The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-05
SCHOOLS OF ALASKA.
EACH YEAR SHOWS An INCREASED
NEED OF APPROPRIATIONS.
More Than 1.ooo PapfI. I'm schools
Under the Communicates of Edu-
ka and Saxnan - Population
Rapidly Increasing.

naenf OF the commissioner OF education 70
the secretary Of the interior contains q
very interesting report concerning the
progress OF education IN Alaska and the
urgent need for increased appropriations.
The commissioners says.
During the rear there have been main
tanned IN Alaska u day schools under the
Immediate supervision OF This bureau
with - teachers and an enrolment o1 itss
pupils. about - schools ard mission
homes conducted BY the various mission
AIRY organixarionS OF the United States,
and a few day schools OF the Russo
Greek church. supported by the imperial
Russian government.
alaska and saxman during the summer
Of 1895 ard this season much-ne~deo
schoolhoGse has been completed near the
Treadwesl gold nine. al Do9gias, II
Southeast Alaska. Arrangements are
also being made for the erection OF Z
school building az Hoonah. IL has been
possible 10 erect these buildings BY means
~ sn-,-isl anpropriatlons OF s. 90 each for
the past three years In the Indian appFo-
pria lion btu for the promotion OF educA-
lion among the natives OF Aiashd, re-
ferred TO this bureau % ine secretary "a
the interior.
The development OF the gold mines
along the Upper Yukon, continues the
report has within the past two or three
wears attracted hundreds of miners. some
OF them win their families, 10 that re-
gion. Feeling the urgent need Tor school
facilities: on Janua.y sars s., me-, ,.l,,s
circle in the heart OF the mining district
and the center OF population or several
thousand at which i was agreed 10 Pc
rition the bureau or education Tor q
trained public school teacher. To show
that thew were in earnest, over 81, 100 was
raised for school purposes and a voiun-
ieer leady teacher tenaporafiy ensas s',Si
erect A schoolhouse before the arrival OF
a professional teacher in September. Al
though the appropriation for educaion
j. barely sufficient 10 carry on the schools
al present In existence, IL was felt tsat
such zeal should not be checked. and
teacher mas been appointed for the term
commencing September. 1885.
.sE.ach succeeding year emphasizes the
urgent need for increase appropriations
for education in Alaska. The rapid de-
velopment OF the resources OF the coIn-
try 4 attracting a great influx of popula-
ton. schools are needed at several new
settlements. and in a number OF instances
the schoolhouses In the older towns ana
villages are overcrowded and should De
In May Dr.. Sheldon Jackson, the gen
eral agelr OF education for Alaska, left
the bureau for "a tour OF Inspection IN
Western and Actic Alaska Taking the
mail steamer az Puget sound, he visited
the schools at Saxman. Wrangea. Juneau
and Douglas. while en- route to Sitka- By
PERMISSION Of the secretary of the treas
urv and the courtesy OF Capt Francis Tut
sle at S.tka, he vas received on board the
United States revenue cutter Bear IN or
der to accompany that vessel on her Arc
tic cruise. Between Sltka and Unaaaska
the Bear touched at Unga, enabling Dr.
Jackson to inspect the fiourishing scnool
al that place.
During the summer of 1895 the secretary
of the interior entered into a contract with
ID w. Starrett of Port Townsend, Wash,
for the erection OF a school building at
ITnalaska. On October /. 1885, l.. X. Wood
word United States commissioner at IN
alaska, who had been appointed superin-
fendent of the work, accepted the building
from the contractor and certified II as
complete in every respect and constructed
in accordance with the plans and specifica-
tons The same mail that brought the
Information of the completion OF the build
ing brought the news that on october a
the house had been blown from its
Foundations and wrecked. also communi-
cation from John 4. Tuck, government
teacher az UnaaSka. stating that the
building had not been erected In accord
anee with the terms OF ths contract. Up
on arriving at Tnalaska DR.. Jackson made
a thorough investigation OF the matter,
and ren0rts that in several Instances the
specifications had not been compiled with;
that materials Of inferior quality had been
used ard that the building had not been
constructed in a workmanllke manner.
This matter has been made the subject OF
a special report 10 the secretary Of the In
terror.
On July / the Bear steamed from IN
alaska. and on the 81 encountered ice
few miles north Of the Seal Islands, and
from that time until July q, the date OF
DIR. Jacksor's last letter. had to fight her
way day through the Zoe. st. Lawrence
island the largest body OF land in Bering
SCI WAS visited on July 5. Here Mr.. and
Mrs. Gambell. the only white persons
among several hundred natives, have COM
nfete.f their second year as teachers. The
Bear had made several attempts 10 enter
Port Clarence. where the Teller reindeer
station is located. but each time had
found the ice barring the way.
A 3 SLAIrSON