Norwich bulletin., 1916-09-25
TELLS OF WORK
 DONE IN ALASKA. pr. A. w. NewF.alI Speaks Before Con- sresation at Methodist Episcopal

Dr. A. w. Newhall of the Jessie Lee
 home of Unalaski, Alaska, gave an in-
 teresting address on the work in Alas
 ka at Trinity Methodist Episcopal
 church at the Sunday evening service.
 h part, Dr.sNewhall said
 It is some Is to 20 years since we
 went to Unalaska, Alaska, and I am
 going to describe some of the work we
 are carrying on there. Some and many
 on among Eskimos. It is not, as they
 are some 800 miles away. Others will
 ask if it is the Indians, but we seldom
 see Indians. Then they ask who it is
 we work with. F7*s .5jf ans
 Alaska is divided into three parts
 southeast, northern and western. These
 three divisions are different in climate,
 people, and in every way. UnalaSka is
 the gateway to Alaka. It takes six or eight days by steamer, and when at the end of that trip it takes ten more days by mail steamer and going still
 further west a number of days. Alas
 ka has about 10000 miles of seacoast.
 The southeast division is heavily wood ed. The climate is mild and the peo- pie there are Indians, resembling the
 totem poles, which are hollow and in
 these poles they put the ashes of their
 loved ones. Millions of dollars are
 taken out of this section of Alaska in
 a year.
 The northeastern part is the home of the Eskimo. There the winters are cold, the thermometer registering as low as 50 to 80 degrees below zero, and there are great drifts of snow. On the
 other hand, in tsle summer it is quite
 warm, the. thermometer registering from 60 to so degrees above. Strange to say, the Eskimos do not live in snow houses. They live in houses under ground, or half under ground, made of wood. The house consists of one large room with a hole in the center. of the floor, where oil is burned for heating purposes. and there is a hole in the center of the ceiling to allow the smoke to pass out. Around the house l is a sort of runway, and in order to 1 get out of the houses one has to crawl on the hands and knees through a l round opening, then, climb up small ladder.
 Just off the coast are the Elusian Islands. The inhabitants there do not l dress in furs, as it is not very cold Most of the time do not wear an l overcoat, and very seldom wear mit- l tens. It is true we have during the winter severe storms, on the average 1 two week. On these islands, the ! largest of the group, the institution, Jessie Lee home, was started by the ] women of New England. There are some 51 boys and girls in the home boys and girls full of life. These boys | find much pleasure during the winter 1 in fox trapping. We have red, white i blue, silver gray and black foxes. The 1 hides when sold to trappers net, the | red $10, black s75 to $125, black $10C l to $50. So you see it is quite profit I able for the people in fox hunting. The l girls during the winter are busy in | needlework, cooking, etc, selling what
 they make, with the proceeds going | towards useful articles for the home 1 and charitable purposes.
 You might wonder where we get the | children. They are mostly orphans Some children are brought to us by the United States marshals when their l parents die. Others come having run l away from home so as to be at a l school. The last five years have beer 1 happy ones, as we are beginning to | see the fruit from the seed sowing ot i our labors. It seems about two years | ago the older boys and girls had the ] spontaneous desire to be baptized an6
 one night we held a special service an6 | baptized a class. Some of our children have been out from five to ten years and are making good, doing good work ! for the Master. Jesus went about preaching the gospel and healing the nected with our school and work. Our peculiar cases The doctor is many miles away.
 Some years ago, when there was a gold immigration, typhoid fever broke out and we took in many cases. We go back to our mission field on June 1 to labor for five more years, and we ask for your prayers.