The Portland daily press., 1896-03-26
NAMES CoAsTwIsE MISSIONARY.
Captain H. j. Allen Will Now Repair
The SlOop Alert.


aging Results after AIl-some Details
of the Labors of a Missionary in Maine
May Have to Ship as a Sailor in Order
to Earn 500, with Which to Repair
His Sloop.
Captain H. J. Allen, Of the missionary
sloop Alert, is here for the purpose of re-
porting to the churches of Portland and
others the details of his work since jan
uary along the Maine coast, the receiving
II possible Of additional assistance, and
the making Of necessary repairs on the
missionary sloop Alert.
The PRESS recently gave some inter-
esting statistics sent by Captain Allen
in letter to Rev. Francis Southworth,
OF this city, concerning his work, and so
there is no need of going over that
ground again, but it can be briefly stated
that Captain and Mrs. Allen, since the
first of January, have worked constantly
among the residents of the outer islands,
reached by no other missionary or preach
er, and have ministered at once t, the
spiritual and temporary needs of that
scattered people.
An Important and interesting branch of
the work of Captain and Mrs. Allen has
been the distributing Of religious litera-
ture, and the holding of religious SER
vices in the school houses at different
points on the islands. and along the coast.
1t should not be understood that there
was no religious inf uence at work be-
fore they began their labors as coastwise
missionaries. There are in all four
church organizations, but no pastor in
either case. At Birch Harbor there was
once church organization, but 1t no
church building, and another at Outer
Long Island, but at other points the peo-
pie worship in the school houses. At
South Gouldsboro there Is church MEM
bership of 10, at Indian Harbor of nine,
at Outer Long Island of 90. There is
points. At Musoongns Island there -
considerable degree of religious interest
at this time, largely the result of the es-
tablishing of a Sunday school there by
Captain and Mrs. Allen. The school
was started in February. and last Sun.
day there was an attendance of "a schol-
ars and 90 visitors. There is no church
organization on the island, and but two
professors of religion who are able to
take part in the meetings, but those who
have become interested in the Sunday
school work, have also become personally
interested in the subject of religion.
The people along the coast are intelli-
gent and in the main industrious. They
depend upon the sea and have hard work
to make more than a living. Captain
Poland is the owner of the only schoon-
er hailing from that section, now in the
fresh fish business. The men are, as a
rule, lobster takers.
The literature distributed by Captain
Allen is largely of the character Rev.
Francis Southworth has so long dis
tributed to the sailors as part of the
work of the Bethel church, religious
papers, tracts hymn books-as a rule the
people are good singers-and the maya
zines. The people are eager for reading
matter, and itis pleasure to supply
them.
While as a rule the people are indus.
trions and ready to work, of course I'M
looked for misfortunes will come along
coast, as we'll as here in Portland, and
Captain and Mrs. Allen have been able
in many cases to help deserving people
to get through the winter. In particular,
he has been able, thanks to the kindness
of Portland friends to help them to
warm clothing. There is no general des-
titution. and the fact that Captain Allen
supplied 2S5 persons with articles of
clothing is not at all a remarkable cir.
cumstanoe when it is recalled that he is
not the pastor of church, or confined to
one locality or island, but that his labors
extend along the Maine coast line for
many miles, and that he is brought in
contact with hundreds of people. In par
tioular, 1t is to be also remembered that
in many respects this has been an excep-
tionally bad season, the hard weather,
and sudden storms having kept many of
the people along shore from anything like
oonst ant work.
Captain Allen will probably be here
until Monday. He will speak at the
Reform school Sunday morning. He will
be obliged to expend about 500 on the
sloop Alert, and must raise the money
From January first to the present time
his collections have amounted to only
$21.76, and on that small sum, and a few
donations received from friends Captain
and Mrs. Allen, have managed to live.
Captain Allen does not propose to give
up the work to which he feels that God
has called him. He must have the money
with which to pay for the repairs on the
Alert. and if it can be get in no other
way, then he will himself go to sea and
earn it. Devoted as he is to the work, he
does not mean to let it drop. He hopes of
course, that it will not be necessary for
him to give up his work even for time,
and to ship ag ain in order to raise the
money, but if worst comes to worst he
will do it.
Captain Allen in moving from point to
point during the winter months was of
course exposed to dangers, and Ii need