Page 89 - Three Score Years & Ten
P. 89
“THREE SCORE YEARS AND TEN” MISSIONARY WORK IN CHINA
Amy Moore
after, she married a French officer, and they entertained GFA in Versailles. Many years later,
when GFA was an old man in Saskatoon, Canada, he re-read his diary for 1921.
"I sat upon my verandah and relived the scenes of 1921 which were
to prove far more momentous in my life than I appreciated at the time
of their occurrence."
The work he and others had done did not go unnoticed by the Government of China. Mr. Mann, who
followed George Andrew as Field Superintendent for the northwest, had acted as chairman and
English Secretary for the International Earthquake Relief Committee in Lanzhou, while GFA and, at
times Mr. Roy Seaman, both of the CIM, worked at the reconstruction sites. GFA and Mr. Mann both
received from the President of the Chinese Republic the Decoration of the Third Class Jia He Zhang
(Excellent Crop), and another honour was given to Mr. Seaman.
A joint letter of thanks to the CIM for the services of these men was written by the Military and Civil
Governors of Gansu. The final paragraph said,
"In the days to come, the work you have accomplished . . . will speak
for you and so enable both foreigners and Chinese alike to know that
your achievements are by no means insignificant, and that your
honourable religion is to be congratulated on having such men."
Reunited with Fanny and his children at Chefoo, Leslie now ten, Aileen eight and James Mervyn born
22 October 1916 probably just commencing his school life, George did not have long to enjoy being a
family again. By June of 1922 he and Fanny were back in Lanzhou having escorted Mrs. Mark
Botham up for her wedding to Mark. They remained there until 1925 when GFA was appointed to the
staff of the Boys' School in Chefoo.
He continued his work in the Lanzhou Boys' School and in March 1924 a brief note in the Mission
magazine commented:
"It is interesting to learn that the Governor of Gansu has given Mr.
G.F.Andrew an unconditional donation of $20,000 towards the
expense of the Boys' School in Lanzhou."
By this time George and Fanny were the only remaining members of the "Andrew Clan" working in
Gansu. When his parents returned from furlough in 1922 they were relieved of the administration
work in the north-west and asked to go to Shunde in Cheli nearer the coast. By this time George was
65 and Jessie 64, and in 1923 the Moores were asked to go to Shunde to help in the work there also,
but we have always felt it was as much to help Esther's parents in their old age.
In 1924 George was asked to escort Mr. Gibb of the Shanghai Headquarters staff on a tour of the
north-west. The Manns were returning to Lanzhou and so were able to bring Mr. Gibb that far, but
GFA met them in Xi'an and took over from there on. They ran into trouble from brigands almost at
once. Mr. Mann has written an account of it:
"Travelling in Troublous Times.
We left Xi'an on Tuesday. On the first and second day we saw nothing and heard
very little of the conditions ahead. Trade was at a standstill and there was not traffic
on the road. On the third day we arrived within sound of fighting. We could procure
no inn that night and the whole party (Mr. & Mrs. Mann and daughter, Mr. GW Gibb
89
Amy Moore
after, she married a French officer, and they entertained GFA in Versailles. Many years later,
when GFA was an old man in Saskatoon, Canada, he re-read his diary for 1921.
"I sat upon my verandah and relived the scenes of 1921 which were
to prove far more momentous in my life than I appreciated at the time
of their occurrence."
The work he and others had done did not go unnoticed by the Government of China. Mr. Mann, who
followed George Andrew as Field Superintendent for the northwest, had acted as chairman and
English Secretary for the International Earthquake Relief Committee in Lanzhou, while GFA and, at
times Mr. Roy Seaman, both of the CIM, worked at the reconstruction sites. GFA and Mr. Mann both
received from the President of the Chinese Republic the Decoration of the Third Class Jia He Zhang
(Excellent Crop), and another honour was given to Mr. Seaman.
A joint letter of thanks to the CIM for the services of these men was written by the Military and Civil
Governors of Gansu. The final paragraph said,
"In the days to come, the work you have accomplished . . . will speak
for you and so enable both foreigners and Chinese alike to know that
your achievements are by no means insignificant, and that your
honourable religion is to be congratulated on having such men."
Reunited with Fanny and his children at Chefoo, Leslie now ten, Aileen eight and James Mervyn born
22 October 1916 probably just commencing his school life, George did not have long to enjoy being a
family again. By June of 1922 he and Fanny were back in Lanzhou having escorted Mrs. Mark
Botham up for her wedding to Mark. They remained there until 1925 when GFA was appointed to the
staff of the Boys' School in Chefoo.
He continued his work in the Lanzhou Boys' School and in March 1924 a brief note in the Mission
magazine commented:
"It is interesting to learn that the Governor of Gansu has given Mr.
G.F.Andrew an unconditional donation of $20,000 towards the
expense of the Boys' School in Lanzhou."
By this time George and Fanny were the only remaining members of the "Andrew Clan" working in
Gansu. When his parents returned from furlough in 1922 they were relieved of the administration
work in the north-west and asked to go to Shunde in Cheli nearer the coast. By this time George was
65 and Jessie 64, and in 1923 the Moores were asked to go to Shunde to help in the work there also,
but we have always felt it was as much to help Esther's parents in their old age.
In 1924 George was asked to escort Mr. Gibb of the Shanghai Headquarters staff on a tour of the
north-west. The Manns were returning to Lanzhou and so were able to bring Mr. Gibb that far, but
GFA met them in Xi'an and took over from there on. They ran into trouble from brigands almost at
once. Mr. Mann has written an account of it:
"Travelling in Troublous Times.
We left Xi'an on Tuesday. On the first and second day we saw nothing and heard
very little of the conditions ahead. Trade was at a standstill and there was not traffic
on the road. On the third day we arrived within sound of fighting. We could procure
no inn that night and the whole party (Mr. & Mrs. Mann and daughter, Mr. GW Gibb
89
