The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1897-12

              The Word Carrier
VOLUME    XXVI.
HELPING    THE   RIGHT,   EXPOSING   THE   WRONG.
\ I'M HER   IS.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBRASKA.
DECEMBER, 1807.
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR
OUR   PLATFORM.
For Indians we want American Education! We ivant American Homes!
We want American Rights! ■ The result of which is American Citizenship).'
And the gospel is the Power of God for
their Salvation!
A general educational and missionary lecture tour of over seven
hundred miles on the reservations
was made this autumn by Mr. F. B.
Riggs. From the annual meeting
of the A. M. A. in Minneapolis he
went straight to Bismark, N. D.
and from there across the reservations west of the Missouri down
to Pierre. Thence he started for
Rosebud and Pine Ridge. Several
days were spent on the Grand
River, at Elkhorn StTition, holding
a Bible and general educational
institute. Those people, for whom
.Miss Collins has labored so faithfully, are now sufficiently advanced
to appreciate such a school. When
its purpose and advantages are
more fully understood we have reason to believe that a popular annual
institute of this kind will be largely-
attended. Besides Bible study, the
topics for such an occasion include
a large range in every department
of Christian civilization. It is hoped
that a regular time can be appointed for such an institute at each
outstation every year. This will be
further supplemented by the extension of our Santee Correspondence
School, and thus greatly increase
the radiating effectiveness of Santee
as a Christian educational centre.
AFTER    MANY   DAYS.
We were greatly pleased to see
among the passengers by the last
steamer, Mr. Peter Simpson and his
family. Peter is one of the boys that
came to our Home from Metlakahtla
ten or twelve years ago. He was an
industrious student and manly fellow in every respect. He graduated
from the school with honor, and
when ready to leave us arranged
a partnership with one of our most
promising girls for life. His wife
had been trained in the art of
"domestic science" in Mrs. Austin's
kitchen, which was a valuable consideration in the eyes of Peter when
he was negotiating said partner-
snip. In fact this was one of the
many troubles encountered by Mrs.
Austin in her missionary work. No
sooner would she get one of the native girls nicely trained in the culinary art, so that she could be of
real service to her, than some boy
whose time had just expired in the
school would come along and show
his appreciation of her work by
relieving her of said help. There
is many a home in Alaska made
happier and more comfortable today, by reason of these girls who
passed through our kitchen. It
seemed to be a sort of postscript to
our regular work. Yet I fancy on
tbe whole no better work, no more
useful and helpful work for the pupil, is done in any of the departments than in this very one. The
superintendent who has just returned from a visit to Juneau was telling
me of a family there who have one
of our Mission girls working for
them, who when asked where she
learned to cook and keep house, re- '
plied with much pride, "at Mr. Aus- |
tin's." Let us remember that a tidy
home and a well-cooked meal is a
means of grace, as well as a prayer
meeting. Perhaps we shall be surprised on the "other side" to find
how many were influenced for good
by Paul's tent making, as well as
by his preaching.
The matron favored Peter's suit,
for in his ease "the course of true
love did not run smooth." The parents were prejudiced against the
Metlakahtlans. They spoke another
language, and they feared that their
daughter would be lonely and unhappy among a strange people.
They thought the Sitka children who
were educated in the Sitka school
ought to stay here* and help their
own people. They needed it more
than the Tsimpsians. There were
numerous private counsels in those
days and Mrs. A. was the champion
of the young people. All the difficulties were finally removed and on
September 17, 1891, Peter Simpson
and Mary Sloan were married.
Peter Simpson is now part owner
is a steam saw mill at Port Gravina,
is doing well and came to Sitka to
pay the old folks a visit.
At our last communion service I
I baptized their two beautiful little
; children, Lewis Peter Simpson and
J Isabella  Rachel   Simpson,   and   I
thought I never saw any  happier
looking  people   than Grandfather
| and   Grandmother  Sloan  as  they
came forward to take these little
' grandchildren  by  the  hand   after
! service was over.    Who would have
dared  to prophecy such  a  result
when this Mission was started.    I
wish I bad a picture of these grandparents as I first saw them, and of
this group at the baptism of the little
j ones.    It would be a most effective
1 missionary sermon.     Thank God
; these Christian homes are springing up in many parts of Alaska.    I
wonder what the next  picure will
be "after many days."    f shall not
i see it.—A. E. Austin, in North Star.
AN INDIAN WEDDING.
The Story of the Marriage of Wabli-koyake
and Julia Lonebear.
Wabli-koyake, known as Wears-
eagle, had been for a number of
months an apparently interested
and devout attendant on all the services at the Porcupine Creek Chapel.
He seemed to be a very quiet and inoffensive kind of a man, and many
hopes were entertained in regard to
him. After awhile, however, he disappeared from the neighborhood,
and their camerumors tbathe was in
the "lock up" at the agency. By
and by he came back, having been,
like Samson, shorn of his locks. A
woman was the original cause of
his having been deprived of his
liberty, and in this respect also,
he was somewhat like Samson.
He brought back what might be
fitly termed "hang-dog-look," along
with his short hair. It was said
that he had fastened his precious
hair to a band, and sewed it to
his hat, in order to preserve appearances.
About this time, Julia Lonebear,
and Julia's father, bepan to haunt
the mission house. The cause of
this persistency was that the agent
had ordered Julia Lonebear and
Mr. Wearseagle to be married.
The future father-in-law feared that
the man would in some way leave
his daughter a lorn as well as Lonebear, and accordingly his desire ,
was to see the couple -safely (?) |
madeone. "Has Mr. Johnson come
yet," was Julia's repeated query, j
"When is he coming?" At length !
persistency and patience had their
reward. In the course of human
events Mr. Johnson arrived, one
evening, on his way to Corn Creek.
It had seemed to him most necessary that he get started from Porcupine early in the morning, for
that place, but the building at Corn
Creek could wait better than this
most important wedding. So in
the morning, Mr. Johnson went
across the creek in haste, and came
back on double quick, with the
word that Julia and Wablikoyake
were both ready. They had only
stipulated that Nakiwizi and Mrs.
Bear-that runs-through-the-woods-
sits-on-hind-legs- and-cracks-nuts
be asked to support them in the
tiying hour. Accordingly Mr. Johnson and Mr. Morris harnessed up
their horse.-:, and made haste to
find the people whose presence was
desired. After a very lengthy drive
up the creek, they returned, saying
that Nakiwizi could not befound.but
that Mrs. Bear-that-runs-through
the-woods, etc., with Mr. Bear, etc.,
were on the way, and would shortly be here. So the bell was rung.
The bride elect, accompanied by
a friend, in a red gown, had appeared on the scene of action, some
time previously. The bride's distinguishing article of attire was
a very heavy beaver shawl, and
it was an extremely warm day in
July!
The groom had come alone. By
and by, Blackbear dropped in.
I may remark parenthetically that
some day Blackbear will naturally
fall to pieces, if nothing braces him
together. After awhile Thomas
Prettyelk appeared, but no Mr.
and Mrs. Bear, etc. Consternation
became depicted on several faces.
Where were they? And echo answered "where"? Mr. Johnson sat
on pins, figuratively speaking, for
was he not in haste to be away for
Corn Creek ? Miss Conger, on her
seat behind the organ, represented
"patience on a monument". By
and by she began to play, to "soothe
the savage breast," and sang awhile,
accompanied by the others. Still
no Mr. and Mrs. Bear, etc. Where
could they be ? At length some one
volunteered the information that
they had gone to the store—perhaps to buy a pair of gloves! Another suggested that it might be
white gloves, for the wedding! That
proposition was so manifestly absurd, that one of the audience retired precipitately, to Ihe door step,
to have her laugh out.
All things come to .an end sometime, and so at last a wagon appeared in sight, and the missing man
and woman came in, calm and serene as a summer morn. We breathed sighs of relief. Now the marriage would soon be over, and we
could go home and have dinner!
But our relief was of short duration, for now indeed, came the
"tug of war."
pass-
Bear,
In a
Julia Lonebear and Mr. Wears-
eagle were soon standing in front of
the pulpit, with Mr. and Mrs. Bear,
etc. on either side. Oh, for a kodak!
The woman (dung to her heavyshaw 1
with one hard, and with the other
held like grim death on the man's
limp and passive fingers. He gave
one the feeling that he was in a state
of decay. His ragged vest, and dirty pink shirt were the most noticeable features of his toilet.
Julia responded quite earnestly
and vehemently to the questions
that Mr. Johnson bad asked her,
but when it came the man's turn,
alas, he was as dumb as a thousand
year mummy. The questions were
repeated, still no answer. They
were asked through an interpreter,
to be sure that he understood, but
even then elicited no reply. What
was to be done? Time was
ing.
After a little, however, Mr.
etc., came to the rescue,
calm dispassionate tone he harangued tbe man, giving him some
most excellent advice. By and by
tbe sphinx spoke, but no words of
wisdom were heard. He did not
know enough to be married, he said.
He did not understand these things.
It was the business of these praying men to instruct him, and they
had not yet taught him as they
should, with more of the same sort
of palaver. Again and again Mr.
Johnson plied him with questions,
but with no results. The situation
grew serious. What could be done
with the obstinate man? To the
beholders in the rear it seemed as
if a good sound shaking might do
Mr. Wears-eagle more good than
any thing else, and one at least
longed for the power to administer
it. Julia reiterated, "The Agent
told us to get married, and so we
ought to get married." All this
time she held .tightly to the man's
limp and passive hand.
Again John Bear, etc., spoke in
the same quiet, convincing, dispassionate voice, and at length and
at last Wears-eagle yielded, and
agreed to make answer to the question asked him. So the ceremony
proceeded, without any further interruptions, and in a few moments
more the unwilling man and the
willing woman were pronounced
husband and wife.
We all drew long breaths theD,
glad to be released from the tiresome waiting, but wondering how
long the marriage would bind these
two. When hands had been shaken all around, and the certificate
duly signed, the people departed.
Wears-eagle held back as if to accompany his wife, but she, with her
attendant friend, would none of his
company. "Go !" she commanded,
with an imperious wave of her
hand. "Go!" And he went, slinking
along by the fence, soon disappearing from sight.
This may well be termed a marriage under difficulties.
ONE WHO WAS THERE.
N. B. No. 1. The woman is not
as willing as she was !
N. B. No. 2. All young men preparing for missionary work, are
hereby recommended to take warning from these trying experiences
of their brother in the ministry.