Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-13

and a church with an organ, which
they were able to play. They had their
market house, their shops, their car
penters, timers, coopers ana otner me,
chanics. They kept the Sabbath and led
moral lives. What has taken ages TO
accomplish with other peoples these
Indians. under Father Duncan, accom-
plished in less than thirty years
1t was at this time that the Churcn OF
England began to NEEDLE with Father
Duncans experiments, sending over
bishop to rule over him and the In
dams. Father Duncan found that MS
asked the United States to allow his
Indians to settle on our territory. Ihat
was in 1887. The matter was much
agitated in the United States. Father
Beecher, Phillips Brooks and others,
and through their efforts a territory
was allotted to him and his Indians on
the northwestern side OF this lsland.
They came in August and the nrst thlng
they did was to erect flagpole and
hoist the Stars and Stripes. They next
had speeches by H. r. Dawson,
the United States commissioner OF
education. and by Father co DInfan:
of song and praise in the Tsimpsean
language. $50
The next day a sawmill was I'M
loaded, and the people began at once
to clear the forests and erect the build
inRs for their new homes. They bulit
a cannery and year by year added to
their structures until they had a town
hall a great church, schoolhouse,
store, a public library and the other
buildings necessary to an Intelligent
Christian and civilized community.
They put up comfortable homes win
gardens of vegetables and flowers. and,
in short. established the most advance ed
native community in the western part
of the North American continent.
The settlement was called the New
Metlakahtla and since then the Indians
have been known as the Metlakahtlans.
In 1891 Annette Island was set
aside by Congress as reservation TOT
them and it was provided that IL
should be used by them in common
under such rules and regulations as
might be prescribed by the Secretary
of the Interior.
wish I could show you Annette Is
land 1t is one of the most beautiful
parts of southeastern Alaska. 1t Is M
teen miles long and ten miles wide and
is formed by long mountain on the
backbone of which are number OF
beautiful lakes. The mountain is
wooded and it assumes purple tinge
under the cloudy sky. About Port
Chester the land slopes gently down to
the sea. Here the trees have been cut
away and a few hundred acres have
been cleared and divided up into town
lots for the buildings. At the left as you
come into the harbor you see silvery
cascade tumbling down the slope of
the mountain. It comes from Lake
Chester, a short distance inland and at
an elevation Of $50 feet above the sea
The most conspicuous building In the
town is a great white frame structure
with two towers. This is the Westmin-
ster Abbey OF Metlakahtla. 1t is
Father Duncan's church and was built
by the Indians at cost of $4,000. 1t
is the largest church in Alaska. and
will comfortably seat 500 people.
On the left of the church is the gov
eminent school recently erected by the
United States, and still farther away
is Father Duncan's guest house, his
/. Office his school and the great store
which he built to supply the needs of
the people.
Right at the dock is a salmon can
merry which has at times been a very
profitable undertaking, giving work to
all the people and bringing in a great
deal to the colony. Its capacity is
mum. and connected with 1t is a box
making establishment where are made
the 10000 cases or boxes used for ship