The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-01-29

rHE first eh5ecs 81 interest which
~ Il posates 90. 60 TIA tarzrSss ~iso
1l4I .ares nj TIE sfla. quaint cd
NJ gxszs.sn t1En o6 Sstka~ Alaska.
IL zn old eToss, very much the
worse feg wear, THAI occupies
prominent position ia the la;ssxsasss A
<.se ssasg.s go ssss wharf Tp1s EssExz the
sDet where the first church building In
fsstkz ~ss crested. ia zSl7 from fifss,sTs
recovered from the wrecked snip Nsvx-
E1f although K ts = ssg=1 sssSt, ara
ss the tine % the treaty for tne transfer
es tbs Alaskan territory from Russia 90
AnaFsra ~ lsasS waS one OK the sarc<s
Of .alt confirmed by protocoi &c TIE
Greco Russian church, H. Dies rot really
mark tbs FIRST caurcE bs.s11snx ia A-sska-
There IL al old ruin Of d large los house
at KerAs 20 which aszlsf be accorded this
konDy for that Was raised for missionary
and ehssrEss ps.ryGses az far back as s'ss.
or the year after Russia Iaa3 claim 20 the
country.
kenas is en- ths eass side OF Coax Inlet.
81 the mouth OF tie kaknu river. and At
tire tine of shs transfer MAS stu sorri-
6ed place. This Was tfse earliest parma
neDt sesfsesnsas nsssie by 1as Ru%ssafaa,
ard the missionaries OF the Gfsco-Rsss-
mar cks4rcs. were soon In the field. and
sasceeede1 in Christ .anixiEg the kAxsasS
Indians al much from a fear Of the
wrath Immediately Threatening an OF THAI
0g the great hereafter. And yet. as ex-
Gov. sxineford says Ia his history OF
Alaska they are now az good Christians
~ can Reasonably he expected from their
limited understanding. ard In honesty viii
compare fayorahiy with most white COM
munsties whose religious professions aTs
much more 0rthofox
To tell Of the history Of reagson In
Alaska. however. II In necessary 10 go
back TO that old wooden cross At this en-
trance sa Gstka town And In this hrtes
newspapsr history of the missionary work
done In the Tar on territory. By The Issaz-
ssans frat. and later by the varioas re-
Jig1ous denominations Of America. there
wHI be much to surprise the ordinary
esadw
Notable Chaye.s Dasldtngs.
There are bat two especially sctahls
church buildings In Alaska the one the
famous Russian cathedral a. Saika and
the wooden edifice Of ecclesiastical design
'hsstA BIZ the JeSuits which Is 50 prominent
IN the shadow Of Juneau ciin as the tour
1T comes uo the bay. TIE present kx,ha
cathedral was begun la fsfs and completed
ON st. MiehaTIs day. 1875. ard hence IL
under the tutesary guardianship Of that
saint. Among its most precious relics is a
portrait OF the patron saint. with sts
drapsry OF god. Rich vessmsats. gold
and silver vessels. valuable paintings aud
chased figures in silver and gela atsj
crocious stones. have made this church
famous throughout the world. These were
the gifts OF the nabies Of Russia, and
d*orxs Kostrometfnoff, the present Gus.
todsan, who In also interpreter 10 the
United States district court. shows them
10 visitors with great pride.
Alaska forms q bishopsfc Of the GREGG
Russian church. the sste Of which Gnsii
few years ago was Eltsa, but IL now re-
mains al San Francisco. The title Of the
bisho2rte IL that OF Alaska and the Aleai-
tan Islands. The Russian government
Annually appropriates about 1870 for the
support o. the church in Alaska, 20 that
every priest has a salary and is not de-
pendent upon his cnHgresa alton The
bishop receives . salary OF ssac a year.
and the priest according To the import