The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-10-26
TEACH IN FAR NORTH
MOTHER I'D DAUGHTER ONLY
WHITE RESIDENTS.
They Tutor In Old r Isslan Settlement
at Afognak, Al. Ika--Are Well
Treated by Nayes OF Unique
Little lG.and.


Mrs c. w. | almond and her
daughter are teach ng in what is per.
| laps the most intefe sting school under
| the stars and stripes. They are the
| teachers appointed by the government
| TO conduct the native school at Afog.
max, Alaska
Afognak, Alaska, Is bit l.tte known
TO the people OF the Uai ed States,
yet it was the third town started by
the Russians in the early part of the
last century on the Pacific. II would
have little reason to demand even the
attention of the government today
were 1t not for the fact that one CT
the best Indian schools conducted IN
the territory Of Alaska is maintaln2l
there Afognak is on an island OF tl1
same name in southwestern Alaska
Mrs. c. w. Hammond and he
daughter are registered at the Dill
hotel. They have the task of teachin
the 81 pupils who are enrolled at TIA
Afognak school, and 1t Is not likely
that in all the possessions of the
United States Is there such variety
OF color or intelligence among the ma.
tives who are being educated On one
thing the natives. from the Aleuts 10
the Russian octoroons, are unit.
Every one is the most devout of Greek
Catholics on Sunday. On other days
they are simply natives.
1t was last year that Mrs Hammond,
who formerly lived al San Juan island.
In Washington state, was appointed
teacher al Afognak. When she ar.
rived there she found a school which
had been established 20 years. 1t was
rearranged 10 conform to modern
ideas, and In few weeks Mrs. Ham.
mond will, with her daughter, begin
the fall term,
Il enjoy the work." said Mrs Ham
mond for find great study In the
natives. 1t would surprise people to
know that Of the 81 pupils in the
school there is hardly one who does
not take naturally to drawing Why.
II is astonishing to find that little tots
who are just 2ble to toddle to the
schoolhouse when furnished with
pencil and paper begin drawing.
have fostered and encouraged this
trait, and there are several OF the old
er children who are really clever.
Music, however, is the ere thing
that wins them, from the old, gray
haired men and women to the little
boys and girls. They love music
They can sing far better than an equal
M he, ~ IN
states. They have their favorite in
struments, too mandolins and ac.
coidions.
DO they have monographs? Why
there is not popular air that has
been sung in the United States in the
last ten years that is not common in
within three months after the
record is made. am taking a trunk
full OF records up with 10. And among
the records | had a demand for some
real classical music.
so far as the studies 60 | cannot
say that the natives are anxious to
learn English in its higher branches.
There are some who are quite well
advanced, but there are also many
who attend school only by compulsion.
although they are very proud of what
education they possess after reaching
"AfOgnak shows that the white
blood must predominant. There are
two villages One Is the real native
Aleuts town; the other the half-castes
have noticed that any native who
has a drop of white blood in his or her
veins looks down on the full blooded
native"
There are no white men stationed at
Afognak. 4 few prospectors and hun.
ers call there occasionally, so Mrs
hammond and her daughter are alone
among the natives. They say they
get along splendidly with them.