TITE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, PORTLAND, NOVEMBER 2G 1916
1XEMB
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Hpw1 Indians 3c?ELsKimos of AS as Ka. Have Been
Christi
"opyrldht. 1010. by Frank G. Carpenter.)
H'
OLY CROSS, Lower Yukon. The
Indians of Alaska are almost all
Christians. For several genera
tions the missionaries have been work
ins among them, and the property and
life of the stranger is now safe all the
way from Ketchikan to Point Barrow.
When the Russians discovered the
country the natives were savages: and
ton years after we took possession Sit
ka and St. .Michael were armed trading
posts where the Eskimos were shut out
at night that the inhabitants might
rest in safety. For years not a single
whaler dared to stay overnight at
Cape Prince of Wales, and the man who
traveled through the -wilds took his
life in his hands. Today one ran go
alone by dog sled through any part of
Aiaska and feel safe.
The mission work has been done by
churches of many denominations, and
it is still going on in all parts of the
territory. The Presbyterians have sta
tions at Haines, Sitka and otherwheres
in Southeastern Alaska, and they are
working as far north as Point Barrow
on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. The
Baptists are converting the Indians
along Cook Inlet and they have an or
phanage at Wood Island, near Kodiak.
The Methodists have a girls- home at
Unga Island, near Unalaska, on the
edge of Bering Sea. and the Swedish
Lutheran Church has missions at Yaka
tat, not far from Cordova, and at Go
iognin. on the Seward Peninsula, and
at I nalaklik. The Moravians are doing
a. great work along the Kuskokwin
River iind the Catholics and Episcopal
ians have mission stations in different
parts of the Ytikon and Tinana basins.
There is a Catholic mission at Fort
Gibbon, presided over by Father .Teddy,
who has been in Alaska almost L'li
years, and there are resident Jesuit
priests at Juneau. Douglas. Skagwav,
Ketchikan. Valdez and Fairbanks, as
well as at a half dozen stations along
the Lower Yukon, including Holy
Cross, where this letter is written.'
The first mission work done in
Alaska was that of the Russians. They
began to convert the Indians of the
Aleutian Islands more than 100 years
ago, and today there are more Greek
hristians among the natives of Alaska
than either Protestants or Catholics. It
Is said that that church has more than
10,000 communicants. whereas the
Protestants and Catholics have alto
gether less than 2000. The dreek
Church has still something like 60
places of worship scattered over the
territory. It has a cathedral at Sitka,
a large church at Juneau, and there are
mission stations here and there
throughout the interior. There is a
mission at Anvik. and one at Andre
arski. and many Eskimos, Indians and
Aleuts believe in that religion.
The Presbyterians have done a great
work in Alaska. The board of, home
missions sent Dr. Sheldon Jackson here
about 40 years ago. He established the
Indian training schools 'at Sitka and
a girls' home there, and in connection
with s. Hall Young and ethers organ
ized missions throughout the Alex
ander Archipelago, including ttiose of
AVrangell. Sitka. Howkan and Haines.
The farthest north mission in Alaska
is at Point. Barrow. It does work
among the whalers and the Eskimos,
and has had a great influence in that
part of the territory. Altogether the
Presbyterians have about 16 churches,
of which 12 are for natives. It was
Dr. Jackson who did most in the in
troduction of the reindeer into Alaska
and thus established a stock-raising in
dustry, which is making many of the
Eskimos and Indians rich.
The Society of Friends is working
In the Far North. It has three mis
sions about Kotzebue Sound, which
opens out upon the Arctic Ocean. Its
school there is one of the largest among
the Eskimos, and its missions are noted
for their excellent work in training
men to take care of the reindeer.
The work of the Moravians is re
markable. They are in one of the least
known parts of Alaska. Their mis
sions are along the Kuskokwim River
and on the west coast. The largest is
WHAT THE
MOTHER, pur teacher asked us
what Thanksgiving day meant,
and Nell Lynn said it meant tur
keys and other good things to eat. Then
the teacher said, said she, 'No, Nell, one
eats turkeys on that day, but Thanks
giving means to give thanks thanks to
tlod for his kindness to us during the
year! Mother," continued Bill, nestling
close to his mother in tne bare and
oold room they called home, "Mother
what is a turkey, and why is God not
pood to us?"
"Hush, dear. He is good and kind,"
paid Billy's mother, as she patted her
boy on the head. "Ho gave me you,
si.nd you are very dear to me. Some
day when you are grown targe enough
you will buy a turkey with the money
you earn, and then we'll enjoy our
dinner all the more for the wait."
"What is a turkey?" again asked
tttU A DIXXUlt:
- ' :
at Bethel, not far from the mouth of
the river, a place until recently reached
only by the native kvaks. or skinoats.
Owing to the work of the Coast wurvev.
steamers can now go up the Kuskokwim
tor hundreds of miles, and the mission
Rupplies can come in on large ships.
The Bethel mission was established
more than AO years ago. The Moravian
missions are doing well with their rein
deer. The Kskimos about Bethel have
1500, and In the last mid-Winter holi
days thev had what might be called a
reindeer contest, or fair. Tills was to
stimulate an interest In all matters
connected with deer raising. There
were speed contests in loading and lash
ing sleds and speed races. 1 here were
premiums for the best lassoing of n
unbroken deer, the best and quickest
harnessing and hitching, and in driving
deer for a quarter of a mile, a half mile
and longer. At the same fair the men
practiced foot races and the women
brought in baked bread for prizes. The
Moravian missions have now about S00
Eskimos among their members. They
are said to be doing excellent work.
The Catholic missions are largely
managed by the Jesuit Fathers. There
are nearly 100 stations, of which 17
are provided with resident priests.
Nineteen of the missions have chapels.
There are also a number of schools
and several convents. There is an in
dustrial school for Indian boys and an
orphanage, for Indian girls at Koser
efsky, and there are schools for boys
and girls here at Holy Cross.
The Holy Cross Mission is on the
Yukon not far from the mouth of the
Innoko River. The place consists of the
mission buildings, a postoffice and a
large Indian village, made up of one
story log cabins. There is no hotel
except a steamer which is anchored
near the shore and used an such, the
guests coming chiefly from the boats
going up and down the stream.
The mission buildings are on a bluff
looking out over the Yukon. They are
surrounded by large fields in which
potatoes, turnips and other vegetables
are growing. There are also pastures
upon which the cattle, owned by the
schools, feed, and a long log stable
where the cows are kept in the Winter.
During my stay I have visited the
schools. They have now about 110
pupils, ranging in age from kinder
garten children to lusty boys and to
girls ready for marriage. The children
are Indians with reddish-brown faces,
black eyes and jet black hair. All were
clean and they seem to have been
dressed for our visit, as it was known
the steamer would arrive tolay.
We were graciously received by the
teachers and pupils. There was a song
of welcome in Knglish by the kinder-
DAY MEANT
Billy, who would never be put off. And
with a watering mouth he listened to
his mother's explanation of the won
derful bird.
Mrs. Lovell and Bill had neither rela
tives nor friends, and their miserable
existence was eked out by the poor
mother taking in wash.
"When I am a man I'll work for you,
mother, and then you can sit in a rock
ing chair beside the warm fire and fold
your tired arms." Bill used to say as he
helped his mother carry the baskets of
snowy linens to the rich folks' houses,
not many blocks away.
Now. just at the moment when Billy
was asking his mother the meaning of
"Thanksgiving and turkey," Nell Lynn
and her mother were outside in the
dingy hall in search of a washer
woman. Mrs. Lovell's name had been
given to Mrs. Lynn and the latter was
about to knock at the door when she
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gartners, and an address bv one of the
older girls,' which she read from a
paper. Later we had humorous songs
anu recitations, ana me itour closed
with the children singing "My Country,
'Tis of Thee." In which the passenger
visitors joined. The celebration was
delightful, and it was hard to realize
that the little Indians came of tribes
which until recently had been almost
barbarian. The children are taught to
read and write. The boys learn trades
and the girls to cook, sew and keep
house. The children live at the school,
the fathers and sisters believing that
they are better off when kept away
from their families.
The Episcopal Church is pushing its
work in Alaska. It opened a mission
and school at Anvik on the Lower
Yukon in 1887, and it has steadily ex
panded its operations in the shape of
schools, hospitals and churches since
then. Some of lis work Is devoted to
the Kskimos and especially that at
Point Hope, which is a station on the
Arctic Ocean above Bering strait. It
has a number of stations along the
Yukon, six or seven on the Tanana. and
quite a number about Prince William
Sound and in Southeastern Alaska. It
does much work among the whites, as
well as among the Indians.
During my stay at Fairbanks I met
the Rev. Hope Lumpkin, who is in
charge of the mission there. He Is
editor of the Alaskan Churchman and
is the originator, I believe, of the cus
tom of collecting and distributing old
magazines to the mining camps. These
magazines are sent by people from ail
over the state to Mr. Lumpkin at
Fairbanks. He gets from 15.000 to
20.000 copies a year. The magazines
are done up into bundles, each con
taining some heavy reading and soipe
was arrested by Billy's voice saying,
"Why is God not good to us?"
She and Nell stood spellbound during
the remainder of the conversation, and
tears of sympathy came to their eyes
as they heard the weary mother con
sole her boy with words of love and
hope.
A gentle knock at the door aroused
Mrs. Lovell from her dreams of the
future.
"Hurry, Bill, light the lamp; it may
be a customer. Come in!" And she
bowed to Nell and her mother.
; In a few words she was engaged to
spend the following day washing for
the Lynns at their house.
"Would you object if I took an hour
off at noon?" she asked. "You see. Bill
comes home from school"
"How thoughtless of me! Bill can
dine with you at our house."
Then Nell exclaimed: "He's in my
class at school and I'll bring him home
with me."
Mrs. i.ynn was not surprised to hear
Nell say, on the way home, "Mother, 1
want to do something for Bill. Yes,
I'll do it on Thanksgiving day. Teacher
said the day was set apart for " and
Nell dwelt on all the teacher had said.
"Bill seems a good boy," said Mrs.
Lynn, "and his mother a gentle woman.
We must help them."
"Let me decide what to do." begged
NelL
Next morning Nell ran into her
mother's room for her good morning
kiss. Her father pinched her cheek
and, laughing, said: "You look serious
this morning; what's the reason?'
"Mother has asked me to decide a
very weighty question." And Nell told
her father the story, . ending with "I
first thought of having Bill and his
mother here for Thanksgiving dinner,
but maybe Bill would be bashful and
then he wouldn't enjoy his turkey, and
then my fun would be all gone. So if
mother doesn't mind helping me, I
wo'uld suggest that we send a basket of
goodies to Bill's house on that day."
"I think It's a capital idea." said Mrs.
Lynn.
They bought a turkey, the finest to
be had, and decorated it with crisp
celery and green spinach. A can of
plum pudding was nestling at the bot
tom of the basket, and tnen there were
potatoes and cranberries' and on top
were the rolls and butter, which com
pleted the dinner carefully selected by
Nell. Nell and Susan, the maid, bore
their precious burden between them to
Bill's house. Bill and his mother were
sitting by the little stove trying to
keep warm that Thanksgiving day.
"Never mind about the turkey this
year. son. We will be thankful for
what we have, and pray for better luck
in times to come."
A knock at the door! A flutter of
skirts! And Nell and Susan deposited
the goodies on the table and hastily
took their leave before either Biily or
i uis mother had realized what had hap
light reading. The miners call for
them and carrv them on their pros
pecting trips over the country. Thev
Hru said to -be tf K' it alur dm ilig
the long lonely Winters, and some men
have said that they have been the only
thing that stood between them and
insanity.
Two of the most remarkable mis
sionaries of Alaska belong to the
Eposcopalians. The first of these is
the Rev. P. T. Itowe, who came here
in 18M5 as the first bishop of Alaska,
and the other Is Archdeacon Stuck,
noted for his work among the Indians,
and also for having been one of the
first men to reach the top of Mount
McKlnley. Bishop Rowe has done us
much, if not more, than any other one
man in the Christianizing of interior
Alaska. He has traveled thousands of
miles, now riding on his dog sled and
now walking behind it over the trails
in his Winter Journeys in Alaska, and
he has visited every navigable part of
the country by steamboat and canoe.
He goes out with an Indian guide and
a team of dogs and In this way travels
many hundreds of miles every Wintv.
He is not only bishop' and traveling
missionary, but he is also doctor and
nurse, and his work is trie to all.
Few appreciate the hardships that
the missionaries have undergone in
these far Northern parts of our conti
nent. Take, for instance. Bishop Strin
ger, of the Church of England, now
in charge of the work in Yukon ter
ritory, with headquarters at Dawson.
He is known all over Canada as the
bishop who had to eat his boots to keep
from starving. I met him at Dawson,
and had a long talk with him, during
which, in response to my questions, he
gave me some of his experiences in
attempting to Christianize the Eski
mos and Indians.
Bishop Stringer's first work wasaries and who were ready to start upon
pened. If Bill's mouth had watered
at the description of a turkey, imagine
how It watered when he saw the huge
bird placed in the center of their little
table.
Such a dinner! Fit for a Queen! And
never did Queen and Prince do more
justice to a meal.
"God be thanked," murmured Mrs.
Lovell.
"Hurrah for Thanksgiving day and
Nell Lynn." cried Bill.
The Puritan Maid.
CHILDREN, like squirrels. like to
climb trees at this season of the
year and gather nuts. Many funny
things can be made from nuts. The
funniest of all is the Puritan maid, who'
helped to make history about 3i0 ver
ago." Her head is a hickory nut, the
pointed end forming the nose. The
face should be painted on with water
colors. The body and skirts are held
in place by a stick, which is run
through the head and fastened In a
little pill box at the bottom. The body
is then shaped with cotton around the
stick, and the dress, apron and ker
cTiief are draped over these. The round
box is tightly covered with dark gray
goods to form the skirt. The oversRtrt,
or apron, is a light gray, and the hand
kerchief fichu is white. The cap is
also white muslin, as is the belt.
The arms are made separately and
stuffed with cotton, before they are
sewed in place.
Our little Puritan Maid will do very
well as a pin cushion on the bureau,
or she can be mounted on a few layers
of cloth and used as a pen wiper on
your desk.
ill In
iiiiiii
among the Eskimos. He came from
Canada to Hershcl Island, which lies in
the Arctic Ocean not far from the Mac
kenzie River. It Is noted as a whaling
station, and in som Winters more than
7in whalers liv there in order that
they may start their business with the
first break-up of the ice in the Spring.
Bishop Stringer's work was among the
whalers as well as among the Eskimos.
When he came there the latter were
the tools of the whalers. They had no
sense of property rights, and they were
sunken and degraded to a remarkable
degree. Through the Christian work of
the Hershel mission, the character of
the rate has practically changed. The
most of the Eskimos are now Chris
tians and they are advancing In civili
zation. T asked Bishop Stringer to tell me
something about the Eskimos of Can
ada. . He replied:
"About five-sixths of all the Eskimos
of the world are in the Canadian Do
minion. There are altogether perhaps
10.000 of them. They live along the
shores of the Arctic Ocean and do not
go more than 100 miles Into the in
terior. Their chief business is fishing
and hunting. They sell their skins to
the Hudson's Bay Company.
"It is astonishing," said Bishop
Stringer, "how eager the Eskimos are
to become Christians, and what ardent
Christians they are. Recently we had
200 volunteers who asked to be mission
JUST about this time of the year,
you are very apt to hear mamma
complaining about the cost of the
Thanksgiving turkey. And you may
even wonder why they should be so
expensive.
One explanation is that they are so
hard to raise. The average farmer Is
lucky. Indeed, if he succeeds in raising
one-half the number of turkeys he
hatches out. A sudden and violent
rain storm often wipes out an entire
flock, and it is a fact that no turkey
has sense enough "to come in out of
the wet."
The young turkeys peck their way
out of their shells in April or May. and
by no means do all of the eggs hatch
out healthy chicks. From then on.
the young turkey is more delicate and
lots more trouble than a baby.
For nearly three months he must be
fed on crackers and milk, and they
have such weak constitutions that, out
of the average flock, nearly half suc
cumb to one of the many turkey
diseases.
But as they grow older they become
more hardy and scratch about in the
woods and fields for their food. Some
how they have a strong desire to stray
away from their home, and often the
farmer has to go out and search for
them for hours. Their favorite roost
ing place is high up in the trees. Just
about the first of November they are
fed lots of oats to fatten them for the
Thanksgiving table. Indeed, much de
pends upon this fattening process just
before Thanksgiving. ,
Sometimes people who live in the
cities buy their turkeys alive several
weeks before Thanksgiving, keep them
in their back yards or in cellars and
feed them very choice food calculated
to give a particularly appetizing flavor
to the meat.
But one such enthusiast quite over
stepped the bounds last Thanksgiving
when, at the table, he explained en
thusiastically to his guests how he had
himself bought the bird in the near-by
country, put it in his cellar and "fat
tened" it for three weeks.
"Ah, no wonder it has such a fine
flavor!" he exclaimed. "Would you be
lieve. It. before I brought the turkey
home the cellar was literally overrun
with cockroaches. And he feasted on
them every "
liut just then one of hia guests
CARE IN RAISING TURKEYS
an expedition of church work that
would involve an absence of two years
from home."
It was through his wonderful work at
Hershel Island that the Rev. I. O.
Stringer was made Bishop of the Yu
kon. He has under his religious direc
tion a territory as large as Germany.
It consists of Yukon territory and the
country east of it, running almost to
Hudson's Bay. It is the most northerly
mission in the British Empire and the
most of its work is in the wilds. It
was during one of his trips through
that region that Bishop Stringer had
his narrow escape from starving. He
had finished inspecting the Eskimo
missions along the Arctic ocean and
had started homeward over the Rocky
Mountains to Dawson. He was trav
eling on foot, his only companion be
ing a lay preacher named Johnson.
After a while they ran short of food.
They were far away from any settle
ment and starvation stared them in the
face. Vor days they lived on roots,
nuts and stewed Bquirrel. Now and
then they shot a ptarmigan and at one
time killed a grouse. The grouse Is
not bigger than a pigeon, but they
only nibbled at it. taking just enough
to keep themselves alive.
During all that time they had no
quarrels as to the division of the food.
The bishop told me tat most men lose
their sense of 'what Is right tinder such
conditions. They are prone to suspect
their fellows, and quarrels and deaths
They llavr a strona- Iealre to Stray
Away- F'rona Homr.
reached for her napkin and another
fainted.
Vijao, a New Vegetable Dye.
VIJAO Is the local name of a plant
which, according to a recent com
merce report of the Bureau of Foreign
and Domestic Commerce, the natives
of Porto Rico are using as a source of
dye. It is claimed that an ink of ex
ceptional fastness Is made from the
seeds of this plant, which has been
identified botanlcally as renealmla ex
alt a t a. It is a member of the ginger,
family tzingiberaeeae). which Includes
a long list of valuable food and drug
plants. Ginger, turmeric and carda
mom are ureong the drugs that are
produced by this group of plants.
Vljao is as yet but little known in
most parts of the West Indies. In gen
eral appearance and manner of growth
the plant is not unlike that of culti
vated ginger, the chler difference lying
in the arrangements of the flowers. In
the case of vijao these are arranged
in a panicle, while those of the ginger
plant are more or less In the form of a
cone-sha.ped spike.
It appears from various well-authenticated
reports that this plant and some
very closely related forms are distrib
uted over a very extensive territory.
"a JM
have been caused through the belief
that one man gets more than the other.
The bishop prevented this by agreeing
with Johnson that turn about one of
them should always make the division
of the food portions alloted for each
meal and the other should then have
the right to pick which of the two
portions he desired.
"For instance." said Bishop Stringer,
"our meal might be the head and the
leg of a ptarmigan. After It was over
we would discuss which part had the
most nourishment. Wc finally decided
on the head. We each lost 50 pounds
during that journey."
I asked the bishop to tell me about
eating his boots. He replied:
"We did not do that until we were
out of all other food. We should have
starved had we not eaten them, and
it was only because the boots were of
the kind used by the Eskimos that we
were able to eat them. Boots made
of leather tanned and dressed in the
ordinary way could not be palm. The
boots we had were of sealskin dried
without tanning. They reached to our
knees and contained quite a good deal
of hide. Our first experiment with
them was not a success. They had
been greased night after night and the
oil had turned rancid. The taste was
such that it was impossible to swallow
or chew the skin. At last we tried,
boiling it and then toasting It. The
toasting took away some of the taste,
and after that we were able to con
sume them. With the exception of a,
few bits, we had eaten two pairs of
boota when we were found." The
bishop showed me some of the pieces
left over which he has kept as a relic.
They are as black as ink and look
like vulcanized rubber.
I was Interested in the diary which
the bishop had kept describing the
Journey. Here is an extract from the
record of the day they were found:
Thursday. October 21. 1S0S Break
fast off of sealskin boots, soles and
tops, boiled and toasted. Soles better
than uppers. Soup from small scraps
of bacon and scrapings of the flour
barrel. The last we have. Tired.
Hands sore. Took a long time to pack
up. Concluded we were in the peel
River country. Heard children's voices
in the distance and then saw houses on
left hand about a mile ahead. We
stopped and thanked God for bringing
us to human habitation."
During that trip the bishop had start
ed out to the Eskimos in May. leaving
Mrs. Stringer at Dawson. He was then
on his way home. He staid only a
fortnight to rest and recuperate and
then walked 800 miles to rejoin his
family.
Vijao jrrows on a number of the West
Indian islands and is found also in the
Guianas and in Brazil. The Brazilians
call this plant "papatinga." which has
relation to its tinctorial properties. In
some parts of Brazil it is popularly
known as pacova. and the seeds, which
are called "fructos de pacova." are said
to be collected for the purpose of mak
ing a bright red dye.
First Thanksgiving.
WHILE the first official Thanksgiv
ing celebration was held by the
rilgrim Fathers, it is an historical fact
that in the year 1578 a Thanksgiving
service was held on the shores of New
foundland by an English minister
named Wolfall, who was attached to
the expedition under Frobisher, wnicn
brought the first English colony to set
tle on those shores.
There is a record of the service that
day and it reads as follows:
"On Monday morning. May 27. 1578.
aboard the Ayde, we received all the
communion by the minister of Grave
send, and prepared as good Christians
toward God. and resolute men for all
fortunes, and toward night we de
parted toward Tilberry Hope. Here we
highly praised God. and altogether
upon our knees gave him due. humble
and hearty thanks, and Master Wol
fall, a learned man appointed by Her
Majesty's council to be our minister,
made unto us a goodly sermon, exhort
ing all especially to be thankful to God
for his strange and miraculous de
liverance in those dangerous places."
TH MvSG I V 1 ' G.
I am thankful Summer's past
With its birds and bees.
And the Fall Is here at last
With its golden trees.
I'll be thankful when the frost
Silvers rake and hoe.
And the golden leaves are lost
Underneath the snow.
I'll be thankful for the Spring;.
For the buds and grass.
For the little birds that sins
Sweetly as they pass.
I am glad and thankful, too.
Most the time I've found
I would wish the same to you.
AH the year around.
SAY THIS Ql IfKLV.
Bandy-legged Boararhio Moustachiu
Whiskerif uscius, the bald but brave
Bombardino of Bagdad, helped Abor
milique Bluebeard. Bashaw of Babel
mandeb, to beat down an Abominable
bumble of Bashaw.