The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1923-06-08
HONOR
EARLY EXPLORER
Hospital to Be Built in Memory
of Hudson Stuck, Cowboy,
Reporter and Clergyman.

and Eskimo friends Of the late Hud-
son Stuck, cowboy, newspaper re-
porter and minister, and finally mis-
sionary, explorer and author, are
planning a hospital to his memory on
a knoll overlooking the Yukon river,
four miles inside the Arctic circle.
Archdeacon Stuck is the man who
first made the ascent of Mount Nc
Kinley; or, as he called 1t, Mount
Denali, giving It the Indian name.
The official records Of the climb are
among the archives Of the American
Geographical society, Of which he was
a member, and to which they were
turned over, on. his death, two years
ago. by the Episcopal church, in
whose missionary service he was en-
gagged the greater part Of his life.
Stuck, who was also q Fellow Of the
Royal Geographical society. has re-
lated the story Of his psrilous adven-
turs in 1.-THE Ascent Of Denali," which
was published In 1914.
Distinguished Ancestor.
LILO UAOOU VI AOuOElA huuDOa
flowed through the veins Of Hudson
Stuck. It was probably from this dis
'tinguished ancestor that he inherited
the love Of adventure. which carried
him all the way from cowboy, post
rider and newspaper man In Texas, to
his life work for the Episcopal
church IN the frozen north. An arch
deacon of the Yukon, Stuck, In 1917,
established st. Stephens hospital at
Fort Yukon, and through that UMPIRE
tentious institution, was instrumental
in saving the lives Of hundreds of In
dams and Eskimos, and not few
white men Of a dozen nationalities, to
whom the little log hospital was the
one haven Of safety and succor with
In a radius of a thousand miles Of
Arctic wilderness.
During his career In Alaska, Stuck
covered literally thousands Of miles
In his journeys by dog-sled and motor
launch and not infreQuently afoot,
ministering to his charges, extending
helping hand to all in need, and
noting by the way those details Of
life and adventure which, in ::Ten
Thousand Miles With Dog-sled,"
Voyages on the Yukon and Its Tribu-
taries," and "A Winter Circuit Of Our
Arctic Coast" have been read by thou
sands of lovers Of the open road and
the upward trail. Long before his
fame as an explorer and an author
had spread over the civilized world he
had become known throughout the
territory for his humanitarian work,
and 1t is chiefly as the missionary and
friend of the native that he is known
in that region today.
Sucks Grave Indian Shrine.
When he died two years ago and
was buried, according to his wish, in
the native graveyard not far from the
hospital and church which he had es-
the natives erected a cross
over the hillock, which is today their
shrine. Stuck is to them dry
wood" man. Among the Siwash, the
wise man in making camp selects, in
stead Of green or soggy timber, that
which is dry and seasoned and will
therefore burn long and furnish both
light and heat. So, in the Takuah
language Of the Yukon the natives
praying at the grave Of Stuck say Of
him, that His light burns bright and
won't 90 out"
Not content with the cross which
marks his grave, the natives at re-
cent meeting determined to enlarge
and improve the hospital which he
founded and make it permanent |
memorial to him. There were Eski- |
mos, Indians trappers, traders and
miners present at the meeting as |
we'll as representative from the ada |
cent posts of the Presbyterian, Roman |
Catholic, Methodist and Baptist |
churches, in all about thirty or forty |
men, and within a few minutes 81, 7eO
vas subscribed toward the fund Of |
$4,000 necessary for the purpose.
Since then, according to DR.. Grafton
Burke, the physician in charge at |
Fort Yukon, contributions received in
sums of from 25 cents to $40, and
coming mostly from the natives, have
,welled the amount to $4,000. 1t IL
that the friends and admir-
RS Of Hudson Stuck, those who have
cad and enjoyed his books, and his
ormer associates In the geograph-
cal societies Of the United States and
will speedily make up the
balance of~the fund. :.