Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-11-11
Tlae Ftrsa Church. 5m AIsx,.n

| Is IL but htil9 ihs: tho public know Of tho
characteris!;cs Anl capabilities Of cur northern.
| most territory iu tho Arctic rcgioGs. That it
was purchased from Russia for fc7ca millions
oi dclla!a, that il is tha Gaat Of valuable fur
trade, that it IS sparsely inhabited end that by
ig1oraht m; degraded iudiaas. made still moro
so By unhappy c3n!&c; :7it th, whites, is the
stapln ol information r!!ny ct rs have about
Alaska
HOE, l!1Wever, Mho nFa The most inteL-
gently Informed orn nos disposed 10 .ire off our
new possessions with sHccr. 9'hey tell us the
almost Incredible iaot OF tho sa!ubrty of ths
climate OK S!Ik.;, IN the latitude iudecd CT Lab.
rador, GEt c7CI !u;i, Arctic wlntc! with tho
Temperature Of GrcrS;i, of ihc ilnmcEso rc7c.
nueS that must c0tnc from It's :ishcriea and iurs,
OF It's IMMORAL weGlth yet to hs Developed, but
sbovo anI bct2r thrn all, ci tho hopeful field
tor mis3Iorary work aniane !is 50,G00 natives
who arc ready to receive tic Gospel.
We noticed 6 irw 1eekg siuoa Tho orsani--
za,ion, at Fcri Wraugel, Of the first Presbyte,
riaa Ch1rch IL The Territory. While it was ia
tho possession 0s the NusSiaus there was J.a,
!hosan Church nj Sitka, tut it long since ceased
TO live. Tito Pteshytetisr Homo Missionary
SCc'tty, al tho mitigation OF E3v. DR.. Sheldon
Jackson, well :'tYic;! The interchangeable apostle
OF the Rocky MGuntaioH,' stretched on itl lOs,
tcrinS care 10 this tXrcmn b:uadary OF cur
home Held. It took uo'aer lis charge tha !iul,
cntcrl rise started ~ Philip Mckay. a con
vertcd lnGlao, who scIf ;1iDcilrG Isa is!iarn,i
for tho spiritual coed % hia c,untrcmcu. Ia
August, 1877, it cent Mrs A. L.. h!cEa,and
to that field, uhnre by toaoiIiog and training
the W0Glep n boticr domestic habits, shs baa
d11e G nob!u Woik Tor o;riiiG ItiOn 81 we'll az
Christianity, and in her industrial school q
large humbcr OF g.r 3 hayo bacn taught 90 rad
and wfito, aud hasr b4on brought under tho
daily icii1eHco Of cultivated Christian wa-
man.
Rev. S. II. Young ,inoi The missioa year
lator, and 10 Juno last Rev. W. II. Il, UuriieH
M. d., and hu wiie were added to tho baud OF
walkers there. DIR. Corlies We learn, first
hoard Of tho need ct these lrdiaus through
tho Interesting descriptive articles upcu Alaska
by DR.. jackson, in the Illustrated Chria:ian
Weekly !s9t year, and was thus led to devote
his energy and tlnin to missionary labor there.
La tho organization Of tho now church, Au-
gust ) DR.. L,adsley, Of Portland, Ofegno,
Kew. McssGs. Ypung anl Cursies. DR.. Sheld0n
jackson, and I'r. Horny Kendall. Secretary CT
the Home Misslora!y Society, participated.
vi the ~ members oomp!lsiog the church, %
a1o ln4isna w;:om Mr. Eoups !As lar mouths
been specially inslruo:ng in hc psluro and
duties OF ChiIrca membership.
Tho visit Of DR.. kunisil aud his isons
supervision greatly encouraged those cpsascd
in that m0st distant field OF his S:cetys work.
His commanding persona! plcscnco aud his
genial Sympathetic salurc a!so fasorably i'm
pressed the Iodians. The chiefs aai Leading
men Expressed their pleasure at his visit, and
ore remarked With ea7ncsncss that he had rot
5iop. all night for joy. DR.. keuda!! wiIi de-
saryo tho title ut tho Grcs. American Tcavel-
lcr by his repeated V;sa.ions of tic outlying
posts Of tho great missionary fields Of his ag-
sresslye chuich, bGt 10 official tour can cali
linn so far away ircpl his Gcsk u, did this to
the organization Of tao first protcstan. church
uow existing in the S.rat territory of Alaska.