for a 3 days' conference and about 60 responded. They signified their desire to join the Christian settlement and give up their old ways of living. It is hoped to make this station the center of Christian activity and a model for the regions round about." there, Ketchikan might have been quarantined so that boats from Seattle could not land and the supplies for Ketchikan and the neighboring region including Saxman, would have been temporarily cut off, that would have been a condition so serious that it Article in the Assembly Herald, De- would seem as though the inconvenicember 1903: "Many of our eastern young people's societies are enjoying the privilege of seeing and hearing their own home missionary. "Rev. Edward Marsden brought 33 boys and girls from Saxman, Alaska, to Carlisle, Pa., and, at the request of the board, remained during the month of November to tell of his work among his Alaskan people in churches where the young people are interested in his salary. His special plea is for a church building." Article in the Assembly Herald, June 1905: "Our young people have shared largely in the work in Alaska ever since the first missionary went there, and have always watched the development of the natives with much inter est. Mr. Marsden-himself a nativehas always been supported by the young people. In his recent letter to them he tells of one remarkable change brought by Christianity-'the putting off the old and putting on the new' in regard to burial customs. When he first preached at Cape Fox one of the men publicly defended their old customs in the midst of the service, saying, 'You can go ahead and preach, but you had better not meddle with our customs-especially in regard to the dead. These customs have come down to us from the ancients. Change them? No, sir, never!' But this very man was the first to lose a child by death, and the first to observe the Christian form of burial. 'Where is the display of charms, trinkets, and medicine men's tools over the dead? Where the burning of food to feed the departed? Where the great feast where men sang heathen songs and danced for the enjoyment of the departed spirit? Where the orgies which lasted for a year before the final ceremonies were ended? Where all these for the dead, and many other old heathen customs? They lie buried across the channel in the Saxman Cemetery.' What hath God wrought!" ence might be shared by you as well as by the Ketchikan people." Letter from Dr. B. L. Myers to the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, May 10, 1917: "Your representative accuses us of being prejudiced against the natives. We wish to cite one relative caseothers could be given. A year or two ago a native girl, 13 years of age, a resident of Saxman, which is Mr. Marsden's particular field, an orphan, was raped by her uncle, with whom she lived. After her offender was sentenced, the girl desired to go to Sitka to school. Clothing which was required by the school was purchased by some of the citizens of Ketchikan, who are accused of being controlled by 'race prejudice' while Mr. Marsden charged the girl $10 to ride with him in the mission boat Good Tidings from Ketchikan to Sitka, when he was going there, as he himself stated 'to move some of his relatives.' The $10, which was earned by the girl while working in a salmon cannery, included practically her last cent." Letter from W. G. Beattie, agent of the Bureau of Education, to Gen. R. H. Pratt, December 29, 1917: 66* * * As it is, Marsden has had no trouble in making a good living for himself and family simply by the use of his boat, and is at the same time able to spend some time here (Metlakahtla) * * Letter from W. T. Lopp, superintendent of education of natives of Alaska, to C. W. Hawkesworth, superintendent of schools of the Southeastern District of Alaska, April 4, 1918: "The Seattle office has forwarded to me the voucher in favor of Edward Marsden for transportation for school children from Metlakatla to the Hydaburg Fair, amounting to $35. 66** * * If we receive 'returns' from the field, we shall, if possible, increase your travel authorization as per your former request. I return herewith, Mr. Marsden's voucher." In support of this allegation, the following excerpts are quoted from a few of many similar documents covering a period of many years. Letter from Dr. Sheldon Jackson, United States general agent of education for Alaska, to Gen. R. H. Pratt, superintendent of the Indian Industrial School at Carlisle, Pa., June 15, 1903: 8 I find that the revenue cutter which usually is at Sitka during the summer, and which I hoped would take us around to some otherwise inaccessible places, has, owing to the necessities of the service, been ordered to western Alaska, and that we cannot count at all on her services. * * If Edward Mars den's steam launch is in good condition when we are at Saxman, we will have him take us over to Kasaan. Letter from Dr. Sheldon Jackson, United States general agent of education for Alaska, to Gen. R. H. Pratt, superintendent of the Indian Industrial School at Carlisle, Pa., July 27, 1903: After returning from Sitka to Juneau, you can take a south-bound steamer to Ketchikan, where Edward Marsden can meet you with his steam launch and take you up to Kasaan, if you wish to visit that place, or take you to Metlakahtla to visit Mr. Duncan's settlement, if you wish to do that. Letter from William G. Beattie, superintendent of schools of the southeastern district of Alaska, to P. P. Claxton, Commissioner of Education, August 5, 1914: I will have another talk with him [Marsden] when I return, as you desire, and will do all I can to keep him from pushing himself into Metlakahtla affairs to the extent of creating any disturbance. It may have been unwise for me to use Marsden's boat in some of my trips to Metlakahtla In a report of the Bureau of Education, 1915-16, Bulletin 1917, No. 32, plate 17, inserted opposite page 64, will be found a picture of Marsden's boat, the Good Tidings, the Bureau thus aiding Marsden's propaganda in an official report. With such adroit propaganda appealing to the sympathies of persons devoutly interested in mission work, and with such lavish publicity, it can be readily seen how innocent people were misled into accepting Marsden's plausible statements and contributing financially to his campaign of destruction. With his unusual facilities for providing transportation to and from Metlakahtla by means of his mission boats, Marsden's scheme was perfected to poison the minds of those visiting that section against the victim he was devoting his life to undermine and to supplant. Widely advertised by the politico-sectarian plotters, it was easy for Marsden to push himself forward and act as interpreter between the natives and Government officials, as well as other visitors at Metlakahtla. On such occasions he was not sworn, and abundant evidence will be cited later to show that, while interpreting, he colored both questions and answers or changed statements to suit his purposes. As will be shown in proper sequence, Gen. R. H. Pratt was deeply involved in the intrigues to destroy the Metlakatla Christian Mission. PRIMITIVE EGOTISM OF THE SAXMAN MISSIONARY Referring to Marsden's schemes to undermine and supplant Father Duncan as the head of the Metlakahtla Chrisitian Church and Mission, the following are comments by prominent Presbyterians in regard to his inordinate egotism, previously mentioned in a quotation from a letter from Dr. Shelton Jackson to Gen. John Eaton, of Marietta, Ohio: Letter from Judge Thomas N. Strong, counsel for Father Duncan and the Metlakahtla Christian Mission, to David Leask, a native of Metlakahtla, March 20, 1895: At the request of Edward Marsden I enclose duplicate of Edward Marsden's answer to Mr. Duncan's letter of April 18, 1894. When Mr. Marsden grows to be 40 or 50 years old he may have more sense, but just at present he seems sadly afflicted with what is commonly known as "swelled head." Letter from William Wadhams, a prominent citizen of Portland, Oreg., to Dr. C. L. Thompson, of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, September 25, 1899: If the board has any authority over Marsden, so as to send him to some other place than Saxman, at a greater distance away from Metlakahtla where he could not go to Metlakahtla every few days, and thus keep the Indians in a state of excitement, it would be a grand, good thing. I had a conversation with Mr. Strong about this matter, and he is of the same opinion as I, that something should be done to send Marsden away. The fact is, in my opinion, Marsden is very much troubled with the "big head", as they say, and he thinks he knows lots more than he does Letter from Rev. George T. Pratt to Rev. A. J. Montgomery, September 29, 1916: I do not know what you know about Marsden, but my opinion of him is that he has had too much attention from white men and it has swelled his head out of all proportion * * * STATEMENT BY DR. HENRY J. MINTHORN The following is a statement by Dr. Henry J. Minthorn in regard to Marsden's persistent troublemaking at Metlakahtla : Outside of any regard that I have for Mr. Duncan, or interest I feel in the mission personally, I consider it an outrageous act for anyone to attack a Christian mission in any country and especially in the United States, and I am sure that the United States does not stand for any such thing, neither does the Presbyterian Church stand for it. I mention Marsden because I think he is the cause of all the trouble here. I am sure that from what you know of the case you will agree with me that Marsden has been working persistently for 20 years to undermine Mr. Duncan, and that he never understood the nature of the work done here and was never in sympathy with it. Marsden is an illustration of the effect of education without conversion. He always saw results without understanding the cause * INSIDIOUS PROPAGANDA TO DECEIVE AND MISLEAD GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS The propaganda from Saxman was not confined to the self-glorification of Marsden or to attempts to create the false impression that the joint school and rival mission village at that place had resulted in success; but, all the while, for a period of more than 15 years, vicious propagranda concocted at these strategic headquarters was employed to deceive and mislead officials of the United States Government into invading Father Duncan's mission village. The utter failure of the joint school and mission enterprise established by the Bureau of Education and sectarian interest at Saxman is shown in the following section. SECTION 16. DISMAL FAILURE OF GOVERNMENT SCHOOL AND THE RIVAL MISSION AT SAXMAN Claims of success at Saxman untrue. "The key to the open door of Southeastern Alaska." Marsden fails to learn the language of his mission colony during 17 years' service at Saxman. Natives ashamed of conditions at Saxman. Demoralization at Saxman increases during Marsden's many years of missionary service. Sham culture at Saxman. Marsden furnishes home board a kaleidoscopic view of his Saxman mission. A striking contrast. While Marsden was carrying on his propaganda alleging marvelous results under his leadership at Saxman (1898-1915), this settlement actually developed conditions of degradation which were in sad contrast with Father Duncan's success at Metlakahtla. CLAIMS OF SUCCESS AT SAXMAN UNTRUE The following excerpts from a few of many documents of a similar nature are sufficient to show that Marsden's alluring propaganda and claims of success and achievements at Saxman were utterly fictitious. Letter from Dr. Sheldon Jackson to Marsden, February 4, 1899, showing failure of project during first year of Marsden's leadership: I notice what you say with regard to Gravina and regret that Gravina and Saxman cannot be united. Neither church nor Government can sustain schools at every little community. The best that I can do is to send you the one teacher for Saxman and one for Gravina; * * *. That is the best that I can do from this office. If Gravina will not move to Saxman, would it not be well to consider the moving of Saxman to Gravina? What would the natives say? Letter from J. W. Young, Bureau of Education teacher at Saxman, to Commissioner of Education, August 29, 1899. You may have thought because Mr. Marsden has been appointed missionary here that I am relieved of a part of my work, but he is here only a small part of the time and has not much influence. * Letter from Father Duncan to Capt. W. F. Kilgore, of the United States Revenue Cutter Service, March 28, 1902. * The good people east made a big mistake to place E. Marsden in charge of Saxman. He should have been placed under the control of some experienced minister before he got full control. His work is a perfect failure, or rather Saxman is a failure, and will remain so in his hands. He has now been years at work there, and yet he cannot speak the native tongue. Saxman people do not want him, and he spends the greater portion of his time with the people from here, reporting their work and progress as the fruit of his mission, thus deceiving the good people who pay him a good salary for doing very little and almost nothing for the few Tlinkits to whom he was sent. Letter from Judge Thomas N. Strong to Father Duncan, June 22, 1905: It is very lamentable that our eastern people have to depend entirely for their information in regard to Alaskan matters upon parties interested in conveying false impressions. Letter from Laura D. Oakes, Bureau of Education teacher at Saxman, to Dr. Jackson, May 7, 1906: At the opening of the school I had 11 pupils, but by the 1st of December other families had returned, and 1 or 2 days I had as high as 22 in attend ance. The attendance during the Christmas holidays was very poor, as there were feasts being held. Some families were in Ketchikan for the holidays also. By the middle of January some families left for camp, and by the middle of February everyone was gone, with the exception of three children who were living in Mr. Marsden's home. Senate Document No. 483, Fifty-ninth Congress, first session, page 27 (the report of Frank C. Churchill, special agent, transmitted to the Senate by President Roosevelt, June 11, 1906): There is no teacher at Saxman, which is near Ketchikan, and it is understood that the natives have moved to Ketchikan. Letter from W. A. Kelly, agent of the Bureau of Education, to E. E. Brown, Commissioner of Education, January 31, 1907: Saxman Miss Oakes will not apply for the school again. I think the missionary (Marsden) has not helped her as much as he might have done. Letter from Miss Laura Oakes, Bureau of Education teacher at Saxman, to E. E. Brown, Commissioner of Education, May 25, 1907: As there were no families at Saxman during September and the most of October, I was not able to open the school until the 22d day of October. Mr. Marsden's family was then the only one here, and they kept two children from Ketchikan in order that I could open school. All of last year I kept asking Mr. Marsden for the key to the schoolhouse, but never was it given to me, and consequently the children have had free access to the entire building ever since I have been here. I left the books and slates with other supplies put away neatly, but when I opened the school in October I found the textbooks scattered around in nearly all the rooms of the building. A second reader and two primers, together with slates and crayons, were taken from the building. During the winter there was a great deal of feasting, both here and in Ketchikan, and the school children for the most part attended these [heathen] feasts. All year there has been talk, both in white and native settlements of Ketchikan, about moving the Government school from Saxman to Ketchikan. This alarmed the people here, and during the winter months the parents decided to leave at least 10 children with Mr. and Mrs. Marsden. They expected to leave native foods for them, but when the time came to go to camp, these plans for boarding school were forgotten, and only two children were left outside of the two in Mr. Marsden's family. One of these was here only a short time after her parents left, and the remaining girl was returned the middle of May, so I now have only the two Marsden children. |