Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1907-10-22
ADDRESS BY Mr.. PARLIN.

c. c. Parlin addressed the mems
meeting at the Y Nj. C A. on Sunday
afternoon and all present enjoyed the
occasion as it was among the most in
teresting talks ever heard in the associa-
ton building. Mr.. Parlin took for his
theme that part of his recent trip into
Alaska which referred to William
Duncan, who started out as mission
airy among the cannibal Indians of
British America Mr.. Parlin had been
announced to speak upon Alaska;
he said this was an error. but that he
would tell "The story of man of God. y
Briefly, Mr.. Parlin said he had made
his trip to Alaska and was returning to
the states. The boat had started out
from Ketchian, the southernmost city
of Alaska and the passengers had set
tied themselves for two days run to
Seattle. 1t was Sunday and as it was a
fine day the captain said he would run
over to the island of Meta Rattan and
enable the passengers to see Mr.. VIM
Duncan's little colony of Indians. In
asmuch as the boat did not have a pas
senger or an ounce of freight for the
island and it was about four hours out
of the boats regular course. it seemed
a strange thing to do. This feeling was
dispelled after the visit to the island.
Some of the passengers looked over
the village while others visited Mr..
Duncan, who was an Englishman 80
years of age, who had appearance of
being ruddy and strong. notwithstand-
ing his advanced age. To those who
visited him he told the history of his
life. That he went out as missionary
for the church of England to the canni-
bal Indians of British America. He re-
ceived no encouragement at the fort
near the home of the Indians, but VAS
told that if he went out among them he
would be killed nor could the Indians
be let into the fort as they would seize
it. One Indian was finally admitted,
however, and from him Mr. Duncan be-
gan the arduous task of learning the lam
guage, which took him three years of
hard study as some words contained as
high as IA syllables.
Shortly after reaching the fort, some
of the Indians were seen killing
woman. They cut her into pieces and
while frenziedly dancing about, they
ate the flesh from the bones. When
Mr.. Duncan had learned the language
he wrote brief sermon on Gods Love
For Man." and committed it thorough
ly. He then assembled the nine tribes
on a certain Sabbath and with some
fear and trembling he talked to them
and repeated the sermon to them thirty
times that day. From that time on he
continued his work and although at
tempts were made on his life at various
times, he was always saved by the inter-
vention of the Indians whom he had
converted. He changed their ways of
living, but progress was slow. He
tried to get married missionary and
his wife to assist him; several couples
come but were soon scared out. he
could not marry because it would mean
death to his wife to leave her alone as
he would often have to do. He realized
that if the work was to be done he
must do it alone. He separated the
converted Indians from the uncon-
verified and was given a strip of land on
the coast by the British governor
whittier he took them. He found that
his Indians had more needs thai when
in their wild state; they needed clothes
and homes. So he established fish
cannery and instructed them in the
work; a saw mill was added.
The forms of service of the church of
England proved unsuitable and he
finally asked the United States govern
ment for an island and he was given
the Annette Islands which are some
fifteen miles long by five broad, to
which he removed with his l 900 Indians,
and where they now have a nice village
in which there is school, church, can
merry and saw mill. MIR. Duncan is
pastor, employer, governor and Judge.
The Indians are employed at wages
that run as high as So 90 day for the
men; $125 for women and rs cents for
children and the profits are all used for
the benefit of the community. Schools
taught by a white man and his wife
So great a change has been wrought in
The Indians that there has not been a
case of bloodshed reported among
them for over forty years. While the
Indians are said to do fine work, the
visitors were unable to secure any of it,
and could only take away with them
remembrances of pleasant visit.
While Mr. Duncan now has notrouble
with his Indians, he has had much
trouble with prospectors, so much SO that
he travelled clear to Washington, d. O.,
to see the president and secured the
issue of an order prohibiting prospect
ing on the island. Fabulous amounts
had been offered to allow prospecting
as the island is known to be rich in gold
deposits, but Mr.. Duncan preferred his
Indians free from tine corrupting in
fiuences of wealth, and enabled TO lead
quiet, christian lives,
Mr.. Parlin said that the church on
the island was the best one he saw in
Alaska.
Mr.. Parlin spoke at length on the
noble life work of Mr. Duncan and the
PILOT only regrets that is has not the
room to give the address complete.