MISSIONARY TELLS OF HARD LIFE HERE
from Jacksonville, N,C. Daily News
Ladies how would, you like to pay 45
cents a quart for milk; 52 cents a loaf
for bread; 39 cents a pound for bananas;
and 33 cents a pound for just plain old
cabbage? If you lived in Anchorage,
Alaska, you would have no choice0 Neither
would you have fresh meat, fruit and
vegetables as we are able to get at the
local supermarket0
Mrs* I). L. Whaley, wife of Rev. Whaley,
Free Will Baptist minister, has exper
ienced paying these prices but this ex
perience is really infinitesimal com
pared to others she' can relate. (The
Anchorage telephone book lists the
Whaleys as residing on International
Airport Road0)
In .April 1958, Rev. and Mrs , Whaley
with their two sons, Vernon and Rodney,
left Jacksonville and their ministry
here to be missionaries in Alaska. They
are home on furlough at the present
time and for first hand information con
cerning our 49th state, they can furnish
the latest statistics with much added
coloro
Alaska is a frontier land in every
“respect, according to Mrs. Whaley, with
all its gory sin, common people, alchol
ism; fast money and fast living*. Anchor
age is known as the city of drunkenness.
Statistics reveal that Alaska has
the highest rate of divorce of any state.
Drunkenness is especially prevalent
among*women and their children delight
in telling-of their first thrill at
getting intoxicated, according to Mrs.
Whaleyo
The crime wave among the youth
takes.first place in the country. There
are probably near 1,000 taverns in the
city of Anchorage. Murder is an every
day occurrence with husbands killing
wives; wives, killing husbands; and child
ren killing parents. The laws are very
lax and few people are ever punished.
Now that Alaska has become a state,
it is hoped, and believed, that more laws
will be enforced and the standard of
living will be raised.
The state of Alaska is one-fifth
the size of the United States. Three
fourths of the north temperate zone, the
remainder being north of the arctic
Girder The length of the growing sea
son averages 160 days along the south
eastern coast, therefore only leafy
vegetables and quick growing foods are
.planted o
From .December through February there
will be only five hours of daylight. The
children are unable to get out of the
house to play for months at a' time be
cause of this cramped condition, it
is believed emotions become disturbed
which is the main reason for crime and
alcoholismr :rr
Natural gas has recently been piped
into Anchorage which is a sign of pro
gress and a housing development is being
built. MrSo Whaley says that a house
priced at $10,000 here would cost $32,000
there. They are all frame buildings;
no brick is available.
Transportation has always been a prob
lem in Alaska since there are only 1,7L1
miles of first class roads. Air trans
portation is the only means which covers
the entire state. A set-up known as;
bush planes is operated between villages
and in remote places.
Boat service is the next most import
ant means of transportation but in many
areas in the interior, freight boats
arrive only twice a year. The Eskimo
and his dog team is very realistic in
many parts of Alaska where they serve
as the only means of transportation.
Strangely enough Mrs. Whaley says,
the educational system is one of the
best and so are' the medical-f acilities.
All*teachers are English speaking United
States citizens <and- in Afichorage they
all have an A certificate.
The Doctors are considered among the
best in the country. A modern hospital
is under construction and all specialists
may be .found there. An office call
costs $7.50 and a normal checkup will
range fropr $25 to $35.
The natives are an inferior, simple,
filthy people with many superstitions.
Most of thbm live in poverty with no
knowledge of the outside world. j
Rev. Whaley is director of Free Will
Baptist missions in Alaska and the first
church established was in the basement
of their home. Sunday school classes
were taught in bedrooms. Now they own
a church building and'the family lives
in a comfortable apartment adjacent to
the church.
Mrs. Whaley says they have had many
trying and disappointing experiences
but on thq other hand they have had many
more rewarding experiences* when they
win someone to Christ they forget all
the challenging and heartbreaking moments
they went through.
The family will be returning to
their mission field within the next few
months more ready and willing than ever
to take on the challenge of converting
souls to Christiandom. Truly it must be
said, they are a sincere and dedicated
■couple.
, . * * *
FRIENDS: Do you agree with Mrs. Whaley?
Why not express your opinion in to Copper
River Current!
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