The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-11-20
LITTLE MINISTER
COMES FROM North
Charles Betticher, Jr., Has Been
Preaching In Alaska For
the Last Nine Years

SEATTLE. Nov 20.-He is known
as the Little Minister" and has had
a parish which extends along the
banks OF the Tanana river 600 miles,
crossing to Nenana, with missions
schools and hospitals scattered al
various points from one end 10 the
other. Little is right, for ne ~
only about feet 5, slightly puilt.
boyish OF feature, and just as boylsh
in his enthusiasms.
Charles f. Betticher, jr., Is the
name OF the Little Minister" he
came down from the North the other
day on the Alameda, stayed for a day
at the Frye Hotel and left Tor the
east, where his time will be occupied
by a lecture tour under the direction
OF the Board OF Missions, in which
he will tell of the work OF the mis-
sionaries in Alaska. He has done
that sort OF thing before.
Missionary work may be hard IN
Alaska" he said, "but the lecture
tours in the United States are harder
still. When I was down before |
sometimes averaged ten lectures .
week. and from the l25 letters which
| found awaiting me here ! imagine
that Il will not be any easier this
time" That is how all his winter
will be taken UP, and his plans be-
yond that time are still very uncer-
tain, for his work in Alaska Is ended.
Mr.. Betticher went north a little
over nine years ago, fresh from the
Pennsylvania Divinity school and took
charge of the ST. Matthews church In
Fairbanks, and along with that went
the charge OF all the missions and
hospitals and schools along the river.
That meant long trips back and
forth. carrying supplies here and
there, holding religious services
wherever possible, enduring the
bardships of storm and food. Four
times In the last two years has he
made the trip up the river TO Tamana
Crossing, one OF the most isolated
outposts OF the Episcopal or any
church in all Alaska. In Fairbanks,
in addition TO the church, the parish
supports a hospital with fifteen beds.
the oldest In the Fairbanks district.
and a public library.
People in Seattle who have been to
Fairbanks and who know the people
of the district testify TO the high re
gard In which he is held by the
whites and to the power that he Is
among the Indians. with whom his
connection has been one OF hard.
earnest and effective work.
There is one phase OF his work In
which he takes very just pride.
That is a quarterly periodical known
as the Alaska Churchman, which he
started in November, 1906. 81 was
told when I started ii that II would
never last" he said. Eight years
ago we began with sixteen paid sub
scriptions From that beginning II
has grown TO a circulation varying
between 1900 to 1000. We have
never printed a line Of advertising In
II. and yet today II Is self-supporting.
and for three years IL has paid nearly
the full salary or one Of our mission
workers. And through II We have
been enabled TO raise thousands OF
dollars In support OF the Alaska
work"
Mr.. Betticher thinks great deal OF
the Indians among whom he has
worked. or Walter Isaac, the Tanana
chief, he said: There IL a fine man,
baptized but not confirmed In the
church. He is son OF the famous
Isaac, who was power among the
Indians on the upper Tanana for
many years" And as he looked at
the picture OF Selma. he said: "She is
a dear old lady and I think a great
deal of her. The cross she wears is
the Bishops Cross, and she-and a
great many other Indians think more
OF that than OF anything they pos
sess."