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Show The first Board legacies were received in 1890-1891, one thousand dollars each from the estates of Mrs. Seth Richards and Mrs. George Mooar of Oakland, faithful friends of the Board from its organization. With this very material help, and the crying need for a building in Matsuyama, Japan, for Miss Gunnison's work, enough money was raised by special effort to build and equip "California Home" held lovingly in the thoughts of the women as their spiritual gift to Japan. Interesting lights are obtained from the records as to some of the unique means enriching the treasury during this period!-the sale of a gold wedding ring donated by a disappointed friend, for $7.50, the ring given to Miss Gunnison as a pledge of her union with the Board; the present of a vial of gold dust panned out by the wife of a home missionary and sold for $11.00; the beautiful gold chain donated by an anonymous friend and auctioned by Judge Haven at an annual meeting for $103.00; the chain presented to Mrs. Tho-burn of Rio Vista as the oldest member of the Board, and the incident celebrated in the columns of the Pacific by Mrs. Jewett's children 's stories ' ' Grandma Thoburn 's Chain'' and '' That Missionary Chain," which won other gifts from California and Hawaii. The twentieth anniversary was held in Santa Cruz, the fitting place for anniversaries, where, to quote the records :-'' Many years ago the Catholic Fathers planted here the 'Holy Cross' the symbol of the Christian religion, which has given Santa Cruz its beautiful name. In 1873 there came hither another band, which entered upon its mission of carrying the cross invisible, but more potent than any symbol, to the hearts of helpless women across the sea. To celebrate the twentieth anniversary of this event, this Society came to Santa Cruz again on September 7th and 8th, 1893.'' It was a great celebration, many of the original organizers present and some still on the office roll: Mrs. S. S. Smith continuing the first Recording Secretary, and Mrs. R. E. Cole resigning as Treasurer after twenty years. Ten missionaries were on the roll, wholly supported or their work assisted, and the receipts of the second decade nearly doubled those of the first. [ 18 ] |
