mills

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 19, 1907

Eastern Training-School

By J. Mills

J. MILLS

The readers of the REVIEW will be interested in our new training-school enterprise in Singapore. Long has it been thought of and talked of, but not until the present could we say that anything definite had been accomplished toward having such a school. From the first of August we have taken a two-years' lease of a large house, on an estate known as "Mount Pleasant," off Thompson Road, at a monthly rental of sixty Singapore dollars (thirty-four dollars gold). This house will answer our purpose in many ways very satisfactorily, for a good while to come, as it provides good lodging accommodation, schoolrooms, rooms for printing and other industries, and also has about twenty acres of land with it now, with the promise of a great deal more in a few months' time, when the present holder's term of lease expires.

The accompanying view will give an idea of the house. It is a two-story brick-and-plaster building, with a room on top reached by a spiral stairway, and faces the southeast. It is fifty-four feet wide by sixty feet from back to front, not including the verandas and porch. The kitchen stands about sixty feet from the main house, being connected with it by a covered, tile-floor walk. Surrounding the kitchen on three sides, yet disconnected from it, is another large building, of one story, containing six large rooms, two of which will be used for our printing work, and the other four for boys' bedrooms; and two small rooms suitable for laundry purposes and workshop; also four stalls for cattle, a carriage shed, and a large wood-shed.

The rooms in the main building are large and airy, and well lighted. In addition to the bedrooms, there are large open rooms both down-stairs and up-stairs, suitable for schoolrooms, dining-room, parlor, and meeting-room.

The grounds in front and at the side are well laid out in grass lawns, the roads being planted on both sides with ornamental shrubs.

The property is located on a hill, about three and a half miles from the general post-office, and has only one English resident near by, so that we are comparatively in the country. We get the pure, fresh air, are surrounded by beautiful native scenes, enjoy the sweet songs of the birds morning and evening, and have perfect quiet. From the porch upstairs we look out over the sea, and can see the steamers entering the harbor. To us it is an ideal spot from many standpoints, and we verily believe the Lord has led us here, until the way opens up whereby we may possess our own buildings and land.

We were all agreed upon leasing this property, which we believe the Lord has chosen, as the landlord, an Arab, had lowered the rent considerably for us, and had been very favorable toward us.

Some may question why we have leased a property, instead of purchasing. We have been looking for a long, long time for a place to purchase, having a good, healthful location, good land, and general conveniences, and at a reasonable price. To find such in Singapore is a very difficult matter. Land must be purchased generally through several intermediaries, and this consumes a great deal of time. We can not go directly to the owners ourselves, and make terms. If we should, their price to us as Europeans would be doubled immediately. We are not dealing in these parts with English business men, but with shrewd, cunning, money-grabbing Eastern people. Because of this, we have to move very slowly and carefully, and so have to fall into line with the rest of the Eastern world, and allow the “Eastern fever” (slowness) to lay hold upon us.

Because of this, and not desirous of waiting any longer, we have deemed it advisable to lease a suitable house, in the hope that during the term of the lease we may find a property not yet known to us, which we can purchase and call our own.

And now, as we are about to launch on this enterprise, we are in great need of funds. We can not expect to have any pupils pay spot cash for all they receive, as wages here are very low. We have a high monthly rent, and other expenses, which must be paid in cash. We must provide the needed furniture for the house and kitchen, and tools to enable the young people to pay their way in work. We must have means. Any who feel disposed to help us in this good work by making a liberal donation, may send the same to the General Conference Office at Washington, specifying that it is for the Singapore Training-school, and it will be forwarded to us.

We also need your prayers, that God's Spirit may abide in our school, that the Holy Spirit may do its office work upon the hearts of both teachers and students, that those who attend may be fitted to engage in giving this glorious message in this great Eastern field.

“Mt. Pleasant,” Singapore.