Fort Wrangel news., 1898-08-31
nlsslan. In AIaska.
Church n, Home and Abroad

Ne8aiu uctlaicu III tho lhlled atales Senate. "rhe Pacific Ocean, its shores. its islands and the vast regions beyond, will become the chief theater of events in the worlds great hereafter"
 II was through the influence of Mir. Seward, then Secretary of State, that the United States in lS67 purchased Alaska from Russia for S7 7,2OO,o0O. Ma ny laughed at the idea of buying an iceberg and the great land with its 53l, ,OOo square miles was called Sew ards folly Mir. Seward, however, ex. pressed the belief that this purchase would one day be looked upon as the great act of his life.
 Alaska is Switzerland over again, and more, says Dr. Field, for while Switzer- land has the Alps, Alaska has it's Alps, with the Pacific Ocean thrown in. It is the combination of the boundless wa ters with the everlasting mountains that gives such grandeur to this west ern coast of North America.
 \ tourist who has visited all accessi- ble portions of Europe, Asia and Amer ica says there is no other such combi- nation of scenery on the face of the earth as in Alaska.
 It was not until 1877 that any effort was made by citizens of the United States for the moral elevation of the 3OOOO inhabitants of this vast and far off land. In that year, Dr. Shelden Jackson, accompanied by Mrs. A. k. Mcfarland, set out to establish a mis- sion in Alaska. At Fort Wrangel they found that Philip Mckay, an Indian convert from Methodist mission in British America. had already establish ed school, and was holding religious services. Mrs. Mcfarland took up this work, and for nearly year she was the only white woman in the country. As an outgrowth of this faithful work church was organized at Fort Wrangel in 1872
 After forty years of home missionary service, twenty of which were spent in Alaska, Mrs. Mcfarland has now re tired from active labor.
 The Alaskan tribes are described as good -natured, bold and self-reliant. They never steal from guest. An un guarded house is respected and deer may with safety be left hanging on a tree. Family honor and clan pride are the strongest influences in their life, and to meet the demands of these they will make any sacrifices"
 The natives of southeastern Alaska are prevalent, industrious, self-sus- taining people. They have from the first favored and welcomed every effort for their civilization, the establishment and maintainance of industries and the education of their children.
 In his report for 1894 Governor Sneak ley said: The Alaskan Indian is entire ly self-supporting, is industrious and thrifty, receives nothing from the gov ernment, asks for nothing, wants noth ing; and it is to be regarded as bless ing that he is not demoralized and pau perized by government aid"
 Dr. Jackson tells us that the native races of Alaska are exceedingly religi- ous. They refer all events, great and small, to an influence supernatural. If a man makes good catch of fish he does not say, "How skillful 1 am," but, "A good spirit helped me today" If hunter comes with little to show, he does not say,"I have had bad luck" but he will tell you, Bad spirits drove all the animals away, or disturbed my aimn
 A tradition of the crucifixion is held by a tribe at Point Barrow. A native told Prof. Stevenson that man who had lived long ago was killed and put into the ground, and a few days after rose again. He said he had it from his father. and his father from his grand father, and he did not know how many generations it had been in the family.
 The reports of our missionaries abound in striking incidents and en- couraging facts.
 A chief who was anxious to have a missionary sent to his people, came to Sitka and remained nearly year that he might learn about God and the way of salvation. He and his wife were re- caiyad to tho cburch q