Alaska by FRED W. TEMPLE

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 25, 1912

Alaska

By FRED W. TEMPLE

FROM our winter quarters, with the ground covered with soft white snow, and the night claiming over two thirds of every twenty-four hours, we send New-year's greetings to the REVIEW family. May this new year be one of continual advancement and victory in the cause of the message, is our prayer.

CRUISER “SEARCHLIGHT” USED IN THE ALASKA MISSION WORK

The summons to advance is heard along all lines. There is a battle to fight. There are victories to gain. There is a home in a city of pure gold waiting for us if we are but faithful to the end.

We have nothing discouraging to report from this field. The Lord has blessed us in many wonderful ways. Though we have had to face hardships, cold, and exposures, the knowledge that we have a part in helping to spread this last, warning message to the ends of the earth gives us courage.

We are thankful we have a strong little cruiser of our own, with which we can work among Alaska's islands and along her shore-line to much better advantage than before. She is a seaworthy boat, and provides comfortable quarters for us as we go from port to port. A good supply of books and papers can be carried, as well as provisions, water, and fuel for long cruises. The rig was built to order, and with the exception of a small indebtedness still standing against it, has been paid for out of our own private earnings while here in the field. We have tried to make this boat a little floating mission as far as its size would permit. We have a medicine-cabinet and first-aid kit which we shall install in the spring.

We had planned to add a stereopticon to our outfit, with which we could better illustrate Bible truths in the camps and at mines; but our means will not allow us to get the equipment we want at present. We believe something of this nature would be of great value in helping to attract men who would never leave their rooms to attend a sermon. At these camps we can use a good number of our magazines and papers. Often men come aboard and ask for papers. At Union Bay this last summer a man came to the boat in his skiff, and took every paper we had to give away. We have little call for the REVIEW in this pioneer work; but we can use any quantity of clean, fresh magazines, like the Watchman, Signs of the Times, Bible Training School, Instructor, Life and Health, and Little Friend. Any one having these papers and caring to have a part in this work with us, will do us a favor by mailing them to my address as appears below.

As soon as the weather is settled in the spring, we shall be on the move again, and can not be reached regularly by the mails; so we would like to have enough papers in by May 1 to last until we reach Nome late in the fall. We must be ready to leave Icy Strait about the middle of May. Then working rapidly westward, we should make Unimak Pass about July 20, just as the ice-fields are leaving the Bering Sea. This will give us about two months to work along Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim Bay, and will bring us to Nome in time for winter. This is a long, hard trip; but the shore-line is broken, and anchorage can be found quickly in case of bad weather.

The accompanying photograph of the “Searchlight” was taken at Ketchikan just before leaving for Thorn Arm. The pencil sketch shows her rounding Cape Fox, plastered with snow and ice from a trip up Portland Canal. This was the middle of November, and a heavy head wind beat against us most of the way. The salt spray froze the anchors and lines to the deck, and plastered the windows shut. On this trip we took provisions to two men caught out on short rations, and helped several others.

The crew of the “Searchlight” consists of Mrs. Temple and myself. On our long trip to Nome this coming summer, we plan to have a young man sail with us to help with the boat, and to assist in holding meetings, etc.

We can but humbly sow the seed. In due time the Master will water the ground and bring forth the harvest.

FRED W. TEMPLE. Ketchikan.