Page 88 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 88
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
They made a hot meal and then sat round talking and singing. George says
"Among the refugee group was a male quartet, and the memory of that night will live
with me to the day I die. Just at midnight in that little cave illumined by the light of
three candles, the whole party rose, uncovered, and joined in singing the old Russian
National Anthem." Then they all wrote their names on a slip of paper for him - a paper
he kept for the rest of his life. "Many of these names have since become well known
in Shanghai: General Bouligon, the leader who for many years was employed in the
Shanghai French Municipal Council; Dr. Kassakoff who became the founder of the
Russian Emigrants' Association and the man who established the Russian Emigrants'
Hospital in Shanghai; Colonel Tatarinoff whose son was employed for years in the
Traffic Department of the French Municipal Council; General Bouligon's secretary
who has had a marked career as a singer in the USA; Sister Olga Troubnikoff who
entered the service of the Church and became an abbess; Sisters Anna and Sophie
Cheseowea and Sister Tatiana Evans."
At 2 a.m. GFA and his "mafoo" rode off into the night to investigate reports of a brigand camp some 10
miles distant. Just after daybreak, without warning, men suddenly appeared from behind the rocks
and pulled them off their horses. They were bound and taken off to where the brigand commander
was still asleep. When he woke, GFA learned that he came from Tianshui in the south of the Province
and, as soon as he realised that George was the foreigner who had been doing such intensive relief
work over so many months of distress, his whole attitude changed to one of friendliness.
GFA at once brought up the question of the caravan, and a party was immediately sent to bring them
in without harm. The brigands tried to persuade them all to stay the night and accept their hospitality,
but GFA "drawing on past experience" urged that they were in a hurry and must press on. So by
nightfall they were a good ten miles from the camp. They found an open threshing floor where they
could put all their carts and animals. From the Russian refugees, George posted sentries, and then,
thoroughly exhausted after 36 hours on the road, fell into a deep sleep.
The night's adventures were not yet over. He was roused by one of the sentries indicating that
something was wrong, and he now heard what he thought were rifle shots and saw lights coming
towards them along the path they had travelled earlier. Thinking the brigands they had parted with
had now regretted letting them go, he took two of his Chinese men and went off to meet them. To his
surprise they met another long caravan like their own who had been following them in the hope that if
the first lot got through so would the second. The sound he had taken for rifle shots was the cracking
of their carters' whips. The brigands had already robbed them of everything they possessed, even to
plundering the personal effects of the carters and muleteers who were usually granted immunity,
because "they brought business to the brigands". Two men had been shot and their dead bodies were
in one of the carts already frozen stiff, while one badly wounded man died in George's arms soon
after. The two caravans now joined forces and, when they set off again, there were no less than 40
carts in one long caravan. They made a long stage of 40 miles to Lichuan "where we found safety
and peace behind the disciplined forces of General Feng Yuxiang" (The latter known as "the Christian
General").
Over a period of some three or four years GFA was instrumental in bringing or assisting over 2,000
such refugees from this northwest area to reach Shanghai, Tianjin or Hankou. The group mentioned
above reached Shanghai in January 1922 and some of them, as he said, became distinguished
members of the international community there. Tatiana Evans was the daughter of a Lancashire mill
worker, and GFA was able to get her a passport so that she could rejoin her parents in Siberia. Long
88
Amy Moore
They made a hot meal and then sat round talking and singing. George says
"Among the refugee group was a male quartet, and the memory of that night will live
with me to the day I die. Just at midnight in that little cave illumined by the light of
three candles, the whole party rose, uncovered, and joined in singing the old Russian
National Anthem." Then they all wrote their names on a slip of paper for him - a paper
he kept for the rest of his life. "Many of these names have since become well known
in Shanghai: General Bouligon, the leader who for many years was employed in the
Shanghai French Municipal Council; Dr. Kassakoff who became the founder of the
Russian Emigrants' Association and the man who established the Russian Emigrants'
Hospital in Shanghai; Colonel Tatarinoff whose son was employed for years in the
Traffic Department of the French Municipal Council; General Bouligon's secretary
who has had a marked career as a singer in the USA; Sister Olga Troubnikoff who
entered the service of the Church and became an abbess; Sisters Anna and Sophie
Cheseowea and Sister Tatiana Evans."
At 2 a.m. GFA and his "mafoo" rode off into the night to investigate reports of a brigand camp some 10
miles distant. Just after daybreak, without warning, men suddenly appeared from behind the rocks
and pulled them off their horses. They were bound and taken off to where the brigand commander
was still asleep. When he woke, GFA learned that he came from Tianshui in the south of the Province
and, as soon as he realised that George was the foreigner who had been doing such intensive relief
work over so many months of distress, his whole attitude changed to one of friendliness.
GFA at once brought up the question of the caravan, and a party was immediately sent to bring them
in without harm. The brigands tried to persuade them all to stay the night and accept their hospitality,
but GFA "drawing on past experience" urged that they were in a hurry and must press on. So by
nightfall they were a good ten miles from the camp. They found an open threshing floor where they
could put all their carts and animals. From the Russian refugees, George posted sentries, and then,
thoroughly exhausted after 36 hours on the road, fell into a deep sleep.
The night's adventures were not yet over. He was roused by one of the sentries indicating that
something was wrong, and he now heard what he thought were rifle shots and saw lights coming
towards them along the path they had travelled earlier. Thinking the brigands they had parted with
had now regretted letting them go, he took two of his Chinese men and went off to meet them. To his
surprise they met another long caravan like their own who had been following them in the hope that if
the first lot got through so would the second. The sound he had taken for rifle shots was the cracking
of their carters' whips. The brigands had already robbed them of everything they possessed, even to
plundering the personal effects of the carters and muleteers who were usually granted immunity,
because "they brought business to the brigands". Two men had been shot and their dead bodies were
in one of the carts already frozen stiff, while one badly wounded man died in George's arms soon
after. The two caravans now joined forces and, when they set off again, there were no less than 40
carts in one long caravan. They made a long stage of 40 miles to Lichuan "where we found safety
and peace behind the disciplined forces of General Feng Yuxiang" (The latter known as "the Christian
General").
Over a period of some three or four years GFA was instrumental in bringing or assisting over 2,000
such refugees from this northwest area to reach Shanghai, Tianjin or Hankou. The group mentioned
above reached Shanghai in January 1922 and some of them, as he said, became distinguished
members of the international community there. Tatiana Evans was the daughter of a Lancashire mill
worker, and GFA was able to get her a passport so that she could rejoin her parents in Siberia. Long
88
