Tales of Old China

The Writings of Andrew Stritmatter (1847-1880):
Missionary in China in the 1870's

This book is dedicated to Ruth Stritmatter Jarvis, Andrew's granddaughter, for her interest in preserving our family history.

To obtain a copy of the book with a full set of images contact:
R.W. Caslow
P.O. Box 875
La Habra, CA 90633
E-mail: caslow@gte.net

Table of Contents

Introduction
Photos

Date Written	Date Published
4-13-1869		Letter - Ohio University - subjects - diet - boarding costs
6-12-69		Letter - end of school term
10-9-69		Letter - daily schedule - diet - study of Greek
1-5-70		Letter - studies - diet - boarding costs
5-3-70		Letter - food and food costs
6-3-71		Letter - Coolville Circuit and his horse
7-14-71		Letter - Coolville Circuit and his horse
8-18-71		Letter - Coolville Circuit
10-17-71		Letter - studies
12-9-71		Letter - expenses and food
12-26-71		Letter - Coolville Circuit - college expenses
3-9-72		Letter - studies
4-6-72		Letter - studies - grades - food
6-9-72		Letter - end of school term
9-20-72		Letter - Coolville Circuit
11-5-72		Letter - Coolville Circuit and illiteracy
12-23-72		Letter - Congregations at pig iron furnaces
2-10-73		Letter - Congregations at pig iron furnaces
3-24-73		Letter - Coolville Circuit - going to China
5-14-73		Letter - train trip from Athens to N. Y. City with stop in Baltimore
6-25-73		Letter - at sea - description of missionaries
6-26-73		Letter - at sea
7-3-73		Letter - Yokohama - mosquitoes - earthquake
7-73	10-1-73	Yokohama and the Japanese (WCA) - earthquake
8-3-73		Letter - arrival in China - Chinese men, women - hair - dress etc
8-8-73	9-24-73	Missionary (WCA) - Lucy en route to China
8-26-73		Letter - Chinese Language
9-73	1-21-74	Letter From Kiukiang, China (WCA) - description of area
10-22-73		Letter - living costs - salary - food
10-73		To Sunday School Children at Blue Run - description of Kiukiang
10-73	1-29-74	The "Heathen Chinee" (AM) - description of footbinding and China
1-3-74		Letter - winter weather
3-21-74		Letter - wax figures
3-28-74		Letter - death of his brother William
4-4-74	6-25-74	More About the "Heathen Chinee" (AM) - Chinese New Year
4-74	6-10-74	From Kiukiang, China (WCA) - description of Kiukiang
4-74	7-8-74	Missionary Life in Kiukiang (WCA)
5-2-74		Letter - vacation trip to Peking on board "Fire Queen" on Yangtse to Shanghai
5-74	30-7-74	From Tientsin to Peking (AM) - travel by mule cart
5-21-74		Letter - description of Peking, Great Wall, and Forbidden City
5-74	8-20-74	In and Around Peking (AM)
8-10-74		Letter - health problems
8-24-74	10-12-74	Letter From Kiukiang (WCA) - Japan - China conflict over Formosa
9-74	11-11-74	Up the Poyang Lake (WCA) - description of lake and cities around it
9-74	1-13-75	A Chapter on the Chinese Language (WCA)
9-74	1-20-75	Our Antipodes (WCA) - description of people and customs
11-74	3-8-76	Through Tribulations (WCA) - chased by a mob in Shui Chang
11-20-74		Letter - missionary children
1-75	4-28-75	Mission Work in China (WCA) - difficulty in teaching the Gospel
2-75	8-18-75	Around the Mountains (WCA) - five day circuit of Lee San Mountains
3-31-75	5-27-75	Dear Messenger (AM) - pleasure in reading The Messenger
5-25-75		Letter - chapel in Kiukiang destroyed by mob
6-10-75		Letter - boat ride on Yangtse - Kiukiang and foreign concession
7-1-75	9-8-75	Letter From Kiukiang (WCA) - Kiukiang chapel destroyed - difficulties of mission
9-75	11-4-75	Letter From China (AM) - Chinese Language
9-22-75		Letter - Chinese - English treaty - opium trade
10-75	1-6-76	Letter From China - A Mountain Excursion (AM)
12-75	4-19-76	Our China Letter (WCA) - the kind of men who make good missionaries
12-3-75	4-26-76	On the Yang - tse - Kiang (WCA) - trip down the Yangtse
12-8-75	5-3-76	On the Yang - tse - Kiang (WCA) - trip down the Yangtse
12-14-75	5-10-76	On the Yang - tse - Kiang (WCA) - trip down the Yangtse to Wu Hu
12-21-75	5-17-76	On the Yang - tse - Kiang (WCA) - return trip up the Yangtse
2-19-76	4-20-76	For the Messenger (AM) - Chinese poem
3-21-76		Letter - British gunboat "Hornet" - drunken crew - Chinese opium smokers - 1876 Republican convention - Gov. Hayes for President
4-76	6-14-76	The First Chinese Railroad ( WCA) - superstition and Chinese bureaucracy
4-76	6-21-76	Missionary Notes (WCA) - Methodist Chapel opened for the third time in Shui Chang
5-14-76	7-13-76	A Letter From China - Three Days in Tientsin (AM) - beheaded criminals - description of Tientsin
5-16-76	7-20-76	Letter From China - Three Days in Tientsin (AM) - massacre of French Catholics in 1870
6-22-76	9-13-76	Central China Mission (WCA) - chapel reopened in Shui Chang
6-27-76		Letter - salary and living expenses - mentions "Through Tribulations" written in Nov. 1874
8-7-76	11-2-76	Kiukiang Letter (AM) - Chinese anecdotes - Gov. Hayes nomination
8-11-76		Letter - carrying pigs - good health - Gov. Hayes nomination
11-9-76	12-28-76	Letter From China - Kiukiang Items (AM) - beheading of criminals - prospect of war with England
11-23-76		Letter - written from Shui Chang mentions riot of 2 years earlier - pig flipping over wheelbarrow
3-77	6-14-77	The Old Man of the Mountain - an adventure with a Buddhist (AM)
6-29-77		Letter - poor health - describes Lucy and intimates they are planning to marry
8-77	11-7-77	Letter From China (WCA) - Chinese character
8-77	11-14-77	Letter From China (WCA) - slow progress of Christianity in China
10-77	1-16-78	Missionary (WCA) - Andrew and Lucy to marry November 19
6-78	8-28-78	Missionary (WCA) - Andrew ill and compelled to go to Japan for his health
10-26-78	12-18-78	Missionary (WCA) - Andrew back in Kiukiang and recovering
11-9-78	1-1-79	Missionary (WCA) - Andrew much improved
12-8-78	3-5-79	Letter From a Missionary (WCA) - health failing but determined to remain in China
2-14-79	4-9-79	From Our Mission Rooms (WCA) - Andrew's health about the same
2-79	4-30-79	Letter From Kiukiang, China - (WCA) request for new missionaries
7-26-79		Letter - improved health - in Kiukiang 6 years - pictures of baby
1-27-80		Letter - money for father - description of Albert - dental work
3-80	6-23-80	Results of Missionary Labor (WCA) - importance of bringing Christianity to China
6-5-80	8-11-80	Missionary Correspondence (WCA) - Andrew's letter requesting approval to return due to failing health
6-12-80		Letter - failing health - plans to return to America - concern for his father's health
6-14-80		Letter - from Lucy - Andrew's health - travel plans - second son
10-4-80		Letter - from San Francisco - pleasure in return to America
10-6-80		Diary - arrival in San Francisco first impressions
10-10-80		Letter - from San Francisco to Brother Morgan
10-19-80		Diary - trip to Denver - Life in Colorado - failing health
11-30-80		Letter - from Lucy in Denver - Andrew's death
12-8-80	12-8-80	Rev. Andrew Stritmatter (WCA) - obituary
1881		Annual Minutes, Ohio Conference, Methodist Episcopal Church, 1881 - obituary

Appendix

Lucinda L. Coombs Stritmatter - her work as a medical missionary
Descendants of Andrew Stritmatter
Andrew's immediate family
Diary pages
Acknowledgments
Addendum