Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-26
THE ALEUTS NOT SLAVES.
They Are Said to Get Large Pay for Lit
Work and to BE Prospecting.

They Are Said to Get Large Pay for Little
Work and to BE Prospecting.
A cablegram from London quotes Sir Charles
Upper as saying tina: the inhabitants of the
Aleutian Islands. who do the sealing for the
seal company, are slaves and are In a miserable
condition.
gentleman who is familiar with the scaling
industry, and has spent some time on the
Aleutian Islands recently. said to a STAR re-
porter today: This statement entirely misrep-
resents the condition of the inhabitants of these
islands. They are not in q condition of slavery
Comparatively speaking they have soft thing
of 1t. They have but about six weeks Of work
during the year, for which they get, when the
ordinary scaling is allowed, about $500 each
per year. There is no control exercised over
only trouble about their doing anything be-
sides sealing is that there il but
little else for them TO do. The islands
are not fit for agriculture and never will be.
The only thing that has furnished them any
considerable occupation, besides sealing, has
been the hunting of the sable fox, which has
been very profitable to them. That has had to
be stopped for a while to prevent the destruc-
ton OF the animals. These people are not
savages, but they are not fully civilized, and
there has to be a certain guardianship over
| them by the government agents, operated only
for the benefit Of the people themselves. The
islands were not originally inhabited, but these
islanders were brought there some thirty years
ago by the Russians. Under the old regime
they lived in sod houses. which were practically
holes in the ground They are now provided
with very comfortable frame houses free OF
cost, with large school house and church
All Of this is without cost to them. teacher
is employed for them, and the only expense
they have il the pay Of one of their own num-
Der ~ preacher of the Crock church. The
only restrictions upon them are for their own
protection. They are not permitted the free
purchase OF liquor, nor are they permitted TO
spend all their money wastcfully, like
children. The stores sell all their
goods according to schedule of
prices fixed by the government which is never
any greater than the price of the same thing in
San Francisco. The peculiar feature, however,
is that the natives are not at liberty to buy
just what they want to in just such amounts as
they choose. II they were they would spend
all the money they earn at one time and be
destitute for greater part OF the year.
They are projected against the temptation Of a
display OF fancy wares that might deplete their
purses II they wore allowed to go ahead and
buy without Judgment. In other respects they
are perfectly free They get paid for the seal
ing, and for whatever other work they do tor
the com pany Or for any one who may employ
them they get paid dollar day. Before the
sealing WAS closed these people had a con-
siderable sum of money in the banks at San
Francisco-some SCI, 600, think. l know that
year or SO ago saw bag Of 50, 600 thoy had
contributed to be sent to q Greek church in
San Francisco. They arc rather cookbook
ing people, live comfortably and make money"