Fort Wrangel news., 1898-08-31

Sitka, seemed hungry for the truth, and would spend hours talking on some Bible subject. He was always happy, SO they called him the "happy Indian" When baptised, he took the name Hen ry, and afterwards returned to Iuka- tai, where he was SO active in witness ing for Christ that several of his people came to Sitka and stayed several months to hear the gospel, because of what Henry had told them.
 He finally surprised Mr Austin by his unexpected return. After a long conversation he said: "l have not had the Lords supper for long time and have put no money in the basket" As he said this he took out his purse and put four silver dollars on the car pet. The money was sent as a special gift to help pay the debt of the Home Board.
 The census report for 1894 says re ligion Is doing more to keep the natives within peaceful pursuits than all the combined forces of military and civil government and adds that too much cannot be said of the men and women who are laboring to bring these people to higher plane of civilization.
 One missionary testiiies that Alas kans, who were given to drunkenness, rioting and sensuality, have been trans formed by the power of the gospel into sober, orderly and pure minded Chris tians, observing the Lords day and en toying the means of grace.
 A visitor mentions this as an impress i've sight: ''The difference between Fanny Willard, our native teacher at Sitka, her beautiful face beaming with joy and love, and the unchristianiZed, bent, worn creatures whose faces were disfgured with lamp black and fish oil, and made more hideous with tabrets piercing the chin, and to think that Fanny was few years ago a heathen child on the ranch at Fort Wrangel r'
 Fanny Willard was promising pupil in the Fort Wrangel Home, under the care of Mrs. Mcfarland. Her native name was Shik- sha nj, but her mother called her Fanny, and Miss Willard, of Auburn, N. r., who aided in her edu- cation, gave the child her own name In 1885 she was placed in a school in Elizabeth, N. J., where she was a gener al fayorite, winning the love and conf dence of all. She returned in 1890, and as teacher and interpreter, has ren- dered invaluable service.
 The work begun by Mrs. Mcfarland has developed and the Presbyterian church is now engaged in missionary work at Sitka, Juneau, Chilkat, Fort renee Island and Point Barrow. The schools and homes, under the care of the Woman's Board of Home Missions, have been very succc ssful. From the Sitka Training School, where besides classroom instruction the girls are trained in household industries and the boys are taught carpentry, shoe making, blacksmithing and coopering, many we'll equipped men and women have gone out who are a power for good among their own people.
 The Presbytery of Alaska was organ ized and held its first meeting Septem- Der 14th 1884. It reported to the Gen eral assembly in 1897 eight churches, eight hundred and forty communicants, seven hundred and thirty five Sunday school scholars.
 When Dr. and Mrs. Marsh set out for Point Barrow, Dr. Jackson said that was the hardest place on earth to which a missionary could go; that there was no place in Siberia or Africa more in accessible.
 Living, as we do, in populous com munities, writes the Rev. Dr. Henry M. Field, we can hardly comprehend the awful silence and loneliness ofthe Arc tic Circle. The situation of missionar ies is in some respects worse than that of exiles in Siberia, for the exiles can at least have the companionship of sor- TOW. But some of our missionaries are literally out of the world. They receive mail only once year. Months may pass without seeing familiar face. In one case missionary was left alone among the Eskimo for whole winter.