The Washington herald., 1909-04-05
AT THE HOTELS.

BY the government 10 conduct the native
school at Afognak. Alaska
'Afognak." continued 8Ir. Andrews. SIS
but little known 20 the people OF the
United States, yet il was the third town
started b. the Russians in the early part
or the last century on the Pacific II
would have little reason 10 demand even
the attention OF the government to-day
we're & not for the fact that one OF the
best Indian schools conducted in ths
Territory Of Alaska is maintained there.
Afognak IS on an island OF the same
name in Southwestern Alaska
Mrs Hammond and her daughter have
| the task added Mr.. Andrews. 'of teach
/ ing the eighty-one pupils who are en-
rolled at the Afognak school, and Il g
not likely that in ali the possessions of
7 the United States Is there such variety
Z OF color OF intelligence among the natives
who are being educated. On one thing
the natives. from the Aleufs 20 the Rus
sian OctorOOns. are a unit Every one
is the most devoUt og Greek Catholics on
Sunday On other days they are simply
natives.
1T IS probably surprising that OF all
the pupils there IS hardly one who does
not take naturally 10 drawing. Why. Il
( is astonishing 70 find that little tots who
are Just able % toddle 10 the schOOlhouse
are. when furnished with a pencil and
paper drawing Music. however. is the
one thing that wins them. from the old.
gray-haired men and women 70 the little
boys and girls They love music They
can sing far better than an equal rum
Der Of country children in the United
States They have their favorite instrC-
ments, too-mandolins and aCccrdiOns.
/ e. --f- 49, l--c
sung IN the United States in the last ten
years that is not common n Afognaz
within three months after the record Is
made
"Afognak shows that the white blood
I must predoninats. There are two VII
I lagos One is the real. native AleUt town.
I the other the half-castes- have noticed
7 that any native who has drop OF white
I blood in his or her veins looks down on
I the full-blooded native"
Speaking OF the Russian colony IN
Kansas. Ben N. Brewster. a banker OF
Hayes City. Kans who IS at the Raj
eigh. said yesterday afternoon that
large portion OF the population OF Ellis
I County. Kans., IS made Up o. Russians.
and that 90 per cent OF them own their
own farms and wcrk them 10 the very
limit
Wheat Is the principal crop OF ouF
I section said 8Ir- Brewster. and the
I Russians are the great wheat raisers ot
the bread belt No sooner do they reap
one crop than they 20 20 ploughiag for
the next, Il IS a common thing right
now 70 see one branch Of a family run
ming a header and another the ploughs
I'm the same field.
/ Brewster. including father. Even the
women and children take 70 the fields
during the busy season The only rest
a Russian gets IS on Sunday and religi-
I Gus holidays. No contingency ever
I arises 10 prevent q Russian from remem-
I beriug the Sabbath day and keeping Il
I holy. The same is true Of religious holi-
dsvs. and the Russians have many of
! tisg=-l ding the busy summer months
/ 1t was thirty years ago that the frst
( Russian colony settled IN Ellis County
! Since then they have multiplied Ike
I guinea piss Ir IS estimated that The
4 average family contains eleven members.
( And from time 10 time. as the old set
! tiers get in financial sh6pe. they send
! back 20 Russia for relatives and friends,
and the colony keeps increasing righ-
I along
More than twenty families were
brought over last year. Money is ad-
vanced % pay the expenses 0f the I'M
migrant and his family 20 this country.
He is compelled 20 repay his benefactor
IN work When this debt was wiped or
the slate he buys a farm on tick ANY
I Russian can buy farm that way His
friend lends him enough 20 get started.
and IN a few years, usually four or Eve.
he pays for his farm and has money IN
the tin can which serves as his hank.
as these people can not be persuaded
20 use the regular banks. Then he IS
ready himself 20 send 20 Russia for
relative or friend"
Senator Johnston. Of Alabama. owns
a beautiful home surrounded BY several
acres in Birmingham said Lee r. GIb-
son. Of Mobile. Ala. who is az the Na-
tional. yesterday. The Senator takes
great delight IN donning a pair OF over
ais and a split hickory hat and working
in the garden.
'One day" continued Mr. Gibson. 81
/ fashionably-dressed woman who had re-
sided IN Birmingham only a short time
and had never seen JOhnstor. called on
his wife No one answered the beu. 50
she walked out among the flower beds.
where the former governor was hOelnE
some geraniums. He bowed, and she
asked him how long he had worked for
the Johnstons.
A good many years. man. he re-
olied.
DO they pay you weIl?-
About all I get out Of it Is my clothes
and keep
Why. come and work for me- she
! said III DO that and pay you 50 much
a month besides
Thank you, madam he replied. bow
ing very low; but I signed with Mrs.
Johnston for life.
Why. no such contract is binding.
That is peonsge-
Some may call il that but I have
always called 1t marriage
According TO Dr.. Charles A. Eastman.
OF Boston. said Edmund F. Barr. OF
that city. al tire Shoreham recently. The
Indian Of to-day IS 80 Per cent. and even
more. better OF. as far as business is con
cerned. than ten years ago Dr. East
man himself is a full-blOOded Indian
and IL is he who. under government aus
pices, is engaged in giving family names
70 5000 families Of Indians in the United
States.
''Dr. Eastman saws that the Indian Is
: in a sort Of transitory state. and civili-
} zatiOn Is being forced upon him in such
way that il gives him too much indoor
| and business life. which he IS never used
10. and which has overthroWn TO an ex-
ten2 his physical strength. He has In
herited that ability 70 develop. but his
new environment makes him feeble.
"As I know the two races. the white
{ and the red. I am certain they do not
know each other. The white man knows