The Springfield herald., 1912-06-07
r. AND MRS. EDGAR o. CAMP
BELL of st. Lawrence Island.
Alaska, who have been spend
ing a few weeks In the states.

~ ing a few weeks In the states.
are enjoying their second va
cation since 1901, when they went
there to engage in social work among
the Eskimos. Their work is similar
to that of DR.. Grenfell. though their
isolation is even greater than that Of
the workers on the coast Of Labrador
Situated in the Behring Sea, two
hundred miles from Nome and forty
miles from Siberia. in the shadow Of
the Arctic Circle. st. Lawrence is In
accessible eight months in the year.
| and the other four the only connec-
ton with the outside world is the
arrival of the United States revenue
cutter, the supply ship. and chance
whaler now and then. and on one or
two occasions q gasoline boat from
Nome.
The island is government reindeer
reservation and the most remote sta
tion of Alaska except Point Barrow,
which is the northernmost post office
In the world. Yet Point Barrow has
reindeer mail service three times in
the winter. while St. Lawrence has
but one regular mail year.
"As you know" said DR.. Campbell.
"I am employed by the government to
teach the Eskimos and superintend
the care of the reindeer. For five
years my wife. who had been reared
in Southern California. where she
never saw a snow fall, was the only
white woman on the island, but when
we returned from our first vacation
ha with 1od
assistant teacher.
There is no authority on the isl
and" continued the doctor. religious
or civil" The man who catches the
most whale may be called chief but
he has no more control than others.
The devil-doctors have a certain kind
of power through their sorceries, by
working on the fears and superstitions
of the people. but not otherwise. The
language is not that of the Eskimos
of the mainland. but OF Siberia"
DR.. Campbell has done what no
man has ever done before. for he has
language-and has published a book
let containing the alphabet. pictures
of simple objects and translations
from the Bible. 1t is language OF
many syllables. A sentence of six
English words OF one syllable each.
has twenty-three syllables in Eskimo.
The Whole Thing.
In the absence of mayor. council,
school board. police force. lighting,
water and sanitary commissioners,
banker, architect and builder, black
smith and the rest. DR.. Campbell at
tends to any such matters as may
arise in addition to being physician.
surgeon. school teacher. preacher. and
reindeer superintendent. He has a
most able assistant In Mrs. Campbell.
who has thrown herself. heart and
sonl into the work.
What do we teach the natives %
asked Mrs. Campbell. 20. everything,
from how to wash their faces. to a
knowledge of God" she explained
"They must be taugh. the simplest
things-to cook and sew and wash
their clothes and care for the children
and clean their houses and keep their
bodies free from vermin.
But few of them have stoves In
which bread can be baked. and for
fuel for these the men go in their
boats fifty or seventy-five miles for
drift wood"
Mrs. Campbell was trying one time
to persuade the women to discard the
Salome indoor costume-which, in
their case often consisted OF little
more than a string of beads. in favor
of the American costume. She YVES
told we're too poor. If you'll give us
clothes we'll wear them" Upon be.
ing told they should trade their water
boots to the whalers for clothing in.
stead Of tobacco. they said well, our
stomechs like tobacco"
Besides the time and peril of secur.
ing the seal skins. and curing them
and making the thread. 1t takes a
woman two or three days to make a
pair of boots and five pair of these
they will trade for a box OF tobacco
said Mrs. Campbell.
THE first few years there was a
great deal Of drunkenness. but be-
tween the doctor and the government
It has been almost entirely elimi
mated"
Once when DR.. Campbell searched
a boat in which some Siberian Eski.
mos had arrived. he found a quantity
of whisky which he poured on the
ground. Before he knew what was
happening he was struck down
trampled upon and several ribs and
his nose were broken. 1t might have
been very serious for the doctor, had
1t not been for a shipwrecked whal
ing crew in camp on the island. which
came to his assistance.
ut was in the night time. and the
Siberians had brought some of their
people who were sick over to the doc
tor for medical treatment. And when
l nwoke to see my husband standing
in the door. covered with blood, sur