THE FIRST CHURCH IN KLONDIKE.
New York, January 21.—Two missionaries were last August sent to the Klondike by two New York women under the auspices of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions. The names of the women are kept a secret by the board. A letter has just been received by D. J. McMillan, corresponding secretary of the board, from these missionaries—the Rev. Hall Young and Dr. W. A. McEwen. The letter is from Dawson City, and is dated December 1. It was carried from Dawson City to the nearest outpost of civilization by Jimmy Jackson, an Indian, who has a record for going where no other man can go. The letter announces the establishment of the first church in Klondike, and says there is food enough there to last till spring. If provisions reach the miners by April 1, the danger of absolute want will be entirely past. Mr. Young writes that he and his companions are the only missionaries who reached Klondike City, two miles from Dawson City, their destination, before the winter set in. Since then, of course, nobody has arrived there. They started at once to provide a place of worship for the miners. On this point, Mr. Young writes:— I found a newly-erected two-story house belonging to a saloon-keeper, which he offered to let us have on the following terms: The large room on the first floor one month for $100 in advance; or the whole house (there are six 8 by 10 rooms in the upper story) until May 15, seven months, for $800, giving five days to raise the money. Well, I prayed and called on several friends. I got the $100 which secured the room for the next Sunday. I advertised and had a nice meeting, attendance fifty, collection $40. Then I arranged to sub-let the upper-stairs rooms at $20 per month each. They are little, rough, cold, unfurnished boxes, but were eagerly snapped the first day. I got the renters to advance all they could and borrowed the rest from the gold commissioner, Mr. Fawcett. At the expiration of five days I paid the other $750 and got the lease of the building. But there were troubles ahead. On the 21st of November one of the lodgers came home filled with whisky. Altho candles were worth $1.50 each, he lighted one and then kicked it over. The building was burned to the ground. The pluck of the missionaries had aroused the enthusiasm of the miners, however, and gold was forthcoming in paying quantities. Mr. Young argued for and won the observance of Sunday in the camp, and the “opera-house,” which had been used for other purposes, on that day is now the church. Somebody stole two bags of flour from the missionaries, but the thief has been forgiven. The missionaries have started a Young People’s11Society of Christian Endeavor, and a branch of the Y. M. C. A. The letter closes:— I walked over twenty miles on Tuesday, with the thermometer at 37 degrees below zero, made eleven calls, and found about thirty church people who will attend the meetings. Flour is $1.50 per pound; candles, $1.50 apiece; meats, $1.25 per pound, and other food in proportion. Flour can hardly be had at any price, and groceries can scarcely be bought at the stores. On the other hand, some of the mines are pouring forth constant streams of gold, and there is no difficulty in paying obligations.