Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-02
NAMES MISSIONARY SKIPPER.
Tho Good Work Of Capt Lane with His
Gospel sloop Alert

Gospel sloop Alert.
From the Portland Press
Lying on the beach Just across the bay IL
the little missionary sloop yacht Alert, and her
tall. ine-looking missionary captain 10 fire.
quently seen on the street The Alert 10
hauled up for repairs. Meanwhile Capt Geo.
W. Lane will suspend his work in the coastwise
mission field. as he is always forced to do when
the season Of winter tempests comes on upon
this coast
The story Of Capt Lane and the Alert IL an
interesting one. but before telling II there 10 .
matter which concerns those young people Of
this state who belong to the Christian Endesvor
Society. These young people have come to
admire Capt Lanes work greatly. and at their
isst convention they decided TO build q small
steamer 10 take the place of his yacht 1t has
oeen found. however. that this plan 10 too am
oitione, and that it will be more feasible 10 re-
par .ne Alert To At her up in good style,
Leu 70 carry eight or ten workers. Will cost
about $1,000; and repairs as extensive as this
VIII make her new boat in the eyes Of the
United States government This will enable
Sapt. Lane to change her name TO the En-
uea.ol' Al nonor OF the young people who have
hopes. divert to the repairs OF the Alert what
they intended TO give for the steamer
The sth OF April, 1850. Capt Lane set ont
from Portland in a little boat of four tons.
which he hired here, paying $40 a month for
it. The little boat was so small that when The
good missionary retired at night he could mud
room fo- a portion only of his body in the
cabin. and was forced TO sleep with his feet
sticking out the door. The result of that sum-
ncrs work was the organization of twelve
Sunday schools Those islands where tie
families were too few TO enable the organize
ton of a school were visited and the lonely
people supplied with such reading matter as
could be given to them.
Every season since Capt. Lane has cruised
along the coast. Four years ago lie was able 70
purchase the Alert, yacht of fifteen tons,
sloop-rigged. With the aid of a small boy he
navigates the little craft all along the coast.
from Portland to Eastport, and IL is lonely
isiet whose inhabitants do not know the sail OF
the Alert when she heaves in sight. About
nifty Sunday schools have been established.
some of which, as that at outer Long Island,
OF Mt Desert, have developed into churches.
In the last ten years the breaking up OF the fish
ing industry along our coast has made very
hard times for the fishermen, and the mission
AIRY yacht is valuable religious agency at this
time. when many Of the coast churches are
going down. For the last four years Capt.
Lane has been assisted by the SUNDAY School
Publishing House Of Boston.
For several winters, when the weather be
came too Indictment to continue cruising on
this coast, Capt. Lane went down on 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 al
most inaccessible swamps of the coast. He ha,
many interesting stories TO tell of the people
In that region. For good part Of the veal
they live on wooded hillocks, In great expanse,
OF flooded forests. Their paths are made by
cutting of trees at a point above high water
mark. and laying upon the posts thus made
logs with the upper side leveled for a pathway
The INHABITANTS live in great poverty, but are
an open-hearted, hospitable people. Capt
Lane went among them with a small skiff
living for weeks at time al a cost of MOI
more than seven and half cents a day anc
sleeping at night upon temporary platforms
above the water. For the last two years Capt
Lanes health has not been equal to the hard
| ships Of this work In the south