Douglas Island news., 1919-09-12
YUKON RIVER
 IS MANS FRIEND
Provides Food, Shelter and Mcanr of Communioalion-ls
 Great Stream

.NI.|NN.I ONNI|NH |". n. ""." been mo wonder il Che Indians ol Nmka living along Che course ol Che mighty Yukon. had regarded it wih adorauon. for throughout Con- ual Alaska thc Yukon ia tho rIycr of food Go maintain ufo Tho won dor m rather chat Che Indians did not worship enc river.
 AsIdo rom furnishing food for Che natives. Che river plays great part
 u Che maintenance of Christian missions lt H tho drm and sioad ast r.oud Of Ono missionary even ,houeb at times it mcnaco hIs iifo. lt uoycf forgots Che lone missionary mone its 2.OO0-mile course as he of- tonumos feels that his church and its membership has dono whom tho money for Che support Of Che mis- sion and thc workers. Co buy food. sholtcr and clothing comes m In utuo drIhicu.
 n tbo missionary H hungry he has but to go To Che Yukon. winter or summer and with lttlo or no of- fort food In thc form Of dsh ia ready for h.s needs.
 lf hc ls in need Of shelter from ia swift current he cam capture spruce logs with which to build % cabin. His clothing it cannot mr- nish. But whot heojhcn god ever
 supplied his dcvotccs with even food and sheitor2
 Missions have been established here and thoro along is length In Canada by tho Church or England. from Che Alaska Canadian boundary to is confidence with tbe Panama river by Che Episcopal church or Che United sutcs and from Panama Co lts mouth n Norton Sound by Che Episcopal Roman and Greek Caiho- uc churches. No other churches have any missions n Che great Yu- kou territory Tho work in Che inc 'crIor is among tho uatvc Indians Near Che Yukons mouth and north along Che coast Che work Is among th6 Essimos
 Tho missions. schools and hospi- 'als cstablfhcd thcro are few and Oar between and Che workers arc
 carcc. The Indians Of Che Interior arc rcady for Che body and spiritual ud offered them. but facilities for
 ar.ng for them arc lacking. T, s believed by those who mitiatcd Che campaign of Che Ep.s-
 opal church in Che United S,atw for mobIlIz.ne Che resources Of chat .hurch that it may adequately meet 'ts mu responsibility in One Alaskan field as wcl as In its work at home md In Che foreign countries hat .ho campaign win result In ncrcas- nd funds and personnel for Che .hurchs cducationaL medical and vungclIsuc work In our Northern territory
 Tho importance of tho Yukon m Tho development or thc Interior of Noska can hardly be exaggerated. 't feeds thc natives and Che mis- donarics in an seasons of Che ycar
 t is Che only means of communica-
 ion with distant villages In Che summer time; it brings material for louscs u Che shape of spruce logs almost to Che very door. it has had 70 loncdccnt influence throughout ils
 length; it is Che principal physical .oaturc of Alaska, travors.ng thc territory from Che oas, to Che west
 lt Is Che larrcs. river m Alaska and Che dfth largest n North Amer ca. 10 is approximately 2.3O0 miles long in groat orc beginning iu Lake Bennett ncar the Pacific limo In British Columbia and ending iu 1er'ng sea. Iu catchment oroo is i3O.O0o square miles. moro chan lalf of which is in Canada After lowing northwest t turns to Che southwest of Fort Yukon. Alaska ,n Che Arctic Circle. but again turns northwest ot % point south of Nor ou Sound into Che south shore Of which it ator flows Tho Missis- ippi Is longer by 20 miles
 The course of Che river is divided Into four ub-provInccs or physio- graphic divisions Tho Upper Yu- con. extending for f50 miles. whore be river Is from one Co throo miles vide: Che Yukon Flats. 200 miles in ongth. Che valley being from 70 Go .OO miles I'm width and Che river tself from Gen Co twenty miles. Che Rampant Region. no miles In longth. Inc stream being from one to threo niles wide; and Che Lower Yukon. BOO miles in length. extending from Inc Junction of Che Panama river to he coast. Che riyor varying In width rom two and three Go fifteen and wenty miles.
 Tho Yukon Is navigablo from June
 to October sometimes Go Mo- .ombcr l-for distance of 2.000 niles. or witch its tributaries for ,50o miles The nearest horhor Tor oceans ships it at st MIchools 'n Che island or Che same namo. 60 niles northeast of Che delta There 'assengom and freight arc transfer .cd Go Che uat-bottomed boats which