The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-04-23
Place in United States Where People
Get Free Food, Fuel and Education

Not everybody in these United
States knows that there is a territory
belonging to the republic which is in
habited the year round and to which
poverty Is an absolute tranger.
Get your map and nnd Alaska, trace
along the Alaska peninsula, and you
win come to Unalaska Island. Then
by looking almost due north for about
three degrees, you will see tho Pribilof
Islands, the land where, despite the
fact that they produce absolutely
nothing which will sustain man, pow
erty is unknown. st. George and ST.
Paul are the principal islands Of the
little group, and on each Of these there
is a small town which can boast of a
main street, a church and few dwell
ings But as nothing grows there
and why they are there any persons
on the islands?
If it were not for the fur seals the
Pribilof group would be as uninhabited
as the alkali desert. But there is big
money in the fur seal business, hence
there Is little need for more explana-
ton. For the past ten years the North
American Commercial Co. has had the
lease Of the group from the United
States. The department of commerce
and labor, which has charge of the
leasing. makes q good many provisions
In the contract, for the seals have to
be well protected to keep them from
total humiliation. At present the
North American Co. pays something
over $40 for every seal 1t kills; 1t has.
to be careful that 1t doesn't kill more
than 1t 1t allowed, and it must exercise
the same amount OF care in seeing
that only certain kinds OF seals are
taken. No shooting Of the animals is
allowed; they must be dubbed to
death, and the unfortunate ones are
all bachelors. The female seals are
carefully protected by the contract.
The bachelors are generally found in
herds by themselves, so there Is not
much difficulty experienced In getting
them. although along toward the end
OF the mating season more care has
to be exercised to avoid Staying the
females, too.
But what has this to do with MAX
ing the land a stranger to poverty?
Well, that Ia also in the contract; for,
besides paying the government for
each seal taken, the leasing company
has to agree TO take care of the natives
who live on the islands. This neces-
itates furnishing them with dried SAL
mon, salt and salt barrels In which
they can preserve good supply of
meat. Eighty tons Of coal a year
must be handed over to the villagers.
schoolhouses must be kept in good
condition for them, capable teachers
supplied; physicians. medicines and all
the necessariea of life furnished abso-
lutely free of charge.
IN addition to this the company
gives employment to many OF the peo-
pie, the secretary OF commerce and
labor fixing the wages which are to be
paid them. Hence it win be seen
that poverty has little chance to -FOUR
'sh in the Pribilof group. IN order
TO be sure that the company does its
part of the contract, and does not ov-
erdo II in regard to the seals or un-
der do It with reference to the natives,
the government keeps it's own agents
en- the two islands and has In the wat
cts round about its own revenue cut
ttrs to warn of marauding sealers.
1t was Gerasim Prfbilof, a Russian
ma vigator who discovered the little
gr up which bears his name IT was
In .7se that he sailed that way and
took them In the name Of the car.
He found that the flve islands st.
George, ST. Paul, Walrus Island, Otter
Island and Sea Lion Rock-~were ali OF
volcgnic origin, completely isolated
from any other land, the nearest being
unaiaalxa, e14 miles to the SOUTH
Despite the fact that bowers luxur-
late there In the summer, nothing OF o.
ncurishinG nature Tor man grows In