The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-11-05
Mission Work of the Sisters o;
st. Ann.
MERCY AT THE MINING CAMPS
Primary Object Before the Rush OF
Gold Seekers Began Was to Con-
vert Indians-Aid and Attention
Given To the Sick and Destitute.
Their Arctic Garden.

Tacoma, Wash, Nov. 5.-From the Yukon
River comes a story OF priyatton ana s"lt'
denial that differs materially from the
usual Khr,dike tale, in which privation Is
part OF tue struggle for gold. Not to gather
gold oor even seek il is The mission Of the
eleven sisters of the Catholic Order or st
Ann, who lave carried n message OF Rove
and he.ofuIaess to The gold-lined Yui'n,
wLere, in the average breast, all such feel
ings are suborGinated to a greedy thirst
for riches.
Nine years ago Mother Superior Mary
stephen and Sisters Mary Joseph and
Mary Seraphine decided that on the Yukon
was an opportunity TO save mems souls
and lives, They went up the river ana rs
IA laislled the mission of the Holy Cross,
sttrated 81 8 miles from st. Michael. Eight
other sisters Of the Order of st. Ann have
lcinch then,-sisters Mary Benedict. Mar
Dan asccae. Mary Antonio, Mary Pauline.
Mary Winlfrcd. Mary Of the Cross, Mary
60 the Passion and Mary Mag,ialsne.
The primary object of the sisters, until
the great rush OF miners began, was to edu-
the Indian children into the mission, the sis
te:s endravorel. first, to see that they had
sufficient food and then to teach them.
This year they have forty children under
their control. While not original In any
thing, the Indians are initiative, and some
Of .heTa learn rapidly. Experience has
shown that. as a rule, tney are una pprecia-
tive and ungratef ful, and the most untiring
efforts of the sisters have not prevented
then from Continuing to steal from each
other.
with the influx of miners to the hlon-
dixie and MuucOk districts, the sisters are
preparing to nurse the sick and relieve tlle
destitute 4 hospital has been built n
Daws,n. which they Will take charge Of
il, the SIrife, and another VIII be erected
at Rampant CITY.
In Septrlfbe- Sisters Mary Joseph, Mary
Benedict, Mary of the Cross and Mar
Pauline started for Dawson on the steamer
Alice. Their vessel, like others, was I'M
able To- cross the bars at Fort Yukon, 4Oo
miles he,ow Dawson, and with great re-
luctance they turned back. They were
willing To makethe attempt in anOpen boat,
but the captain, knowing the futility OF
such an effort against the swift curreEt,
would not permit it.
Sister Mary Loseph, a native of Pclgiaru,
has not many years TO live, an ope ratPn
performed, at san Francisco four yesrs ago
having fsiled IL cure her malady- WheP
told that the trip to Dawson meant posi-
bic death fer her away from h,r beloved
mission she smiled and replied than it
nattered not If size could accomplish some
gsE,d. Besides, sLe said. her death wousl
sci a good example III a holy cause.
4 ear,k,1 is maint aimed at the Holy Cross
Iissioh. cabbags. tu.nips, potatoes ana
other vegetables being raised almost as
far north as the arctic circle. Some of the
passengers who assembled the river IN Au-
gust AMI september can testify To the -
cellent quality CT these vegetables, which.
after thrir lohg period of canned goods
dieting. tasted better than any Thanks
giving .tInncr they had eaten. Isautifui
lowers and a COW form the other chiei
luy uries at the mission The summer sin
is so not that the children gp 20 bed be-
tweeE / q. III. and 3 D. m., dnd thel,
after luncheon, plaJ or WORK ia the garden
until II p IA.
The sisters " hu started for Ia wsi'n wer"
invited onthc steamer to eat some apples
They accepted, remarSing hat as the had
not sten III. apple in four years they taN'
almost forgotten how they tasted. Then
John Malone, of Tacoma, and David Ar
gyle. of San Francisco, had their box uf
apples brought from the upper deck AMI
turned over to them. These two passen-
gers Icsrucd that the Holy Cross Missh.n
had no brUCms, much to the disc'nHfiturU
of the sisters. On returning to st. Michael
they bought n dozen for 81 and left then.
with Father Superior Crenunt, who agreed
to send them overland to the mission by
Christmas. Each of the sisters will get a
broom. and one was labeled, ITO sweep the
way To Dawson in the spring."
Not infreqIently the sisters Journey hum
dreds uf miles on dog sledges during TIE
winter 70 render aid at the mining camps,