WASHINGTON
FISH AND
OYSTER CO.
PORT WILLIAMS,
ALASKA
Cold Storage
b'rozen Bait - Ice
Total freezing
capacity 20 tons
daily
Golden
Gate
Cafe
Beer & Wine
SERVED
WITH MEALS
STEAKS
“a specialty”
GEORGE KAPPOS
Proprietor
KODIAK .
DIARY ...
Father Gerasim Schmaltz, who
resides at Monk’s Lagoon on
Spruce Island, where is buried
Father Herman of legendary
fame, is a frequent visitor to
Kodiak.
The story is told by many old
timers here that whenever the
annual pilgrimmagc of the local
church body was made to Monk’s
Lagoon, no matter if it rained
before and after, that one dav
would always dawn bright and
clear. On one of these pilgrim -
mages some years ago a booklet
was presented to those attending,
which recounted the life of Fath
er Herman and recorded the mir
aculous stor es of the powers of
his religious faith.
The booklet was printed years
ago at Sitka, we found, although
the exact date of its publication
is not known. It tells of Father
Herman’s prophecies and ex
plains the reason Father Geras m
has maintained his faithful devo
tion at the spot where Father
Herman is buried.
The story, as told by the book
let, follows:
He died in 1837; but he is alive
even now. He lives in the hearts
of the people, in the most hidden
recesses of the human souls. His
great exploit, his firm faith, his
ar !ent love of God and man, his
warm kindness to the poor, neg
lected and unhappy people made
his name immortal here in Alas
ka and his bright image precious
and endearing.
Father Herman was born in
1757 in the town of Serpoohof,
I District of Moscow. His parents
I were merchants. From his earli
est years he felt the call to the
monastic life. At the age of 16 he
became an inmate of “Troitza
Sergief Pustin”.
How firm his faith in God was
even at that time and his only
I hope in Him may be shown by
the following incident that hap
pened to him: On the right side
of his neck, just under his chin a
large ulcer appeared. The pain
was very severe, the inflamation
quickly spread all over his
face and neck and disfigured
his appearance; it was very diffi
cult for him to swallow anything.
In this dangerous condition, ex
pecting death, Father Herman j
did not apply for relief to any
mortal physician, but with ferv*
ent prayer and tears he turned
to God; kneeling before the im
age of the Blessed Virgin that
hung in his room he asked her
help and intercession. He prayed
through the night. Then he took
a towel and having wiped the
image of the Blessed Virgin with
it he tied the towel around his
neck. Continuing his prayer he
was overcome with fatigue and
fell asleep on the floor. He
dreamed that the Blessed Virgin
healed him. Having awakened in
the morning he arose from the
floor and to his great surprise he
found himself perfect y well. The
swelling without coming to a
head and the sore without break
ing disappeared, leaving just a
little red spot as if to remind
him of the great miracle.
On hearing of this wonderful
recovery the doctors were incred
ulous, endeavoring to prove that
it was impossible for the ulcer to
disappear without discharge
either by bursting or cutting.
But “with men this is impossible,
but with God all things are pos
sible”. (Matt. 19: 26).
After six years in "Sergief
Pustin” Herman went over to
Balaam Monastery which he lov
ed with all his heart, and later
during his whole life recalled
with warm love. At Balaam he
left the kindest recollections of
himself. The Hermitage where
Father Herman lived is still call
ed the “Herman’s Hermitage”.
In 1793 an ecclesiastical Mis
sion was formed from the monks
of the Balaam Monastery and
sent to Northwestern America
for the purpose of preaching the
word of God to the wild inhabit
ants of the country. Ten men
were selected and among them
Father Herman. God willed that
he should labor in the apostolic
work among the Aleuts much
longer than the rest of his co
workers.
The place wheie Father Her
man lived in Alaska was Spruce
Island called the “Elovoi Ost
rof”, named by him the “New
Balaam”. Spruce Island is separ
ated from Kodiak Island by a
strait it is not very large, it is
covered by a dense forest and is
very picturesque. In the first
days of his stay there he dug
(continued on page 7)
KNUDSEN'S KOOIAk FOUNTAIN
still sells Ice Cream, consistently
good, and fountain specialties;
pop corn; magazines; as well as...
• IVORV
• PARKAS
• MUKLUKS
• Sc MANV OTHER ITEMS
KODIAK FOUNTAIN
"cKext to the Largest Store in Town ”
I
if it’s B you need
we recommend
CONI^b
J
VITAMIN B
COMPLEX
CAPSULES
m
BUY VITAMINS FROM
YOUR DRUG STORE
Recommended for.
Nerves, Fatigue,
Loss of Weight,
Appetite, Digestioi
For all your vitamin needs shop with
confidence at VITAMIN HEADQUARTERS
Bert’s Drug Stare
“On Kadiak’s Busy Corner”
• I I
Pinch’s Service Store
•‘The Service Men's Meeting Place”
END IC01T JOHNSON
ALSO JOHNSONIAN
SHOES
Received a New Shipment of
Ladies’ & Men’s
BULOVA WATCHES
15 & 17 Jewel
‘Btq Shipment
Navy T Shirts
Sweat Shirts
SOUVENIRS TO SEND HOMt
Army and Navy Pillow Tops
Head Scarfs
Bridge cloths
Tea Aprons
Boxed Alaska tablecloths & napkin?