The Redwood gazette., 1914-09-22
Dear Missionary Ladies:

Mrs. Bell has invited me to take
part in your September meeting, and
asure you l am more than glad to
have this opportunity to play am
with you again. Perhaps, too, it will
keep you from entirely forgetting
one, who used to try to help in the
old church, as best she could.
This letter was supposed to be a
paper, containing description of the
Sheldon Jackson Mission of Sitka.,
but l am going to take the liberty
of making it a personal letter to you
ladies, telling you, if I can little
more Of my summer trip, than just
what saw at the mission.
How to spend my vacation was a
serious question to decide. You, who
have visited Seattle will remember
that the trips one could take from
that city are legion, making choice
no easy matter, but as none appealed
to me quite as much as the "Inside
passage to Alaska, / finally decided
on that, and have been so glad ever
since that Alaska was my choice. Ii
certainly gives one wider vision to
come in contact with the people anc
problems of so wonderful a country.
Last Glimpse of Seattle
We left Seattle the evening of the
fifteenth of July, on the Steamer JEFF
ferson, with Captain Nord at ths
helm. This beat is always well crowd
ed, because Captain Nord is consid
cred the safest Captain on the line
On this trip were only 90 ninety
three women and twelve men, aside
from the officers. Some one asked i
there was a Suffrage Convention some
, where in Alaska, it certainly locke,
like it.
Of course. we bachelor maids wer
disappointed at the outlook and es
pecially grieved when we learned tha
, the next boat to start for the North
would contain twenty-five men from
i New York, viewing the country. |
we had but waited AS it was W
managed to have a pretty fine tim
;. and a few escorts. Seattle on its hi
, was a grand glittering sight as tn
steamer started North that July even
! ing, a sight we will not soon forget
! No less beautiful were the gree
, shores of Vancouver Island, as W
faced them next morning. And tha
glorious salt air! 1t just makes one
a nerves relax.
If you get the chance do let me ac
wise you to take that splendid trip .
Alaska. 1t is we'll worth the none
expended. Open ocean is crosse
but three times, and then one mus
look out for sea sickness. Am thank
full to say | experienced nothing Q
that kind, but think l would be willin
to. to catch another's glimpse of tn
old Pacific, as / saw it one storm
morning. | can feel the "feeP yet.
} After passing Queen Charlott
Sound, the hills grow more thickl
). timbered, little cataracts come tumf
ling down from the heights, and ther
is a sense of greenness, of unopene
country, of loneliness, perhaps.
e Meet Father Duncan
t After travelling three nights an
5 two days, we made our first stop 9
il Metlakahtla, about SIX o'clock in tn
r morning. Here also we felt the fir!
rain. In spite of it however, ever!
a body landed, and wound their wa
a between rows of Indian women, WI
v were selling their handwork. We vi
e tied the church and then the hous
; where lives that wonderful old mi
= sionary, Rev. VIM. Duncan. If it ha
ID not been for Captain Nord we wou
not have had the pleasure of meetlr
" Father Duncan, as it was so earl
4 but the Captain brought him out al
G. the stalwart old gentleman talked
ar us good half hour. I tel you
al never realized SO much, what our mi
A. sionaries go through nor what wo
it ders they accomplish, until ! listen
is to that old man talk, right there
e. his own field. Why, he had seen tho
s. savages tear each other apart WI
ty their teeth. Warfare seemed tbs
rt delight. as it seems the delight Of
.aTIad cirITizad nations of today. Fat