Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-01-08
SCHOOLS IN ALASKA.

How the Government Helps Missionaries
Educate the Natives.
What have the Senate Committee on
Indian affairs, who so shrewdly chose
q trip to Alaska for this summers
iaunt, found out about the schools os
that Territory? This is subject that
raises discussion from time to time
when Congress is engaged upon Terri
torial appropriations.
After the Territory was acquired
from Russia, the Presbyterians, who
from the first have been prominent in
missionary enterprise in that region,
established sort of industrial school
at Fort Wrangell under Rev. Mr..
Young. Boys and girls were taught
farm work. The boys also learned
some trades, and the girls were taught
the art of housekeeping. Congress APP
propriated $4,000 year to aid this en-
terprise; and MIR. and Mrs. Young
we're encouraged to go on and employ
assistants. After two years the appro-
priation was discontinued and the in
dustrial farm was abandoned. The
Presbyterians, however. kept on else
where with their missions and their
schools. Still, as a whole, the educa-
ton of Alaska was for many years
pretty much neglected.
A public school system was intro
duced in Alaska only five years ago.
The Indian appropriation bill of 1884
provided for the maintenance of indus
trial schools. The appropriation was
renewed for four years, but as it
amounted to only $4,000 or $20,0
annually, the Interior d Department con-
sidered that the wissst use that could
be made Of the money was to divide it
among the religious societies for the
purpose of enlargiBg the existing
schools and establishing new ones. By
that time, too. the Indian Office, which
had originally sought to manage the
schools, concluded that they properly
belonged to the Bureau of Education.
The commissioners held that any APP
preparation for this purpose should be
for the people of Alaska, not for the
Indians, and that the whole matter
should be put under the management
Of the Bureau of Education, which has
LIS own officials on the ground, and is
aow better equipped than the Indian
Office would ever be for the prosecution
OF such work" Congress adopted this
view, and thus the business has gone
on
The amount appropriated for educa-
ton in Alaska last year was So, 900.
and for 1889 it is $4,000. Last year
Secretary Villas reported the existence
of SO schools, 10 supported by the gov
eminent, 10 by the Russian church,
six by other religious bodies. and two
by the Alaska CONNIE rcial Co. built on
StPauls and st. Georges Island. The
aggregate attendance in all these
schools was over 1900 pupils, 1,261 of
whom were instructed in the govern
znent schools.
The Senate Committee have visited
the colony of 1.200 converted and
ehristianized natives who removed
two years ago to Annette Island from
-Matlakahtia in British Columbia and
they were much Impressed by the
progress Of these Indians in civiliza-
tion. But the fact is their leader, Mr..
William Duncan, has been engaged
among them for about thirty years.
British Columbia and the Bishop
made trouble for him. he and his
India ms would still be on the Dominion
side of the line. Instead of
that they have annexed themselves
to the United States, and during the
they erected dwellings, school-houses,
a church and a saw-mill. and, as Secrel
tary Villas reported, seemed likely ito
become an important element in the
industrial and social development of
the Territory" Congress voluntarily
set apart s., 800 of the last fiscal years
school appropriation for this colony and
Mr.. Duncan laid it out in paying the
salaries of teachers. This year the
colony receives So, COO.
Another interesting and important
school is that of the Presbyterian mis-
sion in the suburb of Sitka, for which
last year Congress set apart the liberal
sum of $12, 500 out of it's total appro-
priation. In return the Home Mission
Board agreed to support "a pupils at
the institution, which had already
been provided from It's private re-
sources with school rooms, dormitories,
shops for learning the trades of car
penter, shoemaker and blacksmith, a
laundry and sewing room for the girls
and agricultural tools for working the
farm.-N. 7. Sun.
Porous Earthen-Ware Floors.
A writer in one of the technical