The Cordova daily times., 1923-03-31
TRAILS AND TRIALS
By REV. B. w. GATHER

That WHICH COuleS lIollI Iio ho"i should go to the heart, and l cannot write of trials without opening my heart to you.
 The Church people know something about the trials the missionary must endure. Doubtless the idea Of hard- shin has stuck so hard and fast ln some minds that it has recelVed undue emphasis. No one, except the doctor, the lawyer and the minister, wants to hear a fellow prattle about his troubles. I shall not do that, but I want to tell you of our chief limlta- tions and how the resultant trlals react upon the character of the mls- sionary to make a better Christian worker.
 First it should be said that the worker in Alaska today escapes many of the hardships which the mission aries of the early days had to bear. In those days it was matter of pitch ing camp and of rushing into the work which was urgent.
 The missionary today is home maker. He settles down, and the work is regulated much like the gen. eral church work in the States. Every opportunity is used to improve work ing conditions and to install home comforts and labor-saving arrange ments and to beautify the home. Life becomes very livable, and especially so when children come to bless the home.
 Today supplies of every description can be imported from Seattle and de- livered at river points within re- markedly short time. The quality of the goods shipped is excellent, the Bishops commissary office attending to all the business necessary. The theory that eggs and butter in the Yukon must taste" is fallacious, for waxed eggs and creamery butter from Seattle when kept stored in good cellar will not acquire the stale flavor during eight months storage. Vege- tables, viz, potatoes and the ordinary root crops, which in many cases are grown by the missionaries, can be stored an equally long time, and with sufficient care even longer. Apples, oranges and lemons will keep for six months, possibly longer with the best of care. In addition there are reliable brands of dried and canned fruits and vegetables to support the other or to meet the possible emergency of crop failure or frozen cellar."'
 Game abounds in the mountains, so good meats are to be had in plenty in the game belts.
 Again, there are many families in the white settlements as we'll as goodly number of genial bachelors, and the social contact is delightful, af- fording ideal diversion. More could be said, but let us proceed with the theme.
 Even at best the conditions of liv- ing are hard enough. The mission ary and his family must of necessity do practically all of the menial work. This, within itself, would not be point in question, but it raises diff culty because it demands so large a part of the time and energies of the workers which must be subtracted from the work of teaching, healing and spreading the Gospel.
 Again, there arises another difficult ty, viz, that of the conflict between various duties. The sick and suffer- ing must get first attention, preaching the pure word of God second and teaching third, the home and family fourth, correspondence fifth, with studies and other office work round ing out a good half dozen. The ad- ministration of Native affairs comes properly under the head of teaching, for through the Native council we are faithfully working to instil the prin- ciples of fellowship and the ability to settle differences in this spirit.
 Hclc Iilc LCdl to uo CAioIo "OA- ders can be accomplished, yet it is i'm possibly to spread oneself out enough to cover all the ground. We try to make a good job of the work in hand and then take up the next in import ance. Eventually all departments re- cetve some attention, and progress is made all around, even though it may be at the snail's pace. So long as there is progress we have a safety valve for courage, patience and nerves.
 There is third major difficulty but so much has been written about this difficulty from every Mission field that I shall only mention it, reserving the right to discuss it in a future aSticle. It is the need of money to