The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1893-10-19
WILGUS TO CHARLOTTE
In Anxious Correspondent Wants Bin
to Study the Tides.
But fHE DOCTOR HEEKLY DECLINES

a Few suggestisns en- sse Immer.
SALTY 81 the ssul-The Peculiar
Phiisseyhy 81 the Rea man On
the subject.
EDITOR YAKIMA HKRALD:--A few days
after my letter appeared in your valuable
paper. received a communication from
a school teacher at EIlensburgh. asking
that make a study If the tides. saying
that she had given the subject much
thought and attention, and was intensely
interested in the aqueous movements
thus denominated," and wound up by
saying that perhaps she wonld stop of,
either going or coming from San Fran
cisco to the Mid Winter exposition. She
signed the name Charlotte.
Will You allow me to say to Charlotte
that am very much interested In the
tides, but very much more interested in q
little woman and three bright children
bearing my name in the enterprising
little city Of North Yakima. l an, de-
lighted TO know that Charlotte has con.
cluded to give this matter some thought
but ! do not think It wise to advise her
to come TO Neah Bay 10 prosecute her in
designations. And Il may be well for me
to tell YOU that the San Francisco
steamers do not stop here. They pass on
through the straits Of Juan dc Fuca, some
six miles from the bay. ! trust these few
lines win not quench your enthusiasm,
Charlotte; for, as write. the movements
Of the water are certainly grand, and I,
too, wonder where the handspring OF the
tide movement is. know the books tell
us that the tide waves are three feet high
in mid-ocean and eight or ten feet high
along the shores, and that when the sun
and moon exert their attraction in the
same line, the tides rise higher and fall
lower than when the forces Of these two
bodies are at right angles. called, repect
lively, spring and neap tides. But am
like you, Charlotte; think the matter 10
very poorly understood and presents q
great field for investigation. The Neah
Bay Indians can tell you as much about
1t as professor in Harvard college.
The sea has been very rough for two
weeks. There was one boat wrecked 10
Chilean bark last week. She was driven
on the rocxs near Quillehute. Six Of the
crew were drowned, including the captain
and his wife. The body OF but one per-
son has been found--that OF the captains
wife. Nine Of the survivors reached here,
shoeless and hatless and presented a sorry
appearance.
But must leave this interesting sub
iect and devote a part OF this letter TO
another question that has commanded
the attention OF the best minds, from the
earliest time down to the present. refer
to the great question OF God. his attri-
butes. nature, etc., and to the disputed
question among philosophers as to the
Immortality Of the soul. We have all
been interested in the parliament Of re-
ligions at Chicago, during the month Of
September, and certainly 1t was wonder
full event In the theological world. was
sorry to learn, from the accounts that
have seen. that every phase Of religious
thought was represented, with the excep-
ton Of the American, /. e., Indian.
think the wise men from the east and
west made mistake when they failed to
invite our red brothers to the great skoo-
KUN spiritual feast. The ideas OF God,
duty and destiny have had place in the
thought Of their people for thousands Of
years, and as one wise man has said !;
"The idea OF immortality was not born Of
any book or creed, but was born Of human
affection. and II will continue TO ebb aud
flow in the human breast as long as love
kisses the lips Of DEATH, Theodore
Parker also says: at is the belief Of
mankind that We shat all live forever.
You may find nations SO rude that they
live in holes in the earth; nations who
know not the use Of fire, Of letters or even
OF clothes. But no nation is without the
belief in eternal life. 1t is true this belief
Is often grotesque and absurd. Its mode
Of proof is often ridiculous and silly. The
expectation Of what the future life 10 to
be is often child-like. But the fact still
remains that the belief that the soul Of
man never dies exists
Yes, believe our red brothers could
have given them some pointers that
would have been very valuable. Failing
to get to the religious congress, have
been studying these questions from the
Neah end. I find trust 10 the father
hood Of God among these people that Is
remarkable. They believe God Furnishes
them for wrong doing and they pray as
the Master taught: "Giye us this day
our daily bread" When they catch .
nice lot OF fish or whale they praise God
for bis direction and goodness and say
they know His hand has led and guided
them. And when their little bark leaves
this shore to that great unknown whence
no boat has ever returned, they have the
child-like trust that II they TASK for fish
God will not give them serpent" To
illustrate, they tell me Of an Indian that
died some years ago. His name was
Konkupod. He left the following inscrip-
ton to be placed on his tombstone:
"Here lies Johnny Konkapod.
Have mercy on him. gracious God.
He would on you II he were God
And you were Johnny konkupod."
This gives the philosophy Of the matter
pretty well, and / am satisfied there is
much poetry on the tombs OF the pale
faces that viii not begin to compare with
the above in spiritual insight. As race
they are passing away. Slowly, but
eurely. they climb the distant maintain