The record-union., 1899-03-16
ALASKA MISSIONARY WORK.
ADDRESS OF BISHOP ROWE
LAST NIGHT.
What the Episcopal Church Has
Done for the Indians in
Alaska.

! Owing to the inclemency of the
weather only a small, but interested,
audience listened at ST. Paurs Church
to the address of Right Rev. F. z.
Rowe, Episcopal Bishop of Alaska, on
his work and travels in that Territory.
Bishop Rowe is a most interesting
speaker, clear, direct, forcible and ma
jestic. He devoted the opening of his
address to the size of the country, its
physical conformation and its future
prospects. He thought the amount
paid for it-a little over seven million
dollars-a good paying investment for
our Government The prospects show
good quality of quartz along the coast
and fair quantity of gold in the in
terror. He believed that, so far from
being all desert, some portions OF 1t
would furnish subsistence for n limited
number of people, from vegetables and
other products that can be grown in
short season.
When he went there three years ago
there We're three missionary stations
one at Hope Point and two on the Yu-
kon. Now there are eight more. Speak
ing of the Indians on the Yukon and
their Improvement, he said Mr.. Duncan,
who had charge of them, had taught
them and managed them so that they
were docile and industrious. The
Church of England had built the houses
and furnished the money originally, but
there was a quarrel, as Mr.. Duncan did
not wish to submit to it. He took his
Indians away and made a colony else
Where. The town was laid out into
streets houses built and three miles of
sidewalks laid. A saw mill, store,
church and other buildings were con-
structed- The Indians were religiously
inclined and went to church. He did
not suppose there was another place on
the continent SO free from evil as that
one. They had lookup in which any
Indians who did not behave were con-
fined, but there had not been one in it
for over two years.
If white men came to the colony Mr..
Duncan would inquire into their char
acter and if they did not suit him
would send them away One Metho-
dist minister who thought Duncan did
not preach the Gospel properly to the
Indians came there and commenced TO
preach and excite them, and Duncan
sent him away, telling him that he did
not want the Indians excited, as it was
1ldIQ 10 tell WHdl -NOuIQ result HG
saying that the only good Indian is a
dead Indian is there falsifed, especially
If God is leading him.
The Indians were preserved from the
evil influences of the whites and those
on the Yukon We're better than many
white communities. White men came
there to sell liquor and boasted that
they would do so, but Duncan stopped
them and had them put out. Some peo-
rde ask, Can you depend on the IN
dian?" Yes, but they are only fifteen
years released from barbarism. The
whites are surrounded by good irfiu-
ences and should be better than the
Indians. How hard it is for us to be
Christians, with all our privileges. How
much harder must it be for the In
dians?
The few missionaries there have more
than they can do and have to depend
= on native assistance. These can read
and can aid much. They read but
little English, but the Bible and prayers
have been translated into the Indian
tongue. You hear them singing aid