Twcnty*five Cents a Year. FEBRUARY, 1909.
Vol. IX. No. 11.
HAPPENINGS and DOINGS
As the entire space of the last
issue of the News Letter was taken
tip with telling of the Christmas
exercises ami festivities at the Orph
anage, all news items had to he omit
ted. An effort will he made in this
issue to keep our readers informed
of the course of events at Wood Is
land during the past few months.
The continued good health of the
children is one thing for which we
ate devoutly thankful.
We suffered a great ioss the week
before Christmas when Nig, our good
faithful horse got down in his stall,
and so injured himself that lie had to
he killed. Since his death all the
supplies as well us the coal and wood
for the house, and the hay for the
cattle have had to he brought up by
the boys, sometimes on a sled and
sometimes on their shoulders. About
the midtile of Jan. Billy, the balky
horse came to the mission for water,
as all the lakes and streams on the
island were frozen over. Since last
spring he has been running at large.
After some coaxing he allowed him
self to be caught and put in the barn.
All his wild tendencies seem to have
disappeared, and for a week or more
he has been doing some hauling,
livery time he h.ings up a load
he has been rewarded with a lump
of sugar, until he not only expects it,
but often asks for it, however his
work has not been done without
Rome soul-vexing bulky spells.
W'e have a yoke of steers that were
partly broken last spring- This week
they were yoked up again, and have
given fairly good service though
they are somewhat awkward. Our
hope is that they will be sufficiently
trained by spring to do the plowing
of the gardens, and the other heavy
teaming.
Without any exp-nse to the Society
a lurge three story building belong
ing to the North American Commer
cial Co. has come into the possession
of the mission for a barn. It will
have to be taken down and moved
however
A ham where all the stock can be
kept will be a great convenience.
At the present time the cattle are
housed in three diiferent buildings
only one of which (the small barn
near the mission) is owned by the
mission. It will be a saving of time,
to sav the least, and enable one man
to oversee the feeding and care of
the animals to have them all under
one roof.
Out of the building above mention
ed sufficient lumber has been taken
to lay new floors in the assembly
room, .the children’s dining room
and two small halls aside from that
required to finish off a large room
in the third story of the mission for
the large boys. And still enough
(Continued on fourth page.)