The San Francisco call., 1904-06-12

~ I.
headquarters CT the military reser-
walton OF Alaska, which is situated
on the shore of Norton Sound. has
been established the first school for
the education of white and half-breed
children to be organized In that far
away, e-Dound territory, and that the
institution has proven a success is due
10 the untiring efforts and unselfish
devotion cf Franklin Moses. the regis
trar OF the United States Land Office
at ST. Michael. The school was organ
lied with only twenty pupils and now.
in less than two years, the membership
has grown to nearly one hundred.
Many of the haIf-breed pupils, who,
when they first entered the school, did
not know one letter OF the alphabet
from another. can now read and write,
and have acquired some knowledge Of
arithmetic
The difficulties which confronted Mr..
Moses when he began his work may
be better imagined than described. es-
pecially when it is remembered that
in the beginning he knew nothing OF
the native tongue, and many Of the
half breed children were familiar with
but few words of English. Under
these conditions the work of the self
appointed teacher was difficult in the
extreme, but one by one the obstacles
were overcome, and the number Of pu-
pills increased. until, at the present
time, the students are not only in
structed in reading, writing and arith-
metic but also study the Scriptures
and lately they haze taken up simple
choral music
Another thing which Mr.. Moses has
introduced in the school is the system
attic study of practical gymnastics, in
which both the white and half-breed
children take great interest, and the
commander of the garrison at st.
Michael. realizing the value OF the
work undertaken by the volunteer in
structor, has very kindly placed the
military gymnasium at the disposal of
the school Since they have had access
to the proper apparatus for physical de-
velopment Mr.. Moses pupils have be-
come very proficient in all kinds OF
gymnastic exercises.
When Mr.. Moses first arrived at St
Michael he was touched by the eX-
tTeme ignorance of the native ana
knew only their own dialect and just
enough English ito swear in and the
white children were in much the same
condition except where their parents
the alphabet and ia simple arithmetic.
After several months he proposed to
some of the most influential of The
residents of St. Michael that they or
ganize a school and send to San Fran
cisco for q teacher. He was informed
that an effort had already been made
to establish some kind of a school, bat
that no one cared TO come so far from
civilization for the salary that the pso-
PIE Of St. Michael were able to offer.
After considering the question for some
time Mr.. Moses volunteered TO try and
organize a school, stipulating, however,
that if successful, his services as teach
er should be rendered without cost &c
the town, as he, being in the service
Of the Government, could not accept
any other position with a salary at
tached. His proposal was Immediately
accepted and the self-apDointed in
structor at once set to work among the
children and young folks of the town,
and soon had the names of twenty or
more enrolled in the first class.
The first difficulty which presented it.
self to the young registrar after the
organization of the class was that of
obtaining a place large enough for a
classroom, and for time it seemed
as though the lack of a suitable room
or hall would prove a bar to the enter
prise; but after some discussion per-
mission was granted Mrs Moses by the
Judge at st. Michael to use the court
room, and so in the judicial hall Of
the town was opened the first school