The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-19
MARSDEN OF METLAkAHTLA.
Graduate of the sttka Indusfriai
school, Marietta College, and Laae
Theological se1inary-What He

nsoD564 Aasis stsssSs54 ts@@ta3+ HsS Assa p]ss'"
fer the future % Alaska and his peoSse.
He la Edward Aarss.sn, 9 years Old,
graduate 81 he S.tka snGgstr.a! school. CT
Marietta coilegs. O.. and q Lane Ths2sog-
.caI sezal nary. Of Cincinnati. From the asst
named Institution he has t1zt graduated
sEa is nos On the way hack to MS home
q, the islsra 81 New Aet4kaa,ia. Alaska.
% labor az missionary aFnang tho heathen
native cf tae greag Northwest.
Mr.. Margeen may b. termed remark
sbge man. lie Is certainly & striking Illus
trai.on Of tha possiollties-tae rea-ized pos
s.blllties-of the Indian character. os
course. IL must be granted ;hat his Is an
exceptional character. yet even 80. the
statement holds good. for be Is Indian from
head TO tee n Ilsi Of h.s varied attain
nents. picked I'D here ard there about the
country. nearly makes one gasp. Behold
them:
ggiek.aylng. clock repairing. house paint
ing gardening. iins.n!t hing. store and
Bookkeeping. steamboat engineering. ma
chine handling N general. p!ano tuning.
land surveying printing. ;ypewF.tsns and
come Others. Besides which, he Is stu
dent 81 tna iaw department NJ the cincin-
nat Young Meas Christian Association
nad a grae4ubeF % the class 1f 1859 In the
chautauqua literary and scientific course.
Ills aYst summers work. entered Into at
.he age uf s, IS said 20 have uetted him s..
a pair " trousers and "a sack q Irish pota-
tosn.
He speaks the English language correct
- and aitrI excellent choice. and - taor-
oughiy conversan; with two Of the tbeee
Indian tongues spoken in Alaska, the
Tslnpshean. 8hieh II hls Own. and tha
ThIinelt. I'm both OF thege he viii preach.
He aas Travelled extensively Ia British
Columbia. Alaska and the states Studying
closely the adlcationa. and mercantile Ia
stit0tlons. municipal governments and so
clal organizations 10 general To some OF
the Alaskan papers be has contributed ar
tlcles on various topics az tina day.
In conversation with a post-ints;ilgencer
reporter at Inc hotel last evening Mr..
nars1en ssii
''YoU ask me what are some Of the w
gent needs Of ALASKA. Let ne sag that
Among others. Alaska needs four things.
namely, the Introduction Of Christianity.
the erection Of educational institutions. the
deTeopnzent OF industries. and the estab-
,fshment, Of better system of law and
government. These things we must have II
all og Tx are "a stand on ar equality with
the great American people or any other
civilized people. Give them 20 US. 10 all
OF us and We Will add 10 the Star-SpangieJ
Banner 4 new star. a bright north polar
star.
II have very great confidence In the u
tiTnate future Of a aska. and believe that
In this work ~ development the Alaskan
Indians viii bear q conspicuous part. Il
L. very true that the task OF ciViiizing tho
natives especially those or the more
northerly portion Of the country will be
one OF immense labor and uutIring. cease
iess effort but do not for "A moment
doubt that I'm the end IL will he accom-
pshed. History has shown that heather
isfn can b. converted 20 civilization only
by the Introduction of Christianity. My
purpose IS 20 give my life 20 the work OF
spreading ;he gospel in Alaska. Though
II "a trtte that ii large proportion OF the
e. $40 or 81 fEo natives - iu a state Of
heathenish degradation, yet my He and
observation have shown me that the native
character IL easily susceptible 10 good In
fpenccs, capable al inteligen. reasoning.
and rot hardened in instinct. From these
facts ! think the .abor Of ChrlStianizlng
VIII be not only successful and broad In
effect bar ~peedy ana fermanert IN result.
one Of the NEST interesting places IN
Alaska Is the town of New Metlakahtla.
my home. The population Is t.ao. and. ex-
eept in The matter Of educational work.
entirely ealf~supporting. The government
s. not cammunstiC. bat IL lati somewhat
upon that lne THE industrial works in
clpdo IA tAnuery. large sawrnill and 4
ed and operated BY t8e people. each per
cor receiving yearly dividends from the
outputs. "A nearly am anla 10 iltlce
the average tOdltidua family wealth Of
the people is &Fa though some have sIc-
ceedtd 81 doubling. tripping or aaadgupitng
that amount There are 10 poor n the
town.
'In lsSt IN. Ts'u1pshezns migrated 10 the
island Of New Aetlakshts from Northern
british Columbia as a rrsplt ~ trouble With
TIE English clergy and politicians They
founded tha present town. ia 1891 CON
rFess passed bill giving the island IN
Them In reserve. -Four years later gold
WIS discovered ia The sand and miners
fackef n from al parts - tha country
ronnda eoUt Tine rssrTvatien % the
T$impHheaDs ~ 9nce became odlsus t. She
newcomers sul steps were taken hy their
instigA tton which nnaiiY ic3 - a bin which
Is BOW IA onfGrr@-s taxing from tAe Indians
AMI throw .nE open - puel.e rasss s*tan al
t-f thR T. Rp4 except o"~ s,ua3 srn on
witch IS sital9ttA ihs Jswn % Eew Met
iakshtla This h.} hope and le leve. vii
never pes~. - Is exceedingly unjust ard
tgs inevt able EJECT would la - Stif}e All
development ~ tar TSsulta beans To lsira
ore Illustration. The fapa water supply
IS pret trstn tse sop x mountain three
n3tles away. outside ~ tAe arm mention
81 ls tao fe'Auf were t2kvu fron the Ia
diarR ana thrown nr~~ - rGhlic possession
thft woa1 Hun%d a'ciy leso t1.s s4ppiy.
Tsoa fhe ar 'HoiEt = cs0itY tbe ucye-
f0ert is a utes. uut.lst err.
-Tlr f1.vB<hrAus NsN~ in 'hem the max
ar eg 81 IS ara uarrH5 -.;txrns earnest.
J. ho.'e fee TEse4 Ste'e4 government MI.
Pos r~.* drop fhe b. - i}sIeHsless~s tAef,1.
but y r e. .NsS N.:a tH@ p sht nc frser-
etstaH sHi rse tatw aps#et,I-, s~s<seS*.a n
aNd u@~ 9f tee island s'ef'stnlv sa~4y a
ccr ee>s.sa sass ea veli corded ard we,sga
beA~ uaHst >@-lte1f rest4fts"