The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-10

HOLY CROSS MISSION SCHOOL.
Photograph taken at II p. m.
esque country. The general char |
acteristics Of the landscape are lower
timber, with occasional ramparts OF
solid rock showing the effects of vol
canic action and great disturb
ance Of earth's surface.
T ATE Saturday afternoon, July "a,
IL we reached the village, of Anvik,
an Indian settlement at the
mouth of the Anvik river. We had
been told before going to Alaska that
the trip down the Yukon could not
be comfortably made without shields
from the mosquitoes. No occasion TO
use them, however, had offered until
this day, and none had been pro-
vided. While some annoyance from
mosquitoes was experienced on deck
during the day, we were quite unpre-
pared for the attack made upon us as
the gang plank touched the shore at
this Indian settlement. A picturesque
Indian graveyard had attracted at
tention as we swung around to the,
landing in the mouth of Anvik river,
and thither the camera fiends and
other members of the party fastened.
| The graves were on a hillside covered
with a rank grass and vines and
shrubbery, out of which rose clouds of
| mosquitoes and small black gnats, al
| most binding the eyes and making a
stay of only a few minutes a most
painful experience. A few pictures
were obtained, but not without the
shedding of blood, and great haste was
made back to the shelter of the wire
screens on the boat. The graveyard
was, however, one of the most in
teresting seen in Alaska. 1t was
remarkable for the number and
variety of articles with which the
graves were decorated. Nearly all
were covered with a small wood
ordinary chicken coop, on the top
of which were painted rude but
significant u designs at of animals and
birds and fish, while the articles
collected on these graves included
guns, snowshoes moccasins, masks,
letc. A favorite grave decoration
was a tin dishpan mounted bottom
side up on a tall pole. While we
MARYLAND let me say that nobody
stopped in that graveyard long enough
to do any marveling-that was all re-
served till after we were safe behind
the Healy's mosquito bars-while we
marvel at the superstition which
prompts the collection of these nu-
merous articles on the graves of the
dead we are reminded Of the reply OF
the Chinaman to the question why he
put rice on the grave of his dead
tWhether he thought they would come
back to eat it-when he said: "Yeppy;
all same Mclean man come back smell
posey." The propriety Of it all de-
Ponds upon the viewpoint. Anvik is
the seat of an Episcopal mission con-
Quoted by Rev. Mr.. Chapman, who
with Senator Dillingham;. He has
spent nine years here among these In
dams, many of whom become very de-
vout and reasonably consistent con-
verts to Christianity. : B.. a.za
:. TT was 10 o'clock in the evening and
: Il cloudy but not yet dark when the
Healy stuck her nose against the
soft, muddy bank at Holy Cross, the
: largest and: most successful of the
T Indian missions on the river. This in.
| stitution is under the supervision OF
/ the Jesuits, Of whom Father George
, de la Motto Of Spokane is superior
| assisted by members of the Sisterhooc
: Of ST.. Anne. * Father Leopold Var
: Corp is procurator in charge and as
3 ISOLATED with him is Father Johr
Luchesi. Several brothers of the same
: order assist in the teaching and il
= the manual labor of the institution
: which is considerable, as there arr
| under cultivation here twenty-five Of
. thirty acres, producing fine crops O.
$ potatoes, beans, peas, caulifower
! cabbage, lettuce, radishes, turnips ant
: other vegetables. This is the hes
. demonstration Of Alaska's agriculture
about $50 Indians attached to thu
mission and while the mission build
ings were substantial log structures
: the grounds around them we'll KEEP
q and the situation picturesque, the
Y conditions that prevailed in the littl
Z Indian vi11a0d that law a1Y10 St in from
8 Of the mission, along the river bank
;, were in striking and pitiful contrast
e Such squalor, such filth, such wretch
n edness suggested two reflections wit
n regard to this mission-one, viewin
8 the matter from the standpoint of tn
a village, Of wonder that the inf1uenc
: of the mission had not produced
8 better state Of things among the In
j dians and the other of wonder, view
$ ing the matter from the standpoint
: of the mission school, to which w
q were introduced, that so much ha
:. and the sisters out of the materia
n which the village furnished.
Z, The visit Of the senatorial commit
y tee had been expected for more than
& week and SO eager We're the childre
r to see the senators that for severe
e days they had kept watch by relay
c of the upper river from a high blu
r above the settlement When we al
n rived the children of the school wer
e all In bed. They would be terribl
e disappointed If they did not see tn
|, visitors. Would we walt till the
= could be wakened and dressed an
i assembled in their schoolroom?
d course we would. From the priest
e house we were presently conducte
e across the mission grounds to the Sis
e ters' dormitory and school, anothe
= long, log building banked with flow
ers In great variety and abundance an
t, set on a well kept lawn. The schoo
e room had been prepared for the OF
i casion, draped tastefully with red an
r white bunting and decorated wit
t, sentiments aof welcome In letters
# white and gilt. Here were assemble
II about twenty-five girls dressed in
Is neat school uniform and ranging
vi age from s to 16 years, and on til
: other side OF the room as many boy