Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-06-02
WOMAN EXPRESSES FRAUD
Mrs. Elsie Gibson Whitney, School
Teacher, Tells Of Pribi-
lof Island.


Gibson of Ferncliff, the mother of
Elsie Gibson Whitney, who, with her
young husband, has made startling
Charges against government officials
N Alaska, was interviewed here. She
mas private letters from her daughter
containing grave accusations made by
he plucky little school teacher,
Motheriy Mrs. Gibson fondiy relates
how Elsie, barely two years ago, mar
ried her schoolmate Edwin c. Whit
uey.
They spent their honeymoon travel
ing to the far North post that had been
offered them to teach the native chill
lren of the Pribilof Islands, way up
the Boring Sea, just off The coast of
Siberia.
The letters teen with disclosures
Of drunkenness and lawlessness among
The trusted Government employees.
Mrs. Gibson says her daughters last
letter said she and her husband prob
ably would be called to Washington to
verify their claims of croOkedness
among the men in charge Of the ma
/ lives Of the Priblofs.
/ According to her mother, young Mrs
Whitney has accomplished wonders
with the material at hand in teaching
/ the duh Eskimos the three RS in her
endeayor to make the Alaska Aleutians
INTO good Americans
/ About two mails year are all that
are picked up in this far North re-
zion. and in one of her letters Mrs
Whitney says:
Il am the only white woman on St
pauls Island; one of the wireless men
count in any of our gatherings, and
rs the doctor, sent here by the Gov
prnment, Is 'bouzing' half the time, our
mess comprises only five. In fact, the
doctor has not been in to meals half a
dozen times in the last month"
In another letter written from the
game place, she says:
1t has been seven months since
He'Vo had any mail; seems like ages.
i We certainly are limited to necessary
material 10 work with.
4 The requIsition that we made out
years ago for Things actually essential
/ In our school work was crossed off
entirely by the chief agent of the Gov
Iarnment here, and much more than the
amount of money 10 cover the cost Of
the articles was put into liquors to sell
TO the natives.
a more rotten system and state of
affairs than exists on the islands could
hardly be conceived 'Twould take
volumes to explain it, so | won't at
tempt it here
In a letter last fall she wrote;
| Word came Unexpectedly that the
supply ship Homer would make but
one trip Instead of two, as had been
the custom. and it was so near time
for the boat TO leave san Francisco
thsg the only way to get any orders
aotn in time to have things come up
ion our winters supply was by wire
4 less at - cents a word
/ Then when we sent our message
for things most needed, the man who
attended to the buying sent about half
what was ordered and used the rest
If our money to buy 'dainties' for the
natives. We We're pretty angry, but
we're absolutely helpless"
Writing from St Georges Island
she says:
Il came over here on an act Of mer-
~ June l. Mrs Hannas little girl ba-
by was born al a. m. June 5: weigh
ed six and a half pounds | think |
wrote YOU last summer about her COM
ing up from Texas to marry Mr.. Han
ma She had been a society girl down
there and guess this was some
change for her, as she was the only
whit woman on St. Georges Island all
winter long.
This island is absolutely out of ev-
erything: there are only few pota-
toes and onions left and only tea
enough 10 last if il is doled out until
the supply ship can get here.
IAN sorts Of canned goods-our
main stay-have been gone since April
and fannelette8 and such things that
would have come in handy for the
baby have been out since Christmas,
This is the fault of the Government
agent in charge here, Proctor, who,
the natives over on our island est.
Paul.. are afraid will be transferred to
minister to their wants next year"