The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-07
INDIANS IN Poke BONNETS,
Interesting Discovery Made by
a Salvationist in
Alaska.
WORK OF MEN-OF-WAR'S MEN.
Although Sincere They Were Intensely
Human When Hunger As.
sailed Them.
WORK OF MEN.OF-WAR's MEN.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL.l
COS RroadMav Dec 3

sos Broadway, Dec. 5.
Miss Marion Derby, Salvationist of this
city who has just returned from mis-
sonary trip to Alaska, brings the interest
ing news that as q result OF the visits of
the warships, on which are few men,
bers of the Salvation Army, there is a
corps of converted Alaskan Indians wear
ing the red shirt and poke bonnet.
1--WE were sitting in our missionary
headquarters IN Juneau and were sur
prised to receive visit from travelling
party of Indians dressed in Salvation Army
uniforms. We thought at first that they
were merely wearing out old uniforms but
they soon convinced US that they were in
earnest. We asked them how they came
to be travelling about as Salvation mis-
sionaries, and they told US that some of
the boys in a man-of-war who were men,
bers of the army had held meetings at va
rious posts and had converted several In
dams. We were surprised to see one of
the women of the party wearing halle
luljah bonnet. | cannot describe what it
looked like-an Indian face in blue bon
net, but | nave been accustomed to see all
sorts of faces and rigs in the Salvation
Army, so | was not so surprised as the rest
of our party.
"The Indian corps consists of eight men,
bers, and three of these are women. We
invited them to afternoon service at our
church and they soon convinced us that
they were sincere. and helped us with the
leadership of the meeting. After the meet
ing we made grave mistake and learned
a lesson in Indian etiquette that shall not
soon forget. 1t appears that after
Indians appear at any gathering, whether
it be church meeting or any other kind
ffy NV tn hn nr,t1 WI r,ad
and fed.
Mrs, Leach who had charge of the mis-
sionary station, did not know this and so
did not ask the Indians to supper About
an hour afterward we saw canoe pulling
from Juneau across the water to Douglas
Island. We looked out and to cur great
surprise We saw thatit was our Indian Sal
vationist friends who had promised TO be
on hand at the evening meeting. Then it
was that one of the party told of the hab-
its of the Indians and of the unwritten rule
that whoever was helped by them should
feed them.
1--WE thought no more OF the affair until
we went into the church for the evening
service, and then we found this little note
on the organ. 1t read Me Simpsiana
Me very hungry. Me go away. No come
back
1.-The Indians were from Fort Simpson
and called themselves Simpsianas. They
go in their canoes from place to place, but
do not go further away from home than
Chilcat. l suppose they will think we
were the meanest set of missionaries they
ever met. l was not there in the interest
of the Salvation Army, although | was
Der, and the army has no officers up
there yet. The Indians have no commits
sion from the army headquarters in San
Francisco, but they are earnest enough to
have one, and l suppose they will be prop
erly organized and differed as soou as cir
cumstances permit"