*ITEMS.*

1. The item of greatest importance to us is the establishment of a
mission at Los Angeles. The A.M.A. was first on this field, having
had a prosperous and useful mission school there, more than fourteen
years ago. But early in 1876 Rev. Ira M. Condit, a missionary
returned from China, well versed in the Chinese language, went with
his family to that city to open a mission under the Presbyterian
Board. In the belief that, with such advantages, better work could be
done by them than by us, we transferred our mission to them, pupils,
teacher and all. I have seen much reason since to doubt the wisdom of
this step, and to feel that I should never repeat it. But the open
doors have been too numerous, and the pressure from points where
there seemed to be none to care for these souls, has been too great,
for me to think of using any of our limited resources for the
purpose of crowding in where brethren of another name were working.
And it is only because the city has now become so large, and the
Chinese population in it covers so great an area, and the number of
our own brethren there is so considerable, and their appeal for a
mission so urgent, and their assurance so full that it could not now
be a rival to other missions, but rather a welcome co-worker with
them, that I consented to resume. The result is gratifying indeed. No
less than seventy-five were enrolled as pupils the first month. An
Association of Christian Chinese has been formed, having already a
large membership, and the purpose and promise of vigorous Christian
work. The teacher in charge of the mission is Mrs. C.A. Sheldon, long
connected with our work in San Francisco, and than whom no teacher
ever employed by us endeared herself more to her pupils or wrought
more successfully on their behalf. We have reason to believe that