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BY BISHOP ROWE

St. John's-in-the-Wilderness,
Allakaket, March 19th

E "blew into" "St. John's-inthe-Wilderness" Thursday, February 27th. Here we staid until Tuesday, March 3d, when we headed for Bettles, Coldfoot, Nolan Creek, about 160 miles north of Allakaket. We made this trip, though encountering snowstorms, bad weather and no trail, getting back on March 16th. To-morrow we set out for Tanana, across the summits and lying between the Koyukuk and Yukon Rivers. On the way here we had the worst weather of the winter, yet we pulled through in good time. However, I came to the mission lame and with feet that had bled from such constant wear of the snowshoes. Now I am in fine shapeready for any hard work. But we look for better weather-though for many days we have been having 40° below zero weather.

Fairbanks, April 4th

I am this far on my homeward jour

I had a fierce struggle with Arctic storms on the journey from Allakaket to this place. We were bewildered for some hours in crossing the Melozikaket divide, but found our way at last, suffering only a few frost-bites and much weariness. I was shocked and grieved to learn of Bishop Satterlee's death. I am so sorry-surely a prince of men and leader has fallen. May God give us grace and strength to follow his noble example!

I leave here on April 6th for Valdez. Then on to Sitka, and then to New York in June en route to England.

I am busy making plans for building at Fort Yukon and Neenana. Miss Farthing is well and happy in Neenana. She is doing well. I am ordering Miss Woods out on her furlough from Fort Yukon. She needs it, but is reluctant to take it.

Here is one aspect of Church work in a small town in the Diocese of Fond du Lac :

E

ney. Safe and sound, ten pounds lighter have in this place about forty

and bearing only two frost-bite marks. And how good it seems to be facing homewards. Previously it was north, ever north, until at last I reached the ultimate line of human life. We encountered heavy snowstorms, gales of wind, but there was something exhilarating in a fight with the elements. We had to make our own trail and were constantly on our snowshoes. I started out soft, but soon got into the "pink of condition." I found Miss Carter and Miss Heintz well and happy. My arrival was a great surprise and joy. They are succeeding splendidly in their work.

On this trip I have driven horses, mules, dogs, reindeer and had all sorts of experiences.

communicants; two-thirds of them have all they can do to keep themselves. We get from the congregation not quite a dollar a Sunday. We have $200 per annum from the Board of Missions. There is a farm attached to the church property. This we work, and help ourselves with the aid given us each year by the Woman's Auxiliary. We have got along very nicely. I have been nearly eighteen years in this place. We would have a large congregation if the people stayed here, but they keep moving away, and so we just hold our own. We gather in quite a number of children and instruct them in the Church Catechism. The parents of these children are not religious, but some of them are being led to Church.

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THE TEMPORARY PARISH HOUSE OF ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, SAN FRANCISCO

SAN FRANCISCO TWO YEARS AFTER

E

THE FIRE

BY THE REVEREND EDWARD L. PARSONS

ASTER Day, April 19th, 1908, marked the second anniversary of the second day of the great fire in San Francisco. Few of the Easter worshippers of this year could fail to contrast the joyous hopefulness and the spirit of reviving life with the dread anxiety and awful confusion of that time. A city wrapped in smoke and doomed has given place to a city instinet with life and strong in the confidence of a great struggle fairly won.

The progress of San Francisco has been amazing. Steel frames rise everywhere the clang of hammer and the rumble of dray never cease. Buildings again line all the important streets, and except that so much money and strength must still go to rebuilding, life has taken on again its accustomed aspects.

In all this, as was to be expected, the Church has had to lag behind. It is the purpose of this article to present a brief sketch of its condition to-day. In regard to rebuilding the word has been "wait."

Of the churches, St. John's, the Advent and the Good Samaritan Mission are still in the flimsy temporary structures put up in the first few weeks after the fire. Grace and St. Luke's did not build at once, and were able therefore to put up substantial and attractive frame buildings, temporary of course, and small in size; but far more satisfactory than the "emergency" buildings of the first period. St. Peter's, also, which had just purchased new land at the time of the fire and had money in hand, has an adequate and churchly frame building.

Of the institutions, the Divinity-school at San Mateo waits the completion of arrangements to move to the city, and the Armitage Orphanage at the same place waits the settlement of financial conditions. In San Francisco, St. Luke's Hospital can do nothing until the Rebuilding Fund is in hand; the Maria Kip Orphanage is restored through advances from that fund, and in the same way, by advances from the fund, the Seamen's In

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In the Seamen's Insti tute the Church has a fine building with concert hall, reading rooms, postoffice, sa v

ings bank, library and forty

bedrooms. which a re constantly occupied. Although the chaplain, the Rev. Frank

pects." The prospects of rebuilding depend almost entirely upon the amount of help which comes from outside in the Rebuilding Fund. Parishes like the Advent and St. John's will for years to come be unable to contribute any considerable sum toward their own permanent building. The Advent has in fact had heaped upon it a further debt of

THE NEW SEAMEN'S INSTITUTE

Stone, and the trustees have raised over $27,000 toward this building, it would not have been possible without advances from the Rebuilding Fund-a conclusive evidence of the vital importance to the Church in San Francisco of outside help. It is only through outside help that it can meet immediately and strongly its present problems.

"Work done" is in the San Francisco of to-day inextricably mixed with "pros

$6,500 -which a former rector has been able to establish as a legal claim against the parish for salarya claim quite unexpected by the present rector and vestry.

Yet the work of

these parishes is growing and press

ing the little build

ings are over

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[blocks in formation]

A division of the Rebuilding Fund has been agreed upon which will give each of the parish churches, except St. Peter's, six thirty-thirds (6/33) of the total amount collected; but it is impossible as yet to forecast how much each can depend upon. Two "cuts" have already been made. First the appeal of the Commission in the East had to be limited to sufficient for walls and roof alone, leaving for the future the fuller

San Francisco Two Years after the Fire

restoration; and now as the fund has grown SO slowly and the Church has felt not only the financial stringency but a diminishing interest in the San Francisco situation, the estimates will have to be scaled down all along the line; and

the

churches built in a style far below that of the new San Francisco. We can only avoid that by waiting and losing our great opportunity or by the Church at large remembering our need.

THE CHAPEL OF THE SEAMEN'S INSTITUTE, SAN FRANCISCO

The cathedral, to be erected on the beautiful site given by the Crocker family, will take the place of a perma

427

nent Grace Church. Great

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interest has been

aroused in the

plans, which were

among the last works of the late Dr. George F. Bodley. Mr. Lewis F. Hobart, his San Francisco collaborator, is now engaged in the revision and adaptation to local conditions. It is not expected, however, that more than a beginning can be made in the near future. The building will proceed just as far as funds are in hand. There

are

other prospects than those which concern rebuilding. The shifting population will necessitate some slight rearrangement of

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A CORNER OF THE CLUB ROOM IN THE NEW SEAMEN'S INSTITUTE

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THE FIRE-SWEPT RUINS OF GRACE CHURCH AS THEY APPEARED IN JUNE, 1906

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