was impossible for the few well ones
to make coffins ami dig :he graves in
the frozen ground. S » with few ex
ceptions the dead were wrapped in
bed quilts and several buried in one
grave. Often it would De long after
dark before this sad task was finished.
One evening Nicholai could not
come to do the chores on account of
these other duties. I'nfortuuately
Supt. Learn at that time had the in
fluenza, and though confined to bed
only par? of a day, \ as positively for
bidden to go outside. So Mrs. Greg
ory and Miss Mattson fed the pigs
and calves, put in the cows, fed and
milked them and fed the horses.
me neif nay ny reqi esr Mr. Arm
strong, the Marshal at Kodiak sent a
young man over to do the chores,
and help us in other ways, but he
could not milk. So when Nicholai
could not come to milk Mrs. Gregory
and Miss Mattsondid it.
When the epidemic 9rst broke out
we were distressed because we thought
we were to be without a physician, as
Dr. Beck was leaving on the Parra
gut, but it happened that Dr. bane of
the Government R R. Commission was
on furlough and in Kodiak awaiting
a boat for the South end of the island.
Tho ho had no drugs with him, on
ly his pocket, medicine case, yet his
advice and counsel were of great help.
He made us three visits and com
mended the way we were handling
the sickness.
There is not the slighest, doubt in
onr minds but that a kind Providence
sent Mrs. Gregory to us in our time
of special need. She is a nurse, and
also has had large experience in
the dietary department of a hospital.
More than that she had had experi
ence with the influenza before com
ing here, so that her help was simply
invaluable. In all probability there
would have been a large mortality at
the Orphanage had she not been with
us, as the rest of us were quite ignor
ant of ti e treacherous nature of ttaa
disease
Our older boys and girls had the
influenza much harder than the
younger ones. A number of them
were very very ill, and we had many
anxious days and nights on account
of them
Thirty-one in the Orphanage were
ill at th< game time, and all recovered
excepting Allie Vessey, whofrorothe
very first had pueumonia.
Through the gplendid nurging of
MiggHineg we thought at one time
that the child would recover, but a
change for the worge developed and
in gpite of alleffortg she left ug, pass
ing away very quietly Sunday eve,
Dec., 1.
Allie wag 11 years old. A devoted
little Christian. Faithful and neat
in all her work, and is much missed
in the h ime circle.
The h.ghest commendation is due
our matrons Misses Mattson, Hines
and Mrs. Gregory. Their service
during the epidemic was nothing
short of heroic.
Four children were received re
cently— Stephen Amiknok, whose
mother died of the influenza, his fa
ther died a year ago. He is ten years
old.
Paul Ohya, whose father died dur
ing the epidemic, leaving his mother
with four children He is nine years
old.
Joseph and Yakob Amoknok whose
father also died during the epidemic.
The mother cannot support them.