The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-11-12

Unfortunately, this accusation is not
without foundation. The stern neces-
sites of civilization require that the
pupils be separated from their adult
relatives in order that the good results
accomplished by the teachers shall not
be counteracted by barbarous infiu-
ences. After ten months of seclusion
in seminary, or twice as many of con-
slant attendance at day school, all
that Thlingit, or Eskimo, student has
learned may be swept out of his mind
by brief return to primitive ways of
life. 1t is not conducive to a high plane
of thought to live in a six-foot igloo
with half dozen other persons, who
keep themselves smeared with ill-smell-
ing grease and share the general couch
with pack of sledge dogs. Even the
semi Indians are intolerable
to Caucasian nostrils.
Average of Attendance Low.
Most of the Alaskan schools. public
and parochial, are open about 175 DAYS
in the year. The average attendance
is extremely low, 40 per cent. being
considered good All that the mission
aries and Government teachers can do
Goes not persuade the Thlingits and
Eskimos to make their children attend
school regularly. The fact that the
parents are still forced to wander many
miles in search of new hunting and
fishing grounds frequently causes the
loss of the brightest pupil just when
the little ones are becoming creditable
to the school, Once lost, a pupil is sell
dom reclaimed-scarcely ever by the
school first attended.
The Commissioner of Education
builds Government schools wherever
the need for them exist-indeed, when
ever the opportunity offers. Many of
them are useless at present, as they are
so remote as to make anything APP
proc ching a fair attendance out of the
question. Federal inspectors have crit
icised the worthy Commissioner for
thus building for the future, but that
distinguished gentleman, secure in the
autocratic power conferred upon him
by Congress, goes serenely on his way,
realizing that Alaska is the coming
arena of American energy, and that in
so building he Is bestowing a lasting
benefit upon the nation. He enjoys
the confidence of the Secretary of the
Interior, to whom he is directly re-
sponsible, and rightly, for he is one of
the most enthusiastic and single heart
ed departmental chiefs in the Territory.
Thirty-fiVe Alaskan Schools.
According to the latest national re-
port there are thirty-five schools in
Alaska, of which sixteen are main
tanned entirely by the United States
and nineteen are controlled by
churches and benevolent societies. Two
of the latter are supported in part by
this Government, five by the Russian
Imperial Government, four by the Pres
byterian Board of Home Missions, one
by the Board of Missions of the Prot
estant Episcopal Church, one by the
Roman Catholic Church, one by the Sis
tiers of st. Ann, one by the Holy Synod
of Russia, one by the American Branch
of the Swedish Free Mission Society,
one by the Swedish Evangelical Union
and two by the North American Com
mercial Company, in accordance with
{. clause in it's charter.
The Government public schools are
situated at Carmel, Douglas City (2),
Fort Wrangell, Holy Cross, Jackson,
Juneau (2), Kadiak. Killisnoo, Klawak,
Metlakahtla, this city (2), Unalaska
and Unga; the parochial and mission
schools are at Blagovestchensky, Christ
Church Mission. Holy Cross. Huna,
Haida Mission, Tununuk. Sitka, Jul
neau, Metlakahtla, Kadiak (2), st.
George, st. Paul, Unalaklik, Voznesen-
sky, Yakutat and minor points.