The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1898-03-31
HOME MISSION "REMINISCENCES.

Il HOME MISSION REMrNIsCENCEs.
Rev. Thomas 7. Weeks Relates His Earl
Experiences - . Missionary While
Stationed ON tho San Juan
Islands.
j At the urgent request Of some Of tn
early settlers of this county we cheerful
publish the following article, written b.
the Rev. Thomas J. Weeks, for the mag
azine 1.-THE Church at Home and Abroad
and published in the May 1897 issue Q
that Journal.
I tthe year 1870 I was preaching-my frs
lsermons-in the vicinity of Victoria, b. C.
occupying certain branch mission station
my friend and c0-labOrer, Rev. ThOma
SOmerville, M. A., of the Church of Scot
land, to take up the needy work on tn.
San Juan archipelago, situated about fit
teen miles from Victoria. It was at tina
time under joint occupancy between
Great Britain and the United States. AT
ter consideration of the matter concluded
to go. found the greatest indifference
and recklessness prevalent. Thirty o.
more men we're living with Indian wOmer
unmarried, their cabin homes dreadfully
untidy; for years the Sabbath had been to
tally disregarded-men, women and chill
dren cOngregating at a grove in valley
in dancing, drinking and general carousal
canvassed the respective communities
visiting the people at their homes--such
| homes! Al first but few received me kind.
| ly, many rudely, some insultingly. had
then no precious Board of Home Missions
| to lean upon, no sympathizing secretaries
to confide my difficulties or troubles to,
no encouraging letters from them, cheer
tinued on and on, at last succeeding in Sc
curing about forty at our services, but un-
able to get the children together for Sab
bath-school, the general excuse being mo
clothes to wear"
CHILDREN IN FLOUR SACKS.
After while flour-sack suits were i'm
prOviSed, and, little and big, fifty were
gathered in our Sabbath-schoOl. At our
first regular service there was consider
able disturbance, persons going out and
coming in, suspiciously wiping their lips.
whiskey had been concealed in the bush,
and they went out to take a drink. 1
quietly reprOved this, and was not again
disturbed in this way. I found a ''stOp-
ping place" at cabin home; my room,
an attic corner, six feet by seven feet,
with barely standing room under the roof,
the shingle nails threatening my head.
The fare will not describe. I found it
profitable to dwell among the people, and
to accommodate myself to this very plain
life, thus being able to understand and
reach them the more effectually. After
conducting services for some time with
out receiving cent, and being difident
to speak of any remuneration until I had
established myself in their confidence
somewhat, man said to me one Sunday.
after service, "ParsOn, we are awfully
hard up, and have but precious little to
spare, or give you, but think it would
be well to pass the hat, say, once a
month" So l furnished a plate, and q
monthly offering was taken. The first
Sunday few nickles were on the plate;
after the benediction man came forward
and took from the plate two nickles, put
ting them into his pocket, saying, '"They
belong TO me, sir; put them in." I asked
why he put them in, and his reply was,
II only put the money in for examples
sake"
WEDDING FEES.
On one occasion travelled fifteen miles
to perform wedding ceremony for which
l received $500, greatly to my surprise. A
week after the man came to my room,
much agitated. asked the trouble. He
replied, 81 came to see if you can let me
have that money back? I had spent one
dollar, but handed him the balance with
out questioning. When leaving, he said:
for the money back, but we are short OF
muck -a-muck, and want to buy some
-four" On another occasion I went eight
miles to perform marriage ceremony.
Just as pronounced the benedictiOn, the
man filled and lighted short clay pipe,
walking away without even thank
yOu." / started to leave when the bride
said. Wait a little, sir" She then took q
sack, went into little garden patch, and
cut eight cabbages, putting them into the
sack, which she brought to me saying,
these are for you, SIR" took tho fee,
with thanks, and babe her good day, when
she said, "please bring the sack back"
SALARY? NOT MUCH!
After laboring among this people fol
two years, / was unable to raise sufficient
cash to purchase decent suit of clothes,
and for several years the only way
could secure anything was to preach from
January to December, then canvass the
entire field, going from house to house,
making pastoral calls land collecting on an
average about $25.
SENT TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY? NOT QUITE.
After preaching to this people for
twelve years, without any change or va
cation, l was elected Commissioner to the
General Assembly, meeting at Saratoga,
anticipating the trip with much pleasure:
A few months before we had commenced
and was still working on the structure,
early and late, to have it completed before
leaving for the Assembly, when I was
told that if went away from the work to
take 'sjaunt' East, the building would
go unfinished, as they would not give the
labor promised, SO abandoned the trip
and worked on the building to the end
The same year, in the month of Decem-
Der, / went around among the people to
solicit little financial help toward sup
port. when they told me that they had
given all they could spare that year to-
ward the church building, and that l
would have to go another year without
any aid from them.
BAPTISMS.
One Sunday parents with a child came
forward to present it for baptism. I asked
the name. Mother looked to father
father to mother, then both looked to-
ward me. again asked the name; then
the mother said, 1--WE have none, you
/ rn1 khn CIV h