Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-04-03

far cry it is from the rock bound
and island dotted coast of Maine +o
the high hills of North Carolina's
mountain district, from missionary
work among the settlements which
are noted along Names coast to the
verdant hills of the southerly Appa-
lachians-such is the work of DR.
Hannah Jewett Powell, now located
at Sunburst.' Haywood county. North
carolina. DR.. Powell, who is
Strong. capable woman, with the
light in her eye of the great truth
and the determination in her heart
to be Just a neighbor". is in Maine
on two months furlough.
mo, 1 don't do missionary work
NO. they are not poor whites. | am
just a neishbor to my neighbors up
there in those wonderful hills. They
are wonderful people, descendants
from pure strain of English who
settled there many years ago and
who have lived pure and simple
lives, handing down to their chill
dren's children the traditions and
the stories. the folk lore and the
games which amused the children in
England, many years ago" And
Miss Powell, who is tall, we'll built
woman. leaned forward in her chair
and she spoke in firm, determined
voice. Yet there was a twinkle in
her bright blue eyes as she found
amusement in the reporters queries
Rev. Hannah Powell is pastor of
the Universalist church, known as
the Inman chapel, gift from a late
worker there, Father Inman. She
works under the direction of the
Woman's National Missionary asso-
citation of the Universalist church.
But q preacher in the mountains
must needs be more than a preacher.
Sh. must be able to mend the brok-
en- or strained family difficulties
when asked and she must be able to
keep her finger on the pulse of the
community. to give them amusement
of>the proper sort, help them to I'M
derstand what is going on in the rest
of the world. Her seven years of
work along the state seacoast is
standing her in good stead, although
the people are different, the country
is different. DR.. Powell has been in
the mountains for the past four
years and she is just as enthusiastic
and just as wrapped up in the work
as at the completion of her first task
there.
She was born in Clinton, Me-, at
tended the schools there and also
Coburn Classical Institute in Water
vile. One of the big objects for
which she is working, as we'll as the
people of the district is the building
of a community house. 1t will be
called the Manse. after wonderful
old houses which she visited recently
in New Brunswick.
No date of national Importance is
permitted to pass by unnoticed in
Sunburst. The men work in the
lumber mills for the most part. The
women are busy with their home du-
ties and the children, many in a fam
lily, grow up strong and healthy. But
Sundays and special days are gala
days there. On last Fourth of July,
one of the native men. who had seen
World War service, drilled about 30
and a sham battle was staged. DR..
Powell said that her one-armed
nephew, who lost his arm in the Ar !
gonne, witnessed the display and he
declared it very realistic. The set
ting was ideal, the wonderful hills
going up on all sides formed Catur-
al setting.
Sunburst is set down in a valley.
with high hills all around and the
sun does not reach down in there
until into the forenoon. Then 1t
comes suddenly, warmly.
Each year, all the mountain work
crs. including church, agriculture.
industrial, medical, Red Coss and
private, gather at Knoxville, Tenn,
where a conference is held. They
come from Virginia. Georgia, Ten
nessee, North Carolina. Each work
err is asked what their chief interest
in the work is. DIR. Powell said she
answered, 1.-The Gospel and Action
'I'll take my hat off to any south
erner who returned after the Civil
War and built up a livelihood. Inc
phase of development is so fast there.
that great problems are coming up:
Miss Powell reviewed in a most real
istic manner the memorial services
held in that mountain chapel at the
time of Pres. Harding's death. When
the news arrived, Miss Powell was
with a number of the young people
of the parish, who were lacking a
puff to be sent to Japan. They
paused in their work and went out
into the yard and placed the flag at
half mast. That next Sunday, MISS
Powell read the complete text OF the
service used in the Cathedral. The
neonle sang. 1.-THE Day is Dying IN