V 
 
 
 Darkest Japar). 
 
 P Tlpe Way Out* 
 
 SECOND EDITION. 
 
 This second edition of this little pamphlet is issued with the 
 idea of its circulation largely in the Young Peoples’ Societies of 
 Christian Endeavor and is sent to many pastors of Congregational 
 Churches, hoping that they will commend it to their young people 
 and to others. It is felt that the Master’s work would be hene- 
 htted if people knew more of Foreign Missions. Surely this 
 growing army of earnest workers will take up this work if prop- 
 erly directed. ' If workers in these Societies and Pastors of 
 churches find that these pamphlets are of service to them in this 
 work, they can have as many of them as they wish. They will 
 be sent them, free of charge, whenever ordered during the 
 year 1891. 
 
No. 31 PUBL 
 Cleveland O. , 
 
 Since the first issue of 10,000 copies of this little pamiihlet, last March, the 
 Missionaries at the Niigata station have furnished me with sundry items of in. 
 terest which I have added to this issue. I have no apology for getting 
 out this second edition of the pamphlet and sending you a copy of it but the 
 needs of the Master’s work. If the people here in the home land could be made 
 to see the situation over there, just as it is, they would join us in this 
 truly blessed work for the Master. 
 
 The workers of the Station have enjoyed good health the past year. My 
 daughters entered on their second year’s work in better health and spirits than 
 they did the first year, and better the third year than the second year; and now 
 they have commenced their fourth year’s work; and are very happy in it. This 
 being so, the home they left is a very happy one,, even if there silence does 
 geem to reign, so that the clock can be heard to tick all over the big house that 
 formerly used to peal with the merry^ making of the now absent ones. There 
 is a feeling with many people that those engaged in foreign missions are to be 
 pitied. We don’t find it so. But rather those are to be pitied who do not do 
 all they can for them. True the daughters are nearly ten thonsand miles 
 away, and the sisters that used to be one and inseparable, are now separated 
 and they are shut away from the societv of all English speaking people, except 
 their own little company; for mouths at a time; yet the Father so tempers 
 the wind to the shorn lambs that they rejoice in his dealings with them. 
 There is a mountain of difficulty to be overcome. The intense conservative 
 Buddhistic opposition to Christianity still continues at Nagaoka. It- is a work 
 of seed sowing, not of harvest there. Yet by degrees Mr. Newell is winning 
 the confidence and esteem of the young men. He has been having four different 
 classes of young men a week in Bible study, outside of his regular school work. 
 The work of Mrs. New'ell among the women of Nagaoka, is a w'ork very largely 
 of faith yet. At Niigata for some time, the work in the girl’s school, owing to 
 the lack of an efficient native superintendent, has been very' unsatisfactory, 
 much to Miss Brown’s sorrow. But the work in the boy’s school has been a joy. 
 The seed sowing which Dr. Scudder, Miss Judson, Gertrude Cozad and 
 others did there in former years, when it was so very discouraging — really 
 sowing in tears — has come to fruition, for out of thirty additions to the Nii- 
 gata church at the last communion twenty-four were from the boys’ school. 
 
 Respectfully, 
 
 JUSTUS L. COZAD. 
 
Historical Sketch of the Work of the Various Missionary 
 Societies in the Niigata or Echigo Field. 
 
 The Dutch Reformed Church. 
 
 Rev. Dr. Samuel Rubin Brown and his wife, Elizabeth Bartlet Brown, and 
 Miss Mary Eddy Kidder, of the Dutch Reformed Church in America, reached 
 Niigata October 24th, 1869. 
 
 By consent of the Mission they entered the service of the Japan Government 
 They left Niigata July 3d, 1870, by order of the government. But little direct 
 missionary work was done in these eight months, yet Dr. Brown held a Sunday 
 Bible Class in his own house. This was the real cause of his removal. Seven- 
 teen years after his departure one of his pupils, Kinjire Abe, gave his school as 
 a foundation for the present Boys’ School of Niigata — a Christian school. 
 
 The American Methodist Episcopal Mission. 
 
 In 1875 Revs. Dr. S. R. McClay and M. C. Harris, of the American Methodist 
 Episcopal Mission, visited Niigata, Nagaoka and Sado, but their stay wass hort 
 and no attempt at work was made. 
 
 The Church Missionary Society. 
 
 In 1875 Rev. Mr. Piper, of the Church Missionary Society, visited Niigata 
 with the result that Rev. P. K. Fryson settled in Niigata that year. He remain- 
 ed until 1882 and the work of the Church Missionary Society was practically 
 abandoned. 
 
 The Edinburgh Medical Mission. 
 
 In 1875 Dr. T. A. Palm, of the Edinburg Medical Mission, came to Japan and 
 was the first Christian Missionary to begin active work in Niigata. He was 
 engaged in Medical and Evangelical work for over eight years, leaving in 
 September, 1883. Dr. Palm was a Presbyterian. This accounts for the many 
 Presbyterian foot prints now found in Echigo. 
 
 In 1882 Miss Fanny J. Shaw, of the Edinburg Medical Mission, came as a 
 trained nurse to assist Dr. Palm in his hospital work at Niigata. She left in 
 1883 when the work by that Mission was abandoned and taken up by the Amer- 
 ican Board. 
 
The American Board of Commissioners of 
 Foreign Missions. 
 
 Early in 1883 Dr Palm of the Edinburg Medical Mission made overture to 
 Dr. J. C. Berry concerning the transfer of the Evangelical work of the Mis- 
 sion to the American Board. At the annual meeting in May, 1883, the Japan 
 Mission Board approved the location at Niigata of Rev. R. N. Davis and fam- 
 ily with another family. In June Mr. Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Gulick and Miss 
 Julia Gulick visited Niigata and consulted with Dr. Palm. Returning to Kobe 
 at a special meeting of the Mission on July 10th, a vote was passed approving 
 the removal of Rev. O. H. Gulick and family. Rev. R. H. Davis and family 
 and Miss Julia Gulick to Niigata. Plans were submitted to the Board at Bos- 
 ton and on September 9th, 1883, a cablegram was received at Kobe from Boston 
 which resulted in the formal organization of the station. On October 11th, 
 1883, the Davises and Gulicks landed at Niigata and immediately commenced 
 work. In the spring of 1885 the Gulicks returned to Kobe. Previous to their 
 departure the station was reinforced by the arrival of Dr. Doremus Scudder 
 about the middle of May, and two months later his sister. Miss C. S. Scudder 
 arrived. In the fall of 1886 the Davises left for America and Dr. Scudder and 
 his sister were left to carry on the work alone for nearly a year. 
 
 In September, 1888, came Rev. Geo. E. Albrecht and family ,to be followed the 
 next month by Rev. H. M. Scudder and wife, Mrs. E. C. Kendall, Miss M. L. 
 Graves, Miss Cornelia Judson and Rev.' Horatio B. Newell. In January of 
 1888 Mr Newell was located at the out station of Nagaoka. In June, 1888, Dr. 
 Doremus Scudder married Mrs. E. C. Kendall. 
 
 In September, 1888, Miss Jennie Cozad and Miss Gertrude Cozad arrived at 
 Niigata. In August, 1889, Miss Graves went to Kobe. September 21st, 1889, 
 the Scudders left for America. September 22d, 1889, Rev. Hilton Pedley and 
 wife reached .Jajian. Mrs. Pedlev^ died at Niigata April 17th, 1890, leaving- 
 baby Hilton Pedley three weeks old. Miss Ida V. Smith was at Niigata from 
 May to August, 1890. Rev. John T. Gulick and family went to Niigata Sep- 
 tember, 1890, for a short time. In October, 1890, Miss Judson left Niigata for 
 a more sunny climate in the sonth of Japan. 
 
 Miss Clara Brown of Mt. Holyoke and Miss Elizabeth Torrey formerly of 
 Cleveland, Ohio, (supj)orted by the ladies of Kansas City, Mo.,) reached Nii- 
 gata October, 1890, taking up their abode with Miss Gertrude Cozad, and at 
 once commenced their duties as school teachers. 
 
 This work inEchigo, undertaken by so many different denominations and 
 then abandoned, and taken hold of by so many different jiersons of the 
 American Board and then relinquished, shows it to be an exceedingly difficult 
 and also a very important field. May the workers now there have such health, 
 gifts and graces from the Master as will enable them to finish the work he 
 has given them to do. 
 
3 
 
 MISSIONARIES OF THE AMERICAN BOARD NOW LOCATED AT 
 THE NIIGATA STATION. 
 
 Ret. Hokatio B. Newell, a son of Rev. V/ellington Newell, of Greenfield, 
 Mass., is now 29 years old. Educated at Williston Seminary, Amherst 
 College, class ’83, and Chicago Theological Seminary, class ’87. Sailed 
 for Japan in 1887. Is now the veteran missionary of the Station. 
 
 Mes Jeneie Cozad Newell, a native of Cleveland, a graduate of the Cleve- 
 land High School and Normal School; a teacher for three years in the 
 Cleveland Public Schools, spent one year at Oberlin in Bible study. Start- 
 ed for Japan July 4, 1888. Married to Horatio B. Newell, July 3, 1889, 
 at Yokohama, Japan. 
 
 Miss Gertrude Cozad, a native of Cleveland, a graduate of the Cleveland 
 Public vSchocls and Adelbert College (Western Reserve,) in 1887, spent one 
 year at Oberlin in Bible study. Started for Japan, July 4, 1888. 
 
 Rev. Hilton Pedley, born in Newfoundland in 1862, the son of a clergy- 
 man, and three of his brothers are ministers; he graduated at McGill Uni- 
 versity, Montreal, 1888, at Congregational Theological College, Montreal, 
 1889; arrived in Japan, September 28, 1889. His wife, Elizabeth, also born 
 in Canada; died May 17, 1890, leaving a young babe. 
 
 Miss Clara L. Brown, a graduate of Mt. Holyoke, reached Japan, October, 
 1890. 
 
 Miss Elizabeth Toeea', a native of Cleveland, daughter of Rev. C. IV. Torry, 
 formerly a pastor of the Euclid Avenue Congregational Church, reached 
 Japan, October, 1890. 
 
 Rev. W. L. Curtiss was born in Wisconsin in 1863, the son of a minister, 
 graduated at Doan College in 1886, Oberlin Seminary in 1889. Mrs. Cur- 
 tis was born in Clinton, MTs., 1861. Studied at Beloit. They sailed for 
 Japan October 1st, 1890. Began work at Niigata in 1891. 
 
 The above eight persons are the only Foreign Missionaries in the Province of Echigo. 
 
 Only one Foreign Missionary to 215, 769 f>eople. 
 “What are these among so many.” 
 
 Truly. “The harvest is great but the laborers are few.” 
 
4 
 
 
 
 
 ^SOU' 
 
 
 ^<IU:S.[U 
 
 Klf l» aM A 
 
 SuUoits of Ae AB.CFW.Tttdfrtmed. 
 
 THIS MAP ENABLES YOU TO LOCATE THE PROVINCE OF ECHIGO, AND ALL THE 
 RAILROADS BUILT AND BEING BUILT IN JAPAN. 
 
 -M:± 
 
5 
 
 with:a good glass you can read the names of all the towns on 
 
 THE MAP AND ALSO THE POPULATION. 
 
6 ' 
 
 What a Missionary Writes. 
 
 “OflE for Echigo, eh? Well, good-bye ! I wish you a pleasant journey; but 
 ugh! it’s a cold, damp place ! and a forlorn spot is Niigata,” exclaims a richly 
 dressed official as he bows his ceremonious farewell to the pleasant looking 
 family group presided over by his friend, the newly appointed chief of police 
 of Niigata Ken. With a whistle the train is off, out come our books and we 
 settle down to our journey. We change cars at Takasaki, a bright little 
 town in the Gumma province, where there are so many Christians, and whence 
 comes the famous lighthouse silk made by a wealthy but humble follower of 
 Jesus. He says that silk made by a Christian should be the best in the mar- 
 ket and by its fine quality shine out the virtues of honest manufacture, hence 
 its name. Then at Yokokawa we crowd into the little tram cars and are 
 rapidly drawn up Japan’s most famous pass, the Usui Toge. At the summit 
 stands puffing another little train by which we are borne just at sunset into 
 Zenkoji, the great temple town of central Japan. So deep is our sleep at the 
 hotel that night that we seem scarce to have touched our pillows, ere the 
 summons to arise. The hasty breakfast and the wooden seated cars follow 
 one another in quick sucession. There is not much time for reading for we are 
 riding through some of the grandest mountain scenery that the railroads of 
 Japan can give. And in the midst of these lofty summits rising snow-capped 
 above us, a roaring torrent dashing along beside the track, we catch a 
 glimpse of a wooden post on which we see for the first time on its native soil 
 the Chinese name, Eehigo, “The Farther Crossing.” For as the Romans named 
 the provinces of Gallia, so did the Japanese the regions that lie over that great 
 backbone of mountains that shuts out the western plains, cross spurs dividing 
 these plains into the old divisions known as “The HitherCrossing” Echizen, hither 
 as viewed from the ancient capital, Kyoto, “The Middle Crossing” Etchu and 
 the “Farther Crossing, ” Eehigo. 
 
 Beautiful is Eehigo for situation, facing the western sun, its fringe of tall 
 mountains bending around it like a bow, dipping into the sea at the north and 
 again at the south and sending a prolongation down to the ocean at the center 
 as though it were the arrow in position — the silver line of breakers forming 
 the string. This comparison, of course, takes into no account the curving of 
 the shores. Fertile, too, are the river bottoms along the Shinano and the 
 Agano. And as one rides in his little jinriksha he wonders how it is possible 
 for so small an area to support in such comparative comfort the million and a 
 half of people that crowd the few large towns and numberless villages which 
 dot so thickl ^ the two plains. 
 
7 
 
 And they are a hardy people, too. For the vvest winds that blow nearly 
 every day from Nov. 1st to May 1st are kept by the snow-covered mountains 
 from rushing on to the east, and pour down floods of rain and snows innumer- 
 able, tilling up the village streets and almost burying the houses. 
 
 It sends the blood coursing to face these tierce winds, and, alas, too often 
 those predisposed to lung weakness are fatally stricken if they linger too long 
 amid those bleak winters. The dwellers in Echigo are a frugal folk also and 
 their stored up wealth proclaims their province the richest in Japan. Mr. 
 Ichishima, of Echigo, is probably the wealthiest member of the First Imperial 
 Parliament of Japan now in session. 
 
 Independent, wisely conservative, deeply patriotic, of a particularly gentle 
 and susceptible nature and singularly free from craftiness, there is no nobler 
 type of Japanese, than the man of Echigo. 
 
 “Let Echigo alone. There is the stronghold of Buddhism,” was the cry 
 years ago. But these words only fired the heart of a young Scotch physician 
 who had just buried out of sight the bride, who, full of hope and trustful af- 
 fection, had but a year before bade farewell with him to tlie home friends. 
 Dr. Palm was the pioneer missionary of Echigo. Years before, the American 
 Dr. Brown, whose mother wrote those tender words: “I love to steal awhile 
 away,” had gone to Niigata to teach in a government school, but he was not 
 allowed to continue there long. So Dr. Palm went single handed and for 
 nearly ten long years fought out the battle and gained the victory and the 
 name of no foreigner will ever shine brighter in Echigo than does that of this 
 noble man. He gathered groups of Christians here and there all over the 
 province — men and women who bear the stamp of his consecration. They are 
 to-day the strength of the Echigo work. Dr. Palm was called away to Eng- 
 land and our own American Board entered. The work has been pressed. 
 The Christians must now number nearly five hundred. Churches are spring- 
 ing up here and there in Niigata, in Murakami, with its famous castle; in Shi- 
 bata, Nagaoka, Nakajo, Takata, and elsewhere. Christian schools have been 
 founded and are sustained by the Japanese, our Board contributing the mis- 
 sionary teacher. But the work languishes, for, throughout all Japan, men look 
 upon a residence in damp, snowy Echigo as an exile. Few pastors will go 
 there. The people are earnest, devoted, faithful. If turned to the knowledge 
 of Jesus they will furnish the church of Japan with its sinews of war even as 
 they have proved the prop of falling Buddhism. Here is our opportunity. 
 If we can place a wise, energetic Christian woman in every town and village 
 in Echigo, one who will enter every home and in her gentle, winning manner 
 unfold the teaching of our Saviour to the mothers and children of the province 
 the victorious banners of Clirist will soon float over those valleys of the 
 Farther Crossing. Will you not help in this work? 
 
 Chicago, Nov. 14, 1890. 
 
 Dear Mr. Cozad : 
 
 I hope that the above will answer your purpose. That you may succeed 
 in your work of disseminating a knowledge of this most remarkable people and 
 creating an interest in them, is the humble prayer of 
 
 Your friend, Doremus Scudder. 
 
 Dr. Doremus Scudder is a son of the Rev. H. M. Scud.der who was a mission- 
 ary for twenty years in India. He reached Japan February 4, 1885. He 
 did most valuable service at the Niigata Station until he had to leave there 
 in 1889, on account of an invalid sister. 
 
Kobe, Japan, Jan. 17, 1891. 
 
 Beak Mr. Cozad: Your letter is received asking for information as to our 
 Bible Readers’ School at Kobe, Japan, and also asking to know my impres- 
 sions of the magnitude of the work before your daughters in the province of 
 Echigo. In the fall of 1890, in company with your daughter, Gertrude, and 
 the Bible woman Kurokawa San,l made a tour of the province of Echigo, visit- 
 ing most of the out stations, occupying about three weeks. This was my first 
 visit to Echigo. Never before was I so deeply impressed with the difficulties 
 of woman’s work and the need of her work as I was on this trip. And yet I 
 feel assured that the Gospel of Christ is able to reach these people just the 
 same as others, if it is spoken to them in love. The Bible woman, Kurokawa 
 San, educated at our Kobe school, was sent up there to work at the urgent re- 
 quest of your daughters. She found the work so much more difficult there 
 than it was in the south that she wrote us repeatedly that she could not stay. 
 Since our trip in the fall she has found her work growing and she is now very 
 happy in it. In every place we went we found those who could be reached by 
 kind and womanly words of love and sympathy. And I was more than ever 
 impressed with the need of trained Christian Japanese women to do this 
 work. They can do a great deal more than we missionaries can. We can 
 supplement their work in various ways, but we can not do it without them. 
 And there is now abundant opportunity for the work of very many such 
 women in Echigo. These women should come from the churches of Echigo. 
 For the present they must be sent to our Kobe school to be educated. Public 
 sentiment in Echigo will not yet support a Bible reader’s school there. The 
 only Christian school in the province for women is the one at Niigata in which 
 your daughter Jennie taught, and that school has to struggle for an existence. 
 They are now where we were in the southeast twelve years ago. 
 
 Our course of study at Kobe occupies three years, five months each year, 
 from Nov. 1st to the end of March. Those who are able take the full course, 
 and are graduated. At the close of the term they go to their homes or are 
 employed by the churches. Bible women receive from $4.50 to $6.00 a month 
 when they are able to give all their time to the work. The necessary expenses 
 while at school amount to about $3.50 a month. This does not leave anything 
 for clothing, but covers their board, books and little incidentals if they are 
 careful. Some support themselves entirely or are supported by their friends, 
 others pay half, a few cannot pay anything, but we do not take such unless 
 assured that they will make good women. Their work is much sought by the 
 churches. We now have thirty-one in the three classes of the school. We 
 pay to Japanese teachers in all $31.40 a month, for needy students $41.40 a 
 month. This somewhat exceeds our appropriation from the American 
 Board. This deficiency and sundry other expenses are met by private sub- 
 scriptions. Last year the Board apjtropriated us $300. We expected the same 
 this year. But three weeks ago word came from Boston that we were cut 
 down one-third in our appropriations. What can we do? We must not dis- 
 miss our teachers and send home our scholars. To dispense with oiir summer 
 school will be a sore disappointment to those faithful women who have been 
 three and four years in the work and have been looking forward to this season 
 of mental and spiritual refreshment, as to an oasis in the desert. Could 
 Christians at home, who hold in trust the silver and the gold, have been pres- 
 ent at the meeting a week ago when the mission came together to consider how 
 and where the pruning should begin, and could they have seen the pain and 
 sorrow with which it was done and realized the great loss it was going to be to 
 
9 
 
 tlie work I think they would come to the rescue. Thanking you for your in- 
 terest in our school and wth kind remembrances to all your family, your pastor, 
 Dr. Ladd, and his aged mother. Yours very sincerely, 
 
 Martha J. Barrows. 
 
 Miss Barrows, of Middlebury, Vermont, has spent fifteen years in Japan 
 stationed at Kobe. She and Miss Dudley have charge of the Bible Readers’ 
 School, a school to fit women to work among women and children. This 
 kind of work is coining to be more and more a great factor in the redemp- 
 tion of the lowly. While the master minds are perple.xed about the disputed 
 points and systems of religious thought and belief, women in their quiet unjire- 
 teutious ways, and without giving offense to any one, go about the Master’s 
 business, unfold His teachings and induce people to “ follow Him.” 
 
 Kyoto, Dec. 7, 1890. 
 
 Dear Father Cozad : Your letter making sundry inquiries as to the 
 Province of Echigo, is received. Some of those inquiries I can answer now, 
 others I have not the data at hand to do so. Echigo is territorially one of the 
 largest provinces of the country, having an area of something more than 4,500 
 square miles, about the size of your Connecticut Western Reserve. Being about 
 one-thirty -second part of the whole empire. Its sea coast, on the sea of Japan, 
 is about 150 miles. Its greatest width about 50 miles, but its general shape is 
 very irregular. Next to the province which contains the City of Tokyo, with 
 its million and a half of population, Echigo has the largest number of inhabi- 
 tants of any ju-ovince, 1,545,000. On the post office list are over 200 cities and 
 towns in Echigo, the chief being Niigata, 45,000; Takata, 36,000 ; Nagaoka, 
 30,000 ; Shibata, 15,000 ; Sanjo, 10,000, and a large number varying from 4,000 
 to 8,000. 
 
 On account of the mountains it is said that only about 12 per cent, of the 
 land of Japan can be cultivated. I should say that a far larger per cent, than 
 that was under cultivation in Echigo as it has the double advantage of a long 
 sea coast and is divided in its long way by the Shinano river, which furnishes 
 a broad and beautiful valley almost wholly taken up in rice culture, although 
 just along its banks are some of the largest and most famous pear orchards of 
 the country. Japan pears are nothing especially boast worthy, viewed simply 
 from a foreign standpoint. I well remember my first impression of them, that 
 they looked like a large russet apple, cut like a turnip and tasted like a water 
 melon rind, but here they are much prized. Echigo is more and more proving 
 itself a good fruit country, foreign apples, berries, etc., doing very well, and 
 I think is destined to become a large producer of such things. At present, 
 however, rice and pears are the only notable agricultural products. 
 
 Very little manufacturing has yet got a footing here. Niigata turns out a 
 good deal of lacquer ware and some silk is produced there and at Nagaoka and 
 further south at Takata, but comparatively little. The shipping interests are 
 not large though there are seasons in the year when things in the harbor are 
 pretty lively on a small scale. There is really no harbor, only an open road- 
 stead for the large steamers which anchor nearly half a mile off the shore, but 
 the smaller steamers and common sailing vessels can safely pass the sand bar 
 and anchor in the wide mouth of the river. The fishing interest is quite 
 extensive and the mouth of the river is pretty well filled uji at night with the 
 fishing smacks which have been out at sea during the day. Many salmon are 
 taken in the river and along the sea shore. The mining of soft coal is carried 
 
10 
 
 on in a primitive way to some extent in Central and Northern Echigo. One 
 of the largest gold mines of Japan is on the Island of Sado, 20 miles off the 
 coast. This mine produces, however, but about $120,000 a year. This island 
 is practically a part of Echigo Province. 
 
 The religious features of the province are, of course, those common to the 
 whole country. Buddhism predominates and is a strong factor in politics 
 and education as well as religion. In fact Echigo and its neighboring prov- 
 ince, Shinano, are probably as actively Buddhistic as any part of Japan. The 
 fact that $2,000,000 out of $10,000,000 used in the construction of the Bud- 
 dhist temple, (Hongwasji,) now being erected in Kyoto, came from Echigo, 
 will indicate something of the vital hold which that religion has upon the 
 pocket book of the people we are working with, and what must be overcome 
 before they give of their truly great wealth foi' the building of Christian 
 churches. Shintoism here has a name, but that is about all. It is not a living 
 or active force in any way. What it might be if Buddliism were out of the 
 way I don’t know, but evidently Buddhism was the Aaron serpent as far as 
 Shintoism was concerned. There are numerous Shinto temples and Shrines all 
 through the country, you run across these everywhere and can always recognize 
 them by the tori or square arch over the entrance to the ground. But what- 
 ever reverence is paid them, is paid as much by good Buddhists as by any 
 body ; the lines of demarkation between the two religions hardly being drawn 
 at all. The Buddhists are of course divided into many sects. And among 
 the stronger sects there is a solid organization and systematic work. Besides 
 their temples and services they have their schools and their seminaries for 
 training priests and are ra])idly adopting the methods of aggressive v.'ork which 
 Christianity has introduced, such as mass meetings for spreading their doctrine, 
 meetings for women, (where polite forms of etiquette and their elegant and 
 elaborate ceremonies of making and serving tea, etc., are taught along with the 
 doctrinal part,) Kindergartens, etc. 
 
 Nagaoka is the headquarters of a new sect, whose founder I have met fre- 
 (luently, and always most pleasantly, which aims at being Eclectic — choosing 
 the (supx>osed) best parts from all religions, placing the moral teachings of 
 Christ and the New Testament on a level with Buddha, Confucius, Mahomet, 
 and as many others who have been conspicuous teachers of truth as they can find 
 out about. It is a sort of Ethical society which among other things accepts the 
 coming of Christianity as an unavoidable thing, and seeks to make the best of 
 it by swallowing it, and putting its own interpretation upon its doctrines. It 
 lays great emphasis upon charity, and its founder certainly displays that 
 quality in a remarkable degree — furnishing a house and school privileges for 
 quite a number of poor but worthy young men and boys whom he has picked 
 up in his preaching tours. He is gradually getting quite a following and 
 promises to be a not uninfluential factor in religious problems here. The 
 other religious bodies at work in Echigo, besides the native organizations, are 
 our own Missions, the Presbyterian Board, the Roman Catholics, and the 
 Greek Churches. The Presbyterians have churches in Takata, Nagaoka, 
 Niigata, and Murakamie, only the first and last named, however, being fully 
 manned. The Roman Catholics were the first foreign workers on the field, but 
 their success has not been marked. They have two stations, one at Niigata 
 and one at Ebizu on the island of Sado. At the former are located two priests 
 and two or three nuns and they have besides their church edifice a school for 
 girls and recently one for boys. The number of students, however, is small, 
 and of converts even smaller. I have never been able to ascertain the number 
 of either. The most imposing looking building on Sado is the great white 
 
11 
 
 Catholic Church which sJiows up finely as the steamer enters the northern 
 harbor of Ebizu. But though built many years ago, but little success seems to 
 have attended their efforts, and one of the priests whom I met there admitted 
 that it was not a success, and declared Sado to be one of their most difficult 
 places to work. 
 
 The Greek Church has made a beginning, but so far as I have heard there 
 are but two organizations, one at Kashiwazaki and one at Xagaoka. The former 
 seems to be the parent church, the latter the offspring, and rather a weak, 
 sickly child, I judge, The former has about 30 or 40 members, and regular 
 services are sustained, though the members I understand, are rather lax in 
 their morals and without a revival their day of aggressive work is apparently 
 passed. The Nagaoka Church has only five or six adherents, I have heard. 
 
 As to educational institutions, the common school system is almost entirely 
 under government supervision, and 1 think that every town is provided with 
 some sort of school of primary or intermediate grade ; for their high schools 
 the students must goto the larger cities; and for their college and university 
 either to Tokyo or Kyoto. There are a few private schools, notably those at 
 Niigata in connection with our mission, and the one at Nagaoka in which I 
 have been teaching. The latter is about the American high school grade, 
 while the former aims at a grade about half way between that and our college 
 and means eventually to fit for the Tokyo University course when it begins to 
 graduate in classes. 
 
 In addition to the ordinary government school there is quite a large normal 
 school at Niigata with about 100 students, and an agricultural school at Na- 
 gaoka about the same size. There are also numerous small private schools 
 supported by the Buddhists rather on the parochial plan, but just how extens- 
 ive that system is I cannot say. What I have said above applit-s to the educa- 
 tion of boys only; the idea of education for girls is still something quite foreign 
 to the thought of the province. Our private girls’ school at 5"iigata has to 
 struggle for an existence. 
 
 You ask about our needs for the work and our op230rtunities of using money. 
 Our first need is that the home churches put in the treasury of the Board the 
 funds to meet our growing needs. Word has just come from Boston that our 
 appropriations have been ctat down one-third. This means dispense with our 
 native workers. We are here to help the natives help themselves. To deprive 
 us of this power means ruin. Our usefulness would be very greatly promoted 
 by having a little reserve fund at our disposal, which the Board cannot furnisli 
 us and which our own slender salaries do not furnish us. For instance, the 
 Bible woman, Kurokawa San, whom you are supporting, we couh’ not have 
 employed but for the $100 you sent us. We are continually on the l.okout for 
 bright women who will make Bible Readers to be sent to the Bible Readers 
 school at Kobe and for young men to be sent to Kyoto to be educated for 
 the ministry. A little money enables us to spy out and bring forward such 
 women and men. From what you write me your Cleveland people rejoice to 
 pay Miss Merrell $600 a year for her work among the Bohemians of your city. 
 But labor here is so much cheaper that similar service is rendered by Kuro 
 kawa San for $100 a year. Then in church building. A chapel that would 
 cost with you $2,400 would cost with us but $400. But a debt of a $100 on 
 one of our chapels would mean as much as a debt of $600 on one of your 
 chapels. So you see if we had a little fund at our command so as tc 
 encourage the little band of Christians at Nagaoka and Shibata, by the 
 use of $50 to $100 in each of those places we could induce them to 
 
12 
 
 build a church. Then in many places there are a few Christians who 
 could be induced to hold regular services if some one would rent 
 for them a room, which can be done for SI to S2.50 a month Won’t some 
 one send us the money to make the most of this cheap native work? 
 
 Sincerely yours, 
 
 Horatio B. Neivell. 
 
 Tokyo, Japan, January 4, 1891. 
 
 Dear Papa: You have often of late in your daily letters mentioned 
 some feature of the Bible Reader’s Home at Cleveland or of the one of Miss Bar- 
 rows and Miss Dudley at Kobe. Japan. We look forward to work in such a 
 school in Echigo with ho 2 >e. Wlien the time comes for the establishment of 
 such a school tliere then we can hojie for the sjieedy evangelization of Echigo. 
 But people do not comjirehend the magnitude of the work before us. W’^e have 
 in our province a million and a half of people, of these only five hundred can 
 be called Christians. The only live, active, aggressive Christian force at work 
 for some years past in the province has been the workers of the American 
 Board. And we are so young, so feeble, so inexperienced. Then look at the 
 condition of women, uneducated, the only school for women in the province 
 promising anything like a broad and liberal education for women is our little 
 school at Niigata, of 70 to 150 scholars. And what is the Christian sentiment 
 in that school. Time and again have I had my brightest and best scholars 
 taken out of the school for fear that they would become Christians. The old 
 suspicion of foreigners and hatred of Christianity still exists and we are called 
 on to use the greatest jjrudence, judgment, tact, to win one away at all. The 
 Bible school will come, pajja, but we must work and wait. 
 
 As sister Gertrude and I are now relieved from the duty of school teaching 
 we give ourselves entirely to the work for women. It may seem strange to you 
 people at home who are accustomed to see many more women than men at a 
 church service to hear that with us it is not so. Here when a man goes out on a 
 touring triir his audiences are usually about one woman to seven men. But women 
 can go out and talk to women and children by themselves and very much of 
 this work must be done by women, and \ve missionaries must do it until we 
 can find the projier women for the work, inspire them with the zeal for it, ed- 
 ucate, draw them out, develop them, and tit them for it. It is slow, bard 
 work. One by one must ive gather them in. 
 
 Our church at Niigata is the strongest one, of course, that we have in this 
 province, and now that Kyoto, in a self-sacrificing spirit, has sent us one of 
 their strongest men for a pastor, we hojie that this church will become a pow- 
 erful factor in the evangelization of the province. Twenty-one united with 
 the church on confession of faith last year. The church sustains three Sunday 
 Schools. Nine girls in the girls’ school were baptized last year. The condi- 
 tion of the boys’ school at Niigata was never more encouraging. The Board 
 contributes four teachers to these schools, trvo women and two men. All other 
 expenses are borne by the Japanese. The Board furnishes one man teacher 
 for the boys’ school at Nagaoka. We have seven out-stations, which we visit 
 as often as we can; we think they will develop into self-sustaining churches 
 soon. 
 
 You have frequently cited to us the experience of Dr. Farnsworth, of 
 Caesarea, a missionary of the Board for forty years on Paul’s old stamping 
 ground. In his letter to you he said that his great work is to super- 
 
13 
 
 vise the forty schools now taughi there by teachers educated by the mission- 
 aries of the Board. Such a goal is something worth looking forward to, and 
 should our lives be spared and we be jiermitted to work here for forty years 
 we expect to see women teaching the Bible in every city, town, village, and 
 hamlet of this province ; and to see women not taught to suppress themselves 
 as they now are, but to come forward and make the most of their mental powers, 
 and by degrees become the teachers of tlie public schools. But for the present 
 we feel encouraged even in the day of small things. We try to throw around 
 every bright and promising young man we can, such influence as will induce 
 him to go to the school at Kyoto, and become a preacher of the Gospel. And 
 we are continually on the watch for suitable women for Miss Dudley and Miss 
 Barrows to take under their charge to become Bible Readers. To render our 
 labors more effective we need more funds than the American Board has to 
 place at our disposal for this special work. If any of those kind home friends 
 would make us their trustees we should feel greatly encouraged. They can do so 
 by sending the money direct to Langdon S. Ward, treasurer of the A. B. C. 
 F. M., or through the treasurer of any of your churches. 
 
 Your loving daughter, 
 
 Jennie Cozad Newell. 
 
 Kueokawa, Japan, December 14, 1890. 
 
 Deae Home People: I want to wriie you a little of my first independent 
 trip while yet the trip is being made. I say independent, because I am not de- 
 pendent on an interpreter now; but, indeed, I am dependent on others, 
 for, aside from the great source of dependence, I should not have dared to 
 undertake this trip without Kurokawa San. It does seem so good 
 not to have to speak through another person, to feel that the audience is 
 understanding or at least trying to understand your words. A Japanese 
 audience is of the most stolid kind. They think it the height of 
 politeness to sit with the head down and even with the eyes closed, and the 
 expression of the face never changes; but even from such an audience I feel 
 a little inspiration in speaking in Japanese; It seems nice to get through in 
 twenty minutes, instead of meandering along for fifty minutes. I don’t know 
 whether quite to believe them or not, but Hara San and Kurokawa San both 
 insist that the people have no trouble in understanding me at all. I hope it is 
 true, and, at any rate, I feel very much encouraged, for I know that I can do 
 much better when I come in the spring. Now, too, since the people have 
 heard me talk I feel that I can dare to talk, indeed must do it, for they will 
 think if I do not that it is because I don’t want to. 
 
 Well, to begin back. We had a lovely, bright day to come to Shibata, the 
 sunshine on those beautiful Shibata Mountains, later the sunset, and at last the 
 lovely starlight night were very beautiful. We reached Shibata at 7 o’clock 
 and found Hara San waiting. He said the “ English Society” (some of my 
 old scholars at Niigata) was waiting also, so I went right over without my sup- 
 per and found eight young men there, to whom I endeavored for an hour and 
 a half to teach the intricacies of the King’s English. I got home (the Shibata 
 hotel seems quite homey by this time) for a 9 o’clock supper, and I have found 
 how to learn to enjoy a Japanese meal; waittill you are almost starved. I don’t 
 know whether the half-cooked rice digests more easily under those conditions, 
 but you can get it down, at any rate. The next morning we had a women’s 
 meeting. We sat about and visited and knit for an hour or so, and then 
 Kurokawa San, Hara San, and I, talked to them, each of us about twenty 
 minutes. Rain prevented us from making calls before going on to Nakajo. I 
 
14 
 
 heard something which surprised me very much at the hotel and which, per- 
 haps, I had better not tell, but since this is only a family letter I think I will 
 tell it. The daughter of the family who keeps the hotel, a young married wo- 
 man, was telling us about her father’s death, which occurred sometime last 
 summer. He was sick for quite a long time, and she says that during his sick- 
 ness he kept asking about me, and saying over and over again, “Why doesn’t 
 Cozad San come? How long is it since she has been here?” It seems he had 
 taken a fancy to me and she said he was always delighted when I came. 
 Why, I can’t imagine, fori never could talk to him, indeed, never tried to 
 much. But how I wish I might have known of it. Perhaps he would have 
 been willing to have heard about Christianity from me, and I could havetalked 
 I fancy, if I had known that an immortal soul, which was soon to go to meet 
 whatever awaits those who know not of Christ, might possibly have been 
 brought to the light. The trouble was I did not dream that he felt any spe- 
 cial interest in me and so let this opportunity slip, and now he is gone. We 
 are in hopes that his family may become interested in Christianity. Several 
 members are willing to hear about it and Kurokawa San is a good one to teach 
 them. 
 
 We went on to Nakajo that afternoon and had our meeting in the evening, 
 about fifty women present. We met with the same warm welcome we always 
 receive at Nakajo. The next day, Sunday, we went to the regular church 
 services. Perhaps you would like to know what those services are. At 8 o’clock 
 a Sunday School for little boys, at 9 o’clock a Sunday School for little girls, at 
 10 the preaching service, but as they have no preacher (they have never been 
 able to support one) one of the members gets up and gives as much of an expo- 
 sition as he can of some passages of scripture. Then at eleven o’clock the 
 regular Sunday School. They are a model little church up there. Year in and 
 year out they keep up the same faithful interest, every one doing his part, not a 
 drone among them, and not one member of any marked ability. They are 
 common people all of them, but by their consistent, faithful lives they have won 
 the respect of the whole community. Christianity is in good repute there 
 though the number of believers is small. That afternoon we went on two and 
 a half miles to Kurokawa, and there we had a very pleasant time indeed. It 
 was the first time a foreigner had ever been there, and in a very polite, pleasant 
 way the people were very curious to see me. But let me begin at the beginning 
 of the Kurokawa work. Two years ago next April some of the young men 
 went down to Nakajo to a meeting. I'hey just went out of curiosity because 
 they heard a foreigner, Dr. Scudder, was going to preach. There were three 
 speeches. One of the young men expressed his impression of the meeting by 
 saying it was not at all interesting. All seemed folly to them, and they did 
 not care to go to any more Christian meetings. However, the thought of what 
 was said that evening staid by them, for months they could not seem to forget 
 it, and at Christmas time, a year ago, some of them proposed to go over again 
 and so in spite of opposition at home, they went over on a dark stormy night, 
 and since then they have gone regularly. One of them was baptized last June 
 by Mr. Newell, and now is in the Doshishaat Kyoto preparing for the ministry. 
 Two others were baptized in September by Mr. Pedley, and two others are 
 anxious to receive baptism, (one being my old pupil,) and several large fami- 
 lies are much interested, one family manifesting their interest by giving each of 
 us a large package of choice tea to take with us. In the afternoon quite a 
 number of young men and girls came to see us and we had a pleasant time 
 with them. 
 
15 
 
 And now I will tell about the meeting It was in a private house. 
 About fifty people gathered in the two largest rooms. A very nice audience, 
 and among them many who were really interested in Christianity. First we 
 taught, or attempted to teach them a song or two. Then after a prayer and a 
 song Kurokawa San gave them a delightful children’s talk. Just as she finished 
 the policeman came for my passport. So Kurokawa went over to the hotel for it 
 and I went on with the talk. 1 had not realized how dependent I was on her 
 until I found myself alone with those fifty strangers, and feeling as if they could 
 not understand a word I said. When she is piresent I feel safe, if I forget or 
 they could not understand that she would straighten matters out. I gave my 
 little introductory talk about its being difficult for them to understand me, but 
 would they please excuse, etc., etc. Then as I finished I unconsciously drew a 
 little nearer to them and simultaneously every person in the room drew 
 nearer to me until they were just packed together around me, and how they 
 did listen! They forget their manners to that extent, that every pair of eyes in 
 the room was fixed on me and every face res])onded to my words. Oh, wasn’t 
 it delightful speaking to them! It seems to me that village is one of the most 
 beautiful places about here. But alas! it will soon be shut up by the snows. 
 I shall go there as soon as the snow disappears in the spring so as to let me in. 
 But now I have begun this work, what a preparation I need for it. 
 
 Niigata, December 23, 1890. 
 
 A week and more has piassed since writing the above. We had anything but 
 a fine time coming home, a pouring, driving rain all the way, bad roads, and 
 from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the way cooped up in our little “pull man” ears or 
 big baby wagons. 
 
 What can it mean? Is it true? Word has come from Bostoiyhat our appro- 
 priations are cut down one-third. Will the Christian people in the home land 
 permit this to be so? That we shall go backward, not forward, that we shall be 
 timid, not very courageous, that we shall retrench, not expiand. That these young 
 men and women that we have worked so hard to get hold of, develop and bring 
 forward into the work, must be sent home for want of the truly small amount 
 it takes to support them. Well, papa, we know we have a friend in you. We 
 fear that your anxiety to save our Echigo for Christ will cause that mortgage on 
 tho old home to be foreclosed. We look back to that old home as the one green 
 spiot on earth. After being shut away in our isolatson here for six years we 
 hope to spend the jubilee year with you and come back to ourselves and be 
 fitted for another six years of hard work for the Master. And if we are per- 
 mitted to see the grand jubilee year we hope to see that every family in Echigo 
 has felt the saving, purifying influences of the teaching of our Saviour. 
 
 One thing we rejoice in, papa, that your anxiety to help us in our special 
 work has not made you blind to the needs of the Boston Board. You give as 
 much to the Board as to us. We like that two cents a day iiian. There are 
 so many families who would be benefitted if they could be tied to our work by 
 the mighty cords of the purse strings. To feel that our work is their work, that 
 every time ihey see the sun rise, or its soft bright lights come streaming in 
 through the east window, that it is a liright glad good morning from us. It is 
 evening with us, it is morning with you. We, your agents here, have closed 
 the day’s work for the Master, now you begin the day’s work for Flim, and 
 thus you may feel the satisfaction that the sun never sets on your Christian 
 activities. But when shall I stop? A'ours, 
 
 Gertrude Cozad, 
 
16 
 
 Letters from Nagaoka dated Jan. 25, 1891, received Feb. 19, 1891, inform us 
 that Mr. and Mrs. Newell left Kyoto, where it was bright and warm, flowers 
 blooming, as soon as their young babe was old enough to travel with. They 
 started the last days of December. Providence seems to have watched and 
 guarded them in their journey by detaining them at Tokio for several days, 
 waiting for passports which had been denied them by mail on technical 
 grounds; but which were finally secured on personal application at head- 
 quarters after several days of most anxious delay. The anxiety came from 
 the fear that the snows of the winter would set in and fill the mountain passes so 
 as to completely shut them away from their home at Nagaoka until the snows 
 should melt away in April. This delay, however, kept them from being out 
 on the mountains in a rain storm of unusual length and severity. Armed 
 with their passports, they effected the transit of the main island from Tokio to 
 Nagaoka on the 6th, 7th and 8th of January. Traveling by rail, 197 miles; 
 by the man power carriage, 53 miles. They went through three separate wild 
 mountain passes, sometimes at an elevation of over 3000 feet. But the 
 weather was bright, they encountered little snow, their twelve kurumamen, 
 with their six kurumas, were jolly, and aside from the fear of being caught 
 out on the mountains in a terrible storm, they really suffered but little more 
 of discomfort than on a summer trip. On reaching Nagaoka, their mountainhome, 
 they were joined by sister Gertrude, whom they had not seen for four months, 
 and the dread of the mountain trip being over, what a happy family they were, in 
 their bright new house, which was built at the expense of the people of Nagaoka 
 to induce Mr. Newell to come there to live, the house being furnished by the 
 kind people of Cleveland in the outfit of Jennie Cozad. Hardly had they 
 reached home when winter set in with unusual severity. In less than ten days 
 the snow was six'^and a half feet deep on the level, burying high board fences 
 out of sight, rain coming with the snow also to make it heavy, so that roofs 
 were endangered by the weight. Icicles nine and a half feet long hung 
 from the roof of Mr. Newell’s house. People walked along the street under 
 covered walks. To cross the street they often tunnel under or through the 
 snow. Notwithstanding the snow a little river steamer runs daily between 
 Niigata and Nagaoka, sixty miles. After a short visit Gertrude returned by 
 the steamer to her work at Niigata, leaving Jennie with no English speaking 
 woman within sixty miles of her. Gertrude found down at Niigata, on the 
 sea shore, about a foot and a half of snow. 
 
 Nagaoka, with its suburbs, has 30,000 inhabitants. It is situated at the 
 head of navigation on Japan’s largest river, the Shinano. The fertile river 
 valley here is about three miles wide; the mountains on either side rising two 
 to three thousand feet. Although there is a great depth of snow in winter, ice 
 does not form in the river to prevent steamboats from running each way every 
 day in the year between Niigata and Nagaoka, a distance of sixty miles. This 
 city, on account of its wealth, the class of its citizens, the schools, the educa- 
 tional culture of its people is the most inviting field for missionary labor in 
 Northwestern Japan. But the Board chose Niigata for the location of the 
 Station, because it was an open port where foreigners could reside without an 
 government passport. The work at Nagaoka, at first was divided into short 
 periods of service between Dr. Scudder, Mr. Albrecht and Mr. Newell. But 
 this division of labor was not conducive of the best results, so Mr. Newell was 
 assigned the work. He has now spent four winters there, two of them all alone 
 he being the only white person there. His wife, Jennie Cozad, has now shared 
 his solitude for two winters. They find the work worthy of their best efforts. 
 Their success gives them faith, hope, courage. They hope that more pressing 
 
17 
 
 work elsewhere will not call them away. For them to leave there would be a 
 calamity. To succeed there against that conservatism, will require years of pa- 
 tient, persistant work. They hope to spend the best years of their lives there, 
 trying to elevate womanhood, trying to make it the stronghold of Christianity 
 instead of being the stronghold of Buddhism. Trying to make it brighest Japan 
 instead of darkest Japan, as it now is, by reason of the fallen women there and 
 its adhesion to Buddhism. 
 
 Gosen. — As we at Niigata look off to the east, to the beautiful range of 
 mountains, we know that nestling at the foot of the highest portions of the 
 range is the little town of Gosen, which is being interpreted five springs, go- 
 five-sen-springs — The town receives this name on account of five large springs 
 of water near it. The streams of pure spring water running along both sides 
 of the streets, and in many yards turned into little gold fish ponds with foun- 
 tains playing, which with the artistic little bridges, the rockeries and queerly 
 trained trees make one feature of life very enjoyable. 
 
 The town is about eighteen miles to the southeast of Niigata and has a popula- 
 tion of 4,834. There is a weak little band of Christians there who need our constant 
 assistance if they are to grow into a strong church. Mr. Hori, our Jajjanese 
 pastor, has made frequent visits there and through his influence the church 
 gCems to have a new lease of life. 
 
 Shibata is an old influential daimiyotown seventeen miles northeast of Nii- 
 gata twenty miles from Gosen. Its population is 10,527,making it the fourth city 
 of the province. This city like most daimiyo towns has a much pleasanter 
 appearance than commercial cities like Niigata; the streets are wider, and while 
 the castle of the Daimiyo was destroyed in the war of the Revolution of 1868, 
 yet the old castle grounds and the house and premises of the daimiyo’s old re- 
 tainers have an air of gentility and respectability. The garrison of 3,000 sol- 
 diers makes the town lively. It is a busy, prosperous city, but the people are 
 of a hot; changeable nature,easily roused to excitement, and at present their ex- 
 citement takes the form of opposition to Christianity open and bitter. The 
 Christains are undergoing a trial of faith and I am sorry to say some of them 
 are not bearing it well, but on the whole the church is growing in power I think. 
 
 Horatio B. Newell and Gertrude Cozad came to this town by appointment to 
 hold Christian religious services, it was shortly before the election of the dele- 
 gates to the first parliament of Japan. Some Christians were running in oppo- 
 sition to Buddhists for delegates to this parliament. The political excitement 
 was so great that Miss Cozad dare not take any part in the religious meetings. 
 Mr Newell kept the audience under control while they were in the house, but 
 when the meeting closed and they were going to their hotel, they were severely 
 pelted with gravel stones, the marks of which they carried with them for some 
 days. Generally it is safe for women to travel alone in Japan. Miss Cozad, 
 with a Japanese woman as an assistant, goes around to these several out stations 
 feeling perfectly safe without a man as an escort. 
 
 Nakajo, ten miles north of Shibata, is a quiet country town of 4,000 inhabi- 
 tants, most of the houses being stretched along the sides of the one long 
 street. The town is of no particular interest except that it is the home of one 
 of the most faithful of our little churches. That church never seems to have 
 any set backs nor any quarrels but always holds the even tenor of its way. 
 The Christians are none of them people of wealth or exceptional ability but 
 have the respect of all the people about them and make the name of Christ- 
 ianity of good repute throught the region. Three miles beyond is 
 
18 
 
 Kurokawa, or Black River, the town taking its name from the swift moun- 
 tain river, which is peaceful and pretty enough except after a storm. Then it 
 rolls down a swift terrible torrent overflowing its ordinary bed, but fortunately 
 confined within a natural rocky bed about a quarter of a mile wide. Here a 
 very interesting work has been begun recently, the outgrowth of the Najako 
 work. Several young men from Kurokawa became interested in Christianity 
 in Nakajo and after they became Christians they interested the people of their 
 own town in it. 
 
 Murakami, a town of 10,000 inhabitants, fifteen miles north of Nakajo, is an 
 especially jiromising field of work for many reasons. The people are of a supe- 
 rior class, this being one of the finest of the old daimiyo towns and the general 
 air of culture and prosperity still clings to it. It is situated at the mouth of 
 a river famous for its Salmon fisheries and enclosed in a narrow circuit of beau- 
 tiful mountains. A peculiar triangular shaped hill just above the city, with 
 oidy two possible places of ascent formed the site of one of. the strongest castles 
 in .Japan. The castle itself was destroyed during the last war, but the walls 
 and fortifications and moats are still in good condition and are very interest- 
 ing. There is here a very flourishing Presbyterian church of about sixty mem- 
 bers, and marvelous to relate, more than half are women; a very unusual thing 
 in Japan. The Christians have started a silk spinning establishment here to be 
 run on strictly Christian principles, and to give employment to many young 
 girls and to seek to bring them under Christian influences. We make our visits 
 toMurakamie as often as we can but as it is fifty miles awmy we cannot make them 
 as often as we would like to. 
 
 Yoita, a town of 5,400 inhabitants, on the Shinano River, ten miles below 
 Nagoaka and forty-five miles above Niigata. It is a busy, prosperous, commer- 
 cial town, is a strong hold of Buddhism. The opposition has been so strong 
 and determined during the past year that very little Christian work has been 
 done there. 
 
 At Takata, the southern most limit of Echigo, there is a Presbyterian girls’ 
 school with one or two foreign teachers; I cannot speak definitely about it. 
 
 Broad and liberal education for women in Echigo is a new feature, and the 
 Province in this respect is at least fifteen years behind Southeastern Japan. 
 Women may attend the jmblic schools, yet only about one in eight of those of 
 school age avail themselves of this privilege Very few of the older women can 
 read and write; about one-half of the younger women can read and write a little. 
 There is a normal school for girls at Niigata and a very good school. This 
 year they had eight graduates. Some progress has been made here in Echigo 
 in the elevation of woman. As the light of Christianity increases the progress 
 will much more rapidly increase. That person is not very old who does not 
 remember very great changes in the condition of women here in our own country. 
 No country can be elevated with a debased womanhood. And in no part of 
 Japan are there so many fallen women as there are here in this province of 
 Echigo. Can you not do something to cheer those earnest faithful workers 
 over there? You can at least write them a cheerful letter; their jiost office is 
 simply Niigata, Japan. If you have other help you will have the greater 
 blessing. 
 
FOR THE GENERAL WORK OF THE A. B. C. F. M. 
 
 $ For value received. At some time during the 
 
 year 189 , I promise to pay to the Treasurer of 
 
 Dollars. 
 
 This money is for the General Expenses of the American Board 
 of Commissioners of Foreign Missions, and is to he sent to 
 Langdon S. Ward, Treasurer, Boston. 
 
 FOR THE ESPECIAL WORK OF THE NIIGATA STATION OF THE A. B. C. F. Nl. 
 
 $ For value received. At some time during the 
 
 year 189 , I promise to pay to the Treasurer of 
 
 Dollars. 
 
 This money is for the ESPECIAL WORK of the Niigata 
 Station of the A. B. C. F. M. and is to he sent to Langdon 
 S. Ward, Treasurer, Boston, and is to he expended as the 
 Missionaries of the American Board at Niigata Station may 
 direct. 
 
No. 31 Public Square, Cleveland, March tO, 1891 
 
 1)ear Friends : Since the foregoing pages were in type I have received the 
 latest official figures from .Japan; these show that Echigo has now the larges 
 number of inhabitants of any province, 1,726,158. 
 
 It may be asked why I have used so formal a title to a little collection of letters. 
 Do the facts bear me out — when the province of Akita to the North is a 
 ;poorer and more unenlightened district than Niigata Ken — and the general 
 ■state of civilization in Echigo is above the averaare ih Japan, the people well 
 housed and fairly comfortably off. Why is it that I say Echigo, Darkest 
 Japan, when it has the rei)utation of being the greatest province on the west 
 coast? The fact that Echigo recently sent ?!2,000,00U to Kyoto to build a Bud- 
 elhist temple, means that darkness has a firm hold on a strong people. Then 
 another fact, that no other province furnishes so many unfortunate women. 
 With us our daughters are our jewels; in Echigo they are articles of merchan- 
 dise. If this is not Darkest Japan, certainly it is dark enough to move the 
 hearts of Christian people. But what of the way out? The simple teachings 
 of our Saviour is the light to dispel this darkness. They cannot receive these 
 teachings without your help. If you have heard the Macedonian cry they 
 raise, you can answer it through the pledges in the hack part of this pamphlet. 
 You see they are leadily torn out. 
 
 Do you realize that many of these people never heard that such person as 
 our Saviour ever lived? You certainly can if you will do something to bring 
 these under the purifying, elevating, redeeming influence of His teaching. 
 
 If each of you had two daughters out trying to save that which was lost, you 
 would look upon your money in comjvarison to them as trash, and rejoice that 
 ; your Father had permitted you to give him your best gifts. 
 
 JUSTUS L. COZAD. 
 
 Any number of these pamphlets will be sent free of charge to any address 
 ffurnished me before .January Ist, 1^92.