Some of this has been good and some very bad. Wherever there is whiskey
a bad influence goes forth, and there is whiskey not far from nearly all
the Indian settlements. Still it must be acknowledged that the influence
of all classes of whites has been in favor of industry, Christian
services at funerals, and the like, and against tamahnous and
potlatches. Around Skokomish--with a few exceptions of those whose
influence has been very good--there are not many who keep the Sabbath
and do not swear, drink whiskey, and gamble; but this influence has been
partially counteracted by the employees on the reservation. It has not
been possible to secure Christian men who could fill the places, but
moral men have at least generally been obtained. It has been one of the
happy items of this missionary work, that a good share of those who have
come to the reservation as government employees, who have not at the
time of their coming been Christians, have joined the church on
profession of their faith before they have left. The Christian
atmosphere at the agency has been very different from that of a large
share of the outside world. The church is within a few hundred yards of
the houses of all the employees, and thus it is very convenient to
attend church, prayer-meetings, and Sabbath-school. Thus those persons
who were not Christians when they came, found themselves in a different
place from what they had ever been. There are many persons who often
think of the subject of religion; wish at heart that they were
Christians, and intend at some time to become such, but the cares of
this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the people with whom
they associate, choke the good thoughts. But let such people be placed
in a Christian community, where these influences are small, and breathe
a Christian atmosphere, and the good seed comes up. So it has been among
the happy incidents of these ten years to receive into the church some
of these individuals.
Two brothers, neither of whom were Christians, but whose mother was one,
were talking together on the subject of religion, at Seattle, when one
of them said that he believed it to be the best way. Not long after
that the other brother came to the reservation, where he became a
Christian. He then wrote to his brother, saying, “I have now found by
experience that it is the best way.”
Another man and his wife had for years been skeptical, but were like
“the troubled sea which can not rest,” and were sincere inquirers after
truth. In the course of time, after thorough investigation, they became
satisfied of the truth of the Bible, as most people do who sincerely
seek for light, and became Christians. A year afterward the gentleman
said: “This has been by far the happiest year of my life;” and many
times in prayer-meetings and conversation did they speak in pity of
their old companions who were still in darkness and had not the means of
obtaining the light which they had found.
Several of the children of the employees also came into the church; one
of them, eleven years old, being the youngest person whom I ever
received into church membership. Such events as these had a silent but
strong influence upon the Indians, as strong I think as if these persons
had been Christians before they came to the reservation. Thirteen white
persons in all united with the Skokomish church, on profession of faith,
and twenty-three by letter.
At Jamestown it was different. There was only a school-teacher as a
government employee, and he was not sent there until 1878. There are
only a few church privileges or Christians in the county, but
fortunately a good share of the Christians have lived near to the Indian
village, the Indians have worked largely for them, and I have sometimes
thought that their influence has had as much to do in elevating the
Jamestown people as that of the missionary and agent.
“Hungry for preaching” was the way I felt about one old lady in 1880,
who was seventy-six years old. With her son she walked two and a half
miles to Jamestown to church to the Indian service in the morning, then
a mile further to a school-house where I preached to the whites in the
afternoon, and then home again--seven miles in all; and she has done it
several times since, although now nearly eighty. She often walks to the
Indian services when there is no white person to take charge of it.
On one communion Sabbath a lady too weak from ill-health to walk the
three quarters of a mile between her house and the Indian church was
taken by her husband on a wheelbarrow a good share of the way. In 1883
an old gentleman seventy-three years of age stood up with four Indians
to unite with the church--the oldest person I ever saw join a church on
profession of faith. As we went home he said: “This is what I ought to
have done forty years ago.” Such influences as these have done much to
encourage these Indians.