The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-05-15
Missionaries N ALASKA.
IN. Sheldon jackson Sums Up
! What They Have Done.
s,sGlR WORK IN FORTY YEARS.
80 Sor Their LahoPs white Men
CougA Not Now Travel Anong ua.
Eve Tribes In safety-HOw Ter
rstsyy Was Divided Among Pre-
g scheme II warmly Defended.


rev. Sheldon jackson. the apostle OF the
Arruocn a. the FRS. rreAbyterisn church
q missionary Work IN Alaska" under
- auspices Of the Alaska Eeoxraphicaf
society Though he spoke but an hour.
N Jackson exhaustsveIy reviewed the
MISSIONARY work OF al Protestant demon.-
s1Asions in the great empire OF the North
within the past forty years. and also gave
N outline Of the reindeer work in which
BE- has been engaged since $50.
Or. Jackson's lecture was Of. absorbing
interest. One fact upon which he dwell,
With emphasis was tina. the thousands of
goad-sseken now Drawing the p~riIs Of cold
ana starvation IN the inhospi;ab;e North
swe their safety from the added danger
81 savage tribes o3 Indians wholly 20 the
hhoYs Of the Christian missionaries who
went In advance OF commercial interests
ana spread The Gospel among the then
barbaroue natives.
Another interesting point made by DR..
Jackson was that 10 no one denomination Is
due all the credit for the spreading OF
Christianity among the benighted peoples
81 Alaska. He tod how In 1850 a meeting
Of the missionary societies OF the various
Protestant denominations was held in New
slonary effort was amicahly divided he
tween the different churches explaining
Why the wandsrer In Alaska in the present
day finds the missions OF each dencmina-
ton In one section 1T the country only.
prosecuting the work OF salvation free from
the interference Of other Protestant work
ers In the same field.
II was almost s,arting 10 hear Or. Jack
son tell Of the existence for years Of Pro-
testant missions In districts OF Alaska
which to the iayman even now seem more
remote. more entirely out of the world
than the provinces Of central Africa. Such.
for instance, as the Morayian missions on
lfhe Kuskokwim river. with fwenty-three
missionaries and hundreds OF converts. ard
the ConEregationalist mission near Cape
Nome. the scene Of the latest and possibly
one of the richest gold strikes yet made In
Alaska.
Rev. wIiiiam I1snean.
DR. Jackson's outline OF missionary work
N Alaska began with sketch OF the life
work Of Rev. William Duncan. the founder
Of Metlakasia. which began AT Fort Simp-
son. u. c.. In 1865. Mr.. Duncan was then
divinity student fresh from Tendon. and
entirely ignorant of the language or char
scter Of the people among whom he cast
Ms lot for life.
His first task was 10 learn the language.
sIhh accomplished. nc waa prepared TO
Weach the Gospel 20 the natives. DR. Jack
Ua told the story as told by Mr.. Duncan:
Nm the natives came from far ana near.
xser to hear read 'the letter written by
- Great Spirit, the Great Chief OF Heav
49, how they crowded the chiefs house
N very village and then climbed tn the
sssA md peered in through the smoke
Asas~ A0w the head men OF one tribe. In
stAnr 6pigght cried aloud THE heavens
IN eAanging! The heavens are changing"
and how AZ last. through the efforts Of
~ Duncan. the church IN the United
BATES was led to take some interest In the
.eeecsed territory of Alaska
ne frss missionary society in Alaska. ac-
tc.linE 10 Dr. Jackson. was organized by
four young Indian men who wen: north
from Fort Simpson te Fort wrangel 10
work for the United States government in
Getting cordwood. iisscrate. scarcely able
b Rad their Bibles. they were nevertheless
wi of neal. and by their example fired the
natives around For, wranveI with a de-
are 10 knnw more OF the teachings OF the
white missionary. Mr. Duncan.
Every Sunday during the working sea-
san they held open meetings and exhorted
the natives In embrace Christianity. ana
when In The fall II came time for them To
depart FOR ths.r homes Down the coast.
sshey left one Of their number behind 10
eon;insa their good work. agreeing % CON
1stbS u1tTNftAftN fHG1 ct EEftf WiHtcf
EARNINGS for h,s support.
In 1910 suffers clerk attached 20 the
military post AZ For, wrangsi wrote down
10 MAJ. Ger. Howard In the e.ates. ask
ing that white minister he sen, 70 labor
Among n. natives. The letter was turned
ever 10 the missionary board ~ the rre~-
eyterssn church and ma 81 result pr. Jack
On. then n ycang ma. WAS sent north in
lsss 70 look Into che opportunities for mis-
R5cuary ri In, ts al
venture Was Mrs. A. I. Mcfarland. Later
the Rev Hall Yonng and Rev J. g. Brady.
now governor OF Alaska. followed. As the
mutt az their lahor the Presbyterian church
now numbers 7ea communicates IN South
eastern Alaska
suhai~ tatWw the Field.
In IsSe the attention ~ al ~ the Pro
ses'ant denominations was called "a the
as'i Alaska wac Offering Ger missionary
wess. and they were preparing - seai
missionaries north - oscapy It. The wiser
winds knew. however that such step
would Be fatal sere not Some division ct
the territory arranged and fer the rur~
POSE 81 maklng This division The mission
AIRY boards 81 sha various denominations
met In New York ard agreed upon ere
partition
The Freshyiergsns. having alresdy essah-
hshed Themselves tn Southeastern Alaska.
we're allowed - retain that ffe'S- The sap-
lists w*re gwen ka3sak island ana the
Cook ifsle' regien The Meshoisef~ tcek ths,
A'sssisr stands with headquarters a. Una
aska The Caarrs ~ England ha3 at
Nsdy occaVtet. fer many yeaYs sae valley
OF the Yukon. ard the natives Of tina; dis
usss were familiar with Is ritual For
shss reason tire Protestant Episcopal chuss.a
Was allowed - take that field The No
fasisns were given permission - establish
fAttr missions on the kaxk1kwsn7
Later ,se swedish Evangelical tnlon
came ir3o the asta ana established mis-
stems a; tina AKIN. Goaavin Aax. ar3 rear
sAe toaf - Mount 81 elias svtN later the
Cenxrega, ionsi church seek the dsxtgscs cf
which teaFsa y ssrs < me esasaF Next this