The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-10
ASNOW BOUNDEMPIRE
The Land Where Missionary
Provost Is Laboring.
INDIANS EAGER FOR RELIGION
Vast Soiftudes Where Indians wander
travelling Hundreds OF Miles
for Christian Burial.

Kew Jules l. Provost, the Episcopal
missionary. who has been for four years
IN ne Tar interior OF Alaska will ny
special request. address the Seattle
branch OF the woman's Auxiliary 10 1hs
board OF Missions at Trinity church.
James and Eighth streets, this afternoon
az O'Clock. and will preach on Sunday
next al Trinity in the morning and az St
Marks In the evening. A cordial well
come 10 extended to all citizens 10 attend
any Of these services.
When Mr.. Provost first went 10 Alaska
" was TO write a report Cor the In
dian Rights Association. which makes IL
a point TO look after the political Inter-
ests OF the Indian After coming back
10 the United States and making his re-
port ne returned 20 Alaska and COM
menced his missionary work among the
Indians In the Upper Yukon country. He
made Fort Adams his headquarters, but
the country which he covers In his mis-
sionary work has an area of 100 CO. square
miles and more than 2.0do miles of naxi-
gable water. Fort Adams Is only a small
settlement, but in the vicinity there are
number OF other small ones A few
WHITE miners live there, but most of the
residents are Indians. When Mr.. Pre-
vost first went among them they were
Nving In underground houses, but he has
so educated them that they now build
nuts and have constructed rough furni-
ture. The Indians, Mr. Provost says.
like the American customs. and while
they refuse 20 give I'D many OF their
own. they will also cling TO any new Gus
tom which is taught them and which they
belleye viii advance their civiliza tioa.
They Ike the religious instruction given
them.
Mr.. Provost tells OF striking instance
of this About two years ago he started
out 10 make long Journey 10 one OF the
Indian settlements and after ne had been
about two days out he met a party OF
Tatana Indians win their sleds and
dogs. AS soon as they saw him they ap-
preached him and one Of their number In
his native tongue said: you know my
wife. whom you baptized. and the baby
81 my friend here"-pointing TO one of
the other Indians near him-"wtlom YOU
baptized a long time ago. Well. they
are dead and We are bringing them down
10 the mission M Fort Adams TO have
them buried. They are there on our
sleds." Mr.. Provost approached the sleds
az the request OF the Indians. and there,
wrapped I'm robes were the two bodies
Mr.. Provost returned 10 the mission with
them and funeral ceremony aud proper
burial followed The Indians had made
the trip 70 the Mission. distance Of
more than 900 miles so that their dead
could be laid to rest after the Christian
fashion
Mr. Provost says he knows of other
cases where Indians have Travelled 400
miles TO receive religious instruction from
him. The dog and sled are used alto
gether for travel at Fort Adams. the gov
eminent as yet having failed 20 introduce
the reindeer. Mr.. Provost has Travelled as
far as 100 miles on one trip 10 teach
Christianity. and the remarkable fact
about the trips Is that II is necessary for
one to walk or rather run almost the en-
tire distance. The dogs have enough 70
blankets without having the additional
load of human beings. ''of course" said
Mr.. Provost last evening. there is ham
hold OF that in order to keep up with the
dogs. which make about twenty-five miles
a day"
When Mr. Provost returns he expects 10
take back with him a small electric
along the Yukon much faster than hith-
erto. He win also erect a chapel and
school house. Among the curiositles IN
his possession are copies OF a paper which
he issues twice n year for the benefit 81
the miners Of the Yukon. He has a print
ing press which was sent 10 him by a
Philadelphia woman. He sticks his own
type grinds out MS own copy and he has
the satisfaction of knowing that he IS not
bothered by esteemed contemporaries"
Mail comes 10 Fort Adams but once a year
and when Cleveland was nominated ar
president the news did not reach there
until eleven months later.