Letter from Martha to "Dear Ones at Home", October 10, 1887
Dublin Core
Title
Letter from Martha to "Dear Ones at Home", October 10, 1887
Subject
Liability for fire damages; Forgery; Consuls; Rheumatism; Fever; Travel
Description
Mattie tells the dear ones at home that a Chinese man's house in Kwai Ping burned down and the mission originally promised to help him with the damages but it did not happen. Consequently, the Chinese man has been demanding the help that was once promised so Mattie describes him as a "leech" whose demands are "extravagant". Apparently, this man's son forged a statement by Dr. Kerr and Mr. Fulton that said that they were going to help. Mrs. Graves has rheumatism and fever.
Creator
Kerr, Martha Noyes
Source
The College of Wooster, Special Collections, Noyes Collection, Box #5
Publisher
Unpublished
Date
1887-10-10
Contributor
Council on Library and Information Resources Hidden Special Collections Grant
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng (English)
Type
Text
Identifier
noyes_c_cor_503
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
Oct 10th 1887
Dear Ones at Home
A lovely morning
Dr Kerr sits at his desk
writing to little Hattie
and I in the north west
corner of the study at the
writing desk having a talk
with you. In the opposite
corner at this present moment
is a Chinaman by name
"Tam Sz." He was the owner
of the house that was burned
in Kwai Ping. The mission
originally promised to make
good the damage or loss to
the house in case anything
happened to it but went no
further. Since the catastrophe
more than 8 months ago he has
followed Mr Fulton and Dr
Kerr like a leech. His demands
have been most extravagant
His son who is a veratable
scamp. The other day he appear
ed with a long written statement
signed by Mr Fulton and the Dr
saying that the Mission would
refund all losses of cattle, houses
burned by the fire jewelry put at
several hundred dollars &c &c
He said this was not the
original copy but that was in
[--Peking--] I mean Kwai Ping
The Dr had no idea he had
ever signed such a paper and
put this away telling them to
bring the original. This it proved
they could not do and finally
were obliged to confess that the
thing was a forgery. The mission
then had a meeting and told them
they had decided they must go
before the Consul and take oath
that the paper was a forgery and
have this written oath sealed
with the Consuls seal before
anything more could be done
They have already been paid
quite a sum of money and
the house with all that was there
in was worth about five hundred
They claimed an additional
4 thousand ($4000) They do not seem
inclined to go before the Consul
It seems before the forgery
was discovered they went to him
and endeavored to have him ex
ercise his authority to make [u] Dr [/u]
[u] Kerr [/u] and [u] Mr [/u] [u] Fulton [/u] pay him
the sum he demanded. He
inquired into the merits of the
case and then told him if
he appeared there again in that
way he should send to the vice
ray to have him bambooed
as the case stands now it looks very
much as if he would not get any
thing. The missionaries have
had no end of trouble with him.
Mr Wisner and his sister are
now in Henry's house have not
been up since they came
but Henry says they will get on
very nicely for room. Mr Henrys
family are back. Helen is not
very strong and it is not thought
she ever will be goes about on
crutches Mrs Graves has been
sick for some weeks with
Rheumatism and fever. She is now
up at the Consulate Mr Seymour
having left for Japan where he
expects to meet his family en route
for China. Last eve {Sabbath}
the minister who was to have
preached was not prepared
thinking Mr Henry whose turn
it would have been had he been
here would be on hand but
[Continued vertically on the first page]
Em and Hattie will have a nice time in the East am sure
Clara and Mary mean time looking after home interests
after the busy
summer the
family will
seem small.
Good bye for
this time.
I have written
to all together
Wish I could answer all
the good lettes
Am so glad
to get them
Your loving
daughter &
sister
Martha
1887 年 10 月 10 日
亲爱的在家的人们 一个美好的早晨
克尔医生坐在办公桌前给小海蒂写信，
我在书房西北角的写字台上与您交谈。
此时此刻，
对面的角落里站着一个名叫“谭思”的中国人。
他是葵坪被烧的房子的主人。
任务最初承诺如果房子发生任何事情，
会赔偿房屋的损坏或损失，
但没有进一步行动。
自从 8 个多月前的那场灾难以来，
他一直像水蛭一样跟着富尔顿先生和克尔医生。
他的要求是最奢侈的他的儿子是一个名副其实的流氓。
前几天他带着富尔顿先生和博士签署的一份长长的书面声明出现了，
说使团将退还所有损失的牛，
被大火烧毁的房屋首饰价值数百美元等等。
他说这不是原件，
而是那是在葵坪 医生不知道他曾经签过这样的文件，
然后把它放好，
让他们把原件拿来。
这证明他们做不到，
最后不得不承认这东西是赝品。
使团随后开会并告诉他们，
他们已决定必须去领事面前宣誓该文件是伪造的，
并在做任何其他事情之前用领事印章密封这份书面誓言。
他们已经获得了相当多的报酬这笔钱和里面所有东西的房子价值大约 500 他们要求额外的 4 千（4000 美元） 他们似乎不想去见领事 似乎在发现伪造品之前他们就去找他并努力让他行使他的权力，
让克尔医生和富尔顿先生向他支付他要求的款项。
他询问了案情，
然后告诉他，
如果他再次出现在那里，
他应该派总督让他殴打他，
现在看来，
他似乎什么也得不到。
传教士与他有无穷无尽的麻烦。
威斯纳先生和他的妹妹现在在亨利的房子里，
自从他们来之后一直没有起床，
但亨利说他们会很好地找到房间。
亨利先生的家人回来了。
海伦不是很强壮，
而且人们认为她永远不会拄着拐杖走动，
格雷夫斯夫人已经病了几个星期，
患有风湿病和发烧。
她现在在领事馆，
西摩先生已启程前往日本，
他希望在前往中国的途中与家人会面。
上个晚上 {安息日}，
本来要讲道的牧师没有做好准备，
以为如果亨利先生在场，
他会轮到他，
但 [在第一页上继续垂直] Em 和 Hattie 将在东方相信 Clara 和 Mary 会在忙碌的夏天过后照顾家庭利益，
这个家庭会显得很小。
这次再见。
我已经一起写信给大家
希望我能回复所有的好信
很高兴收到你亲爱的女儿和姐姐玛莎
Dear Ones at Home
A lovely morning
Dr Kerr sits at his desk
writing to little Hattie
and I in the north west
corner of the study at the
writing desk having a talk
with you. In the opposite
corner at this present moment
is a Chinaman by name
"Tam Sz." He was the owner
of the house that was burned
in Kwai Ping. The mission
originally promised to make
good the damage or loss to
the house in case anything
happened to it but went no
further. Since the catastrophe
more than 8 months ago he has
followed Mr Fulton and Dr
Kerr like a leech. His demands
have been most extravagant
His son who is a veratable
scamp. The other day he appear
ed with a long written statement
signed by Mr Fulton and the Dr
saying that the Mission would
refund all losses of cattle, houses
burned by the fire jewelry put at
several hundred dollars &c &c
He said this was not the
original copy but that was in
[--Peking--] I mean Kwai Ping
The Dr had no idea he had
ever signed such a paper and
put this away telling them to
bring the original. This it proved
they could not do and finally
were obliged to confess that the
thing was a forgery. The mission
then had a meeting and told them
they had decided they must go
before the Consul and take oath
that the paper was a forgery and
have this written oath sealed
with the Consuls seal before
anything more could be done
They have already been paid
quite a sum of money and
the house with all that was there
in was worth about five hundred
They claimed an additional
4 thousand ($4000) They do not seem
inclined to go before the Consul
It seems before the forgery
was discovered they went to him
and endeavored to have him ex
ercise his authority to make [u] Dr [/u]
[u] Kerr [/u] and [u] Mr [/u] [u] Fulton [/u] pay him
the sum he demanded. He
inquired into the merits of the
case and then told him if
he appeared there again in that
way he should send to the vice
ray to have him bambooed
as the case stands now it looks very
much as if he would not get any
thing. The missionaries have
had no end of trouble with him.
Mr Wisner and his sister are
now in Henry's house have not
been up since they came
but Henry says they will get on
very nicely for room. Mr Henrys
family are back. Helen is not
very strong and it is not thought
she ever will be goes about on
crutches Mrs Graves has been
sick for some weeks with
Rheumatism and fever. She is now
up at the Consulate Mr Seymour
having left for Japan where he
expects to meet his family en route
for China. Last eve {Sabbath}
the minister who was to have
preached was not prepared
thinking Mr Henry whose turn
it would have been had he been
here would be on hand but
[Continued vertically on the first page]
Em and Hattie will have a nice time in the East am sure
Clara and Mary mean time looking after home interests
after the busy
summer the
family will
seem small.
Good bye for
this time.
I have written
to all together
Wish I could answer all
the good lettes
Am so glad
to get them
Your loving
daughter &
sister
Martha
1887 年 10 月 10 日
亲爱的在家的人们 一个美好的早晨
克尔医生坐在办公桌前给小海蒂写信，
我在书房西北角的写字台上与您交谈。
此时此刻，
对面的角落里站着一个名叫“谭思”的中国人。
他是葵坪被烧的房子的主人。
任务最初承诺如果房子发生任何事情，
会赔偿房屋的损坏或损失，
但没有进一步行动。
自从 8 个多月前的那场灾难以来，
他一直像水蛭一样跟着富尔顿先生和克尔医生。
他的要求是最奢侈的他的儿子是一个名副其实的流氓。
前几天他带着富尔顿先生和博士签署的一份长长的书面声明出现了，
说使团将退还所有损失的牛，
被大火烧毁的房屋首饰价值数百美元等等。
他说这不是原件，
而是那是在葵坪 医生不知道他曾经签过这样的文件，
然后把它放好，
让他们把原件拿来。
这证明他们做不到，
最后不得不承认这东西是赝品。
使团随后开会并告诉他们，
他们已决定必须去领事面前宣誓该文件是伪造的，
并在做任何其他事情之前用领事印章密封这份书面誓言。
他们已经获得了相当多的报酬这笔钱和里面所有东西的房子价值大约 500 他们要求额外的 4 千（4000 美元） 他们似乎不想去见领事 似乎在发现伪造品之前他们就去找他并努力让他行使他的权力，
让克尔医生和富尔顿先生向他支付他要求的款项。
他询问了案情，
然后告诉他，
如果他再次出现在那里，
他应该派总督让他殴打他，
现在看来，
他似乎什么也得不到。
传教士与他有无穷无尽的麻烦。
威斯纳先生和他的妹妹现在在亨利的房子里，
自从他们来之后一直没有起床，
但亨利说他们会很好地找到房间。
亨利先生的家人回来了。
海伦不是很强壮，
而且人们认为她永远不会拄着拐杖走动，
格雷夫斯夫人已经病了几个星期，
患有风湿病和发烧。
她现在在领事馆，
西摩先生已启程前往日本，
他希望在前往中国的途中与家人会面。
上个晚上 {安息日}，
本来要讲道的牧师没有做好准备，
以为如果亨利先生在场，
他会轮到他，
但 [在第一页上继续垂直] Em 和 Hattie 将在东方相信 Clara 和 Mary 会在忙碌的夏天过后照顾家庭利益，
这个家庭会显得很小。
这次再见。
我已经一起写信给大家
希望我能回复所有的好信
很高兴收到你亲爱的女儿和姐姐玛莎
Original Format
Letter
Collection
Citation
Kerr, Martha Noyes, “Letter from Martha to "Dear Ones at Home", October 10, 1887,” Letters from Harriet Noyes: Missionaries and Women's Education in Nineteenth Century China, accessed April 18, 2024, https://noyesletters.org/items/show/558.