The Portland daily press., 1891-12-16
THE MISSIONARY YACHT.
Captain George W. Lane is in Port
and the Alert Is With Him.
TWELVE YEARS OF RELIGIOUS
LABOR AMONG MAINE FISHERMEN.

| Every Little Islet from Portland to East
| port visited Fifty Sunday Schools Or
! ganized-Thcre Are Probably Ten
Thousand People Along the Fishing
| Coast Whose Religious Interests arc
| Attended To,
Lying on the beach just across the bay
Is the little missionary sloop yacht Alert,
and her tall dne-looking missionary cap
| tain is frequently seen on the street here
ut this time. The Alert is hauled up for
repairs which are to be made this year by
Mr.. Joseph Dyer. the well known ship
builder. Meanwhile Captain George w.
Lane will suspend his work In the coast
| wise mission field, rs he is always forced
| to do when the season Of winter tempests
comes on upon this coas;.
The story of Captain Lane and the Alert
| is an interesting one, but before telling 1t
there IL in this connection matter which
concerns those Young people Of this state
who belong to the Christian Endeavor So
ciety. These young people have como to
| admire Captain Lanes work greatly, and
at their last convention they decided to
| build small steamer to take the place of
his yacht. 1t has been found, however,
that this plan is too ambitious, .and that it
will be more feasible to repair the Alert.
| To fit her up in good style, fitted to carry
eight or ten workers will cost about 81, 600;
and repairs as extensive as this will make
her a new boat in the eyes of the United
| States government This will enable Cap
tain Lane to change her name to the En-
deavor in honor OF the young people who
have started to build him steamer, and
who will, he hopes, divert to the repairs of
the Alert what they intended to give for
| the steamer.
The first move in the Atlantic coast mis-
sion work was made in this city in 1880.
when Captain Lane come here and hired a
very small boat, in which he might reach
the fishermen on the isolated islands and
preach to them. Captain Lane was
born near the mouth of the Dsmsrtscotta
river in Bristol, and much of his early
manhood spent among the fisher
mez. He knew them thoroughly; and
when he became converted In 1878, his
thoughts were turned towards them. At
shat ting he was established in the photo
graph business in Boston. He first went
to the church people Of Boston to get as
| sistance. But they had so many charities
on their hands that they could not assist in
the work. Then he determined to do 1t
alone. He thought he could, during the
summer months. get small boat aud go
along the coast fishing. The sale of the
fish would enable him to pay his expenses,
and in the evenings he could land and talk
to the fishermen, and labor for their re-
ligious Advancement. But just before
starting he met Rev. Mr.. Kingsbury of
Hartford. Connecticut, New England Sec
rotary OF the American Sunday School
Association Of Philadelphia. Through him
the society gave Captain Lane backing and
he came to Portland at once.
The 9Th of April, 1880, Captain Lane set
out from Portland in a little boat of four
tons, which he hired here, paying $40 a
month for II. The little boat was so small
that when the good missionary retired at
night he could find room for portion only
OF his body In the cabin, and was forced
TO sleep with his feet sticking out the door.
The result OF that summers work was the
organization Of twelve Sunday schools.
Those islands where the families were too
few to enable the organization of school
were visited, and the lonely people sup
piled with such reading matter as could
be given to them.
Every season since Captain Lane has
cruised along the coast. Four years ago
he was able to purchase the Alert, yacht
OF 10 tons. sl0op-rlgged. With the aid of
small boy he navigates the little craft all
along the coast, from Portland to Eastport,
and 1t Is lonely islet whose inhabitants
do not know the sail Of the Alert when she
heaves In sight. About 30 Sunday schools
have bsen established, some of which. as
that at outer Long Island, off MT. Desert.
have developed into churches. In the last
ten years, the breaking up Of the fishing
industry along our coast has made very
hard times for the fishermen, and the mis-
sionary yacht is valuable religious agen-
cy at this time, when many of the coast
churches are going down. For the last
four years Captain Lane has been assisted
In bis work by the Sunday School Publish
inE House Of Boston.
For several winters, when the weather
becsme too iDclement TO continue cruising
on this coast, Crptain Lane went down on
to the North Carolina coast and labored
among the white fishermen and pilots Of
Hatteras Strip, and the white and colOred
people who live in the almost inaccessible
swamps Of the coast. He has many inter-
esting stories to tell of the people in that
region. For good part of the year they
live on wooded hillocks, in great expanses
of flooded forests. Their paths ara made
by cutting off trees at point above high
water mark, and laying upon the posts
thus made logs with the upper side levelled
for a pathway. The inhabitants live in
great poverty, but are an open-hearted,
hospitable people. Captain Lane went
among them with small skiff, living fer
weeks ut a time at cost of NOT more than
seven and half cents day, and sleeping
at night upon temporary platforms con-
structed above the water. For the last two
years Captain Lanes health has not been
equal to the hardships Of this work In the
South.
Golden Wedding of Mr.. and Mrs. Rufus
N. Merrill.
Mr. and Mrs Rufus NJ Morrill of Paarl