The coming of these new mission families into the Mills residence crowded it beyond comfort, and beyond convenience for the work that was imperative. The Mateers had the dining room assigned to them as their abode, this being the best that could be offered. Of course, little effective study could under such conditions be put on the language which must be acquired before any direct missionary labor could be performed. Under the loss of time he thus was suffering, Mateer chafed like a caged lion; and so, as soon as possible, he had another room cleared of the goods of Mr. Nevius, which had been stored there until they could be shipped, and then set to work to build a chimney and to put the place in order for his own occupation. Thus he had his first experience of the dilatory and unskillful operations of native mechanics. The dining room was left without a stove, and, on account of the cold, something had to be done to supply the want. In all Tengchow such a thing as a stove could not be purchased; possibly one might have been secured at Chefoo, but most probably none could have been obtained short of Shanghai. The time had already come for Mateer to exercise his mechanical gifts. He says: Mr. Mills and I got to work to make a stove out of tin. We had the top and bottom of an old sheet-iron stove for a foundation from which we finally succeeded in making what proves to be a very good stove. We put over one hundred and sixty rivets in it in the process of making it. I next had my ingenuity taxed to make a machine to press the fine coal they burn here, into balls or blocks, so that we could use it. They have been simply setting it with a sort of gum water and molding it into balls with their hands. Thus prepared, it was too soft and porous to burn well. So, as it was the time of the new year, and we could not obtain a teacher, I got to work, and with considerable trouble, and working at a vast disadvantage from want of proper tools, I succeeded in making a machine to press the coal into solid, square blocks. At first it seemed as if it would be a failure, for although it pressed the coal admirably it seemed impossible to get the block out of the machine successfully. This was obviated, however, and it worked very well, and seems to be quite an institution. This machine subsequently he improved so that a boy could turn out the fuel with great rapidity.