The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-04-15

lives who are Cllahle OF pffloiWiuh
that work are sclc, ,cd by the chiefs
under direction of tho government
accents. and divitas> into numbered
eroups They are paid a small sum
per skin. but n IL IN the form OF ala
order on the store OF the North Amert
can Commercial company. Some years,
the company declares. taey have pa'G
.out To the natives a. much as $4,000,
According 20 government reports
the halan e OF the year Is spent most
.ly in SLEEP. except the 200 whole days
eiven over 90 tine celebration OF solae
sairts law These events are oO-
served wi.h the utmost care and the
church forms are followed closely The
cove rnmeut allows only one pair of
dress shoes year TO native the
women are permitted only one gocd
ircss GinehamS. Calicoes. musllnS
and similar ineXttnsive goods are per
united 20 be issued 10 the natives ~
the stores in reasonable quan1llleh-
This regulation i to prevent eXtravh'
ganCe
mtoxica,ion is prohibited and the
government agents are authorized TO
Geport any offender Sometimes II has
reen found necessary To limit the sale
&C sugar and other articles entering
into the manufacture OF intoxicants.
Tea drinking is the fac. f. is esu-
mated that each native drinks ON an
average of gallon OF tea a day. A.
uts some life into the people. who
lave dete.iorated greatly through IN
termarriage.
Each native has been given certain
quantity OF salmon and allowed =
seal puppies for food edt h yea WITH
out expense By some sirtuSo treaK
the natives care nothing for seal 'at,
and prefer 20 use their credit at the
store for kerosene. over 600 gallons
are used by them each year. They are
strong on tobacco. which, ii is said, is
some stroag itself
OF these two islands, several hun
dreG miles north from Unalaska, these
people have been the wards OF Uncle
Sam for The greater part of the con-
tract period. There had been very lit
TIE new blood introduced in all that
time Hence they exist. IN climate
that is admirably adapted TO seal cut
tdrc but BADLY conditioned for human
beings. 4 is reported that there IS
hardly such a thin1 as one day OF
fine weather the whole summer. y
oense, drizzly fog hangs over the isl
ands almost obsC uring the rays OF the
Gun. When IL does burst through oc-
casionally the heat is SO intense that
the natives stow themselves away IN
the shade The heat makes their
peCks swell
The winters are most discouraging
10 the agents who are compelled 20
remain there TO guard the seals. for
although the temperature reaches only
IL degrees below at the most, and has
medium OF Is above, the wind seems
to blow from every point of the COM
pass at one time. and with success
zion OF furious gales of snow and sleet.
On one occasion, when special IN
spector was on the island, an SS-mile-
an hour wind blew for six successive
DAYS without any intermission in
ltemperature Of degrees below zero.
The natives could only reach neigh
boring houses, framed with taxpayer
Innings, by crawling on their bellies.
Yet the departmental records are
Unanimous in the declaration that the
natives there are not miserable but
that they are known on the Aleutian
! LENT sula as the rich Aleuts.
/ Financially the seal fisheries indus
try has not been profitable TO the fed
eral government. under the contract
that is just expiring. In the 20-year
period preceding 1t there was net
revenue paid in the treasury of nearly
S6 900, 600 from eur seals. Since that
time according 10 Senator Dixon. who
had charge OF the administration bill
/ providing for fug conservation, theIe
| las been : net loss o. million dollars.
/ The government maintains the islands
at an annual expense OF 100000, for
salaries " agents ratroling OF reye-
/ nue. cutters and care OF the natives
/ The seal herd mas diminished from
( 1000 600 in 1867, when the United
States took over Alaska. to something
/ between 10000 and 100000, according
&c who has done The estimating. Ii is
/ figured that few years OF closed sea
son will bring the number up 10 a mil.
/ hon or more, judging from the expert
lence OF Russia The government IL
purposing 10 pay the North American
! { commercial company $l50,000 for the
houses. schools and churches ami
other buildings and give them to the
natives They are not worth over
/ 100000, according TO the government
estimate, but If they were not pur-
chased by the &, yernment the wards
would be homeless and helpless.