Page 83 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 83
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
10 April "A welcome shower of rain. Busy in the afternoon getting the grain from the station -
800 bags."
11 April "Distribution of grain to Kufang people".
13 April "Distribution of grain to Paishan people".
14 April "Very busy writing out tickets".
16 April "Busy all day distributing grain and writing tickets".
21 April "Another big grain distribution".
22 April "Further grain distribution in a tremendous dust storm".
24 April (Sunday) "Left on the 5:55 p.m. train for Peking".
This surely must have been God's preparation for the future, for it was while he was still at Shunde
that he received five telegrams, one of them from the Governor of Gansu, beseeching him to come at
once and head up the field operations of the Lanzhou International Earthquake Relief Committee.
Only waiting long enough to get permission from Shanghai, but without returning to Chefoo, by 29
April he was back in Beijing preparing for the long trip to Lanzhou. By 2 May all his preparations were
complete and he was ready to leave on the 11 p.m. train. An unexpected wire from Arthur said
business was bringing him to Beijing that morning, so the brothers met again and Arthur was there to
see him off on the night train. He reached Zhengzhou at 11 p.m. on the night of 3 May and spent the
night at the YMCA where "the accommodation and attendance is very poor." From Zhengzhou to
Guanyindang by train, and there he hired carts for the trip to Xi'an - two carts at $83. His diary
records:
6 May (Friday) "Kwan Yin Tang to Miao Keo - 35 li (3 li = 1 mile) - very bad roads - Zhang
Mao (15 li)
7 May Zhang Mao to Chiaozigo (38 li) to Lingbaoxian (52 li). It was on this day that he
passed Mr. Gustafson travelling to the railway and also "passed the dead body of a man half
eaten by dogs - horrible!"
8 May Wenshangxian (60 li) less than they had hoped but "had considerable trouble crossing
the river owing to its being swollen by rain which fell in the night. Roads bad."
9 May A late start owing to rain again in the night. "Got to Dongguan at 4 p.m., changed
axles there and left again at 6 p.m. Soldiers were very rude and tried to set the
beggars on to us. The officials at Dongguan insisted on sending two policemen with
us as escort!" Wenshangxian to Huayingmao (95 long li) 9:30 p.m.
10 May Heavy rain prevented them from starting off, so George took the opportunity to write
letters. "In the afternoon Russell and Watson arrived from Xi'an and told us of Mr.
Stevens having been seized in Fengxiang by a Captain Wu (one of Guoqian's men)
and held as hostage.
11 May Huayingmiao to Wunanxian (120 li). Very bad roads.
83
Amy Moore
10 April "A welcome shower of rain. Busy in the afternoon getting the grain from the station -
800 bags."
11 April "Distribution of grain to Kufang people".
13 April "Distribution of grain to Paishan people".
14 April "Very busy writing out tickets".
16 April "Busy all day distributing grain and writing tickets".
21 April "Another big grain distribution".
22 April "Further grain distribution in a tremendous dust storm".
24 April (Sunday) "Left on the 5:55 p.m. train for Peking".
This surely must have been God's preparation for the future, for it was while he was still at Shunde
that he received five telegrams, one of them from the Governor of Gansu, beseeching him to come at
once and head up the field operations of the Lanzhou International Earthquake Relief Committee.
Only waiting long enough to get permission from Shanghai, but without returning to Chefoo, by 29
April he was back in Beijing preparing for the long trip to Lanzhou. By 2 May all his preparations were
complete and he was ready to leave on the 11 p.m. train. An unexpected wire from Arthur said
business was bringing him to Beijing that morning, so the brothers met again and Arthur was there to
see him off on the night train. He reached Zhengzhou at 11 p.m. on the night of 3 May and spent the
night at the YMCA where "the accommodation and attendance is very poor." From Zhengzhou to
Guanyindang by train, and there he hired carts for the trip to Xi'an - two carts at $83. His diary
records:
6 May (Friday) "Kwan Yin Tang to Miao Keo - 35 li (3 li = 1 mile) - very bad roads - Zhang
Mao (15 li)
7 May Zhang Mao to Chiaozigo (38 li) to Lingbaoxian (52 li). It was on this day that he
passed Mr. Gustafson travelling to the railway and also "passed the dead body of a man half
eaten by dogs - horrible!"
8 May Wenshangxian (60 li) less than they had hoped but "had considerable trouble crossing
the river owing to its being swollen by rain which fell in the night. Roads bad."
9 May A late start owing to rain again in the night. "Got to Dongguan at 4 p.m., changed
axles there and left again at 6 p.m. Soldiers were very rude and tried to set the
beggars on to us. The officials at Dongguan insisted on sending two policemen with
us as escort!" Wenshangxian to Huayingmao (95 long li) 9:30 p.m.
10 May Heavy rain prevented them from starting off, so George took the opportunity to write
letters. "In the afternoon Russell and Watson arrived from Xi'an and told us of Mr.
Stevens having been seized in Fengxiang by a Captain Wu (one of Guoqian's men)
and held as hostage.
11 May Huayingmiao to Wunanxian (120 li). Very bad roads.
83
