Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-03
scra They have moIc-a tools. and
|"mc Of thoir towns have hardware
storca aud snwmilir.
PLANNED WITH REGARD
fO SANITARY COS 0I'CInSS

PLANNED WITH REGARD
fO SANITARY CONDITIONS
tn" nc" buii,i,:,.a a.. planned with
regard I" snnit"ry condition.. Somc
OF tho towns have piamlt siIrwuIhr
and ~ ono OF two thor. arc electric
lights. III i;lnkran the Indians hay,
pip"d the water from tho mountains
and established .! municipal water
system. The sam" IL tru. to sumc cX-
ten, IN Metlakab,l;i. whcro the wu,cr
is brought from u lake In tho noun
tains
The Mc.!akahtin Indians have al.
ready described. Tho proper name ror
them is TsimS"ans They were con
Nerted from s.vassn /" civilization b.
fnthor Duncan and their village on
Annette Island has cottage homes that
would be considered comfortable IN
almost any town of tho states. Mot
lakah;la has plank sidewalks and it's
streets arc liid out in regular order.
Each house has It's garden There i$
largo general store. Il sawmili ana
"a fish canning factory. The people
have tho largest church in Alaska aud
also Il town hall and library. Many %!
them speak English. The government
school building recently erected Is a
large two-story building. fitted with all
Of the modern school appliances. The
natives dress just like tho whites. and.
were II not for their complexion aud
features. YOU would hardly Know they
were Indians.
Outside Annette Island ;hc work Of
civilization among the Indians has
been promoted By tho missionaries and
school teachers The missionaries
came first. They had their schools, in
dustriul and otherwise. and they con-
vcrted the Indians TO christianity.
After the missionaries came the
bureau OF education. II has taken
charge Of the natives of Alaska. II
began with tho establishment of
schools in all Of tho villages. and 1t
has added many kinds Of uplifting ac-
tivities. The teachers arc nov in
structinE ;hc adul, Indians in SANTA
ton and civil government. They are
inducing them TO establish stores, and
To engage in all possible sclf-sustain-
ing industries.
So far the most remarkable progress
has been among the Haidas. tribe of
500 or 600 Indians on Prince of Wales
Island. The government has given
them reservation. and they have q
town there called Hydaburg, which is
perhaps the most advanced Indian
town Of the world. The natives have
organized cooperative trading COM
pany. and are paying big dividends to
their stockholders. With only $1,000
invested within the past three years.
they have paid dividends OF $4,000
Last year the directors declared
dividend OF 90 per cent, and the COM
pany has so increased it's stock that II
will undertake fish-canning and saw
milling business.
PEOPLE RAPIDLY
BECOMING PROSPEROUS
As il Is now, nearly every family in
Hydaburg has stock in this trading
company. and the people are rapidly
growing weli-to-do. Nearly every one
has his gasoline launch and all have
comfortable homes. The town elects
its own officers. 1t has q Mayor and
Councilman, and the busin. SIS of the
place Is transacted in English. One OF
the first cooperative works was the
building OF sidewalk. There was no
money in the village treasury, but the
young men brought in the proceeds of
their seasons fishing. and the Indian
girls had basket social. at which the
food was charged for. the proceeds to
go 10 the sidewalk. Al that social
$2eo was realized. This bought the
lumber and the men gave their labor
without charge. That sidewalk Is the
best III Southeastern Alaska Ii is ten
feet wide and more than half n mile
long.
Since then the citizens have erected
a municipal dock which is 40 feet
long, with front of ffty-fivc feet
The cooperative store has created a
hunger for business training. and bust