The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-07
MEILAHKATLA'S GOOD INDIANS
CY WiRMAN TELLS or FATHER
DINCAN'S TINY EMPIRE.
Present state OF = Tribe VINO We're Gan.
nibals Forty Years AGA Prosperous
Community IN Annette Island
dr. ilurtnn'S Autttrut.c RUE.

n ft'l' ~ NV " w
all ia u, at black Clothes, with Whit. colIais
ami snowy II, ckti,s. we're On the wharf.
One a. them IAN ana caught the limo when
a sailor flung it ashore an made the shii
fast.
One vs. bite man stood among tine lndiaf1
directing their movements. His voice Nas
clear anu harry, his accent Scotch.
That's Father Duncan said tho Irish
cai tain Of the Resale. A fine Old ohoi
WHO hau, been With ,hes., Indians. here anu
IN anaua, for forty years
We were to have an hour here, the cap
tan said 70 nearly all the pasr, myers VEN
ashore.
Tine town is situated at the point Of
Ia lie neck f land that IL a part Il Annette
Island. The slorc that tiIs q, ntly tc"aiG
The sea is dotted with pretty hit. cot.
tag.s, the homes Of lnuian.; Just such
homes as Ir' sI,tous vh!te n.,h have III h
w.L-re guiatcd community.
Father Duncan. the Emperor Of the
island. or Dr. Duncan. as h. il sonc,if e.
called. is the only white man here, rave the
man who, Nith his White wife, Ii soNan,
in IN" kngs household
There are no horses, no wagons IN this
town Of a thousand inhabit ants; no streets,
only the hlZh, wide board walks along
which the natives drive th, ir bicyClts.
Hiyh up on the SLOPE. overlooking the bay,
Stands the old picturesqu" church. and
above and still beyond II, the new onc-thc
finest In Alaska.
The Indians are very proud Of this church,
1t is of their own hindiworE and is 20 bv
100 feet in size and capable of sealing 800
persons. Pows, pulpit and ceiling arr
finished in native woods. handsomely and
art Isl ically inlaid. over the pulpit in q
semi-circlc Of largo letters OF iulaid woods.
is the Bible injunctio ion, p, acc on earth;
good will o men
According to Father William Duncan.
the Indian who execute this bit Of art lie
work is he Identical cdnnibal whom the
Father found, some forty wears ago at
, Port simpson. pic>in. he wishbone of one
! Of the men of his tribe. Only tho way In
| which the good Father. according TO an
| ADM 'lny correspondent p II j. IL so blunt
| and brutal, SO awful and revol, ing. that an
! unable to quote his story for the benefit
| of NV readers.
II is sufficient for YOU to know that In
British Columbia, only forty years ago,
| these same Indians were feeding upon
| each other as blact birds feed on worms.
| Now they have painted hogans. wit h Bible =.
bath tubs. brass bands. bicycl,s and bangs.
] understand they are to organize a woman's
| club this winter
We saw a lamp burning In big vhi'e
house, knocked, and an Indian opened the
| door We told him that Ne we're tourists
tating In the town.
He was sorry, he said that we had ar
| rived so late; service was over, and the
! band was not playing on Sunday. While
Joe and Charlie, a couple Of Young chars In
| our party asked questions ny friend Thomr-
| son edged in uninvited. seated himself at a
little square table and began turning over
/ the leaves OF an autograph album that lay /.
along with Bible and photograph album.
| on the stand.
Presently saw jim smile. saw him take
PENCIL from his pocket and copy some
think from an album
THAT chap is the Alfred Austin of the
| tribe" said Jim. as We walked back TO the
| boat That autograph album was full Of
poetry, mostly about Father Duncan, but
some about the Island, their fight from
| Canada. the sea and nature. The lest one
was called The Wild Cat ] copied that
| one"
Here Is one stanza:
| There's nothng 81 Wild as the wildcat.
The tame cats as ia ne as a child,
| But he steals all toe cream fro the wildcat.
And that makes the wildcat Wild,
We learnt that the ruler Of this little
colony was able to divide up $500 among
| this people-about SIS per capita-last year.
But whatever CONES TO TINS Pa'l. Mt. hard
the nearest approach TO perfectly civ
ilized Indian that IL To be found on this
| contine nj.
The most intelligent and enlightened
| tribes in anada cannot equal these M,tlah-
ka,lans for inlell gonce, cleanliness and
godliness. And Father duncan did it all
He brought them over from British Col
lumbia transplanted them to American
soil, hoisted the stars and Stripes. and
with a simple turn of the wrist fopped
them over from Ihurch. of neland Indians
to Presbyterians, as a miner ,fiIs flap jack.
That must have been little &C nihsing
10 the lately civilized savagss, but they all
survived for they believe ia Father Duncan
more than in any simple creed.
One Of the chief aims of the good man
who watches over the neck il to prev,n
| who touch here, or v no are daring enough
TO 20 prospecting on Annette Island. The
result II this vatchfuln,es is tina, you see
| evidence of only dash here and there Of
! Is never allowed TO be alone " ith " hite
| man for q mon ent, and must marry, IL she
| marry al all, one Of her own tribe.
| The salmon cannery, sa,vmill, general
stores, blickyard and ether mercantile
| estal lie hmcnts and industries are con-
Quoted on the cooperative plan. The
| selnon cannery employs 200 natives and
10000 cases Of salmon are packed every
YER.
| oged entirely BY natives, cuts 5000 feet
Of sa ed and planed lumber a day. 1t
Is run by water power from a lake three
mil ava. and the Same lake furnishes
the TON With fresh water.
In this model community are Thoto-
graphic galleries. shoe repairing shops.
Restaurants, music rooms, DC. The native
work men receive the wages thcv indi-
vidually enrn, according 10 the value Of
the "ork they can 90, ranging from si,25
to 81 IS a day for men and boye, in proper
tt.n To hAN IN