The Wrangell sentinel., 1926-04-01


 soft summer like breeze whipping in from the harbor, Bishop Peter Trimble Rowe laid the corner stone of the Wrangell General Hospital Tuesday afternoon, March 3oth at three o'clock.
 It was a most impressive scene. Up on the hillside overlooking the city of Wrangell and Wrangell Har bor. with the green clad hills as a background and with almost all of the population of the city surround ing him, the man who has devoted practically his whole life to the Territory of Alaska added yet an other to the many monuments ot Christianity and Charity that he has builded in the Northland.
 The services attendant to the laying of the corner stone were beautiful in their simplicity.
 Rev. H. P. Corser, rector of St. Philips, addressed the crowd and called upon pr. Robert Joseph Div en, pastor of the Presbyterian church, who opened the ceremonies with brief prayer. Rev. Corser then spoke of the many works of the human race since the dawn of civilization, and in summing up the efforts of man declared that in no other line of endeayor had man known greater satisfaction and suc- cess than in the great humane work of charity. He said that as the hospital was for the benefit of all mankind and that ill helping man kind, man helped himself, therefore the Wrangell General Hospital was a sincere expression of real charity.
 The entire crowd stood uncovered while they sang America, led by high school girls. Then Bishop Rowe began to lay the corner stone and no walking delegate from any labor union in the world could say that the Bishop is not entitled to Union card as a mason. In the language of the street, the Bishop handles a mean trowel." AS soon as the mortar was carefully spread the beautiful marble corner stone was laid in place and the edges carefully filled and squared. Then Bishop Rowe, the man whose eff forts have given to the town of Wrangell, the beautiful hospital that stands on the hills of the town as a safeguard against sickness and accident, and a fitting memori- al commemorating a mile stone in his own life devoted to Alaska, said in part:
 Tt is one of the pleasures of my life to be with you. people of Wran- geH, today; and on this day to be instrumental in dedicating to God to service and to humanity this Wrangell General Hospital. Today marks the completion as well as the formal opening of this edifice erect ed for the purpose of Tightening the cares and easing the burdens Of stricken and ailing humanity. It IS most beautiful setting for such a building, dedicated to such purpose. It is in a beautiful town and like to think that this hospi- al IS worthy of the setting and the town whose name it bears and within whose confines it stands PeH2le of Wrangell, this is your | ospital; it is a gift to you and tsere are no strings upon it in any way. It gives you an opportunity of living ID to that beautiful nas- sage in the Bible in which our 81essed Lord asks, Bear ye one an 'efs burdens" and may this bosni- al help you to do so. Try to live ID to this, and if you succeed then 7ou shall have more than repaid or all of the effort. the time and ne mc1ey that it has cost
 Another thing bear in mind his hospital was not given to tbe own Of Wrangell by the Board of !llssions; its erection was made possible by contributions of person.