Anna V. Blough letter for Orange Twp. people, Nov. 4, 1913

              Arrival in China
For Orange Twp. [Township] People

PinTing Chou, Shansi, China
4 November 1913

To The Dear Ones In America;

My last word home was written on board the Awaji, the little Japanese boat running from Japan 
to Kobe. Because of a sand bar the boats do not run closer than fifteen miles to Tienstin. Here a 
launchmeets the boats but it too is limited by the rise of the tide that it may cross the bar. We 
were just Twnty minutes too late to cross the bar, so that we lay at that place from 8:30 P.M. till 
2:30 A.M. Went to bed and were awakened at xx 1:30, landing on Chinese soil about 4:30 A.M.

It was dark and we stumbled around till we reached the depot. After much Paryling we got our 
baggage carried over to the depot. Then the train came. It was an accomodation freight. Two of 
the boys rode in the baggage car to watch our trunks. We went into a car without a light, not an 
American car but a sort of box car with seats along the side. It was cold. But when the day began 
to break our interest warmed us. At about 8:A.M. we reached Tienstin. No one at the otation. 
After inquiry we learned that Bro. Bright and Royer had gone to the boat landing and we passed 
them on the way, to be back at 10:30 A.M. Sister Bright and Esther were there. They had things 
so well planned that by the next day we were ready to start for Pint Ting Chou.

At 8:A.M. we boarded the train. We all decided to go third class. This day was the biggest picnic 
we had on the whole trip. Most of the time we all rode in the baggage car, sitting on the trunks 
and boxes. Here we bought peanuts and fruit from the venders that crowdwe about at each 
station. It was real fun. This way we travelled till 8:P.M. Then the train stopped for the night. 
Chinese trains do not run at night. At this junction one of the Chinese servants came down to 
meet us with bedding. We went to a Chinese Inn. Wish you all might have seen us in our night 
quarters. We were tired and hungry, able to eat anything and to sleep anywhere. We had Chinese 
food and only chop sticks to eat with. But things disappeared rapidly, and never did I relish rice 
and roast chicken more. Then we slept on the brick kangs, spreading out our bedding. How I did 
sleep. Never woke up the whole night. By 7:A.M. we were again on our train toward our station. 
This time in a better car. Some Chinese women were very curious. They looked at our feet and 
clothes, put their arms about us, laughed and chatted as if we were the most curious creatures 
they ever saw.

The country along the way was most beautiful. Great large fields of wheat and other things. The 
ground was worked as fine as a garden for many miles. The second day we entered the 
mountains. Here the hills were naturally terraced to the top&Stone walls often hepd up the 
terraces. These were all cultivated in gardening and wheat. Never have I seen anything in 
America to equal this for good cultivation as well as for beauty. We were all surprised in finding 
a land so fertile and so beautiful. Our station here at Ping Ting Chou is situated among such hills 
with beautiful view.

It was a happy moment when our train pulled into the little station five miles from hereHThe day 
was perfect. The sun was bright, the weather warm enough to be pleasant. Bro. Crumpacker was 
at the station. How glad we were to see him. After unloading our great amount of baggage, we 
were started Home. Some rode donkeys, the rest of us came in the sedan chair, a sort of closed 
box carried on poles between two Chinese coolies. Five miles they carried us with only one rest. 
Long before we reached the city the school boys came out to meet us, carying two large Chinese 
flags. They all had new blue coats on, just as proud of them as any boy at home of a new suit. 
They were so nice looking and so clean that we could tell them from all the other people. 
Although we met people all along the way it was not hard to recognize those that came out from 
the mission. Farther down the road another came to meet us, bowing and tipping his hat. This 
became interesting. At a bend in the road stood another group bowing and tipping hats, but this 
time there came several �How do you do�s�. How good it sounded! At the entrance to the city 
Minerva and her school girls were waiting and bowed as we passed. On we went to Bro. 
Crumpackers where a crowd waited at the door. Sister Crumpacker met us and took us 
to the guest room. After a good wash the school boys came into the court and sang in Chinese