, 1889-08-15
JAUNT TO ALASKA.
The Journeyings o the United
States Senate Committee on
Indian Affairs,
The Salmon FiaherieS---Alaskan
Schools Extensive Posses
sions--Owner of the Moon.

Victoria Correspondence Boston Hersld.l
The United States senate committee
on Indian affairs, which left Port Town
send on the 7th inst. for tour of inspec-
ton among the natives of Alaska, ar
rived here on the United States Ash COM
mission steamer Albatross, last evening,
en- route for the East. The first place
visited by the committee was Fort Ton
gas, which was reached on Thursday
forenoon, the 18th. Only an hour was
spent there, all the Indians being absent
fishing, leaving their houses tenantless
and carefully locked. The largest and
most interesting array Of totem posts to
be seen in the entire archipelago, except
Skowl inlet, was observed in this viii
lage.
Steaming up Revilla Gigedo channel
to the head of Annette island and then
rounding the island and heading south
west through Nicholas pass, the Alba
tross dropped anchor at $3.50 Thursday
afternoon in the harbor of Port Chester.
Annette island, where Mr.. Duncan has
established his new Metlakahtla. The
committee went ashore Immediately and
found to their regret that Mr.. Duncan
had left for Port Townsend two days
before. Through David Leask, Dun
cans assistant, arrangements were
made for meeting in the church at 0
o'clock. This meeting was thinly at.
tended, only about dozen men, as
! q, bannhtI nf prpl, ,,,,a
being present. These were sub
stantial,y all of the 800 people of
the village not away fishing for the
canneries. Senator Dawes told them,
through Interpreter Leask, that the
committee had heard how well they had
got along, and had come to see how
they could best be aided in supporting
and educating themselves. He invited
them to tell the committee what they
wanted. Two earnest looking fellows,
Matthias Haldain and John TAFT step.
| ped out, after little hesitation, and
I said that their people only wanted to be
sure that the land on which they had
settled should be secured to them. They
were afraid of losing II after they had
made themselves good homes there, Just
as they had lost their homes at Met
lakahtla. They seemed to know or care
very little about land in severalty, but
each man to own the site of his
| house, leaving the rest of the
land in common. As to money, they
said, with quiet dignity, that they did
not care to have any given to them, but
would be glad If the government would
lend them enough to start cannery, a
saw mill and an oil factory. With these
,h hlt Ia M thaV nf
making money and reimbursing the
government. II must be understood
that the Metlakahatla cannery and saw
mill are owned not by the community,
but by Mr.. Duncan, who employs the
natives at regular wages and receives the
profits of the business. These profits,
| however, are devoted scrupulously to
the benefit of the community. To sum
up the result Of this conference and of
| subsequent one on board the Albatros
late in the evening, these people want
the United States TO give them the whole
or part of the Annette island, on which
they live, lend them about $50, 900 and
/ let them take care of themselves.
| The Albatross sailed from Port Ches-
ter at noon on Friday the 18th, and ran
up 10 Karta bay that afternoon where
the committee made flying
VISIT TO A SALMON FISHERY.
Fort Wrangell was reached early
Saturday morning, and the committee
spent the forenoon In visiting the place
under the guidance Of United States
Com missioner Shackiey. a few women,
children and old men were the only in.
habitants Of the Indian village. leay-
ing Fort Wrangell at noon Saturday
and anchoring oir Khatzaahoo few
hours early Sunday morning awaiting
favorable tide through Peril strait, the
/ 1hotrAaa N annhnr ntf tho "a &c
AT Sitka ut O'Clock Sunday afternoon.
That evening the committee met Gov
crnor Knapp United States District
Judge KeatIey, Rev. Sheldon Jackson
and several other officials, among them
the Alaskan pooh-bah, Henry II, Hay
don, who is clerk OF the court, secretary
of the territory, receiver OF public mon
eys receiver of the land office and re-
corder of the district. Monday morning
they met these gentlemen again and in
spected the Indian village--the ranch !"
ii IS called. Then the large mission
boarding school, established by DR..
Jackson was visited, and the committee
were shown some of the results of in
! dustrial education. In the evening, on
board the Albatross, the committee ex-
amined George Kostrometinofi, an in
! tellgent Russian native of Sitka, in ref.
crence to his observations during re-
cent tour by him to northwestern
Alaska.
Many of the Sitka Indians, unlike
those Of the other native villages, were
at home, and the committee had Some
opportunity to observe their domestic
habits and mode of life These natives
impressed the committee with their
thrift and shrewdness. They are nat
ural traders, and will sell anything
they possess. 1t is only question OF
price, and the influx of credulous and
eager tourists has tilted he figures on
curios to an altitude which makes the
white residents grin. Judge keatlay, in
his testimony before the committee,
gave the Indians an excellent character
for honesty, saying that, in the last
eleven months, although the houses
were usually LEFT unlocked, not a single
lage. He said he didn't believe there
was lazy man in the village. The
thing for the government to do now, in
his opinion, is to provide for the Indians
of Alaska an industrial edu-
cation suited TO their environ
ment. For example, Mr.. Dun
can, at Annette Island, has entered into
contract TO make +5, 600 packing boxes
for salmon canneries. Now, with one
half of the $l2,55o appropriated by the
government for educating children at the
could be made ut Sitka, where 100 boys
could be set at work box-making, and
profitable contracts could be made as
well at Sitka as at Mr.. Duncan's village.
Again, Judge Keatley said that, while
Alaska cannot be an agricultural or pas
toral country, yet the soil is rich, and
certain rootScrops, potatoes, turnips and
the like. which do not need much SUM-
light, can be raised. If the natives are