The daily morning Alaskan., 1901-08-08
INDIANS DYING
Disease Is Fast Claiming tho Native,
 of This Territory

Miss Francis Mann is the name .i an Oregon girl who finds lie in far. away Unalaska, while perhaps not one continuous round of pleasure still very interesting, pleasant and even profit able She is m the government ser vice. and for four years has been -on- ucctcd with the government Indian school at Unalaska
 Miss Mann reports Co the Ors,n- niau that the attendance at this sch 'ol has been increasing. notwithstanding the fact that the natives who are large y domuccrcd by thc Russians and g
 Russian Greek church are 0reiudi,c against American institutions. lnl what they consider outside interference Q.
 \s the Indian population is decrels- iug. however. it is only a question oi time when the school attendance wil decrease also. and the need of a scho Jl will be no more. At the time Miss
 Mann left Unalaska there were o6 pu- pills in school and two teachers cm- ploycd Prior Co thc past year :hc attendance has not exceeded from 70 Co 2S
 The Indian population of Unalaskl has for some time been about }So. but
 August last visit from measles ln ! whooping cough reduced thc number hy about ouc-thirl The Indian ac cordug Co Miss Manu's observations. s passing. not only on thc Alcutilu
 Islands, but iu an parts oi Alaska
 \t many points where some years ago 'hcrc were large villages. there Is
 .carcc'y an Indian left Co rccitc Che heroic deeds o. his fathers Either 'iv- l lUation or disease Is slowly hut surcly rNtcrmiuating the race
 In speaking of thc charactcris. , and customs of thc native Alcutilus. Miss Mann said: "Thc Nlcutians are not a very bright people. and are bet. fer imitltors chat originltors. The EsquimauN. on thc other hand. are bright and make much more rapld pro crcss m thc schools than their lar cousins When it comes Co music. thc
 Indians are right at home. and 'h alaska cornct band of natives is one 'l inc attractions 3t nearly an of the eel ,brltions The Fourth of July by the way. was celebrated m grand style at Uu1laskl this year. thc crew oi the l v. & cunhoat Concord. which happen ed in ,hc harbor at Che time. assisting iu the presentation of crcditlllc programme.
 The best baskets come from \t,u Is- llnd che last in thc Alcutiau group. and these are really works of art and command a high price The grasscs are obtained at some distance and the workmanship !, thc very best AttI baskets bring from S, SO to Stoo clch on thc island and frequently sell for Stoo or more in thc states They are woven tightly and worked iu silk
 In consequence of che long associ1- tiou, with Russians. ihc natives are losing their natural way, and customs Even their primitive ,od huts which are as comfortable as they are pie turcsquc. are giving way Go more mod- oru and probably les, comfortable hacks
 Business at Uualastl has mol been
 SOD good this year. lS it wa lat The ! \Iasla Commercial Commercial Com. nluy has 90 trading post here. while
 thc N. A C Is at Dutch Hlrbor. only
 d short distance away Thi, is dur Go
 thc fact that coaling facilities for yes
 scls going to Nome are better chi, wear Last year vessel, hal ;1 remain two and three week, at a tirlc where. as this year they are making hut hort
 stops Still a great many people pas, l through There were as many Js 3occ people at Dutch H1rhor thc latter part of June Last year there were ls Mot as 10000 people there 1t one time Mining is receiving some lticn
 lion a' Uualasll At Huntsville. about
 two miles distant there Is a quartz
 mine with a thrcc-stlmp min cmplo, ing from eight Co ten men"