The Portland daily press., 1897-11-05
MAINE INDIAN ASSOCIATION.
Annual Meeting Yesterday with Lecture
in Evening.

/
The 10th annual meeting of the
Woman's Maine Indian association was
called to order yesterday afternoon at the
Second Parish church by Mrs. Myra h.
Frye, president of the association. APP
propriate religious services were held
after which subordinate committees on
enrolment and resolutions were ap-
pointed.
Mrs. Frye then in fitting words well
coined the members and dweIt upon the
fact that our Indians were quite as sus-
ceptible of improvement and advancement
as the negroes and that the religious ele-
ment in their natures shout be de-
veloped SO that glimpse of the Son OF
God might illuminate their darkness.
The secretary IS report of the minutes OF
the last meeting was then read and ap-
proved. This was followed by the report
Of the secretary, Miss Alice Blanchard for
the last year of which this is an abstract:
''It is with great satisfaction that the
officers can report this year the realization
OF this hope chung to amid years OF dis
couragement, of planting mission
among the Absentee Shawnees. In Okla
homa territory this association, having
become incorporated, owns forty acres of
land, on which there now stands modest
white cottage, a barn, with the forest
prlmeval,, and we'll dug SO deep that at
one time it seemed as if all our resources
would be sunk before any water would
appear; the water since this arrival has
proved most abundant and an excellent
quality
The Maine State Mission as it is
called. is so far from the high roads of
travel that our two missionaries. Rev.
and Mrs. P. BIackledge, in their two
hundred odd miles of travel across
country with their own teams carrying
furniture and provisions, were guided
some miles, as Mrs. Blackledge writes,
by some white strings tied on bushes to
guide the luen who hauled lumber to
build the house with Even this failed,
and she wrote they thought the young
man who came along, the Lord must
have sent, for we had seen no one for
miles when we enqu1red of him if he
could direct us to the new mission, which
he was able to do, having been past it
two days before SO he knew the place and
led US all the way
These missionaries take up the work
laid down by Mrs. Kirp, to whose cour-
age, wisdom and devotion this association
owes SO much. 1t has been called the
Maine State Mission in the hope that
any man or woman throughout our large
state who feels prompted to help bring
civilization and Christianity to our
native Americans, may be moved to aid
this small beginning among a tribe
which has suffered SO much at the hands
of the white man, and whose cattle even
now are often stolen. This help can be
dues to this association through its presi-
dent, Mrs. Myra e. Frye, Woodfords,
III aine.
Indian literature has been distributed
in the state; magazines and papers sent
to Indian students in the West and books
from the library circulated in Portland,
Lewiston and Woodfords
Monthly meetings and board meetings
have been held with two large evening
meetings addressed by President M. Z
Gates, D. d. of Amherst college, Mrs. G.
A. Woodbury. and Miss e. w. Kits, an
educated Indian lady. The president has
made addresses in Bangor and Brunswick
Petitions have been sent Senators and
Representatives in Congress. Two large
barrels filled with clothing, blankets and
q variety of useful articles were sent to
Oklahoma territory.
Bangor Auxiliary. This auxiliary is
q most active and enthusiastic body of
women, who have held seven meetings,
sent petitions to Congress, taken the
Indian Friend, and have built and paid
for the stable at the Mission
Lewiston cireulates Indian books.
has sent petitions to Congress, takes the
Indian paper and has sent box of cloth
ing to Oklahoma. Waterville distribut-
ed literature and sent packages to Indian
workers.
The report was accepted and adopted.
The report of the treasurer, Mrs. M. M.
Bailey, showed receipts of $521.73, dis
bursements S49l.65, leaving balance on
hand of S300s. Accepted and adopted
Rev. Edgerton R. Young then briefly
addressed the convention, after which the
report of the petition committee was read
by Mrs Foster, also that of the press COM
mittee both of which were adopted.
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