The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-11-12
49, > ssNSN DARbANS AT ScgHOOA

more ignorant savages will be aston
ished to learn that the Territory is
more favored than any other section
of the United States in the matter of
public schools. People in other parts
of the Union know so little of this land
of gold that everything concerning it
is new to them, but the above state
ment will be an especial surprise. Yet
it is absolutely true. Uncle Sam is more
generous to his children in the Great
Northwest than to any of his other lit
tie ones 1t is not his fault that they
are not further advanced in knowledge
than the public school children of New
York, Chicago or even Boston.
Congress makes an annual appropri-
alton for the establishment and main
tenance of public schools throughout
Alaska, and the Territorial Commits
sioner of Education, appointed by the
Secretary of the Interior, has full
power to apply this money as he may
see fit, either to the building of new
schools, to be maintained entirely by
the Government, or to subsidizing paro-
chial and mission schools and helping
to support those already established
His judgment is final, and upon him
rests a responsibility heavy enough to
be burden to any one mantle civ
ilization and education of all the thou
sands of white, creole, Indian, Eskimo
and Monaghan children, in whose little
hands lie, to a large extent the future
of this great treasure-house of Amer
lea.
Noble Men at Work.
Missionaries of every creed are scat
tered over this broad land to work for
the Characterization of the native and
half breed children, and the mental de-
velopment of the sons and daughters of
the white settlers. They are noble
workers in a noble cause, and much
good has been accomplished by the r
tireless energy and indomits BILE cour-
age in the face of many difficulties
But it is doubtful that, with all their
pluck and perseverance, they would
have achieved such great results had
not the Federal Government appreci-
ated and satisfied the need of ample
capital with which to push the cam
paign against heathenism. The mis-
sionaries were the pioneers; Uncle Sam
is the sound financial hacker of the
philanthropic enterprise.
Two Obstacles have made educational
work in Alaska extremely dificuIt-the
rowing habits of the natives and the
stupid, mulish antagonism of the Rus
sian Church to all things American. As
to the first, it is disappearing with the
advance of civilizations the second is
more deeply rooted, founded as it is on
intense bigotry and violent race preju-
dice, and many years will be required
to overcome it. 1t is inbred in every
native with the least drop of Russian
blood in his veins, and is shared by
many of unmiXed aboriginal descent
Special legislation will be required to
eradicate the evil.
1t must be remembered that the Alas
kan native is distinctly anti-progres-
sive. Thlingit and Eskimo are equally
satisfied with their respective modes of
life, and passively resent any attempts
at amelioration of their conditions. A
Thlingit who has not, with his immedi-
a'e ancestors, been subjected to strong
ciyilizing influences for many years,
would rather sleep on the ground, with
the rain pouring upon his bare skin,
his head alone sheltered under his in
Verted kayak or canoe, than repose on
a new folding-bed in the best room of
the Occidental Hotel. The Eskimo much
prefers his stuffy igloo. or hemispher-
zeal snow hut, to the most commodious
or modern dwellings,. Both races have
less regard for personal comfort than
any other people that has ever inhab-
tied the North American continent. A