ORPHANAGE NEWS LETTER.
Published Monthly .it the Kodiak Baptist Orphanage. Wood Island. Kodiak. Alaska.
Under auspices of The Woman's American Baptist Home Mission Society.
Cl’RTIS P. COE. Editor and Publisher.
Ten Cents a Year.
OCTOBKR, 1906.
Vol. VII. No. 7.
A GENERAL LETTER.
liV Cl’KTIS Pkaukk Cok.
Mrs. Reynolds lias requested me to
write, fordistrilmlion anions the Cir
cles, information concerning the
work in Alaska Such an article
will contain much that is familiar to
those who have followed the history
of the Orphanage, but it is hoped it
will he interesting and profitable to
new members of the Societies and to
those heretofore not deeply interest
ed in the cause in the Northland.
Kvery year Alaska is attracting
more attention, and for years to come
she will continue to call for brain and
brawn from the rest of the world.
She has hut launched upon her ca
reer, and the wealth deposited ill her
soil has been only slightly revealed.
That the future will see Alaska first
in fisheries and in forest products is
assured. That she will soon lead in
production of mineral wealth is be
lieved by those familiar with the con
ditions. While agricultural pursuits
must for the present be entered cau
tiously, there is no doubt that the
time will come when they will de
mand much attention.
The climate presents many sur
prises to the uniniated. There are,
in fact, many climates. It could
not be otherwise in a country which
extends through as many degrees of
latitude anti of longitude as the Unit
ed States. The recortis kept for the
Agricultural Department show that
in the winter of 1904-5 the mercury
did not drop so low as zero at I.oring,
Juneau, Skagway. Sitka, Urea, l-'ort
l.iscom, Wood Island, nor Coal Har
bor. These places are scattered at
irregular intervals alo«g the south
ern coast for more than 1000 miles.
The lowest temperature at Sitka was
22 above, and at Wood Island was 10
above.
I lie uij'iiesi veinaiuic icu/n
in the slimmer of 1905 was Sitka,
Juneau, and Skagway each 84, Fort
I.iscom 76, Wood Island 74, Copper
Center 88, Rampart 96, Fort Egbert
91, The last three are interior towns
and the last two are on the Yukon.
The places farthest north had the
warmest weather.
Alaska has become a favorite point
of interest with tourists, inanv of
whom do little more than cross the
boundary before they return with a
comprehensive (?) knowledge of, the
entire district. Others extend their
tour and see more of the vastness, the
resources, and the beauties of the
country, and the farther they go the
less they are sure they know of Alas
ka as a whole.
Missions were established among
the natives of the roast regions, many
years ago by various denominations,
and many of these are prosperous
to-day. The coining of w hile men
in the last ten or twelve years has
occasioned the settlement of a few