The Nome nugget., 1903-01-14
ANOTHER KIND OF ANALOGY.

In'e discussion short time ago analogy drawn between the people of Northve,tern Alaska and those of New England during the "early days,' of that portion of what is tine United States.
 An examination of history, however, does not re- veal the "analogy" except in minor way. It is true that the colonists of New England were ever jealous o their rights, that they resented British op pression with all their might; that they ready to back their opinions by their deeds is certain, else there never would have been Boston tea party" and possibly the birth of the United States, as na tion, would have been long delayed They in peculiar sense pioneers, and every phase and circum stance of their life reminded them of their depend ence upon nature and the Supreme Power behind nature, while, at the same time the continual need and application of neghbor's cooperation with neigh bor brought brothcrly love in charming strength and beauty. No one, venture as. ert will 'point with pride" to the prevalence of brotherly love in Alaska.
 Tho New Englanders were intensely religious Their religion clerical, public and organized affair And it lad dark side Belief in witchcraft was nsarl y universal The average Alaskan nowa- days, does not believe in wchcraft, and his religious views ii he have any, of latitudinarian kind.
 Little more than two hundred years ago the peo- pie o New England attempted to follow literally the scrptural in junction, thou shalt not suffer witch to live In his history of the United States Andrews says that in 1883 Margaret Matron was tried in Pennsylvania on chargeof bewitchng COWS and sheep and placed under bonds of one hundred pounds for good behavior. In 17O5 Grace Sherwood was ducked Tn Virginia for the offence. There was no colony where the belief in astrology, necromancv second sight, ghosts haunted houses and spots, love spells charms and peculiar powers attaching rings herbs otc C,,ok ,l,,l:.
 lot peculiar to America, but cursed Europe as well. 1t seemed to flourish, if anything, after the Reforma- tion more than before. Martin Luther firmly be- lieved in witchcraft He professed to have met the devil in personal conflict and to have vanoushed him by the nse of an inkstand missile.
 The official religion of the Purans was not only superstitous, in general, but gloomy in particular, and most gloomy in New England Its central tenet seemed to be that life ought to furnish no joy, men seeking to merit heaven by making earth he'll" Sunday laws were severe and rcidly enforced from six o'clock Saturday evening till the same hour the next. Not the least work allowed unless abso- Iutcy necessary, nor any scnblance of amusement Boys bringing home the COWS were cautioned to "lct down the bars softly, as it was the Lords dav Sunday travellers arrested and fined Men might ne whipped for absence from church. To smile Tn meeting was to be threatened with exile The great Boston fire of 171l traced by a noted divine to the sin of Sunday labor, such as carrying parcels and cooking food. Sermons were two hours long, public prayer half an hour. Worse still was what went by the name of music-doggertl hymns full of the.most suphurous theology, uttered congregation ally ss 'lined of" by the leader-nasal, dissonant and discordant in the highest imaginable degree. The devil was believed in no less firmly than God, md indefinitely great power ascrbed to him.
 In people thus trained the miracle i. not that witchcraft and superstition did so much mischief, but 70 little In Massachusetts. in 1892 twenty per-