A Christian Library for China by Miss M. E. Wood, back cover explains the pamphlet as a reprint of the ‘First Edition, February, 1907’, published by The Spirit of Missions, New York, (interesting and unusual China missionary/Wuchang/Boone College collectible from the early part of the last century, appears very rare, searching the internet I can find no other copy mentioned as available, WorldCat online indicates the existence of a few other copies in library collections, where its described as “A plea for funds to enlarge the library of Boone college, Wuchang”), Introductory remarks about the pamphlet and Miss Wood and her work in China, state, in part, that “Bishop Roots [the Reverend Logan Herbert Roots, Episcopal Bishop of Hankow] suggests that the Church … consider … enlarging the … library used by students of Boone College until it … become[s] a worthy public library, not only for the city of Wuchang, but for a large part of Central China … Miss Wood [the Authoress, went] to China as a visitor about seven years ago … [where] she found Boone College without anything that could be called a library. She began in a modest way to secure gifts of books from friends at home and has gradually assembled material for a working library for the academic department. This, though a vast improvement over the old condition of things, is still far from sufficient …”, “Bishop Roots [hopes that] friends of the people of Central China may give enough for the library to enable us to make it of service, not only to Boone College, but to a much wider constituency’”, Miss Wood’s article follows, beginning, that ‘In the whole of China there is not what could be … called a public library. Dr, W.A.P. Martin … many years the president of Pekin University said “The circulating library, if it exists in this country … is an exotic. The very characters for ‘library’ mean a place for hiding books …”’, going on to discuss the desire and plan for the creation of a significant library at Boone College in the city of Wuchang ‘Situated on the mighty river which forms the vast waterway from east to west of the Empire … at the very point where the great trunk railway running from north to south joins Pekin and Canton …’, going on to discuss the importance of Wuchang as an intellectual center, the great examination halls located there ‘where … twenty thousand students gather to compete … for Chinese degrees …’, the work of the then present Viceroy to turn Wuchang into a center of Western learning, the ‘numerous large foreign buildings [tending] to transform [Wuchang], the demands for education, and the booming of schools, with ‘every available building [being] used for this purpose. Even temples [being] turned into schools … The whole atmosphere of Wuchang is that of a college town …’, and much more, including remarks to the effect that the planned Boone library besides ‘possessing books adequately representing all … technical branches, in order to make the library of use to the general public … a large department of Chinese literature [must also be incorporated] … The literature of China [being] extensive [with] ancient works … of such quality that they have been borrowed by every nation which China comes in contact …’, and more. CONDITION: 105 YEAR OLD CHINA COLLEGE/EDUCATION/MISSIONARY AND SCHOLARLY PURSUIT COLLECTORS’ ITEM (measures approx. 9 by 6-1/4 inches) in its original, both English and large Chinese-character titled, ‘A Christian Library for Central China … M.E. Wood’ light card covers, stamp on title page indicates that this copy once belonged to the ‘Union Theological Seminary, New York City’, volume has no bookplates,  no signatures, no writing or notes, covers have parted front and back, but are present, and volume is complete with ALL of its material also present and intact, includes as well some rare old China photographs of interest for the old antique China photograph collector, including one enititled an ‘Examination Hall of the old Chinese regime’, (a full-page old Wuchang historical photo) ‘Drill of Chinese Soldiers at Wuchang’ (‘Not only is Wuchang a great literary centre, but … a great military centre as well. The barracks are as much a feature as the schools. It is estimated that there are twenty thousand soldiers stationed at present … the Viceroy is seeking to raise the [educational] standard of the army. Each soldier is required to spend a certain amount of time every day in a class room …’), (an in-text photograph, temple school) ‘Sudents’ Desks in Front of an Unused Altar’, (a terrific and rare old full-page large group photo, all in uniform, or mandarin robes) ‘Students of the Military Academy with Chinese and Foreign Professors’, (and another, with students, entitled) ‘A Corner of Boone College Library’, all present and intact.