Houston to E. C. Lord, September 9, 1873

Rev. M. H. Houston to Mr. Lord.

Dear Sir: On my return here to-day, from Chefoo, my colleague, Mr. Helm, and I consulted together about the proposition made by certain of the Chinese in this city, through you, which was communicated to us in your favor of August 15, viz, that the property now held by the Southern Presbyterian Mission on the hill in this city be given up in exchange for property in another part of the city. Your letter had been forwarded to me in Chefoo by Mr. Helm, and on my arrival here to-day he read me his reply, and also your second letter of August 26. I have only to say that the views expressed by Mr. Helm in regard to the matter are my own, and while I feel, as a missionary, that it is a grievous thing to be turned aside from our high and distinctive work to engage in the task of laying out land and building houses, I do not doubt that it is our duty to accept the proposition which has been made, and I trust we shall find that any sacrifice we may now make will not be without its reward.

Mr. Helm and I decided, on consultation, that I should write to you, definitely accepting on the part of our mission the offer for an exchange of property; provided, of course, that the offer made by the Chinese should prove bona-fide, and the terms such as would be judged fair and equitable. Having arrived at this decision, we desire, for reasons that will no doubt readily occur to you, that the arrangement which is proposed should be carried out at as early a day as practicable. And as it may serve to expedite matters to let you know at once what terms would seem to us just in the matter, Mr. Helm and I agreed that we should submit to you the following points as constituting basis for what would be to us a satisfactory arrangement.

They are, in the main, only two: 1. That a piece of land of equal extent with our present property, (seven mow, or about one and one-sixth acres,) situated in a locality that is healthy and suitable for carrying on mission-work, should be made over to our mission by a clear title, officially sanctioned. We would prefer, if the Chinese are willing, to make our own selection among the unoccupied lands that are in the plain; the selection to be approved by them. Of course, any expense incurred in making over the land to us or in the conduct of any part of these negotiations should be borne by the Chinese. 2. That the sum of $10,500 (Mexican) should be given us, to be used in inclosing this land and erecting on it buildings for the mission. It is evident that it would not do for us to leave the erection of these buildings to the Chinese. They are without experience in putting up foreign buildings; and apart from this, the buildings we would wish on the new land would be of a different plan from those we now have. Our present buildings were planned to conform to the narrow plateaux on which they are built, and, of course, the plan would not be the best for a broad and level site. We would expect to be left to plan and build for ourselves. As to the sum mentioned, I may say that Mr. Helm and I made a careful examination to-day of the accounts of the mission, to ascertain the amount that has been actually expended by our mission on the property here. The whole amount expended, as closely as we can estimate, is $10,162, including the cost of the land. The land we now have is more valuable than any we can obtain in exchange, both on account of its favorable situation and also on account of the expensive stone revetments which support the different plateaux. In addition to this the price of building-material, as Mr. Helm informed you, has risen very considerably since our houses were built. And when we consider these circumstances, and also the fact that in the estimate of expenditure we have not reckoned the time and labor spent by Mr. Helm and myself in improving our present property, not to mention the time and labor we must give in carrying out the proposed arrangement, we feel sure that the sum mentioned ($10,500) is the very least we ought to ask in compensation for the property we are called on to give up. Were it merely a question of pecuniary interest, we could not think of accepting such an exchange; but as other considerations indicate plainly the duty of acceding to the propositions of the Chinese, we desire that our negotiations may be conducted with them in all points so as to show them that we aim to be liberal and fair. I might mention that our dwelling-house here, which is set down in the estimate of expenditure at $3,000, was estimated by Mr. Brown, an architect of Shanghai, who visited Hang-chow last year, to be worth $5,000. The Chinese always express surprise when we tell them the actual cost of this house. In conclusion, I would say that Mr. Helm and I desire very much that you will favor us with your presence here when the negotiations take place. And I need not add that, when you come, Mrs. Houston and I will expect the pleasure of entertaining you in our house.

Begging leave to express my appreciation of the very kind spirit you have evinced toward us in this matter, I remain, with much respect, your obedient servant,