The Chinese.
THE LOS ANGELES MISSION.
BY. REV. WM. C. POND, D.D.
An interesting letter from Mrs. Rice, wife of Rev. O. V. Rice, who has charge of our mission at this prosperous and ambitious metropolis of Southern California, prompts me to give my space this month to a review of our work there. It had already begun when, twenty-two years ago, I became superintendent. I tried to visit it in the spring of 1874, but a severe storm on our usually placid Pacific delayed our steamer so long that I could spend only a few hours there. This was sufficient, however, to show me that we had a good teacher and some very promising pupils, but an indifference to contend with on the part of American Christians which was both surprising and painful.
A few months after this I heard that Rev. Ira M. Condit, a missionary recently returned from China, able to talk the Chinese language fluently, and a very estimable brother, had gone to Los Angeles to establish a Presbyterian mission. I did not hear of it by letter from him nor from any one connected with the Presbyterian work in this State. Denominational comity just then had not reached in the minds of our Presbyterian brethren sufficient dignity to call even for a bow in recognition. But I waived this matter, and believing that, with his manifest advantages, he could do better work than we, and that there was not room enough in the field, as it then was, for two missions, I turned over to him our whole school—pupils, teacher, and whatever conveniences or good-will we had gathered—and retired from the locality. It was about two months only when I heard of six or eight conversions in the Presbyterian Chinese mission of Los Angeles, but they were the very ones of whom our teacher had spoken hopefully to me on my visit to the city.
An interval of several years occurred. The great boom came, and Los Angeles sprang to the front among the inland cities of the State and boasted that before long San Francisco would be one of its suburbs. The Chinese population increased to about 6,000. Among these were many of our own brethren and several who were members of my own church. They pleaded for a Congregational mission, and showed that because the two Presbyterian missions were at one end of the Chinese quarter, and there was nothing of the sort at the other end, nearly a mile distant, there was a large field for us where we would come into no competition, and where all that we might do would be a distinct addition to the work done for Christ among their countrymen. We yielded to their persuasions and found their prediction amply verified. Our school became at once the largest and our work the most active and fruitful in the city. In the four months ending with August 31, 1888, 133 pupils were enrolled, and the average membership month by month was 69. Street-preaching, hand-to-hand evangelistic work, and the skillful, faithful labor of our teacher, Mrs. Sheldon, and our enthusiastic helper, Loo Quong, were used of God for the conversion of many souls.
But as in other specially delightful places for homes, persons multiplied who desired to enter into this missionary work. Instead of three, there came to be six or eight missions there. Competition ensued. Our school, though comparing well with any, was reduced in size and influence, and as we began to be straitened for funds and there were many points where no one was caring for Chinese souls, our aid was withdrawn and I supposed the work would cease. Not so. Our Chinese brethren clung to each other and to their own mission work. They rented quarters neither spacious nor comfortable, but cheap, and contrived, with the aid of one true-hearted Christian woman, to keep up their school, maintain their Association, add four members to it as converts to the Christian life, and present seven of their number to the First Congregational Church for baptism. We felt that a mission with such "grit and grace" deserved to live. Long may it live!
Three persons converted at this mission have been brought into our work as missionary helpers. Many have testified for Christ in their own land.