Gass />/ / g Book i t )0 / f^/ 59th Congress, I SENATE. j Document 1st Session. f ( No. 483. ^ REPORTS ^9C CONDITION OF EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE AXD THE MANAGEMENT OF REINDEER SERVICE IX THE DISTRICT OF ALASKA. BY FRANK C. CHURCHILL, Special Agent. June 12, 1906. — Ordered printed with illustrations. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1906. . ^ ,w JUL 30 1906 D. ofO, i- TABLE OF COE"TENTS. Page. Letter of transmittal to the Senate by the President 1 Letter of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to the President 2 Letter of the Secretary of the Department of the Interior to the Comptroller of the Treasury 3 Letter of the Comptroller to the Secretary 4 Letter of the Secretary to Mr. Frank C. Churchill 6 Report of Special Agent Frank C. Churchill, December 11, 1905 9 Route taken and time consumed in investigation 9 Alaska, area, diverse climatic conditions 10 Inhal)itants, a])out (0,000, more than half natives 10 Resources — ^Minerals and metals inexhaustible, value of fisheries annually about equal to gold output 10 Transportation of supplies heavy tax on people developing country 10 Roads — " Key to Alaska will be found in building of roads " 11 Fishing by white men not believed to take natives' food supply 11 EDUCATION. Legislation for schools, May 17, 1884, agent of education appointed April 11, 1885, Doctor Jackson, who was then representative of Presbyterian Board of Home Missions in Alaska 12 Held both jwsitions and drew salaries for both for twelve years 13 Management of schools, characteristics of agent, etc 13 Point Barrow: School estaV)lished, average attendance, 30 pupils 13 Two of the three buildings and land claimed by mission board, but United States paid bills; sectarianism in school work 13 Congressional appropriations froni 1884 to June 30, 1901, for education, 8535,000; license fees, !?304,155.98; total, $839,155.98 14 Nelson act, approved January 27, 1905; difficulties in execution of act on account of schools being far apart 15-18 Schools under governor and under Bureau of Education (tables) 16 Teachers' salaries, apparatus, etc 19 Tal)les showing location of schools, salaries, other expenses, buildings, location, and cost 22-25 Eskimos, characteristics, food, clothing, medical treatment necessary; reindeer may be made to supply food and clothing 26 William A. Kelly, school superintendent in southeastern Alaska, character al)ove reproach, but station needs younger and more active man 26 Whisky traffic, evil effects on natives 26 J. M. Jasberg, special agent, salary 8500, no service in Alaska 27 Schools for white and mixed blood, appointment of two superintendents recommended _ 27 School year "five months" only, difficult to secure good teachers 28 Kodiak, conditions such that Xelson Act fits nicely 28 Afognak, good school building, ])eople making comfortable living 28 Transi)ortation and supplies. — All supplies, including coal and lumber, must be taken from the States. S. Foster & Co., of San Francisco, makes annual cruise; has monopoly of transportation business. No harbors, and supplies must be taken from large ship to boats and brought ashore. Trade not sufficient to attract competition 28-30 Schools for natives in incorporated towns 30 Recommends hospital for natives be established in connection with school and put in charge of physician 30 Schools ill eastern Alaska; schools at Sitka; salaries paid teachers vary from $75 to $111.11. not based on number of pupils attending school 30 United States Revenue-Cutter Service: Cutters have their regular duties and can rarely reach Point Barrow until last of July, even then danger of being caught in ice floe. Three years the ice prevented the cutter reaching there at all. If cutters could spend more time in Alaskan waters and transport annual supplies, it would materially aid the public business under the Inte- rior Department 31 iir IV TABLE OF CONTENTS. Vuge. INIedical attendance needed for natives, puiiiln attending school 32 Keindeer in Alaska 33 Nnmlje/ and cost of deer 33 ^Methods of ini])orting deer 34 Missions, advantages to, from introduction of reindeer, etc 35 Most promising fieKls for schools assigned to missions 35 Doctor Jackson drew salary from Presbyterian board of home missions and United States at same time 36 Reindeer herds cared for by ( Jovernment ofhcials alone 36 Food (moss) for deer; deer owned bj' missions; halnts of deer 37 Reindeer as a means of transportation 38-44 Ownership and dispositi(^)n of Government deer 40 Eskimo district; condition of Eskimos; game in district 40 Poi)ulation 40 Reindeer, management, marking, etc 41 Civilizing influence on natives 41 "Loaning" deer, separation of missionary and Government interests 43 Teller Reindeer Station, tables (Nos. 8 and 9) showing number of deer at dif- ferent places, number belonging to Government, loaned deer, etc 43 Table 10, showing employees, herders, apprentices, and deer owned by same. . 44 Table 11, showing deer purchased by Government, those not yet paid for, and those trained for sled 45 Appn )priations by Congress for deer industry 45 Information of value lacking in annual reports 45 American Missionary Association presented at Cape Prince of Wales with 118 deer; Government has |iaid thousands of dollars to American ^lissionary Assi )ciation at Cape Prince of Wales for deer 46 Distribution of deer to natives as they are capable, recommended 46 Reindeer as a means of transportation: hardships encountered and courage necessary in introducing deer into .\laska; inaccuracy in rej^orts made as to deer, etc 46 Point Barrow: Schoolhouse erected 1904-5; 84,000 authorized; §6,571.29 expended (see p. 76 for cost of similar building); $3,000 expended for sala- ries of two teachers, IMr. Spriggs and Mr. Kilbuck 47 Material for WaiuAvright schoolhouse, where one teacher was supposed to teach, did not arrive in time to erect building 47 Allowance of §9,000 to Presbyterian board, 1890 to 1894, "for conducting school at Point Barrow;" "SI, 000 paid Presbyterian board for new schoolhouse at Point Barrow," 1890, and §2,000 paid Presbyterian Ijoard for "conducting school at Point Barrow for school year 1890-1901 " 47 Episcopal Missionary Societv for conducting school at Point Barrow, §2,000 .■ 48 Ownership of deer at Point Barrow, etc 48 Seven deer owned by native 9 years old '. 48 Mr. Spriggs's contract for carrying mail twice during winter to Kotzebue (§750 a trip) ; hrst trip with deer, the other three made with dog team; payment of natives 48 Wainwright: New schoolhouse, built 1905, like one at Point Barrow: cost will be (estimating the bills not yet in) §4,000, while the one at Point Barrow cost §6,571.29, built same year by same nian under similar condition^ 49 School attendance at Wainwright, average 6 49 Salary of carpenter who erected building; time consumed, etc 50 Inspector states if money used for schoolhouse at Wainwright had been used in supplying natives with s])ruce ])oles from northeastern Alaska for their skin boats, real benefits to natives would l)e far greater 50 Point Hope: Episcopal mission, under charge of J. B. Driggs, M. D., 60 pupils enrolled ; independent of Bureau of Education '. 50 About 3 miles from this school Bureau has partially completed school- house, for which §4,000 was' authorized INIarch 31, 1904; inspector thinks building should not have been put up 50 In former years §2,000 a year was allowed the Episcopal Board, but no aid is now given it 50 No deer at this mission 50 Kotzebue: Friends mission, 20 miles up the sound from anchorage; notable to land from Bear; Mrs. Thomas, the minister, is paid §80 by Government to teat^h school ; loan of deer to mission 50 / TABLE OF CONTENTS. • V Kotzebue — Continued. i'age. Ownership of deer at Kotzebue; mail route from Kotzebue to Shunz-nak operated by INIr. Tiiomas; cost of carrying mail 51 Selioolhouse "authorized, lHO-1, to be built, at i^4,000; §5,419.93 already expended 51 Kivalina, population of 51 Deering, opposite jside of sound from Kotzebue; small village; white.s and natives; Friends mis?iion 51 Lumber for school house due to arrive; limit of cost, $5,000; authorized June 12, 1905; site agreed on day inspection made; §2,484 already paid, presumably for lumber 51 School now carried on in dingy hut, unlit for the purpose 51 Deer loaned; ownership and management of; herders draw salary and also rations from Government; attention called to fact that those who have deer receive salary and board and those who have none "shift for themselves" 52 Shismaref: No landing made; nothing to be seen but few native huts and pile of lumber for new schoolhouse 52 Bureau reports for 1904 indicate building constructed; §5,000 authorized, and §;^,599. 73 exjiended 52 Kivalina, or Corwin, Lagoon: April 18, 1905, §5,000 authorized for schoolhouse and dwelling; $2,544.48 charged against this authorized exiienditure, pre- sumably for buihling material 52 Only natives found here were Electoona and Otpella, with 220 deer; Mrs. Walton, engaged to teach at §80 a month when building is constructed, is waiting at Kotzebue, her salary as teacher going on ,. 52 Cape I'rince of Wales: Unable to land; could see good schoolhouse owned by Government, large, well constructed; 375 natives and 80 jiupils; largest native village on coast; Mr. A. N. Evans, teacher^ at §1,200, which is to be reduced to §810; native teacher, Illayok, at §360 per year 53 Ameri(!an Missionary Association has control of probably the largest herd in Alaska, J, 419 deer; ownership of deer can not be determined. Bureau reports having stated in 1902 that original deer were "loaned," and report of 1904 states they were a "gift;" The mission and natives have been selling deer to Government some time, the last at §25 each. Gov- ernuient paid in a single year nearly §6,000 for deer here 54 Agreements between herders and American ^lissionary Association 54 Greater progress toward civilization showii here than any other place in tlie Arctic , 54 Teller Keindeer Station. — Original reindeer station; Lutheran Synod has orphanage in building owned bv Government; school attendance averages 17 55 Deer owned by Government and natives, 941 ; manageuient of 56 School on opposite side of bay (5 miles distant) with 24 pupils, lapsed under Nelson Act 56 Golovin Bay. — Mission, Swedish Lutheran Church; teacher employed by Government, $60 per month; pupils enrolled, 65; average over half 57 Deer, 1,164, ownership of, etc.; deer sold here last winter at §40 to §45; deer loaned ; results of, etc 58 Bettles. — Cost of school building, §3,114.82; employment of D. W. Cram and wife at §1,000 each; reindeer estimated in 1905 to be 300; school discon- tinued; disposition of deer 58 Gambell, St. Lawrence Island. — lieindeer re.^ervation by Executive order; 250 natives; 2 teachers, at §1,500 and §600, respectively; attendance, 65 pupils; number of deer, 189 .' .' 59 "peer business mixed up;" ownership of schoolhouse claimed for Gov- ernment, also claimed by mission 60 Foster & Co. ' s store, etc 60 Agreement wirti herders 61 Attention called to exhibits showing contracts with parties to whom deer Avere loaned 62 Criticism, remarks as to existing conditions, etc 64 Conclusion, recommendations 65 That deer be loaned only when authorized by Secretary in writing 65 Persons having control of property should be held responsible 65 That supervisors of reindeer and schools make yearly inspection of the service 65 That control of schools and management of deer be in Department proper. 66 VI • TAHLE OF CONTENTS, Conclusion, ivronmieniUitions- — ('(intiiiiu'd. Page. Persons skilled in medicine, as far as i>racticaV)le, be employed as teachers. 66 That legislation l)e had placing all schodls in Alaska outside of incorpo- rated towns under control of Secretary 66 Exhibit A. — J^etter dated November 16, 1905, Wrangell, Alaska, from Rev. 11. P. Corser, making criticisms as to management of Alaskan schools 67 i?.i7(///i7 7>.— Affidavit of Albert Oleson, employed at Barrow and at Wain- wright, Alaska, dated August 2, ]H(l5, regarding contracts of Mr. Spriggs, etc. 68 Exhibit ('. — Commissioner of Education, May lU, 19U5, sul)mits views regarding proposed change in rules relative to instruction of apprentices in reindeer service 69 Exhibit D. — Letter, dated November 29, 1905, from H. C. Olin, treasurer Pres- byterian board, stating .«alary paid Doctor Jackson to March 1,1897; said board owns two school liuildiugs at Point P.arrow, etc 73 Exhibit is.— Letter dated Sejitcmher 19, 1905, fnjm W. T. Lopp, Teller, Alaska, concerning deer industry at Teller station 74 Exhibits F, G, II, I, J, K, L, M, N, 0, P. — Copies of agreements to loan deer to different parties at different places 75 Exldbit C^.— Copy of report of \V. T. Lopp, district suiierintendent, to Dr. Sheldon Jackson, general agent, September 8, 1905 84 Exhibit R. — Copy of vouchershowing that Government paid freight on school- house at St. Lawrence Island in 1891, as well as other items of expense. (For list of clainiants, or contributors to this building, see report under the head of Gambell, St. Lawrence Island ) 84 Exhibit 8. — Letter of \V. T. Lopp, district superintendent, to Dr. Sheldon Jackson, general agent, etc., August 11, 1905 85 Exhibit T. — Map showing, l)y yellow lines, the route of special inspector while making Alaska investigation, requiring upward of 10,000 miles travel and the use of six different ships , 86 SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT, .7.VNUARY 10, 1906. St. Lavrrence Island {Gambell). — Refers to statements in report of July 21, 1905, that he found 70 reindeer loaned to a mission that did not exist; sub- sequently 70 deer were transferred to credit of the United States, as stated in report of Deceudser 11, 19ti5, but increase of herd, according to under- standing of the superintendent, still remain proj)erty of Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, except small number owned by apprentices and herders. 87 Letter from Commissioner of Education explaining that the deer were credited to Presbyterian mission the first year, in the "expectation" that the Presbyteriau ^lissionary Association would establish a mission on the island and take the loan, and the error was "blindly repeated". 88 Insr)ector comments on ownership of school building and teacher's dwell- ing here 88 Letter from treasurer Prest)yterian board, stating $2,000 was jiaid Doctor Jackson for building 89 Names of contributors to Ijuilding on St. Lawrence Island 89 Suggests the $2,000 paid Doctor Jackson by Presbxterian board be re- turned to that board in onler that Government gain title 89 Bctth's. — Since filing reimit of December 11, 1905, a cojn' of report made by Mr. Cram has Iteen received from him. Inspector concludes Mr Cram and his wife accepted employment without knowing anything about the hard- shijjs they would encounter or what would be expected of them, etc 89 Reindeer — Comments on newspaper report, Decendaer 7, 1905, of an address given by Doctor Jackson before the Anthropological Society, as being mis- leading as to statements regarding reindeer in Alaska, inclosing clipping as Exhibit B. B '. 90 Eskimo — Inspector submits letter received from F. Kleinschmidt, son-in-law of Rev. S. Hall Young, one of the early Presbyterian missionaries in Alaska, and commends the views expressed as to what should be done with the F.skimo, and submits letter as Exhibit C. C. Makes recommendations for aid and betterment of conditions of P'skinio 91 Exhibit A. A. — Copy of report ma05, January" 10, Febru- ary 15, and June 2, 1906, together with all the exhibits accompanying the same. I also inclose a letter from the Secretar}^ of the Interior submitting the papers for transmission to the Senate. Theodore Roosevelt. The White House, June 11, 1906. 2 educational and school service, etc., tn alaska, Department of the Interior, Secretary's Office, W((!, the amount allowed him in iieu of subsistence as an inspector. In order, therefore, to prevent the possibility of any pecuniary loss by reason of direct- ing him to perform this work, I have concluded to allow him, if possible, the amount stated for subsistence. If this can not be done, is it permissible under the law for nie to grant Indian Inspector Churchill leave of absence without pay for such period as maybe neces- sary and appoint him as special agent to make the desired investigation in relation to Alaskan affairs, at a salary to be hereafter determined, with traveling expenses and subsistence, payable from the above-mentioned appropriations under theacts of March 2, 1903, and March 3, 1905, supra? If in your judgment neither of the courses should be deemed practicable, would it be permissible to appoint a suitable person not now connected with the Gov- ernment service for this work of inspection in Alaska at a compensation to be determined, paying his salarj-, traveling expenses, and subsistence out of the above-mentioned appropriation? The act of April 21, 1904: (33 Stat. L., 191), provides: For pay of eight Indian inspectors, * * * at two thousand five hundred dol- lars per annum each, twenty thousand dollars. For traveling expenses of eight Indian inspectors, at three dollars per day when actually employed on duty in the field, exclusive of transportation and sleeping-car fares, in lieu of all other expenses now authorized by law, * * * This act fixes the amount of salary that shall be paid to an Indian inspector and limits the amount of per diem in lieu of subsistence that may be paid and makes a specific appropriation for the pa3anent of the traveling- expen.ses while actually employed on duty in the field. These appropriations are exclusively available to pay such inspectors EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 5 and their expenses, and payment for such services may be made there- from subject to the limitations therein as to the amount of the per diem in lieu of subsistence to be paid. I have therefore to advise you that if Mr. Frank C. Churchill, an Indian inspector, is assigned to duty in Alaska, by virtue of his office as Indian inspector, you would not be authorized to pay him in a differ- ent way or from a diflerent appropriation than if assigned to duty elsewhere. (3 Comp. Dec, 240.) Your second question raises the question whether you can grant Inspector Churchill leave of absence without pay for such period as may be necessary, and appoint him a special agent to make the desired investigation in relation to Alaskan affairs, at a salary to be hereafter determined, with traveling expenses and subsistence payable from the appropriations under the act of March 3, 1903, and ^Vlarch 3, 1905. Said appropriations are what are known as lump sum appropriations. Mr. Churchill as Indian inspector holds a Presidential appointment and is a commissioned officer with a salary fixed by law, and in my judgment you can not grant him a leave of absence with or without his consent that would deprive him of the salary attached to the office of Indian inspector by law so lon^ as he holds the office of Indian inspector. In this connection see the case of G lave v v. United States (182 U. S., 595.) The separate appointment of Mr. Churchill as a special agent to make the desired investigation in relation to Alaskan affairs, if such appointment is not an appointment to an office, would not be in vio- lation of any law with which I am acquainted or to which my atten- tion has been called. I take it, however, as you can not permit Mr. Churchill to hold the office of Indian inspector without the Government being liable for his salary as such, that you do not desire to give him an employment as special agent to investigate into Alaskan affairs, subject to the payment to him of both compensations. Relative to your third question: The appropriations from which the special agent to investigate into Alaskan affairs are to be paid are lump sums, you having the discretion to fix compensations, the same not being fixed by law. You are authorized to appoint some person not already holding a Government position and fix his compensation, including as a part thereof such commuted sums as you may see fit for subsistence and lodging, or you may fix his compensation and allow him his rea- sonable and actual traveling expenses, removing-, if necessary, the Departmental maximum and fixing ahig-her maximum. If inspection service is necessary in connection with expenditures under the act of March 2, 1903 (32 Stat. L., 946). authorized by you prior to January 27, 1905, the expenses for said inspection w^ould be payable from the license funds collected under the act of March 2, 1903, as an incident to the expenditures so authorized by the Secre- tary of the Interior under said act. Respectfully, R. J. Tragewell, Conijytroller. The Secretary of the Interior. 6 educational and school service, etc., ix alaska. Department of the Interior. Washington, June 3^ 1905. Sir: You have been commissioned as a special agent for the purpose of investigating the condition of educational and school service and the management of reindeer service in the district of Alaska. Your com- pensation will be at the rate of $751 per month, with the understand- ing that subsistence will be provided at your own expense. You will be allowed your necessar}- expense for transportation, including sleep- ing-car fare and service, and are authorized to incur such other expenses of an incidental character as ma}^ be necessary to the execution of the trust assigned to 3"0u. At the earliest practicable date 3'ou will proceed to Alaska, using your own judgment, after reaching Seattle, Wash., as to whether you will first proceed to investigate the condition of schools in southeastern Alaska or proceed to Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, and make an investi- gation of school and reindeer service north of that point, completing your work in southeastern Alaska on j^our return. Asa matter of information, it may be stated that, as to the trip from Dutch Harbor through Bering Sea to the Arctic Ocean and return, }^ou can leave Seattle b}- the earl}^ June boats, reaching Nome, Alaska, near the middle or last of June, the time of arrival at Dutch Harbor being dependent upon whether or not very much ice is encountered. At Nome 3'ou can await the arrival of the revenue cutter Bear., which is due at Dutch Harbor early in July, and on which it has been arranged by the Secretary of the Treasury that 3'ou shall be provided with accommodations. Taking this cutter, visits can be made to the schools and reindeer stations along the coast of the Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean, and 3'ou can return to Dutch Harbor some time in September, 1905. On the return trip it is understood that you will be able to take a mail steamer at Dutch Harbor, touching various points along the coast in southeastern Alaska, and thus inspect the schools in that section, reaching Seattle some time in December, 1905. As to the trip through southeastern Alaska, it has been ascertained tentatively that 3'ou can leave Seattle, Wash., on regular steamers at any time after Ma}" 30 for examination of schools in southeastern Alaska, going as far as Skagway, a distance of about 1,000 miles, this latter trip covering approximatel}^ four days. From Skagway or Juneau to Valdez it is understood that there is a similar monthly mail route and from Valdez to Dutch Harbor, Unalaska, another monthly mail service. This latter inspection and return to Seattle will in all probability consume three months. Accommodations on the steamer from Seattle should be ari-anged by telegraph, owing to the crowded condition of the boats due to the great number of persons returning to Alaska in the spring. The facts above set forth may, upon investigation b}" j^ou at Seattle, prove to be incorrect, and 3'ou will therefore have to govern 3'ourself in the matter of your trip 113^ such facts as 3^ou ma3^ be able to ascer- tain upon investigation at that place. The honorable Secretaiy of War will be requested to instruct Cap- tain Grant, the quartermaster at Seattle, to extend 3'ou such courtesies and afford such information as ma3' be practicable and of assistance to you in connection with 3'our proposed investigation of affairs in Alaska. EDUCATIONAL AXD SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. 7 The act of January 27, 1905 (copy herewith), entitled "An act to provide for the construction and maintenance of roads, the establish- ment and maintenance of schools, and the care and support of insane persons in the district of Alaska, and for other purposes," among other things provides for the separation of the white and native schools in the district of Alaska, placing the white schools under the control of the governor of the district of Alaska, as superintendent of public instruction, and continuing the management of the native schools under the Commissioner of Education, subject to the supervisory authorit}^ of the Secretary of the Interior. In the accompanying copy (marked ""Exhibit A") of the plan of operations of the school and reindeer service for the ensuing iiscal year, which was approved conditionallv under date of May 31, 1905, will be found, on pages 2 and 3, a list, marked "x\," showing all white schools in Alaska which are under the supervision of the governor; and a list, marked ''B," will be found on pages 3 and 4, showing the native schools, which remain under the control of this Department, and which will be continued if there are funds sufficient for the purpose. You will visit as man}- of these white and native schools as may be practicable; ascertain their present condition; the methods of manage- ment; the number of pupils; the number of teachers; the method of appointment of the latter; their salaries, whether reasonable or excess- ive; the methods obtaining in purchasing school and subsistence supplies, erecting buildings, and the rental of buildings for school purposes; and, generally, ascertain whether the service has been con- ducted properly and in an economical and businesslike manner, and submit such recommendations for the betterment of the service and the purchase and delivery of school and other supplies therefor as in your judgment the facts disclosed may warrant. If practicable, 3'ou will also ascertain the means that have been adopted b}' the governor in carrying into effect the provisions of the act of January 27, 1905, in relation to the management of the white schools since their transfer from this Department to his immediate supervision, their condition, methods of obtaining and disbursing moneys for the support thereof, the purchase of school supplies, employment of teachers, etc. You will visit as many of the reindeer stations shown on the accom- panying map (marked "Exhibit B") as practicable, investigate the conditions there existing, the methods emploN^ed in handling deer, the number of herders and apprentices, those paid for their services in money or otherwise, and those who are not compensated, the number of pupils actually in school at each reindeer station, the length of time they are in school, the period of time they are learning to manage the reindeer, the system in vogue of loaning reindeer to the various mis- sionary societies in Alaska, the system employed in purchasing sup- plies for this service, the methods of employing and paying people connected therewith, whether or not either the loaning of reindeer to the missions maintaining schools, or the loaning of the same to the natives as a method of industrial education should be continued or abandoned, and you will submit such recommendations for the better- ment of the service as in your judgment the circumstances warrant. There is also herewith' inclosed (marked "Exhibit C") a tentative set of regulations which have been submitted by the Commissioner 8 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. of Education for ii\y approval, for the government of this reindeer service. They have not been approved for the reason that I desired you to examine them carefully in connection with the facts disclosed as a result of your investigations, and submit a report giving an expression of your views as to the advisability of the adoption of these regulations, or any part thereof. There is also herewith transmitted a paper (marked '' Exhibit D") showing the names of all employees at reindeer stations, the appren- tices and herders: their respective compensations; the number of deer owned by each apprentice and herder at each station, respectively, together 'with a tabular statement (marked ''Exhibit E") showing the status of the herds of reindeer July 1, 190i. and as estimated for July 1, 1905, the latter embodying the proljable increase in the herds. This statement, it will be seen, shows the number of deer loaned by the Government to missionary societies, herders, and apprentices; those not loaned; the number of deer the propertv of the missionary socie- ties, and the number belonging to herders and apprentices. It will be seen therefrom that the total number of deer in Alaska July 1, 1904, was 8,189. and that the estimated number which will probably be found on hand July 1, 1905, is 11,596. As a matter of information it may be stated that from 189-1, when the first appropriation was made for the introduction and domestication of reindeer in Alaska, up to and including the present fiscal year, there has been appropriated in all $207,500. and that on the 1st of July, 1901, the number of deer actually owned by the Government was but 2,321. The remainder of the deer in the district on that date, 5,868 in number, it is understood, are owned by the various missionary societies, the herders, and natives, but they were all originally acquired, either directly or indirectly, from the Government. Assuming that a large proportion of the total appropriations was expended for supplies and salaries of instructors attendant upon educating the natives industrially, it is problematical as to whether a system should be continued in force which, judging from past results, will ultimately bring about the dis- tribution among private parties of the remaining herds of deer belong- ing to the Government, leaving it without any deer at all in actual ownership, and necessitating the purchase outright of additional deer at some time in the future, if the service is to be continued under the present system. This is one of the points to which I wish to direct your especial attention in this investigation. If, in the course of your investigations, you should deem it necessary 3'ou are authorized to send for persons and papers and take testimony before some officer authorized to administer oaths for general purposes. In the event of the failure or refusal on the part of persons whose tes- timony you desire to appear before you you will l)ring the matter to the attention of the United States attorney for the district, who will advise you as to the proper course to be pursued in the premises. If necessary in the prosecution of the work intrusted to you here- under, you are authorized to employ a stenographer and typewriter, and the expense of such employment, as well as the cost of taking tes- timony and other incidental expenses, will be paid by you as special disbursing officer, upon voucliers and receipts recjuired by Department regulations. Your salary and all expenses incurred in the carrj^ing into effect of this assignment will be paid you as special dis))ursing officer, and your EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 9 accounts thereof will be adjusted in the usual manner. There has been set aside from the appropriation for education in Alaska for the ensuing- fiscal j^ear for the purposes of this investigation the sum of $5,000, to be applied in payment of your compensation as special agent, and to be used for your traveling and other expenses in con- nection with the execution of this trust. In addition to the several exhibits hereinbefore enumerated there is herewith transmitted the report on Introduction of Domestic Reindeer in Alaska for 190-1; the report of the Commissioner of Education embodying the report of the special agent in charge of education in Alaska for the same period, and a report of the governor of Alaska for 1904. There are also forwarded herewith maps of the district of Alaska, showing all the places at which schools are maintained, both white and native, and a separate map showing clearly the reindeer sta- tions now in operation; the stations proposed to be established, and the routes of travel by land and water. In proceeding to Alaska under this assignment you are authorized, if you so desire, to go to Seattle via Boston and Montreal, Canada. If at any time 3'ou desire further instructions touching any matters to be investigated by you under this authority you will at once com- municate with the Department by wire in regard to the matter, and it will receive prompt consideration. Very respectfully, E. A. Hitchcock, Secretary. Mr. Frank C. Churchill, Special Agent to Investigate Condition of School Service and .Domestication af Reindeer in the District of Alasha^ Wash- ington^ D. O. REPORT OF FRANK C. CHURCHILL, SPECIAL AGENT. Department of the Interior, Washing fort, December 11^ 1905. Sir; I have the honor to submit my report upon matters in Alaska set forth in your instructions of June 3, 1905: It is not my purpose to burden this report with lengthy references or irrelevant statistics, but I deem it pertinent and essential for a clear understanding of some of the questions at hand to present a few facts b}' way of general information but before proceeding even with this I ask leave to say that without any previous knowledge of the country I proceeded to Alaska last summer, and sailed along the coast from the most northern point on the continent at Point Bano^v, through the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea and from thence along the southern coast bordering on the Pacific to Sitka, and so on b}- what is termed the inside passage back to Seattle, traveling on six ditferent ships, covering over 10,000 miles b}' water, and requiring ninety-four days at sea. To do this in the short season in which navigation is open, in the northern waters, all m}'^ stops were necessarily brief, and it was found to be a physical impossibility to reach all the points desired, but assur- ing you that nothing withing my power was left undone to secure and 10 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. be able to lay before you as complete a report as possible, I will pro- ceed, adding only that the work in hand involves a review of the admin- istration of ati'airs in Alaska for a period of twenty years, and the expenditure for schools and reindeer of nearly a million dollars. Great stress has been put upon the fact that the United States pur- chased Alaska in 1SG7 for $7,200,000. In the light of history this was only a nominal figure, and on account of it it has been argued that this thing and that, often involving an outlay of millions, should be done by the Government; an argument which has as little force or bearing as does the fact that Manhattan Island was purchased for $24. It is purely a question as to what Alaska needs and ought to have. In the administration of Alaskan affairs the tirst feature to be consid- ered is its vast area of 000,000 square miles, equal to about one-sixth of the United States. The next is the remarkable diversity of climatic and physical conditions, from a mild temperature in the southeast por- tion, where the temperature is rarely much below freezing in winter and where there are millions of acres of heavily timbered land provid- ing fuel and building material, to the coldest climate known to man, in that portion bordering on Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean, where it is one treeless, frozen waste with less than one hundred days in a year when out-of-door work can be carried on. In the latter section the only fuel or wood for building is that which drifts to its inhos- pitable shores from points many hundreds of miles away. In this northern part the sun is not even visible from about Novem- ber 14: to January 26, and for a long time before and after these dates there is but very little daylight. A timberless region where the cold is so intense at once suggests novel economic questions for its inhabitants, notabl}' as to domiciles, food, and its preparation, and sufficient fuel to protect human life. We have owned Alaska for thirty-eight years, during the ffrst part of which it practically stood still, and it was not until 1898, when gold was discovered in the Klondike, that the masses paid much attention to it, and until then few white people outside of those interested in furs and ffsh desired to even visit it. Of course the mild eastern part became well known even before its sale, but it remained for the irrepressible gold seeker to push into the unexplored parts. It is supposed that there ai'e now upward of 60,000 inhabitants, more than half of which are natives. It is now known that the deposit of minerals and metals is almost inexhaustible, and it is a signiffcant fact that no year in the history of the country has been more prosperous than that which ended with the close of navigation a few weeks ago, and it can be safely predicted that Alaska will add millions to the wealth of the nation. Nome is as far west as Honolulu, and the Alaskan peninsula and the Aleutian Islands, that extend toward Kamchatka, stretch out as far as from Massachusetts Bay to the Mississippi River; so comparisons could be multiplied to the amazement of those who have never given this subject particular attention. Furs and whales were once the chief products of Alaska and Alaskan waters, but this is all changed; and now, while gold attracts the masses, the value of its fisheries annually are about equal to the output of gold. In a sparsely settled country, with the long and severe winters and the EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 11 highest mountain ranges to be found in America, with no roads, we are confronted with serious problems, and especiall}' when^he country is known to contain untold wealth. The key to Alaska will be found in the building of roads, and until they and other means are provided the transportation of supplies which must come from the States will ever be a tremendous tax upon the people who develop the country-. The time and labor now consumed in getting food to interior points is a hindrance to development that is well-nigh prohibitive. In proceeding with the particular questions assigned to me in con- nection with schools and reindeer, the several phases of the sul)jects in hand have been classitied to some extent, but they have been found so intermingled or merged that it becomes necessary to consider them more or less jointly. A report covering c}uestions so important as I regard those in hand to be can not be put into a few words, but it is hoped that what is set forth herein will be found sufficiently clear to enable my superiors to have a tolerably well-detined picture before them of the true situation. The question as to what the people admit to be due the aboriginal inhabitants of America in the way of education was settled long ago and needs no discussion excepting as to methods. Alaska, being a new field, affords an opportunity for the study of precedents, especially those established in the education of our west- ern Indians, where there are varying conditions as to climate and environment, as well as in the people themselves. The temporal needs of the Alaskan natives invite careful considera- tion. It is claimed that we can not separate the question of obtaining sub- sistence from that of education in Alaska, and that the coming- of the white man is shown to make tribal life impossible by destroying the occupation of the natives, which has been chiefly that of hunting and fishing. The white man is doing much to exterminate the salmon in Alaskan waters, but it is not generally believed that this has resulted in any shortage of fish needed ])y the natives for food. In the rein- deer district, excepting in the southern part around Nome, there is no immediate danger of encroachments upon the Eskimos, meaning those above and in the vicinity of the Arctic Circle. It is an open question as to whether or not the coming of the white man will not eventually be of advantage to the natives in earning a livelihood. That the natives will learn many things from the whites that it were better that they should not know goes without saying. Still, the breaking up of "tribal life" should not be held up as a bugbear, but, on the other hand, should be encouraged so far as the natives become educated either in books or as laborers, to the end that they become absorbed and made a part of the districts inhabited by the white newcomers. Labor brings a high price in Alaska compared with other places, especiall}^ in mining. It is estimated that more than three-fourths of Alaska is utterly worthless for any branch of agriculture that would be considered of value in the States. Of course, it is possible to develop the reindeer-team business to that extent that it will be of real value — first to the natives and secondly to the whites who push in to develop new sections — but past management has done very little in this direction, and ver}' little can be hoped for along this line until there is an entire rearrangement. 12 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEEVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. EDUCATION. The Hrst Congressional legislation for schools in Alaska may be found in section 13 of the act approved May 17, 1881, entitled ''An act providing- civil government for Alaska," which is as follows: Sec. 13. That the Secretary of the Interior shall make rieedful and proper pro- vision for the education of the (children of school age in the Territory of Alaska, without reference to race, until such time as permanent provision shall he made for the same, and the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is hereby appropriated for this purpose. Under date of March 2, 1885, the honorable Secretary of the Inte- rior addressed the following communication to the honorable Com- missioner of Education: Sir: Section 13 of the act providing civil government for Alaska devolves upon the Secretary of the Interior the duty of making needful and proper ]>rovision for the education of the children of school age in that Territory until permanent provision shall be made for the same. The nature of the duties assigned by section 516 of the Revised Statutes to the Com- missioner of Education would seem to point him out as the proper oflScer through whom the purpose of Congress should be carried into execution. I have to request, therefore, that you prepare a plan of operation and initiate such steps as are necessary and proper for carrying into effect the legislation above referred to, reporting the results of the same as may be hereafter directed by the Secretary of the Interior or whenever in your judgment there may be occasion for so doing. Very respectfully, etc., H. M. Teller, Secretary. The Commissioner of Education. Immediately following the issuance of the above letter, viz, April 11, 1885, Rev. Sheldon Jackson, then superintendent of a Presbyte- rian school at Sitka and representative of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions, was appointed general agent of education in Alaska, and he has held the position continuously since that time. Doctor Jackson had served the Presbyterians as a tield missionary or an agent for several years prior to his appointment in the Government service, and he was a most energetic one, and through him the Presby- terians were very early in the held of Alaska, where a few schools were established by the Presbyterian board. It is now apparent that when by virtue of office Doctor Jackson was authorized in 1885 to shape the expenditure of public funds for educa- tional purposes he retained many of the methods used by him when representing the Presl)yterian board onl3\ For twelve years after his appointment by the United States as general agent for education in Alaska Doctor Jackson continued in office as a field agent for the Board of Missions in New York, and drew a salary for that service. As one to push things he has few equals. By holding two offices, with prac- tical control of appropriations by Congress, it is hardly necessary to mention that Doctor Jackson could dominate school and church afiairs. With the power to appoint teachers, employ lal)or, charter ships, make building contracts, and expend thousands of dollars yearly for food .supplies, etc., to be paid for by the United States, while he was the paid agent of a particular denomination, there need be no surprise that the general agent for education in Alaska was sometimes accused of EDUCATIO^^\L AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 13 conducting matteis in an arbitrary and high-handed way. No printed reports being made whereby the public could know about the salaries and other expenses paid from year to 3'ear has tended to throw an air of nn'ster}' around the administration of the Bureau's affairs not alto- gether desirable. (Exhibit A.) Characteristic energy and ambition seem to have induced the general agent, or those behind him, to push into the Arctic Ocean and cover that tield. It is questionable whether the time was ripe for the expendi- ture of money and labor at some of the points of invasion. It is believed that much more could have been accomplished with the same amount of time and labor had the work been taken up more gradually and only after careful deliberation. A school was established at Point Barrow, the most northern point on the continent, and thousands of dollars have been expended there. This school was a novelt3% and it has been advertised in various ways throughout the world, although there is only an avei'age attendance of 30 pupils. The expense of conducting this school has been very great, and as nearly as can be ascertained the United States has paid the bills for the most part; yet the land and two of the three buildings are claimed by the Presbyterian board. Further reference will be made to this subject under the head of Point Barrow. That there may be no mistake, it should at once be put down emphaticallv that nearlj- every color of religious faith is represented in some w^ay in the schools or missions in Alaska. Sectarianism in the school work has been prominent from the first, and it has resulted in creating denominational controversies or jealousies here and there, as it might have been expected that whatever a paid agent of one denomination, clothed with authority to disburse public funds, might do to establish new schools, his acts would be brought into question, and when those of his own church were placed on the Government pay roll it is not strange that the feeling should be more or less common that denominational favoritism has prevailed, proving that mixing up church and government matters along financial lines is not advisable in view of results. It leads to lax discipline and extravagance. There came a time in the management of affairs when the Bureau adopted the plan of requesting the several representatives of the great mis- sionary associations to nominate superintendents and teachers, which in practice gave these associations tlie privilege of placing whomsoever thev might choose upon the pay roll of the Government. While this may have resulted in warding off' complaints against the Bureau for exhibiting denominational partisanship, the principle can hardly be regarded as a safe one. Including the first appropriation, in 1884, Congress has granted up to the close of the fiscal year 1901, for education in Alaska, $535,000, and there has been derived for this purpose ''from one-half of license fees collected outside of incorporated towns in Alaska" from March 3, 1901, to June 30, 1905, $301,155.98, or a grand total for education since 1881 of $839,155.98, as shown by the following table, to which, as I understand it, should be added an appropriation available for the current fiscal year of $50,000. The following taV>le shows the history of Congressional appropria- tions for education in Alaska: 14 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. First grant to establish schools, 1884 $25, 000. 00 Annual grants, school year: 188(5-87 15, 000. 00 1887-88 25, 000. 00 1888-89 40, 000. 00 1889-90 50, 000. 00 1890-91 50, 000. 00 1891-92 50, 000. 00 1892-93 40, 000. 00 1893-94 30, 000. 00 1894-95 30, 000. 00 1895-96 30, 000. 00 1896-97 30, 000. 00 1897-98 30, 000. 00 1898-99 30, 000. 00 1899-1900 30, 000. 00 1900-1901 30, 000. 00 Total 535, 000. 00 Amounts received from one-half of license fees collected outside of incor- porated towns in Alaska, from — March 3, 1901, to June 30, 1902 (sixteen months) 35, 882. 41 July 1, 1902, to June 30, 1903 19, 742. 62 July 1, 1903, to June30, 1904 103,377.30 July 1, 1904, to June 30, 1905 145, 153. 65 Total 304,155.98 The subject of introduction of reindeer into Alaska will be taken up further on, for which Congress has appropriated since ISO-Jt, $222,000. Under the provisions of the Nelson Act (Public — No. 26) there must be a complete reorganization of the school service. This would not be so objectionable in a country where the school territor}- could be looked over at requisite periods at reasonable cost. In Alaska, however, this can not be done, and the few schools that come under the supervision of the governor under the act are so widely separated from each other that it will be hard, if not impossible, to carry the law into effect to the end that those entitled to educational facilities will receive the ben- efits due them. To illustrate: The school at Teller village is 3,000 miles from Juneau, and Unalaska is more than 500 miles from Sitka, as the boats run, and other points affected by the law, while not as far away, are quite as inaccessible, and nearly all of them are reached onl}" by ships that run at infrequent intervals. The same supervising offi- cer for native schools could and I think should be charged with the supervision of the schools for whites, principally on account of the extraordinary expense and consumption of time which will be required to organize and superintend them. It shoidd be understood, however, that this view of the situation does not apply to the schools in incor- porated towns. The law has temporarily emptied several schoolhouses owned by the Government at points where the children are mostly of mixed blood, and Unalaska and Kodiak are cited as illustrations. Table No. 1 enumerates these, and Table No. 2 gives those now within incor- porated towns. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA, 15 Table No. L — School buildings owned by United States formerly used by Bureau of Edu- cntion, for white children, outside incorporated towns which were, by the act of January 27, 1905, transferred to the supervision of the governor of Alaska. School. Cost. Character. Dimen- sions. Date of pay- ment. Fund from which paid. Sitka No. 1 ?2,000.00 2, 700. 00 2, 135. 25 Frame, 1 storv.. do "... Feet. 33^ bv 40 20 by 30 55 by 31 May 5, 1888 Dec. 6, 1890 Oct. 28,1896 1884 18S8-89 Frame 1889-90 1894-95 Table No. 2. — Buildings for white schools owned by United States formerly under Bui-eau of Education ivhich passed from its control ivhen the toums in whicli they are located incorporated under the act of Jane 6, 1900. School. Cost. Character. Dimen- sions. Date of pay- ment. Fund from which paid. Douglas No. 1 $1,200.00 Douglas No. 2 ! 1, 730. 00 Juneau No. 1 1 2, 730. 00 Frame, 1 story . . do do Feet. 30 bv 20 30 bv 60 33i bv 40 Mav 7,1890 , 1888-89 Oct. 24,189t) 1 1895-96 Oct. 23,1888 1884 SCHOOLS UNDER SUPERVISION OF THE GOVERNOR (eX OFFICIO SUPERINTENDENT). Under section 7 of the act of Congress approved January 27, 1905 (Pul)lic — No. 26), a copy of which is given below, the schools for white children at Chignik, Ellamar, Haines, Hope, Seward, Sitka, and Tel- ler, together with those for children of mixed blood at Kenai, Kodiak, Seldovia, Unalaska, Unga, and Wood Island were placed under the direction of the governor. Until the passage of this act schools had been conducted at these places by the Bureau of Education. [Public— No. 26.] AN ACT to provide for the construction and maintenance of roads, the establishment and main- tenance of schoolg, and the care and support of in.sane persons in the district of Alaska, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Co)igress assembled, That all moneys derived from and collected for liquor licenses, occupation, or trade licenses outside of the incorporated towns in the district of Alaska shall l)e deposited in the Treasury Department of the United States, there to remain as a separate and distinct fund, to be known as the "x\laska fund," and to be wholly devoted to the purposes hereinafter stated in the district of Alaska. One-fourth of said fund, or so much thereof as may be necessary, shall Vje devoted to the establish- ment and maintenance of public schools in said district; five per centum of said fund shall be devoted to the care and maintenance of insane persons in said district, or so much of said five per centum as may be needed; and all the residue of said fund shall be devoted to the construction and maintenance of wagon roads, bridges, and trails in said district. Sec 2. That there shall be a board of road commissioners in said district, to be composed of an engineer officer of the United States Army to be detailed and appointed by the Secretary of War, and two other officers of that part of the Army stationed in said district and to be designated by the Secretary of War. The said engineer officer shall, during the term of Ids said detail and appointment, a!)ide in said district. The said board shall have the power, and it shall be their duty, upon their own motion or upon i)etition, to locate, lay out, construct, and maintain wagon roads and pack trails from any point on the navigable waters of said district to any town, mining or other industrial camp or settlement, or between any suclt town, IG EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA, camps, or Hettleinents therein, if in tlieir judgment such roads or trails are needed and will be of permanent value for the develf)pment of the district; but no such road or trail shall be constructed to any town, camp, or settlement which is wholly transi- tory or of no substantial value or imi)ortance for mining, tratle, agricultural, or manufacturing purposes. The said board shall prepare maps, plans, and specilicati 6 132. 60 393.99 161. 55 45.00 859. 70 s q 341. 90 33.75 62.00 2,484.98 10 27.00 n v 107. 83 69.60 29.30 147.66 133. 17 24.59 51.16 39.25 132.80 IS 34.00 44.00 119. 45 11 2.75 15 57.00 16 64.00 42.40 66.90 17 1,688.94 102. 80 18 19 67.00 24.70 33.20 14.00 2,644.48 90.00 37.85 1, 400. 65 ''O 28.50 ?1 90 15.24 111. 85 31.20 29.90 108.60 62.60 68.00 273. 95 135. 05 27.00 105. 60 33.65 24.25 ''S 68.70 94 9t 57.55 ''6 160. 00 119. 00 97 554.00 '•H 2, 870. 77 9C) 105.00 48.75 '^O SI 2, 217. 82 3'^ 262.46 33 34 107.30 61.21 264.68 101.20 116.36 126. 75 28.25 12.00 191.46 11.00 35 36 30.50 47.66 37 21.55 38 Sitka, No. 1 339.66 38.87 313.47 39 40 Shakan 156. 51 51.00 1,310.40 3,599.73 2, 798. 83 703. 39 33.75 41 4'> 41.25 260.76 120.00 285. 85 43 18.00 250.00 110.00 8.00 44 45 46 101. 66 98.10 1.50 1 47 429. 80 159. 95 48 70.00 49 2, 808. 29 1,999.69 110.00 50 Wales 123. 66 22.80 46.35 133. 18 417. 50 122. 40 37.00 89.00 562. 35 51 5'' 53 50.00 103.00 4,961.69 3,373.71 33, 592. 56 2,713.61 Note.— The present balance of the fund for school.s outside incorporated towns in Alaska is 842.933.15. from which outstanding bills for erection of new buildings and miscellaneous expenses are to be paid. 24 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Table No. 5. — Alaska school service, fiscal year 1905-6. Schools. Teachers. Term. Salary per month. Total salaries. Miscel- laneous expenses (esti- mated). 1 Afognak Miss Hannah E. Breece... V. L. Derbv 9 months . . . do 870.00 100. 00 60.00 60. 00 60.00 80.00 80.00 80.00 125. 00 60.00 60.00 50.00 60.00 60.00 100. 00 60.00 80.00 60.00 60.00 60.00 60.00 60.00 80.00 60.00 80. 00 60.00 60.00 65. 00 80.00 90.00 60.00 90.00 60.00 33. 33 110. 00 90.00 60.00 60.00 65.00 8630. 00 900. 00 .540. 00 .540. 00 .540. 00 400. 00 720. 00 640. 00 1, 500. 00 540. 00 540. 00 450. 00 540. 00 540. 00 800. 00 540. 00 720. 00 540. 00 .540.00 540. 00 540. 00 540. 00 720. 00 540. 00 320. 00 300. 00 420. 00 585. 00 720. 00 810. 00 540. 00 900. 00 540. 00 300. 00 1,320.00 810. 00 540. 00 540. 00 .585. 00 8200. 00 •^ 500.00 3 Bethel B. K. Hilmich do do 1 [ 200.00 Mrs. A. Weiiilich do 4 5 months ... 9 months ... 8 months . . . 12 months . . 9 months ... do 200.00 5 Mrs. G. S. Clevenger Miss Bertha Cox 300.00 6 Deering Gambell 500. 00 7 E. 0. Campbell .500. 00 8 200. 00 q Haines o Miss M. Mackintosh 1.50. 00 10 Mrs. M. J. Ross do 1.50. 00 11 Jackson a do 200. 00 1? Kake a Mrs. A. R. Moon A. R. Law Mrs. C. Kilborn Mrs. A. Walton Mrs. N. G. Edgar Mrs. J. V. McCullough do 8 months . . . 9 months . . . do do do do 200. 00 13 Kassan a 200. 00 14 200. 00 -15 Kivalina 500. 00 16 Klawock a 200. 00 17 200. 00 18 Kliikwan « 200. 00 1<^ Ko.serefskv .do 350.00 Kotzebue . ...do ?0 Mrs. Otha Thomas Miss M. Stephen A. E. McLean Mrs. L. A. Schoechert Miss Laura Oakes Miss R. McCaleb F. Chase F. Moses do do 4 months . . . 5 months . . . 7 months ... 9 months . . . .... do do do 500. 00 21 Nulato 350.00 200. 00 ?3 Quinhaget 100. 00 24 25 26 ?7 Saxman" Sitkaa Shakan a St. Michael a 1.50. 00 200. 00 200. 00 300.00 ?8 Tee Harbor 200.00 •?9 Teller T. L. Brevig 10 months .. 9 months ... do 300. 00 30 Unalakleet Miss H. E. Olson 300. 00 Wainwright Wales Wrangell « 31 J. H. Kilbuck .... 12 months . . 9 months . . . do 500. 00 3? A. N. Evans 500.00 33 200. 00 34 Yakutat" do 200.00 35 Yukon Miss L. J. Woods do 300.00 Total 24, 270. 00 9, 650. 00 1 a Salaries terminable at a month's notice. Amounts saved if schools close January 1, 1906: Haines 8300 Jackson 300 Kake 300 Kasaan 500 Killi.snoo 8300 Klawock 300 Klinquan 300 Klukwan 300 Saxman 8300 \\ Wrangell . Sitka 325 ' Yakutat... Shakan 400 Tee Harbor 300 I Total . 8300 300 4, .525 SALARIES OF OFFICIALS AND EMPLOY'EES IN OFFICE, 'g: Sheldon Jackson, general agent 82, 500. 00 William Hamilton, assistant agent 1,700.00 William A. Kellv, district .superintendent 1, 500. 00 Walter Shields, clerk 960. 00 Mrs. L. E. Condron, stenographer 900.00 Total 7, 560. 00 SUMMARY. Appropriation Salaries of teachers 824, 270. 00 Salaries of officials and clerks 7, 560. 00 Traveling expenses, estimated 3, Oi'0. 00 Miscellaneous 9, 6.50. 00 Reserved for expenses, special agent. 5, 000. 00 Balance 850, 000. 00 49, 480. 00 520. 00 EDUCATIOXAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IX ALASKA. 25 Table No. 6. -L the ■ist of school buildings auihonzed by the Secretary of the Inferior from refund, " Schools outside incorporated toivns, Alaska." Location. Date author- ized. Limit of cost. Contract price. Amount paid. Amount due. Barrow Mar. 31, 1904 Bettles Aug. 4,1905 Copper Center Mar. 31,1904 Deering June 12, 1905 Haines : July '26,1905 Jackson Aug. 3,1905 Kake Aug. 12, 1905 Killisnoo Aug. 2, 1905 Kivalina ] Apr. 18,1905 Klawock June 12, 1905 Klinquan - I do Kotzebue Point Hope Shakan Shismaref St. Michael Tee Harbor Wainwright Wales Wrangell Total. Apr. 27,1904 Mar. 31,1904 June 12,1905 Apr. 18,1905 Apr. 27,1904 Mar. 31,1904 do Apr. 27,1904 June 12, 1905 84, 000. 00 3,114.82 4, 000. 00 5, 000. 00 5,000.00 5, 000. 00 4,000.00 4,000.00 5, 000. 00 4,500.00 702. 89 4, 000. 00 4, 000. 00 m, 276. 00 56,. 571. 29 3,114.82 799. 70 2,484.98 4,985.00 3, 795. 00 1,686.69 2, 080. 00 1,3.50.00 2, 544. 48 2, 080. 00 1,350.00 5, 419. 93 4,680.74 1 , 310. 40 3, .599. 73 .5,153.95 702. 89 2, 958. 29 5, 026. 67 5, 605. 00 52, 317. 71 23, 170. 00 47,404.56 S5, 030. 00 a 2, 51.5. 02 3, 275. 00 1,813.31 4, 985. 00 3,795.00 a 2, 4.55. 52 2, 080. 00 769. 60 a 1,400. 27 a 1,041. 71 "'6,' 605* 66 34,765.43 a Estimated, all bills not yet received. Limit of cost S52, 317. 71 Contract price 23, 170. 00 Total 75,487.71 Amount paid S47, 404. 56 | Total expenses. Amount due 34,765.43 Total 82,169.99 $82, 169. 99 Authorized 75, 487. 71 Excess 6, 682. 28 Table No. 7. — List of school buildings owned bij the United States for use as schools for natives in Alaska, under the Bureau of Education. Location. Character. Date of payment. Afognak Barrow Bettles Copper Center. Deering | a Gambell Haines c Hoonah Jackson « Juneau 6 Kake do j c Killisnoo ! <■ Kivalina ' c Klawock c Klinquan | Kotzebue i a Point Hope ' a Saxman Shismaref { a Sitka. No. 1 Shakan <• St. Michael « Tee Harbor Teller Unalakleet ' Wainwright a Wales a Wrangell e 2, 505. 00 4, 000. 00 3,114.82 4,000.00 5, 000. 00 1,000.00 3, 275. 00 1,8.50.00 5, 000. 00 1,300.00 li 376. 86 4, 985. 00 3,795.00 5, 000. 00 2, 080. 00 1,350.00 4, 000. 00 4, 000. 00 1,780.00 5, 000. 00 1,. 537. 20 2, 080. 00 4, .500. 00 703. 39 1,000.00 1, 800. 26 4, 000. 00 4, 000. 00 5, 605. 00 Frame, 1 story I Dec. 6, 1900. Frame, li stories Final payment not made. Log, 1 story Feb. 24, i905. do I Final payment not made. Frame, 1^ stories ] Do. do ! Oct. 31, 1891. do Final payment not made. Frame, 1 story Sept. 8, 1897. Frame, U stories | Final payment not made. Frame, 1 .storv ! Oct. 13, 1894. Log, 1 story ■ July 18, 1891. Frame, U stories Final payment not made. do Do. do ' Do. do Do. Frame, 1 storv Oct. 14, 1905. Frame, H stories. do do do Frame, 1 story . . . Frame, li stories. do Frame, 1 storv ... do Frame, H stories. do do do Total , 88,637.-53 Final pavment not made. Do. Nov. 27, 1895. Final payment not made. Dec. 14, 1888. Final payment not made. Do. Dec. 21, 1904. Jan. 31, 1893. May 15, 1903. Final pavment not made. Do. Do. a Limit of cost bSchool not In session. c Contract price. d Building not in use. Note 1.— At Bethel, Carniel. Gi)lofnin, Kasaan, Klukwan, Koserefsky, Nulato, Nushagak, Quin- hagat, Yakutat. and Yukon, this Bureau maintains schools for natives in buildings provided by resi- dents without cost to the Government. Note 2.— Further details regarding the school buildings in course of erection will be furnished in Table No. 6. 26 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. The Eskimos have been described as a nomadic race; it is true they go about hunting food, but they return to their little settlement where they have igloos, or huts, in which they are domiciled, so they have places which are homes to them, miserable as they are. Just what should be done to help these people is a problem of no small importance. Missionaries have their field, and it is a large and honorable one, but their field fails to cover all the needs of these hungry natives, whose lot has been cast in the most desolate and bar- ren place imaginable. Food, clothing, and medical treatment should not be lost sight of in our etiorts to aid them, for relief for physical needs goes a long ways in teaching what we call civilization. Food and doctors, and the example of strong and upright men, will accomplish as much in north- ern Alaska as anywhere. One could not see, as I did at Point Barrow, a bright little girl of probably about 12 years, suffering untold agony from a dislocated hip and a broken leg, of too longstanding to be relieved by the ship's sur- geon in the few hours he was permitted to remain, without feeling that real love for the human race could be exemplified in caring for that child quite as effectually as by trying to teach the moral law to her pagan parents. In time, if properl}^ looked after, the reindeer will supply both food and clothing to the entire population of natives, although from choice much of their food will always be taken from the sea. The rule should be made and enforced that the deer are for the natives only, and to be put into their hands as rapidly as circumstances will warrant. If the Government is to meet the expenses the work of disbursing the funds should be entirely in its hands; unless a general subsidy plan is considered by Congress as the wiser course, there should be no mid- dle ground. SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT. Mr. William A. Kelley, for manj^ years connected with the Presby- terian Boarding School at Sitka, where he now has his home, has been employed for some time as district school superintedentin southeastern Alaska at a salary of $1,200 a year. In character he is above reproach, but one soon learns that he has been less active in looking after the advancement of pupils in the schools and the temporal welfare of the natives than these subjects demand. No one doubts his utter subserv- ience to the denomination from which he has for so long derived his living, either directly or indirectly. A younger or more active man is needed for this position, one who will act impartially and with alac- rit}^ for the good of the public service in a manner independent of personal or party alliances. The fact that the Department really derives its original information from the superintendent in the held is sufficient to denote the impor- tance of having for this position a man who is robust in health and sufficiently strong to act upon his own opinions without fear or favor. LEGISLATION. In addition to proposed amendments to the Nelson Act (Public — No. 26), to which your attention is respectfully directed, something should be done in the way of protecting the Alaskan natives from the terrible EDUCATIOXAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 27 effects of the whisky which, it is reported, is brought, into the arctic belt at least, mostly by unscrupulous whalers. It is generally secured at a time when Eskimos should be laj^ing by their winter supply of food. Under the present laws furnishing- whisky to natives is rated as a misdemeanor only, for which the penalty is not severe. I can assure 3 ou the traffic is exceptionally objectionable in Alaska. SPECIAL AGENT AT HANCOCK, MICH. In the list of employees for the reindeer service the name of Mr. J. H. Jasberg, of Hancock, Mich., is found on the roll as a special agent at a salary of $500 a 3"ear. The salary is a very modest one, but thus far I have been unable to ti-ace out any service performed by him in Alaska, but have been informally advised that he is an agent to employ help for the Govern- ment. He may have other duties valuable and necessary, of the nature of which I have no knowledge, which can be explained b\^ the Bureau of Education. Should it be ascertained that he performs no service other than that of "emplo^'ing help for the Government" there would appear to be no reason for retaining his services, and I suggest that the honorable Secretary ask for information on this subject, if he is not already f ull v informed. Attention is respectfully directed to Table No. 10 of this report, which shows salaries incident to the reindeer service. SCHOOL FOR NATIVE CHILDREN. Under provisions of the present law 36 schools are supposed to be in operation under the Bureau, as follows: Afognak, Barrow, Bethel, Carmel, Copper, Center, Deering, (lambell, Golovin, Haines, Hoonah, Ikogmute, Jackson, Kake, Kasaan, Killisnoo, Klawock, Klinquan, Klukwan, Koserefsky, Kotzebue, Nulato, Petersburg, Quinhagak, Rampart, Saxman,** Sitka, Shakan, St. Michael, Tee Harbor, Teller Station, Unalakleet, Wainwright, Cape Prince of Wales, Wrangell, Yakutat, Yukon. SCHOOLS FOR WHITE CHILDREN AND CHILDREN OF MIXED BLOOD. Schools at the following places will be under the direction of the governor of Alaska b}" the authorit}^ of the Nelson Act: Those for whites at Chignik, Ellamar, Haines, Hope (not Point Hope), Seward, Sitka, Teller Village, and those for mixed bloods at Kenai, Kodiak, Seidovia, Unalaska, Unger, and Wood Island. In addition to all the schools mentioned there are a few, and only a few, mission schools, the number of which is not known; but it is apparent that it has been the policy of the Bureau, so far as it could do so, to directly or indirectly subsidize all schools claimed by the missions to the extent in some instances of erecting schoolhouses and pajnng the entire salaried expense. It is a pleasure to be able to report that the officials of the Russian Church now look upon the Government schools with favor, which is a hopeful sign regarding general education in Alaska. « There is no teacher at Saxman, which is near Ketchikan, and it is understood that the natives have moved to Ketchikan. 28 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. It has been explained that it would be a physical impossibility for any one person to visit all of the points where schools are conducted in any one year on account of transportation required and the limited number of days when navigation is open; it is therefore desirable, as will be noted in my recommendations, that there should be two local superintendents, that a complete inspection of the field can be made at least once a year. The great Yukon River is navigable in summer for nearly 2,500 miles, and it is stated that the densest population is along that valley and that the section is being rapidl}- developed. At the time of my visit to the governoi- of Alaska no definite plans had been settled upon, but enough was learned through interviews with interested parties along the southern coast to indicate that, until the law is so amended that a teacher may be employed for more than five months in a calendar year, it will be difficult to secure acceptable teachers, principally on account of the extraordinary expenses and loss of time required to meet some of the school points. KODIAK ISLAND. Kodiak has appeared conspicuously on the map since our earliest knowledge of Alaska, and at one time it was the Russian headquarters, or capital. For generations the Russians, whites, and Aleut natives have intermarried, so that, strictly speaking, a large part of the popu- lation of school age can properly be classed as ""whites or mixed bloods, leading a civilized life." Kodiak being on the regular line of ships may have served as a model upon which to frame the Nelson Act, which seems to fit this place nicely. The Government owns a school- house here which has cost $2,700. AFOGNAK. Opportunity was afl'orded me to land at Afognak, where the Gov- ernment has a very good school building and dwelling combined, which cost $2,505. The building is in good order and is kept with excep- tional neatness by the teacher, Mrs. H. C. Breece. Of the 55 pupils enrolled, 26 are full bloods and 29 mixed l)loods. The Russian Ortho- dox Church has good Innldings here and the clergy in charge are veiy friendly to this school. The natives of Afognak, which is one of the old Russian villages, seem to live very comfortably from fishing for salmon and hunting the sea otter in a coimiiercial way. The tempera- ture here is comparatively mild. I found the people well dressed and apparently well housed. The skins of the sea otter bring from $300 up to $500 and more each, but the}' are now very scarce. TRANSPORTATION OF SUPPLIES. The transportation of fuel and food supplies to Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea points, where there are several schools, and where the most of the deer are held, has been and will continue to be a matter of vital importance and at times of much solicitude. All supplies, includ- ing coal and lumber, must be taken from the States, and it is quite essential, from an economic view, that merchandise be shipped direct to destination. As is now well known, there arc no docks nor harbors in these northwestern waters, and the lighterage or transfer from one ship to another is both expensive and dangerous, even were the ships to be had. There is an occasional year when no ships, not even the revenue cutters, can proceed to our most northern school. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 29 For a long time the Bureau has been purchasing food supplies, etc., of S. Foster &Co., in San Francisco. This concern owns the schooner Laura Madseiu which makes an annual cruise to the Arctic with these supplies, thus giving the tirm a sort of monopol}' on the Bureau's car- rying business, at the same time reasonable assurance that the goods will be delivered. Foster & Co. are wholesale dealers in provisions, but upon request have acted as agents in bu3dng for the Bureau lum- ber, coal, dry goods, and whatever has been \> anted by the school employees and missionaries. The freight charge on such goods is $25 per ton to Arctic points, and $20 to Bering Sea points, 1,000 feet of lumber being rated as 1 ton, and -iO cubic feet for a ton on bulky articles, all to be landed on the beach. The tirm have in a few cases given what is termed "ships-tackle" rates of freight, which means that the consignee takes his merchandise on the ship and gets it ashore through the surf as best he can. This rate averages about $5 per ton less than '"shore delivery." Complaints of overcharges have been made against Foster & Co., and it has been insinuated that an officer of the Bureau of Education is a stockholder in Foster & Co.'s business. So far as this latter com- plaint goes I find it groundless. Foster 4, and the amount appro- priated, together with the dates and amounts of subsequent appropri- ations, are presented below: 1894 ... $6, 000 I 1902 25, 000 1895 7, 500 ! 1903 25, 000 1896 7,500 1897 12, 000 1898 12, 000 1899 12, 000 1900 25, 000 1901 25,000 1904 25, 000 1905 25,000 1906 15, 000 Total appropriated 222, 000 With the funds mentioned there have been imported into Alaska from Siberia 1,280 reindeer, as follows: 1892 171 I 1899 322 1893 124 I 1900 29 1894 120 t 1901 200 30 171 1899 124 1900 120 1901 123 1902 161 Total 1,280 1895 1896 1897 1898 An embargo against the exportation of reindeer from Siberia having been promulgated, no deer have been imported since 1902. Most of the deer were secured along the coast of Bering Straits and vicinity, and their purchase was attended with many discouraging and exasperating incidents. The Siberian natives have various supersti- tions concerning the sale of deer, besides thej" know very little of the value of money, consequently thev were paid for in barter, such as food supplies, calico, guns and ammunition, and such trinkets as would appeal to the eye, and this only after tedious bantering to induce them to part with the deer at any price. The above figures disclose the fact that nearly a quarter of a million dollars has been expended in importing 1,280 deer and in caring for them for the past thirteen years. The}" have increased until, as nearly as can be determined, there are 10,234 head in Alaska, of which the Government owns 2,500 unincumbered. Sooner or later I shall be expected to give in this report mj^ own views as to the wisdom of undertaking the deer industry, and perhaps it may as well be put down at once that the idea of introducing deer into northwestern Alaska was, in my opinion, a good one; and had the projectors of the plan contented themselves to establish the business more gradually, great sums of money would have been saved, much adverse criticism avoided, and many a stumbling-block thi'own in the way of the legitimate expansion of the enterprise never would have appeared. The great value of reindeer for food and clothing is so apparent, it seems to me, that no person in authority, after informing himself of EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 35 their economic \'alue, would from the first iiave withlield any reason- able support in t'urtiierance of the undertaking. The deer being new in Alaska, it was of course imperative that the natives and others should be taught to care for them, but it is to be regretted that in the early days man}^ questionable and extravagant schemes were attempted, not only- to secure expert emplo3"ees in handling deer, but to bring deer from the remote parts of the world to cross with the Siberian strain. In the early days a trip was made to Norway b\^ the agents of the Bureau to buy deer in behalf of the War Department. Ultimately the surviving animals came into the hands of the Bureau. The Norway trip resulted in the Government paving the expenses of 67 Norwegians, together w^th their families, 113 in all, in connection with the deer business. Whether true or false, it is believed by many people that one Kjellman, who was identiHed with this project, had for his under- \ying motive a colonization scheme, and b}- this means the expenses of the emigrants were paid by the United States. This was in 1898. Three of these people died in this countr}- and 24: were returned to. Lapland, and most of those who remained either deserted or separated themselves from the herding business, thus giving color to the claim that the}" were merel}^ emigrants seeking their fortune in America. It is also shown that an officer was dispatched to St. Petersburg in January, 1901, to purchase deer, and after making the necessary arrangements with the Russian authorities he secured 428 "Tunguse," or large deer, on the Okhotsk Sea. He spent between seven and eight months on this expedition, and tinally chartered a ship at great expense and sailed from Vladivostok and landed in Alaska August 29 with 254 deer, which had cost the Government upward of 1^20,000, or over $80 each. The expedition was attended with many vexatious incidents. As bearing upon the transportation of reindeer from long distances, the following extract from page 78 of the Bureau's report for 1901 is presented, the same being taken from the letter of instructions to the agent above referred to, dated January 3, 1901: "The conditions are so favorable that the reindeer born in Alaska^ are much larger and heavier than the parent stock from northern Siberia;" by which it appears that when the expedition was proposed it was known to the Bureau that the Alaska animal was the best. Another and perhaps hardly less serious mistake was the declared doctrine of the Bureau of Education that the care of reindeer must be placed in the hands of the missions of the several denominations represented in Alaska. As illustrating the views of the Bureau, see page 11 of the Report on Introduction of Domestic Reindeer in Alaska for 1904: No matter how large the Government appropriation should be, it would be neces- sary to connect the reindeer instructions and the establishment of permanent herds in northwest Alaska with these missionary stations. It is understood that it was only in northwestern Alaska that the deer were considered necessary or desirable, as they can only be suc- cessfully propagated where the particular kind of moss upon which they subsist in winter is found, and it would certainly be out of the question to undertake to raise reindeer in the forest sections of the district. As further evidence of the accepted policv of the Bureau to connect the reindeer purchased by the Government with the denomi- national missions, see Doctor Jackson's report of 1902: '36 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC.^ IN ALASKA. A good reindeer herd at the mi.«sion station in Arctic or subarctic Alaska means: First, the permanence of the mission. * * * With a good-sized herd of reindeer there is a reserve fo(Ki siipi)ly to supplement the fish, seal, wild fowl, rabbits, caribou, and other products native to the country. * * * Second, it affords the mission- ary the opportunity of rewarding and encouraging, etc. Third, with the numerical increase of the herd at a mission station it becomes a source of revenue, through the sale of the surplus males at remunerative prices to miners and butchers. In a few years this revenue should be sufficient to entirely support the mission and thereby relieve the treasury of the Central Missionary Society; fourth, the posses- sion of a herd insures to the mission family a continuous supply of fresh meat, or, to sum up the whole matter, domestic reindeer make it possible to establish and sustain mission stations with success in localities that otherwise could not be reached. There is no denying the benefits accruing to the missionaries and their families from the introduction of the deer and the placing of them under missionary control. With the high esteem in which 1 hold the self-sacrificing mission- aries and their families who yoluntarily isolate themselves on the piti- less shores of northern Alaska, I find m3'self somewhat at a loss for suitable words with which to discuss appropriately-^ such declarations as are quoted aboye. Doctor Jackson was the recognized paid agent of the Presbyterian board of home missions up to about 189(3 or 1897, and he has drawn a salary from the United States as general agent of education since April il, 1885, down to the present time. (See Exhibit D.) Page 37 of report for 1901 states: We have had limited success with Government schools apart from mission stations, -•and it is not possible to look for success in supplanting the hunting and fishing occu- pations by reindeer culture, except in connection with those missions. | It will be found that where schools have been established apart from missions they are in places where yery little could be expected, as the most promising fields were assigned to missions, and as for supplant- ing the present principal occupation of Eskimo in deriving the most of his living from hunting and fishing, nobody believes it possible or desirable. Fish, blubber, oil, and wild fowl are necessary articles of food in the Arctic. The remarks quoted are supposed to be an argu- ment for placing Alaska schools practically under missionary control, which plan has its advantages, provided Congress agrees to a subsidy policy and is not asked for appropriations to meet expenses of erect- ing schoolhouses, pa^nng for teachers, superintendents, etc., in addition to furnishing a herd' of reindeer to each mission. Such statements as those quoted above will hardly meet general indorsement, and it is difiicult to understand just what such sweeping- statements reall}^ mean. No one know\s better than the officials who prepared the reports cited, that there are no missionaries at St. Law- rence Island, Point Barrow, and several other places where the United States has established herds of reindeer, and that the deer at these places are now cared for, and in some instances always have been, by persons whose salaries are paid by the Government; hence an official statement conve3dng the idiea that the Government has not the abilit}^ to establish and conduct an independent school and to manage a herd of reindeer in connection with the same in Alaska is not entitled to further comment. Statements of this nature, however, have tended to irritate numerous persons in Alaska in the past, some of whom believe that wherever the board of missions have secured a herd of reindeer irom the Government the mission got the best of the bargain. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 37. The report for ISOG «ays: "The missionaries are the wisest and most disinterested friends the natives have,'' and " thev can wisely direct transfer of ownership of the deer from the Government to such of the natives," etc. Close observation indicates the element of self-interest on the part of the missions or those actino- in their behalf and that the mission herd constitutes the prominent feature at the stations. In traversing the barren waste of the Arctic one is struck with the infinite wisdom that has, even in the most desolate regions, provided something- of value to man whenever he shall have learned how to make use of it. We find here, in this apparently good-for-nothing region, millions of acres bearing a peculiar kind of moss. This moss is of a yellowish- white color and seldom grows more than 3 inches high. So far as; known, it has no value excepting as food for reindeer, but this same moss will, when utilized under intelligent direction, support untold thousands of deer, which in turn will supply the best possible clothing for the inhabitants of the frigid zone, and contribute greatl}^ to their food supply, and ultimately add materially to the wealth of the coun- try. No one can successfully deny this, and even those who have been harshest in their criticisms of the deer industr}' admit the great value of the deer, under proper management, for food and clothing. It may be said the above statement really covers the entire question, and that whatever else may be added is purely a matter of detail, and whatever adverse criticism may be found herein as to the past admin- istration of those in charge, the fact remains that, in my opinion, the general plan to introduce and build up a great industry in the propa- gation of reindeer was a most excellent one. As already stated, however, there was too much haste at the com- mencement whereby deer were brought into the country before a well- defined scheme was worked out for caring for them and distributing them in such a way as to make them most helpful to the natives. One most glaring mistake made was in failing to keep the control of the herds entirely in the hands of intelligent paid agents of the United States, instead of making the Government a sort of joint partner with numer- ous missionary associations, where in most cases the Government pays for herders employed and in some few cases their subsistence and that of their families as well. Theoretically, I dare say, it was assumed that the missionary societies would disti'ibute the increase of the deer derived from herds loaned them by the Government among the natives. That they have done this to some extent is true, but various reports of the Bureau show very clearly that after these many years the number of natives having deer is not very considerable, while the herds accu- mulated and now claimed as the property of the missions constitute a verj^ large part of all the reindeer in Alaska. The raising of deer is now known to be a business of sufficient profit to induce white men to go into it, and the whole matter should have been so managed that this could not be brought about until such time as all the natives were provided for. It is to be regretted, too, that loans of deer have been made to pri- vate individuals as an inducement for them to teach the natives the business. It appears that they have not done much in making appren- tices, but are accumulating herds for themselves. Mr. W. T. Perkins, of Xome, told me that at the time the embargo against taking deer from Siberia was issued himself and associates were 38 EDUCATIOlSrAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. considering and were about decided to go into the deer business in the Ku.skokwim district on the lines of a stock-raising industry. The reindeer, or domesticated caribou, has to be treated in many respects about the same as the sheep; that is, they must )je kept in herds and carefully watched day and night. They are timid, and when frightened by dogs or other animals the}" become terrified and scat- tered, precisely as a flock of sheep will do. They are a cud-chewing animal, and left to themselv^es will feed for a short time, then lie down for a while, and so on. It can be put down that dogs and deer are com- mon enemies of each other. In the present state of the deer industry it is misleading to claim much value for them to the natives as a means of transportation. This is the universal testimony of the best friends of the deer in Alaska. In the tirst place, dogs are preferred, as is proven by the action of Rev. S. R. Spriggs, of Point Barrow, who made three of his four celebrated mail trips with dog team. So far as the Eskimos are concerned, they have little need for either dog or deer teams, as they make most of their inland trips in pursuit of game, when neither dogs nor deer could be used, and, comparatively speaking, there are only a handful of white men in the Eskimo district outside of Nome. The reports give out the impression that deer teams are in use throughout the entire district of Alaska; the truth is the deer are in the frigid section, occupied by the Eskimos. That deer have been used for transportation in a small way is perfectl}^ true; but in nine out of ten instances it has been in an experimental way. A very fine argument can be made that dog teams are handicapped for use on long journeys by being compelled to carry their own food as a large part of their load, while the deer will subsist upon the abundant moss. This is perfectly plausible, but to claim that a deer team will make 50 or 60 miles a day, for day after day, and sit up nights to dig its food from beneath the snow and ice and be alwaj^s ready for the start, is hardly borne out by the facts or common sense. In the estimates as to the value of deer for teaming, conclusions are based largely upon the testimony of disinterested residents of Alaska. Mr. Frank Klinsmith, a son-in-law of Rev. S. Hall Young, one of the early missionaries, told me that after about two days' travel, the deer would give out, and that he himself had been obliged to put a deer on the sled and haul it home, and others have told me that even the best of the trained deer are what horsemen call "quitters" after a day or two's service. The fallacy of some of the extravagant claims for them as beasts of burden has been made plain again and again, as they are not yet beyond the experimental stage. There is no uncertainty as to the looseness with which Government business has been handled, as to ownership, the giving away of deer, and the loaning of deer to private parties. The fact should be recog- nized that a i-eindeer represents to the (lovernment money value the same as any other live stock, and the principle should be established that Government reindeer must, under the law, be treated the same as any other Govei'nment property. Certain charitable persons, upon the request of the present general agent of education in Alaska, then acting, I believe, in a dual capacity, contributed the sum of $2,146, and running all through the reports of the Bui-eau this contribution has been referred to, so that the gener- osity displayed by the kind-hearted men and women has been acknowl- EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 39 edged over and over again. It would seem that the incident should be closed. It has been intimated, however, that this contribution has furnished excuse for giving- away thousands of dollars worth of Gov- ernment property, or placing deer into outside hands and buying the increase. At any rate, the Government should be protected ag'ainst further claims upon its propertv arising- through an agent of the Government having solicited subscriptions. The obstacles in the way of keeping in touch with the Eskimo dis- trict where the deer are held are many and various, and the delay or miscarriage of an important ofiicial letter at a connecting point with the United States revenue cutter might mean to the school teacher or rein- deer superintendent a whole year's service entirely in the dark as to what was expected of him; so, too, with the official reports from the distant points, which sometimes miscarry and do not reach Washington for months; hence there is all the more need for making preparation as to buildings and supplies, etc., before Government employees are sent into the countr}". Too much money has been spent for the sake of "doing something." While the Eskimos are very poor indeed, they are probably aliout as well off now as the}" ever were. The frightening away of gar»e with firearms is largel}^ a mj^th, and the use of guns instead of bows and arrows more than compensates any such losses. We have read a good deal about the disappearance of game, but have never been told what game is referred to, and it can not be ascertained when nor where there was any considerable game for the Eskimos that is not now available. Those best informed state that the principal food of the natives has always been derived from the sea and along the shores. There is very little game on the treeless land, but it is understood that wild caril)ou and some other animals are found a long distance inland. The rather vague estimates that there are 20,000 Eskimos, as set forth in some of the Bureau's reports, must be overdrawn. It is Eskimos chiefly that have been provided with reindeer up to the present. Conclusions as to population are based upon the census of Eskimos made by Mr. W. T. Lopp. who is better qualitied to speak for that section on this subject than any other person. Beginning with Nome and extending north to Point Barrow, his figures are as follows : Nome 100 ' Sishret 20 Penny River 10 Quartz Creek 75 Synrok 10 Singeyok 15 Cape Douglas 15 Teller 25 Teller station 20 Point Jackson 25 Polezruk 20 Wales 376 Sezvovvvunuk 10 Penubzaok 10 Mugisitokevik 10 Toowoomeet 5 Mitletokovik 10 Ooweewuk 15 Kegittuk (Shishmaref ) 125 Kivudlauk (kivalik) 20 Tootel 15 Inniachuck ( Deering ) 20 Kotzebue 150 Aneyok 25 Point Hope 250 Point Lay 20 Wainwright 40 Belcher 40 Barrow and vicinity 200 Along the rivers 550 Total 2, 371 I believe it safe to state that the people enumerated by Mr. Lopp, as set out above, constitute more than one-fourth of the entire Eskimo 40 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. population or natives who Avould be materiall}^ benefited ])y the deer industry, althouo-h the matter of exact tig'ures is not essential at this time. Deer can thrive only in that pai't whei'e the moss grows and must be herded awa}^ from the dense tini])cr districts, and the distri- bution to new points should only be made hereafter when well-digested plans have been made as to their custody and management. Believing that the Government has already spent too nuich upon reindeer to abandon the work, reasonable appropriations should be made to con- tinue the care of the deer under new plans to be carried out as here- after mentioned. Attention is invited to the total appropriations by Congress for the introduction of reindeer, ^222,500. Reference is made elsewhere to the Eskimo population. No accu- rate census was ever made, and while there are persons who have had better opportunities than I to judge of their number, I hardly think there are 10,000 Eskimos, although there are about 2,500 in the rein- deer district. In discussing the general situation with Mr. Abram Hovick, who was at the Teller reindeer station for live years, he stated that he was confident that not more than one-third of the natives will ever be fit to take up the reindeer industry. As already pointed out, the complete failure of the deer business as a lasting benefit to the natives will begin with deer getting into the hands of white men wishing- to build up the business for its profits. A few white men testified that they thought the deer business did not amount to much, and when pressed for further information it was invariably to the effect that the deer did not amount to much to the white man; that is, the white man was unable to buy them, therefore why should they be in Alaska? and, as might be expected, the white men of this type were asking the same questions concerning the Eskimos. If, as those who have shaped the policies in school and reindeer matters in Alaska are sincere in their desire to help the natives, they will inter- pose no objections to any rational and feasible plan to distribute the animals among- them as fast as they shall become qualified to care for them. A knowledge of deer herding can be acquired as quickl}^ as that of herding sheep. The actual labor, when everything goes well, is monotonous rather than laborious, with, of course, extraordinary labor when from any cause the deer are scattered, and also during the fawniing season, (yonstancy, therefore, is the most valuable quality in a deer herder. Six or eight herders can care for a thousand head of deer just as efi^ectually as a larg-er number of men. Of course this is assuming that only such attention will be given the business of training deer to the sled as the actual demands require, assuming also what is true in the main, that the demand for trained deer up to the present has been fictitious. The localities where the reindeer are held are so f requentl}'' referred to as stations that persons unacquainted with the country naturally get the impression that the word "station" refers to some particular spot where there is tangible equipment, etc. The truth is that the deer are rarely kept nearby the schools, and owing to their being often moved according to the crop of moss upon which the}" feed local super- intendents rarely know exactl}" where they are. The herders live in tents or temporary huts as a rule, but in time EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. 41 cabins should be scattered al)Ovit to protect the herders in severe weather. It is hard to get at the actual number of the deer or to make a classi- fied statement as to sex and age on account of the lack of suitable cor- rals, which are very much needed, and lumber for their construction should constitute the next outlay of any considerable amount in the field, as it will be readily seen that in a timberless country, where driftwood is chiefly relied upon, how difficult it is to build suitable barricades or corrals, without which certain features of the deer busi- ness can not be properly cari'ied on. Another drawback in accounting, where there are numerous owners, is the S3\stem in use for marking the deer themselves for identification. At present the earmark system, by cutting, is in general use, but the ears of the animals being small, it is necessary to lasso them to read the mark. Each deer owned by the Government is supposed to be marked with an aluminum button — something like a cuff button — worn in one ear. This makes a very safe marker, but more or less confusion nmst come when Government deer are transferred to the natives or others. One of the important questions to be answered is as to the effect of deer raising upon the natives as a civilizing influence, and it may be said at once that the effect is good as far as it goes; in fact one hardly can suggest anything in the way of occupation of economic value that would be better or more helpful in the barren North; but this, like everything else, can be carried too far, and the record and the expense account show that the deer holjby has been ridden too hard and pushed too rapidly. Those who have had close relations with people that are only partially civilized know that a knowledge of English and a smat- tering of books about things for which he has no practical use does not at once transform the individual into a white man even if he is clad in a white man's clothes. It is believed the proper course from now on is to gradually get the deer into the hands of the natives and, so far as possible, to allow no white men. under any pretext, to buy or control female deer. The mischief done in loaning deer to outsiders can not now be entirely undone, but it is entirely within the province and power of the Depart- ment to see to it that hereafter no such loans be made and that all persons making contracts in any way affecting the industry be required to furnish bonds for the performance of whatever the}^ may agree to do. Referring again to the close connection between the several mis- sionary institutions and the Government, there is evidence that these interests are so intermixed that it is frequently the case that persons who are paid by the Government for their services do not themselves know who owns the property under their charge. This is a serious hindrance in conducting public l)usiness, and it hardly need be sug- gested that unless there is an early division of at least the property interests greater confusion is likely to ensue. While throughout this report you will find apologetic suggestions properly based upon the want of frequent communication with employees in Alaska and the Bureau in Washington, lack of expe- rience on the part of all concerned, and especially on account of many if not most of the Government employees, having been practically appointed by the several missionary boards without special regard to 42 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. business qualifications, the doctrine still holds good, which will per- meate this i-eport, that complete separation of property interests, and all others which involve the outlay of money, should be brought about forthwith if anything like an orderly, dignified, and business-like system is to be expected in managing Alaskan matters. The lack of knowledge referred to extends also to a want of under- standing of the rules concerning reindeer, which at the present time is the most vexatious question to be solved by the Government. To throw away the hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in deer seems wrong, and to continue present methods would be as bad or worse. The mission should have no more to do with the deer than they have with the industrial schools for the Indians in the States. It is a significant fact that in the advertising literature in Alaska, booming this place and that, the reindeer are seldom mentioned as a factor for travel or food. Capt. D. H. Jarvis, who has seen about as much of the Arctic as any man, in speaking of reindeer, told me that "a white man would con- sider deer as too slow and too aggravating for teaming should the white population increase, and the natives have little occasion for teams." This really tells the whole story; and when it is stated, as it should be, that nobody in Alaska takes the stories about reindeer travel seriously, the question of the present value for teams is settled, in my mind, as being merely nominal. The merits of the deer for teams have been held up for one section of Alaska, while the deer themselves are in another and radically dif- ferent section, Nothing but finding gold or other minerals or metals in the arctic belt is likely to attract a white man into that frozen and now good-for-nothing neighborhood outside of what minerals it may contain. The various tables will show, as nearly as may be done, the number of deer at various points. Actual counts, I regret to say, involve immense labor for want of suitable facilities to confine the deer. The marking requires lassoing, as does the positive identification of indi- vidual deer, and on account of their immense antlers many accidents happen to the animals. No perfect method of marking has yet been devised. Branding would be the surest method, Init this has many disadvantages. It was found impossible to visit all the so-called reindeer stations, and, as already noted, the deer are usually herded many miles from the missions, so that it requires a long time to reach them. As to conditions at Unalakleet, Eaton, Bethel, and Carmel, as well as the stations at Bettles and Copper Center, in the interior, we are entirelv dependent upon the reports of the Bureau. We iiave already mentioned the loan of 99 deer to Alfred S. Nilima, at Kotzebue, and *10() to Nils Klemetson, at Golovin Bar, and com- mented thereon; and also find that in July, 19Ul, Per M. Spein was loaned 100 deer at the Moravian Mission at Carmel, and that Ole O. Bahr had a loan of 100 at the same time; also that Nils Person Sara had 100 at Bethel. I must assume the Bureau would not have done such an impolitic thing as to put deer into the hands of these men unless it was believed the honor of the Government demanded it. I have read the contract made in Norway by Doctor Jackson in 1898 and find that the men were EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC.^ IN ALASKA. 43 promised what to them doubtless was satisfactory wag-es, but a proviso was inserted, unfortunately, that they mioht, under certain conditions, expect a loan of deer for three or live years. It seems they were given the full limit of time in the loan made and at a time when extraor- dinar}^ etforts were l)eing made to buy deer, consequently the least that can be said is that the matter was not well managed. A representative of the Bureau of Education was passenger on the ship with me, and while our investigations were conducted entirely independently, I have some reasons for supposing that on account of questions that may have appeared somewhat pointed, that advance reports w^ere made to the Bureau as to the extent of my inquiries. This was entirely legitimate, still it is l)elieved that the report for 1905 contains statements that otherwise would not have appeared. Two calls were made at Teller and St. Lawrence Island, and nothing was said by those in charge about returning deer at the time of our first visit. The truth is nobodv seemed to know much about them. The Bureau reports that from 1892 to 1894, 4,184 deer were sold, slaughtered, or died; this does not help to trace the deer, but has a bearing upon the natural increase during that period. Two tables are presented below showing, as nearh^ as ma}^ be done, the total number of deer in Alaska. Table 8 refers to the stations visited this summer, and Table 9 is made up from figures found in the Bureau's report of places not visited by me, and thaj are simply presented as found in the report. Table 9 is misleading at least, for the statement of D. W. Cram, found herein, shows that the Bettles herd has been sent to Tanana and turned over to the Episcopal mission. Loaned deer should not be carried as being on hand, as it tends to a sort of jugglery of figures, whereby deer may ])e counted twice. If the Bureau's figures can be relied on, the whole number of deer in Alaska is 10.234. As to the number absolutely under the ownership and control of the Government, Table 8, is believed to be correct as to those stations. The Bureau claims to have loans (at stations in its Table 10 for 1905) aggregating 1,270, including the Bettles herd of 400, concerning which nothing- definite is known. To these figures should be added the 500 loaned to Laps, and 17 still due at Point Barrow. If the Bureau's loan accounts were kept separately and carried as bills receivable instead of stock on hand, it would help in getting a trial balance. As their tables are now made up they do not prove themselves. When deer are turned over, by loan or otherwise, a receipt should be taken, and all accounts based thereon. Table No. S.— Total number of deer at each place visited and the nnmher owned hi) the Government. station. Owned by Govern- ment. Point Barrow Deering Cape Prince of Wales . Teller Golofuin St. Lawrence Island . . Kotzebue Kivalina 627 83 479 1,419 179 919 130 1,164 32 189 70 732 220 Total. Loaned deer are not included in Government column. (See Exhibit T.) 44 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Table No. 9. — Xnmber of deer at stations not visited, as taken from the reports of the Bureau of Education for 1905. Station. Total. Owned by Govern- ment. 1,020 1,008 438 400 1,329 280 478 214 438 Settles 400 376 100 Total 4,485 2,006 A grand total of 10,234 deer in Alaska. Total owned b}^ the Gov- ernment, 2, .500. It is believed that the deer found in the Government column in Table 9 include several hundred that are loaned out, hence they are encumbered to that extent. The tigures given in some of the tables of the Bureau in its advance sheets of report for 1905, have been changed in the report proper to correspond more nearly with my own figures. Regarding the number of herders and apprentices, and the deer owned by them, there appears to be little opportunity for arriving at their number with accuracy. The various tables issued by the Bureau are in some instances lacking in clearness if not actually contradictory. This may be explained to some extent as coming from various causes, such as death, removal from one station to another, or the dis- missal or resignation of individuals, and in the matter of the deer, dis- crepancies are liable to occur from sales, loans, and births and deaths of the animals. From all the data-ol)tainable concerning this branch of the business, I submit Table 10 as being approximately correct. Table No. 10. — Employees, herders, apprentices, and deer owned by same. Kotzebue . Kivalina . Herders. Nulato Teller . Unalakleet Wainwright . . Wales Shismaroff. Eaton Barrow Bethel Bettles. Copper Center. Frank Nilima (Lapp) . Electoona (Eskimo) . . . Otpelle (Eskimo) P. N. Bals (Lapp) I. A. Bango (Lapp) Dannah Albikok Sehaglook Ole O. Baler (Lapp)... Okitkon Tatpan Mary Andrunk Nallogorook Angolook M. Bals. sr., Pnaeoneo. Octenna Keoyeargruk Sokwina Nils P. Sara (Lapp) . Per M. Spein (Lapp) Jansen Raisenen Karbum Lampita Wuori Hatta Redmyer Fam- ily. Salary. [ 6 ,} I 7 4 7 1 ! 1 a With rations. 1.500 500 a 600 a 600 n600 a 600 a 600 600 n600 1,200 Deer owned.; Ap- pren- tices. 245 148 172 72 191 75 280 97 138 358 63 58 25 98 93 119 10 283 242 Deer owned, Ap- pren- tices to appren- tices. 40 223 275 296 175 605 546v 64 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEEVICE^ ETC.^, IN ALASKA. 45 Table No. 10. — Employees, herders, apprentices, and deer oinied by same — Continued. Station. Herders. Fam- ily. Salary. Deer owned. Ap- pren- tices. Deer owned. Ap- pren- tices to appren- tices. Gambell Lahti (Finn) 2 2 fi8600 a 600 Sotkfi (Finn) '"'•223' 172 318 21 4 4 35 i Tautook . 12 383 2 Deering Keok (Eskimo) 2 a 100 a 100 Stanley Special agent for hiring help, J. H. Jasberg, of Hancock. 500 Total 42 8,300 3,495 84 3,076 2 nWith rations. Table No. 11. — Deer purchased by the Government in Alaska. Date of purchase. Purchased from- Station. Aug. Aug. Sept. Sept. June June Feb. May May May May Sept. Oct. Jan. June June June June June June May June 24. 1899 11, 1902 17, 1902 20. 1902 27. 1903 27. 1903 28. 1904 3. 1904 25, 1904 17, 1904 31,1904 24. 1904 4,1904 12. 1905 26, 1905 26,1905 26, 1905 26, 1905 26, 1905 20, 1905 2. 1905 26, 1905 W. T. Lopp Teller J. P. West Eaton Mary Antisarlook 1 do W. Kjellman 1 Teller Nor. Evangelical Lutheran do Ablikak do Moravian Mission Bethel Keok a Wales Congregational ]Mission do Swedish Evangelical Mission Unalakleet. Congregation 1 1 Mission ] Wales do do do do Ablikak Teller Mary Andrewuk b Unalakleet . Nallagoroak b do Tatpan b do do & do Okitkon b do A. E. Karlsonb do Moravian Mission b Bethel Taktuk b Golovin . . . . Number of deer. Total . 43 6 29 20 12 21 37 97 94 16 47 32 6 25 cl c2 5 5 113 22 Price per head. S30 25 30 20 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 25 85 35 25 25 25 25 25 Total cost. 81, 290 150 870 140 500 300 526 925 2,425 2,350 400 1,175 800 150 625 35 70 125 125 2,825 550 200 16, 555 a Representing independent herders at Wales, b Not yet paid for. c Sled deer (trained for sled). Having shown that Congress has since 1894 appropriated the immense sum of 1222,000 to build up this deer industry, it is indeed a pity that so little has been accomplished in establishing the natives in a way that can be considered permanent in the deer business. The annual reports on the subject have failed to disclose the very things that should have been made known to the Government; that is, year by year, there should have been a direct and out-and-out statement in detail of all the expenditures, and a full and correct account of what there was on hand at the close of the year. In place of that information, the reports have dwelt largeh' upon what was going to be done and what could be accomplished with more money and more reindeer. Meanwhile the deer were being put beyond the control of the United States Govern- ment, where we find most of them are to-day. The missionaries have their field of work and usefulness, and it is a large and honorable one, but nobody will dare question the lack of wisdom of the Government taking the mis.sionary associations as partners in its financial afl'airs. 46 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. What reasonable excuse, explanation, or apoloo y, moral or financial, can be ottered for presenting to the American Missionary Association at Cape Prince of Wales IIS reindeer is beyond comprehension, when it is considered that the Government at its own expense has erected a schoolhouse and provided a school-teacher at that place, while it has been compelled, throuoh the management of the Bureau of Educa- tion, to pa}" the American Missionary Association at Cape Prince of Wales thousands of dollars for deer which it should have owned all the time. There should be no criticism of the Bureau for purchasing deer that the natives have acquired through their own thrift and industry, for I respectfully submit this is the very thing that should be done to encourage them, and what is spoken of as education for the natives should signify in the main teaching him how to obtain a livelihood and enough from books to enable him to protect himself from unscrupu- lous white men in commercial matters. The placing of herds into outside hands to be bought back is another and entireh' ditt'erent mat- ter, and, to say the least, should not be permitted hereafter. I also respectfully submit that no splitting of hairs is suggested in the management of the reindeer; but the Government has a right to know in detail how public funds are disbursed and how public prop- erty is managed. The undue haste spoken of appears to have brought about altogether too much trading or exchanging of deer, and from this time on it would seem the work should be simplitied, so that, as far as practicable, the herds be distributed locally to the natives in the vicinity as the}^ shall show themselves capable of caring for them. With the natives able to speak and write our language, with a knowledge of the rudiments of arithmetic, they can, when each family has a few deer to provide their clothing and piece out their food sup- ply, take care of themselves and be reasonably comfortable. It hardly need be stated that the}" never can derive anything of consequence from the soil in the way of making a living. While it is not believed that reindeer amount to much at this time for transportation, they may in time prove to be valuable for this purpose, but that will be long years hence. After having been on the ground, I beg leave to say that it is a pleasure, if not a duty, to state that the bringing of the reindeer industry up to its present status, imperfect as it is in some respects, has involved labor and risk of life on the part of those who have the work in hand that few appreciate. None but those who have seen the shores of the Arctic Ocean and Bering Sea can fully realize what cour- age and hardship has been required to accomplish what has been done. There were no precedents for the deer business that could be safely followed. Too much zeal has proved expensive, but it is to be hoped the lesson has now been learned. The foundation for a great industry for a primitive and somewhat helpless people has been laid. In the preparation of a report on reindeer it will be very naturally assumed that the essential ligures can be given positively and with very little research. The tirst question to answer is, what is the num- ber of deer in Alaska; the second, where are they located; the third, by whom are they owned. Strange as it may appear, these questions can not be answered with exact ligures, either by the local custodians in Alaska or by the tables found in the annual report of the Bureau, and it is suspected that accuracy in the deer account has never been EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 47 looked upon as essential, and even a return of loaned deer appears to have been purely a matter of bookkeeping by the Bureau. ]\o good reason is known why this should not be correeted and the books put into such form that they will at all times show the precise number of deer, excepting only discrepancies arising from births and deaths. Attention is respectfully invited to the following details, b}^ stations: POINT BARROW. As has been often reported, the school at Point Barrow is the most northern in the world. About 200 natives live on a low sand spit and vicinity, and there are altogether some six or eight white men living here, mostly engaged in whaling. There is a good painted dwelling erected. 1 believe, in the name of the Presb3'terian Board of Home IVIissions after funds had been contributed by the United States. This dwelling is occupied by Rev. S. R. Spriggs and .wife. Mr. Spriggs is the local superintendent of reindeer, and is supposed to teach the school, for which he has been paid $1,500 a year. Near this dwelling, say something like 500 feet distant, is a combined school- house and dwelling, which was built during the winter of 190^1— 5. The limit of the cost, as authoi-ized by the honorable Secretar}^, March 31, 1904, was $-4,000, but I tind that up to the present time the sum of $6,571.29 has been expended thereon. I inspected this building- August 1, 1905, and found it to be a one-story structure with attic, plainly but substantially built, and ample in size for the purposes intended. Besides Mr. and Mrs. Spriggs, I found at Point Barrow Rev. John H. Kilbuckand wife; I was told that Mr. Kilbuck has drawn a salary at the rate of §1,500 a year, and that he, and not Mr. Spriggs, has taught the school during the last j^ear. Mr. Kilbuck was sent north to open a school at Wainwright last year, but the building, like the one at Point Barrow, has only just been erected. It goes without saying that a salaried expense of $3,000, or even approximately that sum, at this so-called Presbyterian Mission is an extravagant outlay on the part of the Bureau, but it is explained that the material for the Wainwright schoolhouse, where Mr. Kilbuck was supposed to teach, did not arrive in season for the erection of the building last year, which is one of the man}' instances of too much haste in incurring expense without needful preparation. Mr. W. T. Lopp, who is the accredited superintendent of reindeer and schools for the district including the Arctic Ocean and Bering- Sea points north of Nome, told me that he had never been informed as to the salaries paid at Point Barrow or elsewhere within his l)aili- wick; a statement which 1 submit without further comment than to remark that I believe that the best interests of the service demand that district superintendents are entitled to know what is going on officially, within their own jurisdiction, particularly as to the salaries paid and all running expenses. In a statement of expenses of the Bureau of Education submitted to Congress in 1898, I tind an account of cash allowances to the Pres- bvterian board between 1890 and 1894 amounting to $9,000 ''for con- ducting a school at Point Barrow." I was told that it is the couuuon understanding that the Government contributed also a considerable 48 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. part of the hil)or and material for the dwellino- now occupied by the superintendent, while the board claims the building by virtue of having paid §i,700,ST. A rather rcmarkal)le entry in this connection is found on page 89 of Senate Document No. 187, Fifty-fifth Congress, second session, to which 1 refer as follows: Protestant Episcopal Missionary Society (George Bliss, treasurer), October 22, 1891, for conducting a school at Point JBarrow" during the school year 1890-91, S!2,000. I also lind in the same document that ^1,0U0 was paid by the Pres- byterian board for a new school at Point Bai'row March 24, 1890, and that on October 17, 1891, the Presl)yterian board was paid $!2,000, "conducting a school at Point Barrow for school year 1890-1." It is useless to attempt to reconcile these last statements, and they are therefore left as I found them. After sailing southward from Point Barrow 1 learned that Mr. V. L. Derby was on board a whaling ship which we met, bound for Point Barrow as a teacher, presumably to take the place of Mr. Killjuck, who will go to the new school at Wainwright. If both Mr. Spriggs and jNIr. Derby are to be paid as school-teachers where the average attendance is only 30, the outlay- must be termed outrageous. There is a herd of 627 deer, divided as to ownership as follows: Natives, 544; Government, 83; these figures being based upon a count of October, 1904. I can state, however, from m^^ own knowledge, that after my arrival at Point Barrow the 83 deer now accredited to the Government were put in Mr. Spriggs^s original report as the property of the missions. The 100 loaned here were due in 1903. Seventeen are still due. One of the natives has 196 deer, and another who did not attain the age of 9 3'ears until November 22, 1905, owns 7, which leads to a sus- picion that the idea of " rewarding" referred to elsewhere, in place of giving out deer to those who learn the herding business, must have been carried into efi'ect in this instance at least. Of the whole number of 627 there are only 22 trained deer. Mr. Spriggs appears to be a very thrifty gentleman, and has a contract with the Post-Office Department to carry the mail two trips each win- ter between Barrow and Kotzebue, for which he receives $750 a trip. The distance is about 650 miles, and the hardships connected with it are very great. Here was an excellent opportunity to prove the value of reindeer teams and to give to the natives a chance to earn money, or its equivalent in food, as drivers. Indeed, the chance to accomplish all this was an ideal one and in the direct line of just what has been argued by the Bureau would be done, bitt upon investigation it is shown that of the four trips made during the last two years, only the first one was made with reindeer and the other three with a dog team. The Bureau permits the free use of Government deer for such service, and as shown above there were 22 animals trained to the work. The matter of which teams were preferred was of small consequence, however, compared with what was done for the natives who actually made these perilous mail trips. As it has been ascertained that Mr. Spriggs only paid the natives in food supplies a fractional part in value of what he received for the service, and his statement that he "wanted to make what he could out of it " probably covers the whole subject. « Lead pencil notation: " It may be Point Hope." EDUCATIONAL AXD SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 49 As has been shown, the schooner Laura Madsen^ owned by S. Foster & Co., of San Francisco, transports most of the supplies to the Arctic region, under contract to land the same on the beach; there being no docks or even harbors the labor and expense for discharging- these sup- plies is ver}' considerable, as they must be taken over the side of the ship at her anchorage a mile or more out and conveyed ashore in small boats. This, too, affords work for the skillful native boatmen, which they gladly undertake for a return of food. In September, 1904, Capt. P. H. Cook, of this schooner, paid Rev. S. R. Spriggs by draft $785 for lightering goods, and this amount was credited to Mr. Spriggs's private account in San Francisco October 31, 1904. Jn this particular case most of the goods landed belonged to the Govern- ment. Upon learning that the natives did the work and that they were not altogether satisfied with Mr. Spriggs's payment in supplies, his attention was drawn to the subject, and he replied, with some dis- pla}^ of heat, "that he paid out two-thirds of all he got." It is now shown that Mr. Spriggs's income last year was $3,750, out of which he distributed a few supplies as noted, the exact value of which is unknown. The affidavit of Mr. Albert Olsen, marked "Exhibit B," is referred to. The reindeer at Point Barrow are owned as follows: Government, 83; Tokpuk, 53; Ahlook, 196; Shoudla, 77; Paneoneo, 52; Segevan, 49; Panyoon,48; Ingnaveen, 19; Panigeo, 14; James Brower, 7; total, 627. It was learned that the native deer herders are provided with rations b}^ the Government, w4th the families of six of the herders, and this without regard to whether the herders own deer or not. The report of the Bureau for 1905 will show that there is due the Government from this mission 100 deer. The treasurer of the mission- ary board in New York City was unable to give me au}^ information concerning the reindeer in Alaska. WAINWEIGHT. There is a small native village on the coast, about 100 miles south of Point Barrow, called Wainwright. A new schoolhouse and dwelling conibined, like the new one at Point Barrow, was completed here about August 1, 1905, by Albert Olsen, wdio wintered at Point Barrow. The buildings are almost precisely alike. Four thousand dollars was the limit of cost for each one, and $2,958.29 has been paid on the one at Wainwright, and it is estimated b}^ the Bureau that $1,041.71 will meet the unpaid bills not yet in. If this be true, the expenditure of $6,571.29 at Point Barrow for one just like it, built by the same man in the same j^ear and under no more favorable conditions at Wainwright than at Barrow, naturally attracts attention, Mr. J. H. Kilbuck told me that he should open a school at Wain- wright September 1, but I learned from him that there are not more than 40 natives there, and that he knew of only 6 children likely to attend school; it would appear, therefore, that the Bureau does not feel com- pelled to count the cost very carefully when it expends $4,000 for a choolhouse and provides a teacher at $1,200 or $1,500 a year for 6 Spupils. I inspected this schoolhouse and found no fixtures or appliances w ith the exception of one stove wath pipe. S. Doc. 483, 59-1 4 50 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEKVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. Mr. Albert Olsen, the carpenter, who erected the new buildings at Point Barrow and this place, is paid $100 a month, and was sent north last year long- before the lumber arrived. Upon completing the two buildings mentioned he proceeded to Deering to build another, which he hoped to do b}' November 1; therefore he will, in all probability, on account of navigation closing, be compelled to remain another winter; in other words, he will be paid for about two years' labor to perform six or eight months' work. Mr. Olsen is a faithful worker and pro- vides his own subsistence during his sta}'. If, in place of the new schoolhouse at Wainwright, a few hundred spruce poles, of which there are millions in southeastern Alaska, had been conve3^ed to the natives to be used in the construction of their oomiaks, or skin boats, the real benefits accruing to the people would have been much greater than can be hoped for for some time to come from the building of this new schoolhouse. POINT HOPE. Point Hope is the site of an Episcopal mission, with a school under the charge of J. B. Briggs, M. D. There are about 60 pupils enrolled at Doctor Briggs's school, which is entirely independent of the Bureau of Education in every respect. An effort was made some 3^ears since to secure a loan of deer for this place, but, for reasons that need not be mentioned here, the plan was not consummated. This point of land runs out into the Arctic Ocean for some miles, and, scattered all along, there are in all some 300 or 400 Eskimos, although the population varies from time to time, as the natives find employment in shore whaling, there being a small settlement known as a whaling station, where a white man manages the business. Between this little whaling settlement and Doctor Briggs's school, and something like 3 miles from each place, the Bureau of Education has a partially completed schoolhouse, for which $4,000 was authorized by the Depart- ment March 31, 1904, and upon which the Bureau has up to the present time expended $4,680.74, and it will probably require several hundred dollars to complete and equip it. It appears to me that this building should not have been put up just yet, as there was apparently no call for it. If, however, as Doctor Briggs thinks there will be, a sufficient number of pupils are found, the outla}^ for its support will be warranted. Up to recent years the Bureau allowed the Episcopal board $2,000 a year to conduct their school here, but no aid is now given it. There are no deer at this mission. KOTZEBUE. Arriving on the Bear at the entrance of Kotzebue Sound July 24, 1905, the Friends' Mission, known as Kotzebue, was found to be about 20 miles up the sound from the anchorage, and although an attempt was made by the officers to reach the mission with a steam launch, it was found impracticable to land, although the commander of the ship and others succeeded in reaching the mission on the return trip August 6. This mission is in charge of Mr. Dana Thomas and his wife, Otha Thomas. Mrs. Thomas is the minister and is paid $80 per month by the Government to teach the school. Mr. Thomas is post- master, United States commissioner, merchant, and superintendent. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 51 This mission received a loan of 95 deer in September, 1901, which should be returned in 1906. From District Superintendent Lopp it was learned that the total number of deer at the station is 732, of which the mission owns 310, natives IT. and Alfred S. Nilima, a Laplander, 370. This Laplander received a loan of deer from the Bureau in 1901 and has accuuuilated the largest individual herd. Mr. Thomas operates a mail route in the name of this Laplander from Kotzebue to Shunz-nak, a distance of 150 miles, making- five round trips, for which he receives $150 a trip. Thomas hires the natives to carry this mail for $30 for each of the first two trips and $100 for each of the last three, b}^ which it is observed that Mr. Thomas is also a very thrifty man. The mail is carried by dog teams and not by reindeer. The report of 1904 mentions Electoona and Otpella as natives of the Kotzebue district, but they and their families seem to constitute the present population at Kivalina, where an expensive schoolhouse is being erected, as mentioned elsewhere. The expenditure of iBl,000 for a schoolhouse was authorized April 27, 1901, and under this authorit}^ the sum of $5,119.93 has already been paid out on this account. At one time considerable prospecting for gold was done in this neighborhood, but up to the present but few white men have found it desirable to settle in the district, but the Alaska saying that "the g'old of Alaska is where you find it," makes it unsafe to predict that gold will not 3"et be found here in paying quantities. With miners in the vicinity the demand for deer meat will, of course, increase. DEERING. The small village of Deering, on the opposite side of the sound from the Kotzebue Mission, is made up of both whites and natives, the former having come in prospecting for gold with varjdng success. The Friends have a mission here with Mrs. W. T. Gooden as minister. Lumber for a new schoolhouse was due to arrive, which appears in one of the lists of the Bureau in such a way as to be counted an asset, although I find that its construction was not authorized until after I left Washington on this investigation, the limit of cost being $5,000, and $2,181.98 has already been paid, probabl}- for lumber. Even the site for the building was not agreed upon until the day that I visited Deering. June 12, 1905, is the exact date when the new schoolhouse was authorized, which was nine days after 1 had left for Alaska. Miss Bertha Cox now draws a salar}^ of $80 per month as a teacher, the school being carried on in a dingy hut entirely unfit for the work. This mission received a loan of 100 deer in January, 1905. The herd "was visited at a point some 8 or 10 miles from the village, and the whole number was found to be 179, and that Keok, the head hearder, owns 318; Karmun, an assistant, 21; Stanley, another assistant, 1, and the mission 136, which shows that 36 fawns have been born in the mission herd this year, which is, by the way, pretty nearly the average increase from fawns in the herd. The mission has agreed to keep four apprentices constantl}' engaged in herding deer, which they are to feed and clothe, and it is further agreed that they shall give to each apprentice 25 head of deer at the €ud of five years' service. 52 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA, Keok and Karnuin each draw $100 from the (xovernment, together with rations for themselves and tiie family of one who is married; the cost of the rations to the (irovernment is about $30 a month. This raises the question that has not yet been settled with uniformity, and that is, as to when an independent deer herder ceases to be a charge upon the Government. Take Keok's case, who has 318 deer, worth not less than $2.5 each, and to show something of his profits, he sold in Februar}", 1905, deer meat amounting to $788.87; still he re(;eives $100 per annum salary besides his board, apparently because he has been set up in the deer business, and those who have no deer shift for them- selves, which suggests the "rewarding"" system in treating his case. SHISMAREF. Our ship anchored ott' Shismaref Inlet, some 60 miles from Cape Prince of Wales, July 23, 1905. No landing was made and there was little occasion for going ashore, there being nothing to be seen except a few native huts and a pile of lumber for the new schoolhouse author- ized April 18, 1905, at a limited cost of $5,000, upon which $3,599.73 has been expended, although nothing but the delivery of the lumber has been done. The Bureau's reports for 190tl: indicate that this build- ing has been constructed, doubtless arising from the lumber having been ordered and a carpenter sent north. As the matter now stands Dis- trict Superintendent W. T. Lopp, who is now in Seattle, has some indefinite instructions to look after the building. Shismaref is regarded as within the limits of the Cape Prince of Wales Congregationalist mission. (See Exhibit S.) KIVALINA, OR CORWIN LAGOON. The Department authorized, April 18, 1905, the expenditure of $5,000 to establish a schoolhouse and dwelling at Kivalina, sometimes referred to as Corwins Lagoon. After a personal inspection nothing was seen nor heard to warrant the establishment of a school at this place. There is no village, and the only natives found were Electoona, who has 172 deer, and Otpella with 48 deer, a total of 220, the former living in tents with their families on the beach. These natives and the deer in their hands have often been referred to in the reports of the Bureau, but it is understood that they formerly lived within the limits of the Friends' Mission at Kotzebue. The sum of $2,544.48 is already charged against the authorized expenditure here, presumabl}^ for materials for the building, which were expected on one of Foster & Co.'s schooners sometime in August last. Mrs. Walton, who has been waiting at Kotzebue for the arrival of the lumber, has been engaged bj^ the Bureau at $80 a month as a teacher, to begin, of course, when the building is erected, although the statement of the Bureau indicates that her salar}^ is now going on. I received the information that her husband, who has also been wait- ing, is to assist in the erection of the building, but upon what terms I was unable to ascertain, and I was informed by a representative of the Bureau that it was not known how much Mr. Walton was to be paid. Carr3dng out the declared policy of the Bureau of arbitrarily estab- lishing deer stations so as to make a complete chain on the Arctic EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 53 coast, must be the only excuse for putting in tliis school. The Waltons are understood to be from the Society of Friends, and this maj^ be a case where that societ}^ may claim the property by virtue of Mr. Walton's proposed labor above mentioned. It is possible that the establishment of the school may result in a few Eskimo families building- huts in the vicinit}', but it is hardly probable, for a long time at least. CAPE PRINCE OF WALES. Cape Prince of Wales makes out into Bering Straits and is the most westerly point on our continent, therefore the nearest to Asia, it being only about 40 miles from the Siberian shore. Although the Bear con- veyed me to this place Jul}^ 21 and again August 9, it was found impracticable to land, but as the ship skirted the land very closely we were enabled to see the native village and the good schoolhouse owned bv the Government, which is commodious and well constructed. Mr. W. T. Lopp, now a district superintendent under the Bureau, was a passenger on the ship for several days, and through him 1 was enabled to obtain the information that would have been sought on shore, and very much more in detail than 1 could have hoped to secure had 1 made the landing. For man 3^ years Mr. Lopp was the agent for the American Missionary Association at this place, and as such he met with marked financial success, serving, of course, those wdio paid him for his services. There are 376 natives, and a Government school of about 80 pupils is maintained, and it looks as though the missionar}^ af^sociation was doing quite well in the deer business. The Government employs Mr. A. N. Evans as teacher, and a native, named lllayok. at §1,200 and $360 per year, respectively, but 1 understand that the Bureau has recently notified Mr. Evans that hereafter his salar}^ will be only §00 per month for the school year of nine months — a reduction of $390 a year. The conditions as to reindeer are widelj' different here from those at any other place, which will be referred to later, but in other respects they are not materially different, excepting that this is by far the larg- est native village on this coast; hence it is hard to understand just whv Mr. Evans, with his schoolof SO and only a native boy, assistant, as would not be entitled, approximately at least, to as much compensation as the Rev. Mr. Spriggs, with an average attendance of only 30 pupils at Point Barrow, which he himself admits he did not teach at all, but which was taught by Rev. J. H. Kilbuck, who was paid a salaiy for so doing. It has been the custom for the American Missionary Association to keep a regularly appointed missionar}" at this station, although until quite recentlv the position has been vacant for several motiths. As to the reindeer situation, there is a peculiar state of things, the mission having control of one of the largest, if not the largest herd in Alaska, divided into two groups of 1,419 in all. Page 19 of the report of 1902 states that the original deer at this place were "loaned," but page 13 states that the mission "long since returned the deer" and that "987 remained to the mission." We are unable to tell when the 118 were returned or what became of them; but in the report of 1895, page 91, is found a letter from Mr. W. T. Lopp, then in charge, to the general agent of education for 54 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Alaska, containing these words: "Letter of July 27, 1894, gave to the mission a herd of domestic reindeer," and the report for the year 1904, page 12, states that the deer were a "gift," notwithstanding that all along through prior reports of the Bureau the deer were reported as having been loaned. 1 waited upon the American Missionary Association in New York, with a view to obtaining precise information as to ownership, and what, if anything, was promised in return therefor, but was unable to obtain a definite statement beyond the fact that it was understood that Doctor Jackson gave them the deer. Mr. Lopp said, however, that there was never any uncertainty about the question, and that the deer were actuall}' given to the mission, and that he never knew why they were carried on the books as a loan. Just what was intended at the commencement will never be known, but one thing is certain, at present prices the 1,500 deer, which Mr. Lopp says they once had under the management of the missions, would now be worth $35,000 or $40,000, if they could be marketed at current prices. The school employees are paid by the United States, and if the mis- sion has entered into any contract to do any specific thing that the Government would otherwise be expected to pa}' for, it is impossible to state it from any data at hand. The mission and the natives have been selling deer to the Government for some time, the last being at $25 each. The present ownership, as reported, is as follows: Missions 394, natives b'46, United States 179, total 1,419, of which 6 only are trained to the sled. 1 am informed that the Government has in a sin- gle year bought deer at Prince of Wales amounting to nearly $6,000. Mr. James F. Cross has been appointed by the board as their mission- ary and agent, and assumed his duties after my visit. Probably there is no place in the Arctic where the natives have made greater progress toward civilization than here, although the cost already includes the life of Kev. Mr. Thornton, who was murdered by three native boys a few 3^ears ago. The corresponding secretary of the association has informed me that if there was any contract between them and the Bureau, he had never seen it. The mixing up of interests to the extent that we find here must be regarded as unwise in the long run, as it tends to con- flict of authority and to stir up jealousies and and antagonisms that were better avoided. A copy of the agreement between the Ameri- can Missionary Association and the Prince of Wales herders follows: Agreement beliveen the American Missionary Association and the Cape Prince of Wales reindeer herders. Know all men by these presents, that this agreement entered into between the American Missionary Association, party of the tirst part, and the Cape Prince of "Wales herders, party of the second part. Witnesseth: That the American Missionary Association, through its missionary, W. T. Lopp, for the purpose of benefiting, elevating, and assisting to self support, the Eskimos in the region of Cape Prince of Wales, have given deer to said Eskimos, subject to the following agreements and limitations: First. During the period of 20 years from the date of signature of this agreement, said party of the second part (his heirs, assigns, or executors) , agree not to sell, exchange, give, kill, or in any way dispose of any female deer except to the Govern- ment or mission or to an Eskimo for the purpose of enabling him to engage in breed- ing and raising of reindeer. Said transfer to an Eskimo requires the written approval in duplicate of the missionary in charge and the party receiving said female deer, must bind himself to become subject to the same conditions and limitations as the party of the second part. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 55 Second. Said party of the second part can kill and dispose of male deer for sup- port of himself and familj^ and agrees to consult and ask the advice of the missionary in charge, when possible or convenient, before killing and disposing of said male deer. In selection of herders the party of the second part agrees to consult with and ask the advice of the missionary in charge. Third. That party of the second part further agrees that in case of his death before the expiration of said twenty years, his deer shall be turned over to the American Missionary Association, which organization, through its local missionary, H. W. Hubbard, its treasurer, and W. T. Lopp, its missionary, shall determine the best manner of distributing the deer among the relatives of said deceased of the second part, unless said party of the second part shall have made a will before his death, witnessed by the missionary in charge and two Eskimos (herders). In such case the distribution of said deer shall be in accordance with said will. Fifth. During the said 20 years the parties of the second part agree to counsel with the missionary in charge in regard to the general management of the herd. In case of disagreement between the herder and the missionary in charge, the question may be submitted to the U. S. Supt. of reindeer in Alaska for arbitration. If not satisfied with his decision, an appeal may be made to the A. M. Association's head- quarters in New York. Sixth. The party of the second part further agrees to furnish information in regard to his deer to the local missionary; also allow at any time the inspection of the herd by the U. S. Supt. and local missionary, furnishing transportation to and from the herd when requested by said officials. Seventh. Said party of the first part agrees to assist said herders of the 2nd part in every way in its power to get annual supplies shipped from San Francisco or Seat- tle to said herders at flie lowest prices possible. Said party of the first part further agrees to make no profit on supplies furnished for said herders or on the sale of deer meat or sled deer belonging to said herders. Eighth. If any of the agreements above written are violated by said party of the 2nd part (his heirs, assigns, or executors) the said party of the second part shall subject himself to a fine. Said fine shall consist in confiscation of deer belonging to said party of the second part, the number to be determined by the local missionary, H. W. Hubbard, treasurer of the A. M. A., and W. T. Lopp, missionary. Ninth. After the expiration of 20 years from the date of each signature to these articles and agreement said party of the second part shall be free from all the conditions and limitation of the within agreement. Signed and witnessed in duplicate. First party : \V. T. Lopp, For the A merican Missionary Association July 9, 1902. Second parties: George Ootena. Fe.\nk Ivatunguk. John Sinnok. Peter Ibiano. James Keok. Stanley Kiyeazruk. Thomas Sokweena Eningwok. TELLER. Teller was the orio-inal reindeer station, unless we could include the 16 landed on one of the Aleutian Islands, which have already been referred to, and it was from the Teller station that most of the herds have been started out. (See Exhibit Q.) Probably no good purpose will be served by undertaking to fully anal\'ze and state herein the various transactions in deer at Teller. The animals have been landed here from various places, and man}'^ fawns have been born and many have died, and besides there have been all sorts of exchanges, purchases, sales, and gifts, and to such an extent that it is not possible, in the short time that a revenue cutter can wait, to sift the whole matter. The Lutheran Synod has an orphanage here, carried on in a building 56 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. owned by the (loveniiiieiit, where the inmates have a t^ehool \Yith an average attendance of IT. Rev. T. L. Brevig is superintendent and received $000 a year from the Government, and 1. A. Bango, a Laphmder, is paid $500 a year as an expert deer herder, and he is supposed to ])e fed and clothed by the mission. The Lutheran synod contributes a lumi) sum of $1,000 annii- all}^ for the support of the children. Mr. Brevig iias been absent from Alaska for several months, but returned August 1, 1005. During his absence Ludwig Larsen, the post- master, had charge of affairs and received $80 a month from the Goy- ernment and $400 a year from the synod. The inmates of this orphanage or home are mostly the children of parents who died of an epidemic two or three years ago, and it should be a source of satisfaction to ever^'bod}^ that they are here well cared for. In attempting to tind out the true status of the deer herd here, it was soon discoyered that most of the figures w^ere based upon esti- mates, although Mr. Larsen submitted a report to the Bureau in my presence, giving exact figures as of June 30, 1905, although he appeared to know nothing of a loan of deer. Mr. Brevig told me the number of deer is as follows: Mission, 404; Government, 130; Dun nak, Se keog look, 113; Se raw look, 11; Koy look, 10; Ab likak, 254; with 22 estimated as being at large; total, 1,033, but Mr. Brevig afterwards concluded that the total number of deer, including new'-bom fa"v\ns, was 141,whi(h fguics rigue ^ith those of Larsen, the postmaster. The truth is that the only recent count was made by Mr. W. T. Lopp in December, 1904, when he found 919, but he informed me that by order of the Bureau a part of them had been removed to Unalakleet. The herd was ^'isited, ])ut of course it was impossible to count them or to tell to whom the}^ belonged. Superintendent Lopp says that Mr. Brevig has given out only 25 deer to the natives in the last live years. This station is perhaps a fair illustration of how the policies of loaning and reloaning and swapping deer works out. The al)ove list shows that one native boy 15 j^ears old has 254 head, one has 113, and three others have a few. and the l)alanceof the natives have none. Notwithstanding Teller is the oldest station, there is only one native who is rated as an independent herder or owner of unin- cumbered deer; the others are still apprentices. On September 1, 1905, this mission was supposed to turn back to the Government 100 deer in accordance with the terms of a lease. Since the Gov^ernment put up the buildings in which the Lutheran Orphanage is now carried on the village of Teller has sprung up some 5 miles distant on the opposite side of the bay. Here the Bureau main- tained a mixed school up to May 31, 1905, with 24 pupils, l^ut it lapsed under the provisions of the so-called Nelson law. (Public — No. 26, sec. 7, 1905.) This school was conducted in a private building which contained 17 good school desks, which were paid for by the Bureau. Referring again to the reindeer, Superintendent Brevig stated that in 1903 they claimed to have 48 trained deer, but he was unable to state the number at present, so this information was sought from Mr. Larsen, who was in charge during Mr. Brevig's absence, but he was unable to inform me. Remarkable feats by reindeer teams have been reported at this sta- EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 57 tion, but upon inquirv the only work performed last winter was to carj-y the supplies out to the herders and to make two trips to Ear Mountain to the camp of some mining- prospectors, the latter work being done by mission deer at a charge of $1 a day for each deer; hence no benetit accrued to the natives, unless the privilege of driving a deer team 90 miles and back be considered such. There seemed to be a lack of knowledge everywhere as to the num- ber of deer that an apprentice would have at the end of his tive 3'ears^ service; also whether deer turned over to apprentices would come from the mission herd or the Government herd. Then again the matter of who is to furnish the herders with rations does not appear to be settled, and this adds more to the tangle. Such simple questions as those just mentioned ought to have been settled once for all at the very beginning. Teller is situated on the only harbor in these northern waters; hence ships can safel}" remain at anchor, and this being the parent station it is only fair to expect that it should have been so conducted that the management should be safely taken as a model in the development of the deer industry. (See Exhibit E, Superintendent Lopp's letter, sent after m^^ visit.) GOLOVIN BAY. At Golovin Bay there is a well-established and well-kept mission, planted b}" the Swedish Lutheran Church, which is nomiiiall}^ under the superintendence of Mr. O. P. Anderson, although he is now absent for the coming year, and his place supplied by Mr. J. A. Gustafson. The Government employs here Miss Anna Hagburg as school teacher at $60 a month, with an enrollment of 65 pupils and an average attendance of something over half that number. Thirty children were kept at this mission all of last winter at its expense, and there can be no doubt about the helpfulness of this mis- sion to the native children. The acting superintendent speaks Eng-lish very imperfectly, and in an effort to obtain from him the desired data he seemed to be wholly dependent upon the memorandums of his predecessor for his figures. It was learned, however, that the total number of deer is 1,164; also that the mission received a loan of .50 deer in January, 1896, but there are onh' 32 credited to the Government. The followijig is the state- ment received as to ownership: Mission, 462; Government, 32; Nels Klemetsen (Laplander), 287; 3 self-supporting herders, 301; appren- tices of native herders, 28; 3 mission apprentices, 35; 1 appi'entice to Klemetsen, 4; absentee native, 6; Mrs. Dexter, wife of a white man, 9; total, 1,164. Of this number 52 are said to be trained. As usual, the herd was several miles from the mission, but had circumstances afforded an opportunity of actually seeing the animals no additional data could have been obtained, as the information concerning ownership is in the hands of the superintendent. It should ])e stated, however, that there are reasons for believing that there are less than 52 trained deer in the herd. Golof nin is only about 50 miles from Nome, which, of course, furnishes a good market for venison, and the real value of the Golofnin herd is more than it would be at a more distant point. One of the native herdei's sold 18 deer last winter at $40 each, and Nels Klemetsen, the Laplander, sold 6 at $45 each. As shown, Nels Klemetsen is the owner of 287 head, worth at the lowest price mentioned $11,480. 58 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. It is understood that the Bureau made a loan of deer to Klemetsen several 3'ears ago, and it will Vje also noticed that if the Bureau's esti- mates that a herd will doul)le ever}- three years is correct, Klemetsen will in a few vears have a fortune in his herd. Probably some restrictions or agreements were made with Klem- etsen, but of this we are not informed; the record is that he has only one apprentice, who has 4 deer of his own, and it is tolerably safe to assume that Klemetsen is giving his attention to accumulating a herd that will make him independent. Nothing will so eti'ectually counteract the efforts of the friends of the natives to establish them in the profitable business of raising deer as to loan or sell deer to white men without a carefully drawn contract, supported by a good and sufficient bond. Klemetsen's case is a good illustration of what we ma}^ reasonably expect. He is already well established in his business, and at the Government's expense; he has free pasturage and is likelv to prosper. But for the embargo issued by the Russian authorities white men would now be in the deer business on a large scale. It was bad enough to import the 67 men with their families, and pay all their expenses, but it was worse to set them up in the deer business. BETTLES. A school was established in Bettles in 1904, in a school building 20 by 30 feet, upon which the Government has expended $3,114.82, and an attempt was made to establish a reindeer herd. Mr. D. W. Cram and wife, of Staples, Minn., were placed in charge July 31, 1904, at $1,000 each per year, with allowance for their traveling expenses from St. Louis, Mo., to their post of duty in Alaska. The employment of both Mr. Cram and his wife seems to have been somewhat of an inno- vation upon the established polic}^ of the Bureau, or at least so far as the amount of the salary is concerned. The station is far away in the interior and teachers fitted for the service can hardh^ be expected to serve at a price that will be satisfactory in the States; the exhibit of the Bureau, placed in my hands, did not, however, disclose the fact that Mrs. Cram, as well as her husband, was to receive $1,000 a year for her services. The school has been discontinued b}^ order of the Bureau and Mr. and Mrs. Cram relieved. In an interview with Mr. Cram it was learned that while he was at Bettles he was in nominal charge of the reindeer, which were in two herds. He states that he inspected the deer in February, 190.5, and "estimates''' their number to be from 280 to 300, although he admits that the}^ were not counted, and says "there ought to be 140 fawns." This is the best information that can ))e given as to the number of deer at that point, which are put down in the Bureau's report as 400. Bettles having been abandoned, Peter Bals, a Laplander, has been ordered b}'^ the Bureau to drive the deer to Tanana, where JNIr. Cram informs me lumber is on the ground for a new school building, fur- nished by the Government, but on examination of the authorized expenditures by the Department, no mention appears for a building at Tanana. Mr. Cram says the deer are to be turned over to Mr. J. L. Prevost, a missionar}' under Bishop Rowe, of the Episcopal Church. Mr. Cram did not appear to be entirely satisfied with a settlement that he had just made with the Bureau, hence some slight allowances are made for EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 59 some of bis statements, owing to his then frame of mind. It seems that Mr. Prevost claims the Bureau of Education owes him 350 deer, to replace a like number which had run awa}', and that when Cram was directed to turn his herd over to Prevost he refused to accept them as a new loan, whereupon some moditications of the Bureau's original plans were made, and it was agreed that the expenses of the herders were to be paid in driving the deer to Mr. Prevost's station; and it was further agreed that the Government should also pay the expenses of an extra man to assist in the work, to be furnished by Mr. Prevost. Mr. Cram understands that the Tanana station is to receive gratis a part of the herd to mollify Mr. Prevost's feelings, he claiming that he has been wronged by the Government because the deer ran away. Mr. Cranrs information was somewhat indefinite, but it seems to be sufficient to show something of th-e snarls that will arise from having too many persons interested in a herd of deer. To the credit of reindeer it should be mentioned that Mr. Cram states that he could have sold a few trained deer at $100 each to prospectors in the neighborhood. It remains to be seen whether the deer will be a success in the interior of Alaska. It does not appear why the Bettles School was discontinued unless it was to unload a pretty heavy salaried expense for a school that com- menced with eight pupils and closed with 15. Mr. Cram was placed in a very unpromising field. GAMBELL, ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND. St. Lawrence Island, which is about 100 miles long and from 10 to 50 miles wide, is a reindeer reservation b}^ Executive order dated June 7, 1908. It is estimated that there are about 250 natives on the island, which is barren and treeless, and these people must, of necessity, live from the products of the sea. With the exception of an occasional whaler stopping to trade for whalebone, walrus ivory, and fox skins, the only visitors come on the annual visit of the United States revenue cutter, which this year arrived first July 9, and again August 25. The report of the Bureau for 1901 states that this is a Presbyterian mission, and the Presbyterian board claims to own buildings there, but the officers of the ship told me that everything belonged to the United States, and 1 find that the Government paid |1,000 for the schoolhouse October 31, 1891, and the tradition is that a considerable part of the laboi- in constructing the combined schoolhouse and dwell- ing was paid for l)y the United States, if not entirely so. Edgar O. Campbell, M. D., is the superintendent and teacher here, for which service he is paid $1,500 a year. Besides Mr. Campbell, the Government also pays Albert Lahti and Sigfried Sotka, Finlanders, $600 per year each, together with rations and clothing for themselves and their families. Inasmuch as all other persons on the island are Eskimos, it must be seen that this is a mis- sion in name only. The school had an average attendance of 65 during the last school 3"ear, some of whom were probably adults. The island is ISO miles from the mainland of Alaska, and the cold is intense in winter. The only fuel is such driftwood as may come ashore from hundreds of miles away, and it is upon this driftwood that the natives must rely for such wood as goes into their huts. Upon arriv- 60 EDUCA.TIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. ing the first time upon the i.sland Doctor Campbell could give me but very little information concerning the deer, he being of the opinion that the Frc.s])yterian mission owned them all excepting 39 which had been earned by three native herders. On the second visit he informed me that the total number of deer was 189, and that the mission had received a loan of 70 deer in 1900, which under the terms Avere returnable this year, which would leave the account as follows: Mission, 84; Government, TO, returned this year: Sapulla, 20; Penin, 12; Pungowiyi, 3; total, 189. Of this number 10 are reported as sled deer, although there has been very little demand for their use as such, and upon inquiry it was ascer- tained that dogs were used by Doctor Campbell and the natives for hauling fresh water for domestic purposes. So far as the report of Doctor Campbell is concerned the 70 deer w^ere placed to the credit of the Government under pressure after my arrival, and it must be confessed that no reason has yet been discovered or advanced by any one for loaning 70 deer at this place to a mission, which so far as has yet been shown does not exist. But this does not appear to be the worst feature, for after all these years there are only four native herders, and only three of these have acquired deer. Doctor Campl)ell seemed to be very uncertain as to the rules govern- ing the issuing of deer to natives, showing the lack of uniformit}^ in the regulations which has already been touched upon at other points. Touching the ownership of the buildings here, which are, besides the schoolhouse, some inexpensive outbuildings, the Presbyterian board claims to have paid ^2,000 thereon in 1903. It has also been discovered that on October 31, 1891, the Bureau paid the treasurer of the foreign missionary board. Reformed Episcopal Church, $1,000 " to aid in building a schoolhouse on St. Lawrence Island, Bering Sea." In this connection attention is invited to page 29 of " Facts about' Alaska," by Sheldon Jackson, D. D., LL. D., which reads, "In 1891 1 erected a good schoolhouse and teachers' residence at the village, the funds for which were provided by ]Mrs. William Thaw and Mrs. Elliot F. Shepard," and "in July, 1894, the Government school wag opened there." The Presbyterian board claims the land where the buildings are located and has asked to have it patented to thcm.^ Admitting that the deer business is mixed up on this worthless island, the ownership of the schoolhouse and teachers' tenement combined seems to be in even worse shape. The Iniildings are probably not worth over $3,000. Placing deer here was a most excellent arrangement, and their prop- agation should ])e encouraged in every reasonable way, but there seems to be no good reason for raising reindeer for anybody excepting the natives, and as long as the island is a reservation for this purpose and the Government pays all the bills, it would appear that it should have an undisputed right to manage the entire business, and unless it can do so it would seem to be the only dignified plan to retire from the field. The Bureau's report for 1902 gives the number of deer as 1.50, a gain of only 39 in three years. The'firm of S. Foster & Co., of San Francisco, the concern that has furnished most of the supplies for the stations of Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean, opened a small store on the island this summer, having permission to do so from the Department. The objects sought are of a twofold nature: First, of course, to give the natives an opportunity EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 61 to exchange their whalebone, ivory, and fox skins for food, upon a reasonal)le tiasis; the other being to give Foster & Co. control of the output of the island, in place of the same being bartered away to unscrupulous whalers, who frequently distribute whiskj^ of the vilest kind in exchange for the native commodities, which are often secured by the whalers for trifling returns. If the license granted Foster & Co. is hedged about with suitable restrictions, it will doubtless result favorably for the natives. Probabl}' St. Lawrence Island is the most lonesome place where a station has been established, and for the good of all concerned a change of superintendents once in three 3^ears is advised. Kemaining on this island for a full year at a time, without a word from the outside world, tends to incapacitate people for certain kinds of work, and it is believed that a change here would be beneticial all around. Some annoyance has been caused the natives from visiting Siberian natives, it being only about 40 miles from the island to the Siberian coast. As having a further bearing upon the ownership of the buildings here, attention is invited to Fxhibit K, which shows in detail that the Government paid for the transportation of the schoolhouse in 1891, in connection with other items of expense. The following is a copy of a contract with one of the herders men- tioned above. Agreement bettveen United States Bureau of Education and Sigfrid Sotla. Know all men by this agreement entered into this 25th day of April, A. D. 1904, between W. T. Harris for and in behalf of the Bureau of Education, party of the first part, and Sigfrid Sotka, party of the second part; witnesseth: First. That the i>arty of the second part hereby agrees for one year from May 1, 1904, to herd, break, milk, and care for reindeer, make and care for sleds, harness, and skees, tan reindeer skins, raise and train for herding all the herder dogs that are placed under his care or that shall be born during the year; said dogs to be the property of the Government, and a penalty of $10 shall be collected from his salary for every herder pup or dog killed or allowed to be killed through the connivance directly or indirectly of the party of the second part; make fish nets, catch, dry, and smoke fish, build log huts or sod houses, make journeys when required by the superintendent of the Gambell (St. Lawrence Island) station, teach Eskimo men to do all these things, give willing obedience to the rules and regulations made from time to time by the Bureau of Education, and do any and all such services as may be required by the superintendent at Gambell. Second. In return for such services the party of the first part will cause to be j^aid annually to the party of the second part $600. And the party of the first part will supply the party of the second part and his family, if any, with shelter, or tent, together with the following monthly rations: Flour, 35 pounds; oatmeal, 31 pounds; peas, li pounds; green coffee, 5 pounds; cube sugar, 4 pounds; butter, 3 pounds; bacon, 12 pounds; roast beef, 6 pounds; baking powder, 1 pound; matches, 1 package; molasses, 1 quart, and condensed milk, 4 cans. Potatoes, when the station has any. Third. If any party of the second part shall at any time during the contmuance of this agreement refuse to carry out the letter and spirit of the same, he hereby ceases any longer to be in the employ of the above, and the Bureau of Education is released from any further payment or support to the party of the second part. Fourth. It is further agreed tliat the party of the first part will pay traveling expenses to Alaska for the party of the second part and his family. Made and subscribed in duplicate at Hancock, Michigan, the date above mentioned. W. T. Harkis, Party of the first part. Sigfrid Sotka, Witness: Party of the second part. John J. Eichkern. J. H. Jasbercj. 62 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Wc have reason to suppose that the general superintendent of edu- cation for Alaska must have agreements or contracts with all the mis- sions to whom he has made loans of deer whereby it was stipulated that such missions would make some return for a valuable considera- tion, and it will be observed that m}^ comments on the proposed rules and regulations assume that he, as agent of the Government, can explain just what such stipulations cover. Your particular attention is asked to ExhibitsF, G,H, 1, .7,K, L, M, N, O, P, the same purporting to be copies of certain contracts with the parties to whom deer have been loaned, these being all that I have been able to obtain. The Laplanders, viz, Spein, Sara, Nilima, Kle- metson, and Bahr, as shown b>^ Exhibits L, M, N, O, K, agreed to teach the reindeer business to Eskimo men, but I find nothing in the contracts with the missions whereby anything whatever of value was promised, as shown by Exhibits G, I, F. The loans shown by Exhib- its F, H, J are to Okitkoon, Tatpan, and Dunnuk, all natives, irregu- lar, as I view it, but not knowing the circumstances I can not sa}^ as to whether they were proper at the time the}^ were made or not. If it should prove that the Bureau has no contracts with missions at Wales, Golovin, Tanana, Barrow, Teller, Carmel, Unalakleet, Deering, and St. Lawrence Island, or at any other place or places where deer have been loaned, whereby the missions have agreed to return some- thing besides giving back a like number of deer after five years, we must at least conclude that the transactions were of a questionable character, but 1 can only submit the matter as I find it. In closing permit me to say that the matter of interesting the natives generally in the deer business will for years be a serious problem. It is useless to expect the Eskimos to at once grasp the idea that it is all intended for their own good. Eskimos have never formed habits of industry, and it will require generations to bring about the change. With these barbarians there is little law or incentive that is not based upon cold and hunger. They work hard for food, but a tem- porary supply once acquired no lasting lesson of thrift has been learned. Unlike experienced Indian Service teachers, emploj^ees come into this field without precedents or knowledge of the race, and conditions do not permit visits from one station to another for conference, so there is no opportunity to make comparisons in the work or to estab- lish uniform plans of operation in teaching. In Alaska it seems to be every man for himself; as yet, compara- tively few natives appear inclined to take up deer raising when it is left to themselves, as it means regularity of work of an irksome char- acter, which is distasteful to him. Herding requires a tenacity of pur- pose wholly new, and even if the natives took willingl}^ to the new order of things, where is the food for himself and family coming from if he spends his time watching deer? The answer comes at once. They must be fed by those who put them into their new environment. Local workers in the service state that a few of the natives seem to take pride in the deer, but the rank and tile appear indifferent. Hence it will be seen that superintendents need tact, with strong will and persuasive powers to make a success of the work or to accomplish much with the natives. It is useless to expect Eskimos to appreciate that the reindeer, so far EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 63 as the Government controls them, are intended for their benefit, and little expression of gratitude may be looked for. He who thinks man}' of the lessons tauoht, which are not fully illus- trated, will penetrate much below the skin, shows his lack of knowledge of aboriginal races. The report of one of the earlj^ teachers that he secured his first pupils through giving them a piece of pilot bread every time they came to school, when his persuasive powers had failed, proved himself a close observer of the tield. Some opposition to an earl}' and tinal settlement of all loan accounts may be looked for. Still we must believe, if due forethought was exer- cised at the beginning, some plan of winding up the loan business was considered. At any rate, this should be done as speedily as possible. Meanwhile no exact regulations can be tixed that will be applicable to all places where the deer are now held. The amount invested by the Government is too great and the industry too important to be lightly brushed away. For some thirteen years it has been argued that the introduction and propagation of deer for the Eskimo was both necessary and appropri- ate, and it is to be regretted that the deer are not to-day wholly in the hands of the Government or the natives. If the copies of contracts exhibited are representatives of others outstanding, it will be seen that those now in possession of deer have one-sided agreements. RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR REINDEER. A conspicuous feature of my instructions is that requiring of me an expression of my views as to the advisability of the adoption of cer- tain rules and regulations submitted to me in said instructions as Exhibit C. 1 respectfully return said rules and regulations and make them a part of this report as Exhibit C. With the provisions found therein we are confronted with the very idea so often mentioned in this report, viz, the unfortunate mixing up of mission reindeer with those of the Government, a condition that prevails to that extent that there are cases where the local superin- tendents do not know, or pretend to know, just how the ownership stands, or what, if anything, others besides the Government and the natives have agreed to do. Until that can be settled, which will require more time to ferret out than I feel at liberty to consume, the questions involved as to just what rules should be put in force I am unable to determine with suffi- cient certainty to warrant positive recommendations in certain partic- ulars, but I beg leave to refer to the general trend of this report, throughout which the general policy of getting the animals into the hands of the natives as fast as their capacity for caring for them can be developed has been made prominent. 1 would therefore respectfully advise that a part of the school work of the larger boys should be regular service with the herders for periods of not less than one month throughout the entire year, where those in charge of the herds should be required to give the boys such ti'aining as they need for an understanding of the business. This arrangement will not place many boys with the herders at an}^ one time, and, based upon past experience in training boys unacquainted with the white man's ways, better results may be expected when boys begin at an early age. 64 EDUCATIONAL AXD SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. By this means all of the hoys will have pieliniinary trainino- for the work, so that when they take up a regular apprenticeship they are in a measure familiar with the duties. It is believed that a service of three years by an apprentice is long enoui^h, and in that time it can be settled as to whether or not he will ever be willino- to take up the deer business as an occupation. Three deer should be set apart for each apprentice each year, and they, with their increase, should be turned over to him at the end of the term, when thev should be assigned to hini under a written contract that he will not kill, sell, or give away any female deer for a period of twenty years, nor will he give awa^-, sell, or kill any male deer until he shall have permission to do so from a representative of the Government, in writing, excepting, of course, that he ma\^ sell both male and female deer to the Goveriunent, but under no condition shall he part title with the female deer excepting to the Government, meaning by this that he shall not lease to white men. Without exact information as to what contracts are outstanding, it can not be detinitely settled as to who is to furnish the subsistence, clothing, and shelter for apprentices by anything found in Exhibit C, as submitted to me, for it is by no means certain that the missions have agreed to do this. The word ''station," without definition, as put down in Exhibit C, is an ambiguous descriptive term, and under it either the Government or the mission might be expected to furnish the subsistence to the apprentices, and this matter should be determined by calling upon the Bureau to exhibit whatever contracts it may have entered into, when the Department can act understandingly. I consider the matter of the support of the apprentices as one of the most important features to be looked after, and the adroitness displayed in using the unde- fined term "station" in a transaction which will involve the outlay of many thousands of dollars is noticeable, to say the least. The plan which requires the herder, after having the deer assigned to him for twenty years, to provide his own subsistence, seems to be both fair and appropriate. Making rules as to how the deer are to be disposed of in the case of death is somewhat difficult, and can only be satisfactorily arranged in the written contract which the native makes when the deer are assigned to him for twenty 3^ears, wherein the disposition of the deer and their increase can be provided for in the case of his death. It will be found advisable to guard against building up a reindeer aristocracy among the natives b}^ making it impossible for one person to acquire a large herd as against other natives who have eciual rights so far as the intentions of the Government extend. Above all things it should be carefullv set out in all leases, assignments, or whatever agreement is made, that no female deer shall go out of the hands of a native excepting back to the Government. All superintendents and agents should be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The keeping of records has been sadly neglected and more exactness should be insisted upon. Local superintendents are not fully to blame for the shiftless way in which business has been carried on as they have never been provided with suitable record books and blanks. The deer in Alaska are worth to-day not less than $250,000, and every safeguard should be used to protect the Govern- ment's rights. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 65 CONCLUSION. Such critici.siiis ats are found in the foregoing report are intended for the betterment of the service and in the interest of good govern- ment and the relief and ultimate improvement of the natives. Per- sons not in sympathy with this aim should have no place in Alaska under pay of the Government. More than once the difficulties of keeping in touch with the field, for the want of mail and ti'ansportation facilities, have been pointed out. Most of the difficulties and per- plexities to be encountered are ph3'sical rather than political. Some of the work reviewed has at times been enough to dishearten strong men. Therefore 1 admit that an apologetic spirit should pervade this report. Some of the loose and slipshod methods may have arisen in certain cases ahnost entirely from a lack of means to so instruct employees and others that there should be entire unison or harmony of action, while some of the blunders have come from a lack of busi- ness experience along legitimate and economical lines and to the limita- tions and imperfections of human knowledge. The policy of carving on a great work b}' putting the Government into such close business connections with various institutions, has been tried, and the results can not be regarded as entirely successful or sat- isfactoiT, at any rate not sufficiently so that the policy inaugurated should be perpetuated. If an out-and-out subsidy policy can be adopted whereby yearly contracts can be made for the education of native children in Alaska, it may be safely looked upon with favor as to several places, but in the event that such a plan should be put in operation it should be upon a strictly cash basis. I know of no way for legally subsidizing sectarian schools. The yearly reports of the Bureau furnish entertaining reading, and they are embellished with numerous half-tone pictures, more or less appropriate, but these reports appear to be deficient in two particulars; first, they do not give detailed statements of the receipts and disbursements, and secondly, they do not provide in any one set of tables that I have found the information necessary for a complete understanding of the status of the reindeer business. One of the district superintendents told me that there were only two herds in Alaska that had been actually counted, and this, count was made in December, 1904. The impression has gone out from the Bureau — in fact I was told that the reindeer cost from $3 to ^5 in trade goods, but it now appears that, adding the expense of securing them, that the cost has been on the average six or eight times that. Imperfect as the facilities now are for reaching Alaska points where schools are now carried on, they are much improved since the rush following the discovery of gold by an ex-herder at Nome; still, the want of frequent boats makes an ever-present obstacle in carrying on school work, and as to some places prohibits in its entirety suitable attention to details. For obvious reasons the work intrusted to me has been done more or less hurriedly, but I shall feel deeply disappointed if I have failed in my efforts to lay before j'ou a tolerabl}'^ clear presentation of exist- ing conditions. Based upon my own observations and such information as I have been able to gather, I respectfully recommend: S. Doc. 483, 5^1 5 66 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. First. That no inoi-c reindeer ))o loaned to any person or association of i)ersons without the speeitic authority of the Secretar^^ of the Interior in writing, and then only under a written contract supported by good and sufficient sureties. Second. In case it is found that the Bureau of Education, or any person acting in its behalf, has placed property of the Tnited States beyond its control in Alaska w^ithout a consideration, that the person or persons who caused or allowed this to be done be required to show cause for such action. Third. There should be a supervisor for schools and reindeer in •Alaska, with headquarters for the present at Nome, and this supervisor should have a deputy or assistant, so that the entire territory can be looked over at least once ever}' year. The supervisor should be required to keep a full and complete record of all the property of the Government as well as a roll of all employees, with their age. sex, location, and salary, and these employees should be required to make monthly and quarterly statements to the supervisor, in triplicate, and all correspondence from and to the Department should go through his office. He should be special disbursing agent, and in that capacitv pa}' all authorized expenses incident to school and reindeer affairs, and generally to do and perform all things necessary to the proper manage- ment of school and reindeer affairs, he to be at all times directly under the orders of the Secretai-y of the Interior, to whom he should report monthly, quarterly, and annually, setting forth in detail all the expenses connected with his office, and from time to time make such recommendations as he may deem wise and expedient. Fourth. That such legislation, if any l)e needed, to carry the above reconnnendations into effect, be asked for. Fifth. That excepting, in so far as the duties ai-e delegated to the supervisor, the entire management and control of schools and reindeer should remain in the Department proper. Sixth. That the loaning of deer upon lines heretofore practiced should be looked upon with disfavor. Seventh. That, so far as practical)le, only such persons as are skilled in medicine should be employed as teachers in the arctic and sub- arctic schools. Eighth. That Congi-ess be asked to so amend the Nelson Act, approved January 27, 1905 (Public— No. 26), that all the schools in Alaska out- side of the incorporated towns be under tlie control of the Secretar}- of the Interior. Such other suggestions and recommendations as seem appropriate and necessar}' will be found in the body of this report. I have the honor to remain, Very respectfully, Fkank C. Churchill, Special Agent. Hon. E. A. Hitchcock, Secretonj of, the biter lor. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 67 Exhibit A. Stopped at Wraiigell, October 0, for about one hour while steamship Cit)/ of Seattle discharged passengers, etc. Wrote Rev. H. P. Corser that 1 would consider any information he wished to submit. — F. C. C. Wrangell, Alaska, August 31, 1905. Churchill, P^sq., Sitka, Alai^ka. Dear Sir: I beg the privilege of calling your attention to the necessity of a visit to Wrangell and the west side of Prince of Wales Island in your study of the school question of Alaska. 1 believe that some very interesting facts will be disclosed by such a trip. Yours, very truly, Harry P. Corser, Pastor of the Peoples Church. Wrangell, Alaska, Nomnher 16, 1905. Dear Sir: In reply to your letter of November 4 I beg to offer the following: I would first call attention to the close and very intimate relation existing between the Government schools of Alaska and the Presbyterian Church. I came to Alaska six and one-half years ago as a Presbyterian missionary. My attention was called to the slack management of the (xovernment schools in south- eastern Alaska; whites and Indians were both suffering. As for example at that time there was not in the town of Wrangell (and the town then was as large as now) a boy or girl under 10 years of age that knew as much as the multiplication table. I published a criticism in the local paper charging mismanagement of the public schools. I received a letter from the home board of Presbyterian missions directing me not to publish any more criticisms of Doctor Jackson or any of their workers. I have not this letter, but no doubt there is a copy of it on the files of the Presbyterian Home Board. I have been told by several fellow missionaries that it is not good policy to criticise Doctor Jackson's work. I did criticise him and have been dropped out of the church ( Presley terian). You can easily imagine the effect that such a con- dition would have on the schools. At the present time the teacher in the school at Jackson, at Klawack, at Shakan, at Kassan, at Wrangell, at "T" Harbor, at Juneau (?), at Sitka (?), are graduates of Park College, Missouri, a Presbyterian institution, an institution largely officered by the McAfee family, a member of this family being the school secretary of the Pres- byterian Board of Home Missions. Now, granted that these young people are estimalile young people, with some, at least, theoretical missionary zeal. Park College is a second-rate classical school. These people are not prepared by their education for tlie work they undertake. A graduate from an industrial school would be far better. A graduate from Car- lisle, even, would be far better fitteci for the work that the Alaska teacher is called upon to do. I had a talk with one of the teachers that began work this year. I said to her it would be a good thing to introduce sewing into the school. She exclaimed, "Must I teach sewing?" She is now teaching in the Wrangell Indian school. This is only an illustration. Young, inexperienced people are placed in the schools without any instruction as to their duties or any special preparation for their work. They are never called for a convention to discuss methods of work. Is it strange, then, that the school work of southeastern Alaska is largely a failure? Further, I would speak of Governor Brady and Judge Kelly. Judge Kelly has been the local superintendent for southeastern Alaska for a number of years. With him there has been a marked neglect of duty. His visits to the schools have been very infrequent, not averaging once a year, and when he has visited them he has made scarcely any effort to ascertain the actual condition of the schools. Before Wrangell was incorporated, for example, he has visited the schools here and while in the town he did not call on any of the school committee to ascer- tain their views, and he always has ignored a large part of the best citizens in find- ing out what are the actual conditions of the scliool. Mr. Kelly's record is such that leads people to believe that he wall use his official position to reward those who are officially connected with Presbyterian work. For exam))le, when he was census enumerator he made the following ajipointments: Rev. Edward Marsden, Presbyterian missionary, enumerator for the Ketchikan dis- trict; Lee ^^'akefiekl, married into an Alaska Presbyterian missionary family, enu- merator for the Wrangell district; a teacher in the Sitka school, enumerator for the Sitka district. Further than this I am not informed. 68 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. The story of the Klawak School building i.« interesting. Four years ago I visited Klawak. At that time there was no missionary there, and the school was closed. I held services in the schoolhouse. The schoolroom was amply large for a school, but not large enough for a church. At the rear of the schoolroom were two rooms for the teacher. Shortly after my visit there a Presby- terian missionary was sent to Klawak, who took possession of the schoolhouse. The next winter Hall Young, the syno, and at the close of the sixth year 58, a herd which is sufficient to support, with its increase, the herder and his wife and children. Counting the new fawns, one-half males, one-half females, which is according to experience, at the close of the third year the total of 12 would consist of 3 males and 9 females; for the fourth jear 7 males and 15 females; for the fifth year 13 males and 23 females; for the sixth year 23 males and .35 females. If 12 males were used for food and clothing for his family in the course of his first inarty of the second part further agrees to waive all legal claim to the loan of a herd of reindeer under an agreement entered into with the United States War Department on or about the twenty-fourth day of January, 1898. Seventh. If an}^ of the conditions or agreements above written are violated by the I)arty of the second part, then the party of the first part can, at his discretion, cancel this agreement and require the party of the second part to return to him as agent of the Bureau of Education one hundred (100) reindeer, in the same proportions as the original loan, the said one hundred deer to be selected by the party of the first part. Made and subscribed to at Unalaklik, Alaska, this 4th day of August, 1902. Sheldon Jackson. [seal.] Witnesses: Ole Oleson Bahr. [seal.] A. E. Karlson. IE J. Hendrickson. 80 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. EXHUUT L. Agreement hetweenOie United Staten Bureau of Education and Per Math'is .» ^^ """""' "^"^V. Y. StampeiJ^ "Major, Third Infantry, Commanding." On the 8th of August, 1905, a letter was addressed to me f^i^rlhe office of the Bureau of Education which, in justice to Mrs. Cram and mvfmi, should have been written at least three months before. By the terms of tha^tter the Bettles school was to be closed because "that Congress had reduced th||ichool appropriation from $100,000 to $50,000 and the reindeer appropriation fron^25,000 to $15,000," a fact that the officers of the Bureau had known for more than five months, and during which time we had been told that we should be retained at Bettles for another year, and had made our plans accordingly. This letter also stated, further, that I should remove the herd southward to the neighborhood of Fort Gibbon, and if I chose I could make my headquarters at Tanana for the winter; "unless you and your wife prefer coming out." In that case I was to turn over the herd to Rev. J. L. Prevost, Episcopal missionary at Tanana. With regard to the Finns, I was cautioned not to give letters of introduction to either steamship or railroad companies for their return fare; I was also informed that they would be discharged on September 1, 1905, and the writer of the letter says: "I will in a couple of days send $100 of their salary account to each of them; this will enable them to pay the^r way back to the States if they wish to return." As to the salaries of myself or wife for the coming year there was not the slightest EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 97 mention. While the letter advised my going to Tanana for the winter, if I chose, no mention was made as to how we were going to get there, nor if the Government would pay the expenses of making the move were it possible to do so. The othcers of the Bureau of PMucation should have known that the chances were greatly against the delivery of that letter at Bettles before the close of navigation. As a matter of fact I intercepted the letter about 600 miles from Bettles on my way out to the States with Mrs. Cram. This letter closing the school at Bettles was written August 8, nine days before the Bureau of Education received mj' telegram from Nulato stating that we could not consider a cut in our salaries for the coming year, a certified copy of which telegram I have, attested by the signature of the Commissioner as to the date of its receipt, August 17, 1905, at Washington, D. C. The various letters referred to under this head, aside from containing the informa- tion already mentioned, also contain other matter relating to the conduct of the herd at the Bettles station. lYlp to telegraphic co)nmunication.— -When the steamer Koi/nkuk arrived at Bettles on her second trip, bringing no relief for the Finn herders, and the appointments for the coming j^ear for either Mrs. Cram or myself had not arrived, it became evident if we were going to remain at Bettles for the coming winter and know just how much money we were going to have to live on, I must make an attempt to get in telegraphic communication with the Bureau of Education at Washington. To accouiplish this it would be necessary to leave Mi's. Cram at Bettles alone to manage and care for the herd and the herders and the apprentices as best she could while I took the trip to Fort Gibbon, by the way of Nulato, some 750 or 800 miles away, 600 miles of which, from Bettles to Nulato, must be traveled in a small open boat. There would be weeks at a time when we could not hear from each other, and there was the element of risk that always accomj^anies such a river journey. That very month in which I left men had lost their lives in those northern streams who had ])etter boats than the one in which I and my party would make our trip. On the 27th of July I made up a party of four other men, all but one stranded miners, who wanted to get out of the country, and securing an old jseterboi'o canoe, repairing it to some extent, we started down the Koyukuk River. It was still the time of year when it was daylight all night, and we ran night and day, only stopping in camp long enough at any one time to cook a meal, and in five days we reached the Yukon River. At Nulato. — On August 2, 1905, from Nulato I sent to the Commissioner of Edu- cation the following message: Nulato, Alaska, August 2, 1905. Commissioner of Education, Washington, D. C: Can not consider cut in salaries coming year. Commercial Company Bettles advanced prices on some provisions 50 per cent already. Appointments to include transportation Bettles to New York if we wish to go. Living expenses so large last year not enough left to pay fare home. Finns send following message: " We demand ti-ansportation from Bettles to St. Michael, at least. "Raisexex." Jensen sick two months. Order on Fort Gibbon received. Going now arrange immediate shipment, if possible. Supplies can not reach Bettles by sledding before January, 1906. Wire authority secure industrial school ration children 5 to 14 attending regularly. No acknowledgment received expense account self and Finns. Reached Nulato five days, traveling night and day. Peterboro canoe. Distance, 600 miles. Reply Fort Gibbon. D. W. Cram, Superintendent Gorermnent ScJiool. With reference to the industrial school ration mentioned in the above telegram, we had been informed that the school at Unalaklik had received such aid the year before to a limited extent, and I desire the same privileges for our Bettles pupils who were not yet able to support themselves while their parents went on their long hunts, so that these children would not be compelled to go on these journeys, which interfered greatly with their work in the schoolroom. Since coming to Washington I have compared this message as sent at Nulato with the copy as it was received at the office of the Bureau of Education, and while there were a number of words changed in transmission, the first half of the message, deal- ing with myself and the Finn herders, came through almost without error. As I S. Doc. 483, 5^1 7 98 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEKVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. have mentioned before, tliis message played no part in the elosino; of the school at Betties, that order havinrospects, he said, are that they will soon be sending large orders of such trappings to Alaska. The sort of harness used in Alaska up to the present has been the sort which the Lapp teachers, brought over by the (jovernment to teach the Eskimos, have been accustomed to in Lapland. In his office in the Bureau of Education building Mr. Jackson has samples of the old and new harness. He is inclined to think that in years to come the supplying of reindeer harness to Alaska will be an important branch of manufacturing in San Francisco. Speaking of the present status of the reindeer industry in Alaska to a Times reporter. Doctor Jackson said : "In introducing the reindeer into Alaska I had one very great advantage, which I am satisfied has tended more than anything else to the present success of the ven- ture, and that was that the Eskimo had a knowledge of the advantages of reindeer keeping liefore I or any other white man ever came among them. You see the Alaskan natives are acquainted with the Chukches and the Koriaks, on the Asiatic or Siberian side of Bering Strait. The Chukches own large herds of reindeer, and in the old days, before Alaska l)ecame part and parcel of the United States, the natives of all northwestern America and notheastern Siberia used to gather once a year to hold a big fair at Kotzebue Inlet, on the America side of the strait. The main staple of this fair was reindeer skins. The Eskimos and Indians from the American side used to come distances of 590 and 600 miles, to trade various articles for the rein- deer skins which the Chuckches and Koriaks from the Siberian side used to bring over by the thousands, the product, of course, of their enormous herds of reindeers. "The Eskimo and Indians needed these skins for winter clothing, and the Koriaks used to sell them at an immense profit for furs, which they disposed of to the Rus- sian traders farther inland in Siberia. I have been told that in the old days as many as 5,000 people would gather at this fair. It is still held, but, now that the Eskimos are raising their own deer, it is falling off, the last having attracted only a few hun- dred people." EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 109 Exhibit C C. Washington, D. C, December 7, 1905. Dear Sir: Having called several times at the Bureau while visiting here in Wash- ington I heard yon were in New Hampshire, but are expected to return in a few days. As I must leave to-morrow for California, and in the spring again for Alaska, I thought it well worth the trouble writing a few lines to you. Yon know how deeply I am interested in the Eskimo, and that I would do any- thing in my power to save or diminish the sufferings of that fast disappearing race. During my stay in Alaska 1 have come in closer touch with the native than most white men, even more so than many of our missionaries. 1 have been with them in their igloos, in their skin boats, on snowshoes, on the ice floes of Bering Sea hunting the polar bear and whale. I have seen some gruesome sights during the epidemic of I8V)9, when whole families and villages were wiped out of existence; when among 50 inhabitants but 2 children who were able to walk and bring the suffering water; when there was no food to be gotten; dead bodies lying every- where, and in one instance, a baV)y lying on its dead mother's breast crying for food. I understand you are making your report now. What will the result of it be? What will the Government do? Will Congress shut its eyes and stop its ears because it is so far away that they can not hear the cry of silent, suffering, human beings? I have heard some talk about rations to the Eskimo. I hope you will not con- sider this for a minute, for it means making a beggar and a loafer out of him. At present, he is by no means a loafer, but a being that has to work hard for his living. The region lie inhabits is not the hospitable one of the Tropics, where the native needs no dress and the ripe fruit falls in his opened mouth, but he has to wrest it from the sea with skill and courage to provide as much as he is able for the winter, and during these months of darkness and rigor of the Arctic, he has to fish through the ice and take his life in his hands every day on the treacherous floes of Bering Sea; he has blizzards to face; and there is no time for playing or loafing; and yet he is of most playful, kind, helping, amiable, and loving disposition. If most of our summer visitors could take into consideration how he has to make his living, the kind of food that he is compelled to eat (I haven't seen one who would not prefer the white man's food to his own), its necessarily oily and greasy nature, and could see under this grease and filth the heart of the Eskimo, their judgment might be different. When I asked Doctor Campbell, from St. Lawrence Island, "Well, what do you think of the Eskimo now?" he said, "Do you remember what you told me three years ago?" I said, "No; I have forgotten." He answered, "You told me 'The first six months you will be much taken with him, will like, and do all sorts of things for him. The next six months you will change your mind, will be disap- pointed, disgusted, and despise him; and then you will change your mind again and love him.' This is just what happened with me." To sum up in a few lines (it would need a volume to go into details) the causes of the extinction of the Eskimo race and its saving, I will mention here a few of the main causes: 1 . Epidemics and sickness in general. 2. Intermarriage and intercourse of the white man. 8. Starvation and poverty. Remedies for the first cause: Hospitals, education, and sanitary conditions. The second: Intermarriage of the whites and immoral intercourse. I think, with- out going into details, the Government should study and in a large measure adopt the Government of Denmark's policy of dealing with them. Principally this: When a white man marries an Eskimo woman he loses his vote and right as a white man, is not allowed to leave Alaska, and virtually becomes an Eskimo, because experience has taught us that a white man never raises the woman to his level, but degenerates to that of the woman. Whisky traffic and immorality must be strictly and heavily punished. The third cause, starvation and poverty, and, simultaneously with these, insani- tary conditions, can be overcome easiest of all, if more people would become familiar w'ith the situation. Is it not an enigma that we white men go to Alaska and come back with fortunes, and yet the native starves? We go to a stream, can hundreds of thousands of cases of salmon, and the native village near the cannery suffers hunger in the winter, digs up the fish heads thrown away from the cannery, and lives on the foul food which you can smell a mile off. You can walk along the beach in the spring and see it littered with dead walrus, and occasionally a whale carcass, which means tons upon tons of food for the native. 110 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICK, ETC., IN ALASKA. There need Ije no starvation if the native could only Have this food. I know of places on the river ui)on which my steamer plies, where with a modern fish trap in time of high water, when the saltwater drives the fish into the sloughs and lakes, I could catch enough fish in one day to last all the villages around Port Clarence all winter. I have been with the Eskimo in the spring when they killed five whale in a week, sufficient food and liglit to last them five years if they could have saved it. The remedy: To give the native a helping hand to keep him from the constant point of starvation and enable him to earn his living; to better his condition, to give him time to go to school and educate himself, to surround himself with sanitary con- ditions, develop his remarkable mechanical skill, etc., is to give him modern imple- ments to catch his food at the right time when it is abundant, and then to save it. The latter is the mainspring of all, and its remedy might seem ridiculous to many who imagine Alaska to be an iceberg; it is — refrigerators. What would Nome do during the spring, summer, and fall with its meat without a cold storage? Let me give you an illustration: The latter part of May a year ago, while out walrus hunting, the natives killed in the course of three-quarters of an hour 85 walrus. Walrus, as you know, is an animal of which the natives use everything; the skin for his boat, the intestines for raincoats, floats for nets, receptacles for oil, etc., meat for food, ivory for implements, and, as he is fast becoming a curio maker, for curios. They loaded their boat to the water's edge, rowed for shore (about 25 miles off), started out again and got another load, but before they could go a third time the ice floe upon which their prey lay had drifted away. When you consider that their largest skin boat will hold but one walrus (weighing from 2,000 to 5,000 pounds), you will see how little they saved from the 100 tons of food. They generally chop off the heads and take in the skin and more expensive parts first. Knowing they can not save the meat, they leave that altogether. This is in case of good weather. But supposing one of your Indian agents, with a crew of these Eskimo and a small tugboat or launch and lighter, had been on the lookout for them, had just helped them to put the walrus on the lighter, towed them into shore, and the meat be taken into a refrigerator. There would have been sufficient food, skins for boats, etc., to last all the Eskimo from Cape Prince of Wales to Golofnin Bay for a year. Similar conditions exist in the beforementioned way of fishing in the rivers. Alaska is a rich country if you know its ways and resources. Each section of the country should have its own superintendent or agent, who, after studying the neces- sity of its peculiar conditions, should provide through the (xovernment ways and means to help the native catch and save his food. You would be surprised with how little expense this could be done and how quick the native would respond, for he is quick to see his opportunity. I do not care to go into details, for these could be attended to by a committee on ways and means composed of such men as Brevig, Campbell, Cambell, Lopp, Marsh, etc. You could build a refrigerator out of a double-walled house and have the space between the walls filled in with ice every spring. At Cape Prince of Wales with f200 for dynamite and drills and with four or five Eskimo I could put up a refrigr erator in that frozen mountain that would outlast the Eskimo race. Some difficulty might be experienced in finding the right sort of men for agents or superintendents. And last, but not least, this would keep the native on his native diet. It has been said that the change of food since the advent of the white man has caused much sickness, and he is not able to stand the exposure on a couple of doughy flapjacks as on seal meat. This would keep him to his trade, which has been bred into him through genera- tions and which has been an almost unsurmountable obstacle to overcome by the reindeer superintendent — to make a herder instead of a fisher or hunter out of him. You know better than I what it costs to make farmers out of the hunters among the Indians. Thinking of the reindeer question: I don't want to say anything against it, because I am glad of any effort put forth to stop death mowing "down the last Eskimo, and it has helped many of them to a living and education. In fact, the only thing I have against it is that there are not more deer imported, and that it is so slow. To illustrate: You would take three pair of pigeons and tell me, "Now, I'll lend you this three pairs of pigeons, you must endeavor to raise pigeons with them. You must return six pairs to me after three years. You must not kill a female; and, in the meantime, you must make your living from them. You know they are good food; they can be used for dress (your wife can wear the wings in her hat); they are good for transportation, especially where there are no telegraph or telephone lines. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEKVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Ill They breed very fast, and in time you'll have enough to supply the whole meat market in Washington; enough for your family, and plenty to sell." When I get my first pigeon and the Eskimo his first dose of reindeer, it is just about two meals, and we'll have to look for something else to support us or our families. But, supposing I jealously guard them; they increase fast; I make carriers of them; use them in places where the country is thinly settled (in Alaska where there are trails or roads nothing can compete with the horse). I can't afford to eat the meat myself, but sell it and buy cheaper meat with it. So does the Eskimo. I use the feathers for beds and the wings for hat trimmings. The Eskimo uses his for sleep- ing bags, and coats, and caps. By the time we have this we are pretty old. But I have a mission to fulfill. I have to lend some other unfortunate one three pairs of pigeons, and I have to make out of my fellow-mechanic and merchant pigeon breeders; when we will all have plenty, and live to see it, we'll have all other meats put out of the markets of Wash- ington, and will compete with the transportation of messages. I saw last year, in the San Francisco Examiner, where some farseeing seer pre- dicted the lowering of prices and the breaking of the beef trust by importation of Alaska reindeer meat. But if you start me and every other man, or, say, every head of a family, with a few hundred pigeons, and granting everyone takes good care of them, there might be soon enough pigeons flying around in Washington that Congress could see them. In case your report should become public property, would you kindly send me one? Very respectfully, F. Kleixschmidt. Hon. Frank C. Churchill, Special Agent, Department of the Interior. SECOND SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT. February 15, 1906. Sir : I have the honor to inform you that in continuing nw investi- gation under your verbal and written instructions, I am compelled to hold in the main to the conclusions reached in my general report, now in your hands, concerning the management of schools and rein- deer affairs in Alaska. In most respects these further incjuiries tend to strengthen and con- firm the original findings in the case. Wliile the Commissioner of Education admits his responsibility for the administration of the Alaska division of his Bureau, it is true, as you are already aware, that Dr. Sheldon Jackson has dominatecl the work, and I have just discovered that he is still in the pay of the Presbyterian Board of Home Missions to the amount of $500 per year, as shown by exhibit 3. I believe I am correct in the opinion that it has never been clearly understood by those in immediate charge of the schools and reindeer herds that the Alaska division is not a sort of eleemosynary institu- tion, nor that anj^thing deemed wdse in administration from the view- point of the missionary was not warranted in fact. What is com- monly known as the '' missionary spirit " has evidently been the underljang principle which has governed the acts of Doctor Jack- son; therefore I need not dwell upon the line of arguments that are made in support of his management. ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND. It was shown in my original report that a loan of TO reindeer was made to an imaginary mission on St. Lawrence Island five years ago, also that the reports of the Bureau credited the natural increase of the herd to that imaginary mission. Conmiissioner Harris expresses himself as mortified over my ex- posure that there is no mission on St. Lawrence Island, but shows that no real harm has been done, as the whole transaction was purely a matter of bookkeej^ing, and that the deer will hereafter be carried on the record as the property of the United States. The only explana- tion offered by the commissioner for Doctor Jackson's acts in the premises is that they thought the Presbj'terian board would establish a mission on the island. Concerning the ownership of the buildings there, which has already been discussed in previous reports, I am now satisfied that the Presbyterian board paid the Episcopal board of Philadelphia the sum of $2,000 toward the buildings, this sum having been begged by Doctor Jackson for that purpose of two charitable ladies in New York City. The Episcopal board of Philadelphia was paid $1,000 as a subsidy from the Government to establish a mission there, which they never did. 112 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 113 CAPE PRINCE or AVALES. Year after year the official reports of Doctor Jackson have shown that the American INIissionary Association (Congregationalist) had a loan of 118 reindeer at their mission at Cape Prince of Wales, but it seems there came a time when a settlement was made for deer taken for the relief expedition to Point Barrow^, when Commissioner Harris demanded an explanation as to the real ownership of the deer taken at that place, when he became satisfied that the deer originally placed there were a " gift.'- The only explanation that I can get for this transaction is that " Captain Healj-, of the U. S. revenue cutter Bear^ who had been instrumental in importing deer from Siberia, said that this mission should be given a herd of deer." Captain Healy is now deceased, and whether or not he advised a gift of Government prop- erty, or whether he meant that they shoulcl receive as a loan a herd of deer for the benefit of the natives, can never be determined. ]\[r. W. T. Lopp, who then represented the mission, says emphat- ically that the deer were a gift, and Doctor Jackson doubtless used the word " give " when the deer were assigned to that mission, which, being done without an agreement that the mission should return a like number, left the question more or less in dispute, and it is now apparent that the mission, through Mr. Lopp, interpreted w^hat might have been intended as a loan, as a gift outright. I have had frequent conversation Avith Mr. Lopp on this subject and he insists that there Avas no room for misunderstanding at the time, and as already men- tioned, affirms in the strongest manner that the deer were turned over as a present to the mission with no agreement made or implied that any return should be made. This much can be said, howeA^er: Nowhere in Alaska haA^e the na- tiA^es made better use of reindeer or receiA^ed more real benefits from them than at Cape Prince of Wales. Mr. Lopp was a good manager and under his management the Eskimos improA^ed greatly, especially in appreciation of the A'alue to them of the deer. It can be said fur- ther that the Congregationalists haA'e been to considerable expense in supporting their mission, and I think it is true that assuming that the Government would haA^e done as much for the natives, the giving aAvay of 118 deer Avas a good trade, but neA^ertheless the doctrine remained that the whole thing was irregular and the transaction un- AA-arranted. In the first instance, it may not haA'e been the intention of Doctor Jackson to giA'e away GoA^ernment property nor for the American Missionary Association to receiA^e knoAvingly Governnieni property without authority of laAv, but the whole thing is an illus- tration of a slipshod method of encouraging a mission, and where in the absence of an agreement the mission could stand on the fact that thev had expended more at the mission than the value of the deer. It is noAV admitted, reluctantly, as Doctor Harris says, that the deer AA-ere a gift, and the fact remains that the mission is in a way to do very Avell in the deer industry. POINT BARROAV. Under the head of Point Barrow, I called attention in my original report to the serAnce at that place of Rev. S. R. Spriggs, who was draAA'ing salary of $1,500 as teacher, while Rev. J. H. Kilbuck was S. Doc. 483, 59-1 S 114 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. performing the duties and also receiving a salary of $1,500 per year. Mr. Kilbuck can hardly be blamed for this arrangement, for he was sent to the Arctic to teach a school at WainAvright and did not ascer- tain, until it was too late to go elsewhere, that even the lumber for the proposed schoolhouse at that place had not arrived. I brought this matter of two salaries to the notice of the Commissioner of Edu- cation, Avho immediately called upon Doctor Jackson for an explana- tion. Doctor Jackson replied that "" Spriggs has resigned," but as I saw Reverend Mr. Spriggs at Point Barrow August 1, 1905, when he informed me that he was being paid by the Government, I tele- graphed Mr, H. C. Olin, treasurer of the Presbyterian board in New York, to know if Mr. Spriggs was in their employ and when his serv- ice commenced, and also asked the Commissioner of Education, in writing, to send me a copy of Mr. Spriggs's resignation and the cor- responded on the subject. Treasurer Olin answered that Mr. Spriggs was put on their pay roll April 1. 1905, and my letter to the Commissioner brought an extract from a letter of Mr. Spriggs to Doctor Jackson, dated August 10, 1905, together with a telegram from Mr, C. L. Thompson, secretary of the Presbyterian board, to Doctor Jackson, giving the Bureau the same information, thus showing that to ansAver my question as to the status of Mr. Spriggs they were de- l^endent upon the Presbyterian board rather than their own record for the facts. All the papers on the subject are transmitted herewith as Exhibit 1. It Avould probably be unjust to accuse any person of trying to keep Mr. Spriggs on the Government pay roll unduly, but no one Avill dispute the remarkable state of things as to management when it is admitted that on August 1 Mr. Spriggs did not knoAv that for four months he had been at Avork for the Presbyterian board instead of the Government, especially Avhen a representative of the Bureau Avas at Point BarroAv Avith nie at that time clothed with considerable authority in making arrangements in behalf of the Bureau; and still more remarkable from a business standpoint that in the end Doctor Jackson had to make inquiry in NeAv York Avhen one of the employees of the Bureau quit the public serAdce. Had the Bureau been equipped with a suitable register, say like Exhibit 2, this woeful lack of information could hardly have occurred. On inquiry at the Treasury Department, I find that ]\Ir. Spriggs has been paid by the GoA^ernment up to March 31, 1905. GENERAL AGENT OF EDUCATION IN ALASKA. As to the arrangement for Doctor Jackson's salarv up to 1897, whereby $1,200 Avas paid by the United States and $1,200 by the Presbyterian board each year. Commissioner Harris explains that this is a part of the old subsidy plan through Avhich at one time the Government aided Indian schools, so that up to the year mentioned Doctor Jackson, Avhile acting as general agent of education in Alaska, Avas evidently a subsidized agent of the Presbyterian Board of Mis- sions, Avith headquarters in XeAv York City. As already mentioned, this was changed in 1897, and I haA^e been lead' to belicA'C that Avhen Doctor Jackson's salary was made $2,500, all of which was i:)aid by the United States, he Avas wholly in the employ of the Government ; but it now appears that the Presbyterian board has been paying him $500 a year, presumably for value received or services rendered. EDUCATIONAL AXD SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 115 I do not feel called upon to comment further upon this matter beyond saying that if it is proper for one incorporated body to pri- vately pay an officer of the Government $500 per year, when that officer is so closely allied with their business, as is true in this case, I see no reason why any other corporation might not with propriety do the same thing. All papers that have come into my hands relative to this subject are transmitted as Exhibit 3. WANT OF PROPER CONTRACTS. In previous reports, and particularly by exhibits therein — F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, and P — I have shown that so far as the Bureau has placed them in evidence there are no binding contracts with the missions that have received loans of reindeer, the deer being by vir- tue of such loan put beyond the direct control of the Government, excepting onh^ that the missions are oljligated to return a like num- ber of deer at the end of five years. It has been explained to me that there was alwaj^s an " understand- ing that the missionaries were to feed and clothe the necessary ap- prentices, herders, etc.," and the argument offered is that this plan relieves the Government of great expense. This all sounds plausible, with the exception of that part where missions are supposed to assume outlays of monej' that would otherwise be paid by the Government. The loaning system would not be so objectionable if properl}^ safe- guarded by well-defined contracts and stipulations that all things supposed to be "" the understanding " shall be actually done and per- formed, but even then it sets up the mission in the reindeer industry in competition with the natives and the Government. At this time the theories offered that the missions only are qualified to determine suitable persons for herders is too absurd to notice. As a class the Alaskan natives are not yet sufficiently advanced in our civilization to discriminate between the value of the friendship and advice of an unscrupulous whaler and a missionary, so long as both parties will provide food to satisfy hunger, and I reiterate that in the i)resent state of the natives food, clothing, and doctors, and the good example of strong and honest men are the most potent and valuable elements for bettering their condition. Teachers of our language who will instruct the natives in reading and writing and the elements of arithmetic and at the same time superintend the manage- ment of the deer as a part of their industrial training are about all the Government should be asked or expected to provide. This means, as a matter of course, appropriations by Congress from time to time. LOW PER CAPITA COST. I gladly give place to the claim of Doctor Harris, that the schools in Alaska have been conducted with very small outlays per capita compared with those under the management of the Indian Office. This claim, however, should not be understood as being in harmony with my own opinion on the subject, and for numerous reasons. First of all, the quality of service rendered can not be comf)ared with that of our Indian schools; another phase, too, merits attention, which is that the Bureau evidently bases its figures upon the enroll- ment basis instead of upon the average attendance of pupils. To IIG EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC.^ IN ALASKA. figure from the number enrolled is misleading- and in this ease unfair. To illustrate, I find on page 29 of Doctor Harris's report for 1905 that the Bureau maintained a school at Wainwright for nine months Avith Go pupils. The fact is there Avas no school at Wainwright until September 1, 1905, and the total population there does not exceed 40 jDersons, and there are numerous instances where the average daily attendance is but a small part of the number enrolled. The excuse will always be present that Alaska being so inaccess- ible it is impossible to keep in touch with the details, and the reason is a very good one, but is not sufficient for putting into official reports as accomplished certain plans that are in fact only contemplated. Commissioner Harris has submitted to me a communication em- bodj'ing his views on the general subject, which is respectfully for- warded for your consideration as Exhibit 4. TENDENCY TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC. For some reason there appears to be an inclination to give out erroneous reports concerning the great success of the reindeer in- dustry. In a former report I touched on this subject, saying that the reindeer business needs no bolstering up, and I have also trans- mitted with a former report a clipping from the Washington Times calculated to give a false impression. Since then Hon. Henry M, Baker, an ex-member of Congress, has told me that Doctor Jackson informed him not long since that there were 18,000 reindeer in Alaska, which is nearly twice as many as his own official reports indicate, the total number being onlv a little over 10,000. I forward herewith, as Exhibit 5, a clipping from the Washington Post of January 30, 1900, concerning the loss of the schooner Lanra Madsen^ which tends to show to the public that the Alaska division of the Bureau of Education has been operating ships, five of which have been crushed in the ice of the Arctic Ocean. CONCLUSION. In conclusion, I respectfully submit that I have endeavored to make my investigations sufficiently exhaustive to give you a correct view of the situation, with appropriate exhibits where the same seem to be necessary. While I feel certain that the Department will see much to perplex and annoy, I believe with complete reorganization the Alaska schools and reindeer herds can be continued without serious disruption. A strong head is needed to oversee the entire business, and even such a man will for a time meet many exasperat- ing questions, which can not be fully solved until all is systematized. ■ I can not believe Doctor Jackson to be dishonest or intentionally guilty of malfeasance, but his zeal in the work of the church, his somewhat arbitrary disposition, coupled with what is commonly known as vanity, have brought enemies here and there who have made insinuations against him that in many instances are false. In all kindness I must say that I doubt if even now he has a fine sense of discrimination between the funds contributed through the agencies of the missionary boards and public funds a impropriated by Congress, so long as in his opinion the entire amount is disbursed to carry out his views in dealing with the natives of Alaska. I have been in- EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 117 formed by friends of Doctor Jackson that his heahh is far from good, and that possibly his judgment has in consequence been im- paired. I have the honor to be, yours, very respectfully, Frank C. Churchill, Hon. E. A. Hitchcock, Secretary of the Interior, Washington, D. G. Special Agent. Exhibit 1. [Telegram.] Interior Department, Washivgton, January 22, 1906. H. C. Olin, 'So. 156 Fifth arciiue, yew York: Please state if Rev. S. R. Spriggs is in your employ at Point Barrow, Alaska, ?ncl when his service commenced. Churchill, Special Agent. [Telegram.] New York, -Tannary 2.'i, 1906. Frank C. Churchill, Washington, D. C: Am writing to -dav in replv vour wire 22d. H. C. Olin. [Telegram.] Education Office, .January 26, 1906. Dr. Charles Thompson, Home Missions, 156 Fifth avenue. Netc York City: Telegraph date when Spriggs, Point Barrow, was placed on your roll. Sheldon .Jackson, General Agent. [Telegram. 1 New York, .January 26, 1906. Rev. Sheldon Jackson. Department of the Jnterior, Bureau of Education: Spriggs commissioned April 1, 190.5. Letter follows. C. L. Thompson. The Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, 156 Fifth avenue, yew York, .January 23. 1906. Frank C. Churchill. Esq., Washington, D. C. Dear Sir : Your telegram of the 22d came to hand on yesterday. Owing to great pressure of other matters. I was unable to answer you until this nxorning, which I did as follows : "Am writing to-day in reply your wire 22d." I now beg to say that our records show that Dr. H. R. Marsh, our missionary at Point Barrow, left there in the fall of 1904. :Mr. Spriggs then carried on his own school work and so much of the missionary work as he was able to do in addition to his school work. Our correspondence shows it was expected that a medical missionary would be sent in by the Interior Department, and that the Government work would all be put in his hands. Consequently it was planned that Mr. Spriggs should become the missionary of this board at that time. 118 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. No Government representative being sent in, as anticipated, until July, 1905, Mr. Spriggs continued his work under Government as previously. He was, however, commissioned as the missionary of this board to date from April 1, 1905, carrying on, we presume, both his Government and missionary work during the time between April 1 and July as best he could, under commission, however, as I liave said above, and under salary of this board from April 1. You. of course, realize, as we do, the difficulty in making definite arrangements with represeutati\es so far away from the home office, the contingencies in- volved in the great distance making it somewhat hard to enter upon definite plans with exactness. Trusting that the condition of things has been made clear, I am, Very truly, yours, H. C. Olin, Treasurer. Point Barrow, August 12, 189S. ]My Dear Friend : I wrote my report and sent it in the regular mail some time ago. Captain Tuttle turned over to me 391 deer and the equipment of the herd. If Oyello don't come up, I can't tell what kind of a herd we will have next year. Captain Tuttle gave me provisions enough to give the herders a little less each month than the same class gets each week at the Government station, so to make any sort of an agreement I will have to turn in every pound of my personal trade goods. Inasmuch as no instructions have come for anyone, I have made contracts with the herders as well as I could under the conditions and as nearly like Unalakleet as possible : but in that the pro- visions will be scarce and skins more so. I have had to agree to give more deer at the end of three years' service than otherwise. To avoid killing any deer, or at least as few as possible, I shall hire four natives to work for me as hunters to get seal. fish, wild deer, and whale meat. Since the board expressly stated that they would be under no money re- sponsiiiility for the herd, it seems to devolve upon me to support the whole busi- ness myself. If that is the case. I shall certainly make a vigorous attempt to pay myself from the herd. To this end I have hired all the men on a cooperative scheme, the men at the herd to get just the same as the hunters. The women will tiirn the sealskins into boots. The bone will be turned into trade, and what extra skins we can buy I will also sell. Then after all expenses are paid divide the profits with the entire band. I wish you would also send me advice about the glue industry. If the deer are ever to pay the natives, they must have some one to act as their agent. I believe, instead of their selling to the traders ; so I am trying this cooperative arrangement. As to whaling. I feel this way : In a whaie there is food for a good many peo- ple a good while, and to keep the natives from getting this food would be a sinful waste, because it would have to be bought if not hunted. I will not buy a pound of whalebone as long as I stay here, no matter what anyone says I do. but I will sell for my own employees their bone and give them the entire proceeds, pro rata, as their contract reads. This, I know, will make Mr. Brown feel worse than anything else I could do. He has said he will do all in his power to get me out of here, and I don't doubt it. It only remains for you to back me up. I have waded in up to my depth, and am willing to fight as long as I am allowed to. I have told the women who live at the station that they are sinning to live with a white man if not married to him legally. Now. of course that stirred up a big rumpus. Then I tried to get Captain Sherman's woman to leave him — rumpus No. 2. Then they tried to steal half a whale from natives, and I told the natives to give it up — No. 3. I bought a lot of whaling gear to trade — No. 4. So you see in the eyes of tlie trader, who has the interests of the trader so much at heart, I am a dangerous maij to have around. But if you and the board sustain me I will fight it out. with God's help, if it takes my life. These traders ran an open house of prostitution this winter, and every officer but one of the shipwrecked men had his " squaw." Now, I don't believe in going into war with the devil with kid gloves on : if that is a sin in New York it is up here, and I am here to fight sin. Every man who works for me has to sign an agreement to keep wife and children (girls) ofF the boats and away from white men and natives, too. and to give up all native EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 119 quackeries : one default deprives the man even of the pay due him. For instance, after two and a half years' service at the herd, if he allows his wife to be used, he will get no deer. I can't take away the food and clothes he has used. At any rate I will not allow any halfway business. You can be perfectly sure that I will not put myself in any position so that I am breaking any rules of the Department or known laws, but I shall not hesitate to do all in my power to help these people to get out of these traders' power. The slaves of the South were better cared for than these people who work for the trader. Now, Mr. .Jarvis believes that the word of Brower is a little stronger than anybody else on earth, but I know ^^•hat I am speaking about and can prove it to anyone not prejudiced. I have written to Doctor Thompson to ask if it will not be possible to put me under the board and send another man and wife up here by the Govern- ment. It will not be possible for me to do the work that ought to be done here alone. The deer can not be kept closer than ?>0 miles on account of the moss, and with inexperienced herders I must go there often. Then I ought to preach at Point Barrow. Erknevik, and Sinrah. This I can not do and teach school five days a \^■eek. Can't you get Mrs. Shenard to support me and then send up a Government teacher for the school? We would both be busy all the time. I don't think I will have to kill any deer for food, but I am pretty sure I will have to kill a few for skins. They are extra scarce this sunnuer. and I doubt if I can get enough to clothe the herders. Since Mr. Stevenson did not come up this year, I have written Doctor Thompson for enough lumber to convert the storehouse into a church and school. The schoolroom is large enough for a storehouse and not half large enough for a church. This will save lumber and unnecessary expense. If you think kindly of my suggestion to make me missionary and send an- other teacher. I wish to recommend to you Mr. Richard Dickinson, of Chicago, 5511 Washington avenue. Both he and wife are graduates of the University of Illinois and especial friends of mine. Both were veiT much interested in missions while at college, and I feel that were they asked to come here they would. They are Congregationalists, but as a Government teacher that would not make any difference. I have written to them preparing them for a letter from you. if you see fit. That would settle the company question for Mrs. Marsh and be a little for me, too. Sincerely, H. R. Marsh. Dr. Sheldon J.\ckson. Barrow, Alaska Aitfjust 10. 1905. My Dear Doctor Jackson: I am very sorry that Mr. and Mrs. Kilbuck are going to leave us for St. Lawrence Island. They have been very companionable helpers. We had hoped that at the most they wo\dd be no farther away than Wainwright. When Mr. Hamilton was here, as there was no one, so far as he knew, coming to teach, he left everything in my charge. The next day in came a belated whaler, the Belvedere, bring Mr. Derb.v to teach the school this winter. He had not seen Doctor Hamilton and Doctor Hamilton knew nothing 'of him. I shall retain charge of the reindeer, however, the same as before, for. as Mr. Derby is a new man, it is better that I should continue in charge of them. I received a letter, too, from Doctor Thompson, of the board, appointing me their missionary here. However, as there was no one c<)ming here it was evident that I was to teach and manage the deer herd, so continuing under Government employ. So I would have written to Doctor Thompson had not Mr. Derby appeared. Now, however, I have written him accepting the appointment. If you have anything different you had better confer with Doctor Thompson. I will continue to care for the deer, if you wish it, and willingly. I consider it advantageous for some one well acquainted with the conditions existing here to direct them. Very respectfully, yours, S. R. Spriggs. Dr. Sheldon Jackson, Wasliiugton, D. C. 120 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Department of the Interior. Bureau of Education, Alaska Division, Washi)i(;ton, D. C, January 19, 1906. Sir: In accordance with your verbal request for information concerning the Rev. Samuel U. Spriggs, for four years and nine months an employee of this office at Barrow, Alaska, I would state that I have no information with regard to Mr. Spriggs previous to his entering the Theological Seminarv at Princeton, N. J. At the close of that course, in the spring of 1808 or 1899. he graduated with honor and the esteem of both the faculty and students, a number of whom gave me waim expressions of their personal feelings toward him. At the close of his seminary course he married and accepted an api)ointment from this office as teacher at Point Barrow, Alaska. ,5° latitude north of the Arctic Circle, at .$inu a month. Perhaps it might be said at this point, to show that Mr. Spriggs in accepting this work was not influenced Ity any mercenary spirit, that the .$900 salary was expected to provide him with a house to shelter his family ; provide him' with provisions, A\hich cost on an average of three or four times as much as in the States: and furnish him with fuel, where the winter is ten months long, and in the severest part of it the thermometer is 60° below zero, and coal at $40 per ton. How he ever made ends meet is a marvel. The probabilities are that he did not, for the following two years — to wit. from .July, 1900, to .June, 1901, and from 1901 to June. 1902 — he was paid an increased salary of $1,200 for each of those two years. During the year from July, 1901, to June, 1902, Dr. H. Richmond Marsh, who was a Presbyterian missionary at that point, returned to the States for a vaca- tion, and I\Ir. Spriggs assumed the work of both Doctor :Marsh and himself. Doctor Marsh had been in charge of the Government reindeer herd at Barrow, and upon his departure the care of the reindeer devolved upon Mr. Spriggs. In addition to the care of the reindeer, it devolved upon Mr. Spriggs to give- the regular attention to the school that was necessary, and this office employed Mrs. Spriggs as an assistant teacher for that year, giving her a salary of $1,000 for ten months' teaching. In the summer of 1902 Doctor Marsh returned to the station, and Mr. and Mrs. Spriggs came East for a vacation and rest. As Mr. Spriggs's salary of $1,200 per annum was not found to be sufficient for the extraordinary expenses of so isolated and inaccessible a station, it was laised to $1,500 a year, and he was paid at that rate from July 1. 190a. to March 31. 1905, when he resigned from the Government employ and took employment from the missionary board of the Presbyterian Church at $l,5(i0 a year and a residence, taking charge of the missionary work of the churcli and caring for the sick, and at the same time continued his oversight of the Government rein- deer herd without expense to the Government. In the sununer of 1905 ]Mr. (and Mrs.) John H. Kilbuck. who had served twelve or more years as teacher and missionary among the Eskimos of the Kuskokwim Valley, was secured by the Government and employed to take charge of a new reindeer station at Wainwright. both teaching a school of native children and supervising a reindeer hei'd in the neighborhood. Owing to the unusual ice condition in 1904. the schooner which had been chartered to carry lumber for the new teacher's residence at Wainwright failed to reach the place in time to erect the building that season ; consequently Mr. and Mrs. Kilbuck were compelled to spend the winter at Barrow, which afforded the only shelter they could secure for hundreds of miles around. With the presence of Mr. Kilbuck at Barrow Mr. Spriggs turned the day school over to ^Ir. Killmck. while he gave special attention to the Government reindeer herd and the care of the sick natives until he left the Government service in 190.5. The building at Wainwright having in the meantime been erected. Mr. and Mrs. Kilbuck, as expected, moved to Wainwright. their original location, and a IMr. V. L. Derby, who h:id taught school the previous winter at St. Michael accei)tably, was transferred to Barrow to take charge of that school. The present situation at Barrow, therefore, so far as this office is informed, is that Mr. Spriggs is there in the employ of the Presbyterian Board of Home ^Missions, caring for their work, and Mr. Derby is there in the employ of the Bureau of Education, looking after the school, with Mr. and ]\Irs. Kilbuck, 100 miles south at Wainwright, in the employ of the Government, teaching school and supervising the reindeer at that point. In the year 1904. when through the efforts of this ofBce the Post-Office Depart- ment created a post-office route between Kotzebue and Barrow, to enable this EDUCATIOXAL AXD SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 121 office to have comiininieatioii with its schools at Barrow and Wainwright. the Post-Office Departmeut advertised for bids for carrying the mail. The route being for 750 miles north of the Arctic through a practically unknown counti'y, without road or trail, two round trips each winter, there was but one bid received, and that was the bid of Mr. Spriggs, who made it in order to secure for himself and family communication with their friends and with the Bureau of Education, in whose emploj- he was at that time. For 3.000 miles of winter travel over a trackless wilderness during the arctic night he received but .$1,500. Any person conversant with the expense of winter travel in Alaska will readily perceive that there was no margin of profit left to the contractor, the whole amount being consumed in the payment of the Eskimo men that carried the mail and other inci- dental expenses. The wish and expectation was that the mail should be carried exclusively with reindeer, but it was found by experience that requiring one team of rein- deer to make 1.500 miles without relays was too much, and the result was that about half of the trips have been made with dogs, the relays of dogs which could be secured at the various Eskimo villages along the route. To make that route a success it will be necessary to so distribute the herds of reindeer in that region that relays of deer can be had about every 100 to 150 miles. The record of the Point Barrow schools during Mr. Spriggs's employment is as follows : Year. Pupils enrolled. Year. Pupils enrolled . 1900 82 Ill 80 1903 (nosehool) ' 1901 1902 1904. __ _ 1905 . .. 100 76 I might add further that Mr. Spriggs has done valuable work incidentally during his sojourn in these five years in the Arctic by compiling a grammar and lexicon of the Eskimo language as spoken in that section. All of which is respectfully submitted. Sheldon Jackson. Hon. W. T. Harris, Commissioner of Education. Exhibit 2. Record of employees at school, at 1905. Authorized position. Com- pensa- tion. Date of ap- proval. File mark. Commence- ment of service. Termina- tion of service. File mark. Date of ap- proval. Name. s % a 1 +3 a r 4 >> & 1 1 a i a o >> a 5 Q i a 1 i 1 be < Single, mar- ried, or wid- owed. Birthplace. Legal resi- dence. Previous occupation. Date of orig- inal appoint- ment. Resigned, transferred, or dismissed. Re- M ^ State. Cong, dist. marks. 122 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA, ExHmiT 3. January 31, 1906. Sheldon Jackson's connection with the Government schools in Alaska. Doctor Jackson commenced his duties of United States general agent of education in Alaska on April 11, 188.5 (see Official Register of Department for 1903, p. 193), the salai-y being paid in part by the Bureau of Education, namely, in the sum of .$1,200 per annum, it being presumed that the Presby- terian Board of Foreign Missions would furnish the other part of the salary. This was in the commissionership of Gen. John Eaton. Inasmuch as the flr.st efforts on the part of the United States to promote education in Alaska was begun and continued for many years in the form of subsidizing the religious missions in Alaska, and the Presbyterians had a number of missions in southeast Alaska, it was certainly economical, and it was thought proper that the supervisor on the part of the Presbyterian Boai'd of Foreign Missions should join with his duties the supervising of the schools on the part of the Government. The course in the Alaska schools followed the course pursued with the education of the Indians in the several Territories, namely, the subsidizing of missionary efforts. Doctor Jackson's connection with education in Alaska has continued from 1885 to date, first under Commissioner Eaton, secondly under the commis- sionership of Colonel Dawson, then under the commissionership of the under- signed (W. T. Harris, who began his duties on September 12, 1889). In the years 1892 and 1893 the Government was in process of changing its plan of managing Indian schools ; this continued the plan of subsidizing religi- ous societies and made more ample provision for public schools. The Com- missioner of Education adopted the policy as nearly as possible in the schools in Alaska. The change consisted in taking over the schools at the several missions and furnishing Government teachers and paying them directl.y from the United States Treasui'y, and ceasing all subsidy to the missions for such educational work or other work as they accomplished. The Bureau of Education began to build school buildings of its own at a con- venient distance from the mission schools. Tb.is process of change was com- pleted as soon as the corresponding changes were completed in the schools under the department of Indian Affairs. After two or three years the missions, feeling that Doctor .Jackson's services were now entirely devoted to schools which the Government established and managed, proposed to him to discontinue the portion of his salary that had pre- viously been assumed by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, expecting that he would apply to the Government for an increase of salary corresponding. This led to the correspondence on the part of the Commissioner, first, under date of January 11, 1897, and secondly, December 31, 1897. in communications ad- dressed to the honorable the Secretary of the Interior, by which the Govern- ment practically subsidized the church Ijy paying n portion of Sheldon Jackson's salary directl.y to him and diminishing by that amount the salary originally ])aid by them "of .$2,400. The Commissioner now proposed that the entire salary should be paid from the fund for the support of schools in Alaska. Herewith are inclosed the reply of Secretary D. R. Francis, under date of July 22, 1897, approving the increase of the salary from .$1,200 to .$2,000 a year, beginning January 1, 1897. As this did not assume the entire salary of Doctor Jackson, further communication was sent to the Secretary by the Commissioner of Education, under date of December 21, 1897, explaining the matter again, and on the plea that his salary at $2,000 was not sufficient, the Commissioner asked for an increase of the salai-y to $3,000 to meet not only the expenses of living in Washington, but also to meet certain extraordinary expenses which are inseparable in traveling in Government service and not provided for in cus- tomary allowances of the Treasury for transportation and subsistence. In reply to this communication the honorable Secretary of the Interior, C. M. Bliss, replied under date of January 3, 1898, approving an addition of $500 a year to the present salary, but not feeling justified in approving an increase to ^3,000. The salary of $2,.500 was accordingly fixed to take effect January 1, 1898. This salary of .$2,.500 has been paid to Doctor .Jackson since this time. I learn, however, from him that the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions allows him $500 per annum for advice given them as to the management of their missions EDUCATIOlSrAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 123 in the Northwest. I do not understand, however, that this is in the nature of a supplementary salary to make up the salary of the Government, but it is a pay- ment made by that board for services in the ^\■ay of advice as to the manaj;ement of their missions. Doctor Jackson having been in the service of that board from 1858 up to 1885. and having founded all the missions of that board west of the Mississippi River in that period ; and thereafter, partly under the United States Government and still in charge of the western missions from 1885 to 1898, or thereabouts. I call attention also to an earlier application, and soon after the assumption of the duty of United States agent of education in Alaska, said communication hav- ing the date of May 14. 1887. in which is mentioned the proposition of the Presby- terian Board of Foreign Missions to discontinue their appropriation, and asking consent of the Secretary of the Interior to make the salary of the general agent $2,400 per annum. The rejily to said communication being addressed to the then Commissioner of Education, N. H. R. Dawson, who replies in the letter dated May 14. 1887. stating that the conununieation had been submitted to the Secretary of the Interior, and " after considei'ation of the same, he directs me to inform you that the Department will not increase the portion of the salary contributed by the Government. He thinks the mission board should continue to contribute one-half of the salary while you continue to hold the position. The small appropriation made by Congress to education in Alaska and the increasing demands made upon the Government for the support of the schools will not at this time, in his opinion, justify any increase of the salary of the general agent." Attest of above. W. T. Harris. Commissioner. May 14, 1887. Rev. Sheldon Jackson, D. D. (Care Presbyterian Assembly, Omaha. Nebr.) Dear Sir : I have the honor to receive your letter of April 15, calling my attention to the inadequacy of the salary attached to the office of the general agent of education in Alaska and informing me that the arrangement by which the mission board contributed .$1,200 toward your salary had been terminated and asking the consent of the Secretary of the Interior to make the salary of the general agent $2,400 per annum, with traveling expenses while on business. I have the honor to state that your letter has been submitted to the Secretary, and after consideration of the same he directs me to inform you that the Department will not increase the portion of the salary contributed by the Government. He thinks the mission board should continue to contribute one- half of the salary while you continue to hold the position. The small appro- priation made by Congress to education in Alaska and the inci'easing demands made upon the Government for the support of the schools will not at this time, in his opinion, justify any increase of the salary of the general agent. Very truly, yours. N. H. R. Dawson. Commissioner. Department of the Interiob, Washington, January 3. 1898. Sir: I have received your recommendation of the 21st ultimo, that, in con- sideration of the great increase in the labor and resposibility devolving upon the general agent of education in Alaska, the salary allowed him from the Congressional appropriation be increased from $2,000 to $3,000 a year. As the appropriation by Congress for the support of education in Alaska is not large. I do not feel justified in approving an increase to the full amount recommended by you. but I hereby approve an addition of $500 a year to the present salary. You are accordingly authorized to approve vouchers for the salary of the" Rev. Sheldon Jackson, general agent of education in Alaska, at the rate of "$2,500 a year, beginning January 1, 1898, payable from the annual appropriation for the support of education in Alaska. Very respectfully. C. N. Bliss, Secretary. The Commissioner of Education. Note. — See letter to the Secretary of the Interior of December 21, 1897, in Department letter book (containing letters from October 5, 1897, to June 21, 1898). 124 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEEVTCE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Department of the Interior, Washington, January 22, 1897. Sir : Your recommendrition of the 13th instant that, in view of the with- drawal of Government aid from the Alaskan mission schools, the entire salary of the general agent of education in Alaslia be assumed by this Department instead of requiring one-half thereof to be paid by the Board of Home Mis- sions of the Presbyterian Church, with accompanying letters and papers, has been received. After careful consideration of the subject and the amount of funds avail- able, you are hereby authorized to approve vouchers for the salary of Rev. Sheldon Jaclvson as general agent for education in Alaska at the rate of $2,000 a year, beginning January 1, 1897. Very respectfully, D. R. Francis, Secretary. The Commissioner or Education. Note. — See letter of January 11, 1897, to the Secretary of the Interior in Department letter book (containing letters from March 9, 1896, to October 2, 1897). Exhibit 4. Mr. Harris to Mr. Church W. government herds of reindeer. In the management of the reindeer system in Alaska economy is one of the first points to be considered, but there is another point of equal or greater importance, namely, the avoidance of loose business methods and of the scandal attendant upon them. If on account of thinly settled population and wide separation of settlements and infrequent communication by mail, the distance of reindeer herds from the residence of the superintendent, there are liable to creep into the management loose methods, it Iiecomes quite in)]>ortant to in- trust some or all of the details of the management to jiarties outside of the Government who are worthy of confidence and are willing to undertake the responsibility and answer to the Government for the correct administration of these details. If the details are not managed in accordance with Govern- ment principles the Government can assume the position of prosecutor instead of defender, which makes a great difference in official management. The Gov- ernment can not achieve and retain the respect of the public if it is chargeable with all of the imperfections in management which are incident to the con- duct of the minute details. Much more efficiency can be obtained by trusting the minutia of detail to private parties who are known to be honest and well meaning and who are willing to undertake the attitude of responsibility to the Government and to the public. To make an application of this principle : The Bureau of Education discov- ered that in managing the reindeer herds it was liable to make mistakes in the selection of young men fit to become reindeer apprentices. The missionary stations in Alaska had been brought into such connection with the young people among the Eskimos that they could easily find boys who had proved themselves faithful in their school studies and in the various charges which they had undertaken for the school or the teacher. In short, the selection of proper persons for apprenticeship would be much better accompished by the super- intendents of the mission stations than by the Government superintendents in charge of the herds, the latter having to ascertain by wasteful experiment after some time who were likely to have patience, persistence, thrift, trust- fulness, physical skill, and good judgment to make good reindeer herders. Again, it was found necessary to support the apprentices during their period of apprenticeship, and in case the apprentices were married it was necessary to support also the wives of the apprentices ; and as a practical result the rein- deer apprentices divided their provisions with their entire families, the younger children following the apprentices to the reindeer herd and assisting in consuming rations. Large rations had to be issued. It was never certain exactly how many persons were being rationed through the regular apprentice. Looseness in this matter resulted in turning the reindeer management into a svstematic educa- EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 125 tion of the Eskimo population about a herd, into thieves living on the Gov- ernment, a noteworthy piece of innnoral training instead of moi-al training. With thievery also is connected unthrift. The missionary station had an advantage over the (iovernment herd in the fact that the employees about the missionary establishment relate themselves directly to the Eskimo families and have means of knowing whether a family is drawing its support from the rations doled out to the apprentice or whether the family is doing its best to provide itself with support. The missionary station is therefore able in a large measure — not wholly, perhaps — to correct this evil which is prone to develop itself in Government herds. Again, the apprentices if managed by a lax chief herdsman are liable to secure to themselves the best deer in the herd in place of such of their own as are not promising, and while a certain per cent of the does of the general herd do not bear fawns the apprentice's does always bear fawns and of the best quality, a fact which speaks loudly for the fraud and cunning of the ap- prentice rather than for his real service to the herd. In this particular, too, other things being equal, the missionaries were better able than the Govern- ment to protect themselves from fraud. The missionaries gradually surround themselves with disciples that they can trust. They select, of course, those of their community that are tractable in the first place ; that show themselves willing to be of service to the missionary. Gradually, however, he discovers that some are hypocrites, and good for "eye service " only, and that some are faithful even under trying circumstances. Faithfulness, which is, in the missionary's eyes, the most important virtue among his disciples, furnishes the criterion for his preferences ; and certainly faithfulness is the prime reiiuisite for apprentices and herders. Faithfulness insures a predominance of honesty in the dealings of the apprentice with the superintendent of the herd. Doubtless a Government station can in the course of time ascertain and sift out the thievish and slothful apprentices, but the missionary station sifts out the great bulk of these before sending them to the field with the herd. Even if the missionary had not the advantage over the Government herder, it would be better to have the missionary do the selecting of the apprentices and the sifting out of the dishonest ones, and incur the necessary odium for the mistakes made, Ijecause it is the duty of the (4overnment to earn as much ap- plause t)f the people as possible and incur as little odium as possible and because the Government, on account of its uncomprounsing attitude toward fraud, must incur the ill will of malicious people and the obstruction of selfish and disap- pointed men who can with impunity in this country circulate libelous and slan- derous accusations and insinuations, or e^■en seemingly fair reports of Govern- ment operations, which, notwithstanding, really omit the facts which explain and make reasonable Government action. The dismissal of an incompetent or dishonest employee in a Government herd leads to retaliation on his part, especially if he can find infiuential friends either among business men in the conununity or in the National Legislature. No matter how poor his cause may be, he may consume a large amount of time and energy on the part of a Gov- ernment office in collecting material for defense of its position and in putting it into effective sha])e. It may make impossible good management of the work in its charge by reason of the subtraction of time and energy from the regular routine work of the office and its accunuilation on the work of defense. No organization is so able to defend itself as the missionary organization from this class of obstructionists. Political pull goes for nothing with them, and executive ])atronage goes for very little. The missionary employee, whether teacher or api)rentice, who has proved faithless is quietly witlidrawn or dis- missed, and the member of the legislature or the business man in the connnunity can not obtain a favorable hearing from the missionary board unless he has soiuething to urge that is really worth considering. Meanwhile the Govennnent, which has a business arrangement with the missionary station, can mention its criticisms and its suggestions and receive always a respectful hearing for the same. ECONOMY IN REINDEER INSTRUCTION. As to the matter of economy, the experience of the Bureau of Education has thus far been altogether in favor of the missionary station rather than the Government herd. Not knowing how long the experiment would receive the favor of the (ieneral Government, it had to be the i)olicy of the Bureau of Edu- cation to secure as much as possible a firm footiiig in Alaska. l)oth for the in- crease of the herds and for a sure policy in training apprentices in reindeer 126 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. ui;iii:ii,'(>iii(>iit. In the (Toveriiiuent si-liools it had not been found possible to get a Jirni j^rasp on the character in training the reindeer ai)prentices. The average hohl on tlie chanicter of the Ksliinio on the part of the missionary station is superior ti» that of the Government station. But in the matter of economy the difference is far more noticeable. The chief expense in the management of a reindeer station is the support of the apprentices. The apprentice must be supplied with rations while learning the care of the herd, and inasmuch as apprentices belong to families and the older ap))rentices are married and have fannlies. it has lieen necessary in some ca~es to supply with rations not only the aiiprentice, but also his wife and infant children. In ca.'e of lax management by reason of too few inspectors on the part of the (Jovernment. or by reason of careless and indifferent chief herdsmen, apprentices have been allowed to grow up with dishonest habits as regards Government rations, and also with dishonest habits as regards the identification and the protection of the property of the Government in the fawning season by proper marking. Moreover, the Government in its herd has been obliged to jirovide subsistence not only for the apprentice and the uncertain and varying jtroiiortion of mem- bers in the family outside of the apprentices, but it has had to pay for more supplies than were found to be necessary in the mission station. The mission station assumes the sufiport of the apprentices and the expense of superintending the herd. The Government merely furnishes the chief herder, who acts as teacher in the art of herding and training for harness. In a mission station with l.riOO reindeer the Government expense amounts, therefore, to an annual interest on the loan of 100 deer, and secondly to the payment of the salary of a skilled herdsman. The skilled herdsman receives $600 and rations for himself and wife. The cost to the Government of the loan of 100 deer amounts to the annual increase of the herd, namely, about 30 fawns, valued at $20 apiece, the value • of the same being $000. The cost of the station for the 100 deer, therefore, is $000 per annum for the five years ; at the end of five years 100 yomig deer — from age of 2 to 5 years — are returned to the Government. The cost to the Government, then, for the whole five years' period — at $600 a year — for the deer loaned is $3,000. Besides the $3,000 for the loan of the deer, the Govern- ment provides a skilled herder, whose salary is $600 per year, besides rations, which cost $400 to $800. The total expense for 100 deer with a teacher herdsman at the mission station is $1,600 to $2,000 a year. But if the herd is a Government herd there should be 1 apprentice for each 100 deer ; the herd of 1,000 would require 10 ap- prentices and their support would cost an average of $500 for each, or $5,000 for the 10. Then there would be required two inspectors, at $1,000 each, who would furnish their own subsistence. The inspectors must be men of good judgment, and men of thorough knowl- edge as to details and of firm and resolute will. The inspectors must alter- nately visit the herds and keep the management of the herds constantly in hand, besides giving instruction in what are called " home industries." namely, the making of sledges, skees. reindeer harness, the preparation of reindeer hides for clothing, and the preparation of foods : and also see that the appren- tices use the English technical terms for the objects of the reindeer industry. Over these there should lie a general superintendent of the station, who should receive $1,500. This is a total of $9,500, or $10,000 in case the herder is mar- ried. The expense is $10,000 a year for a herd of 1.000 for salaries and supplies alone. The expense must be met annually by the sale of male reindeer for slaughter, and would require something over 800 male reindeer sold to the market for $12 apiece ; this is the amount received by the Moravian Mission for the deer sold to the canneries on the Nushagek River, but the miners have ]iaid higher prices, and probably $25 could be obtained for thp reindeer at Nome or near Fairbanks oi"' any other mining center, and at $25 it would require the sale of about 400 male deer to make up this expense. But the number of fawns born in a year to 1.000 reindeer properly proportioned would be in the neighborhood of 350 deer, of which 175 would be male deer. It is safe to call the male deer born annually one-sixth of the herd, but probably not more than one-tenth of the deer could be safely slaughtered in any given year, and conse- (luently not over 100 of the l.OOO, which at $25 apiece "would bring only $2,500 instead of $10,000, the amount required in the Government herd merely for the support of the apprentices and for the salaries of the teaching and inspecting corps. The inspecting corps of laborers at a Government station must be un- EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 127 usually good because of the difficulty which the Government has in protecting itself against the easy manners of natives and of the average American citizen who thinks his Government is rich enough to afford him anything he can make in the way of jirofit. A herd of 5.(i00 would certainly be a little more economical in proportion than a herd of 1.000. The average cost of an apprentice would be .f500 a year, and a herd of 5.000 ought to furnish instruction for 50 apprentices, at an aggregate expense of $25,000: the expense for five herders and five inspectors, at $1,000 each, would be $10.000 : in addition to that, a superintendent would cost $1,500 and an assistant superintendent $1,200. A commissary agent would be neces- sary, whose firnuiess and integrity must be equal to the work of marketing the deer at the highest prices and purchasing supplies at the lowest rates, his sal- ary being $1,200. The total ($25,000, $10,000 $1,500, $1,200, $1,200) would give about $:?9,000 for the cost of the Government herd, without mentioning the cost of buildings, and fuel, and camping outfits, and an apparatus for home industry, and such matters. To raise $30,000 from a herd of 5.000, which would have 1,000 fawns or more per year, would require the sale of more than 3.000 male deer, at $12 a head. But the total annual accession to the herd of 5.000 would be only 8(X) male deer, or one-quarter as many as would be needed for the support of the station of 5.000 deer in the different items above mentioned. Or. if the deer sold netted $25 each, it would require l.<)00 male deer, which is twice the number annually born. One-half of the entire expense and more would fall on the Government herd if it were managed with a sufficient amount of inspection and expert care to free it from reasonable criticism. Of unreasonable criticism and slander there will undoubtedly be a great deal whether the management de- served it or not. The United States Government would have to furnish at least one-half the expense for the management of hei*ds of 5,000 each, say $20,000 for each large herd. At present the stations at Wales, Unalakleet, Teller, Kotzebue, and Golovin Bay. and Bethel are under missionary establishments and cost nothing for the supply of apprentices or for the herdsmen. At Nulato we furnish a reindeer herder at an expense of $500 a year salary, but the Catholic mission at that place furnishes supplies for the herder as well as for the apprentices. The Laplanders take a loan of a herd for five years and give their services as instructors for that period. This makes the expense to the Bureau the same as 30 fawns a year at $20 apiece. At the end of five years the Laplander re- turns 100 and becomes an independent herder himself with the reindeei' that he has saved. After five years it is believed that the Government does not need to furnish any longer the instruction of a herder at any missionary station. The old apprentices have skill enough to manage the herd and instruct the new apprentices. The work goes on without further Government aid of any kind, except for inspectors and for protection. The Government must see that the law is complied with and that female deer are not slaughtered. The Govern- ment retains its own heixls at Barrow, Gambell, Tanana, and Iliamna, and these have been quite expensive, although not beyond the resources provided by the Government. Respectfully submitted. SOME RESULTS, A. D. 1903. From the action of the Presbytery of Missouri River, May 1, 1809. has grown 5 synods, 20 presbyteries, and 520 churches, with 430 ministers and -11,252 members, covering five States and two Territories. These churches raised in 1902, for missionary and religious work, $523,541.03. Hoir the Rocky Mountain Territories icere icon to Preshyterianism. A CHAPTER IN PIONEER HISTORY. [By Rev. Robert Laird Stewart, stated clerk Presbytery of Colorado.""] While the Presbyterian Church in this Rocky Mountain region has no vener- able recoi-ds to consult, it has a history, nevertheless, which is peculiar in many respects, and which ought to be more generally known than it is. Prior to the year 1809 the materials for a complete record are very limited and very imper- ° Dr. Robert Laird Stewart is now (1903) professor of pastoral theology, evidences of Christianity and Biblical archaeology, Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. 128 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. feet, but oium.uli (•:iii lie gathered Iroiii tli'j iiarrativos of tho stated clerks of l)ros))yter.v and synod tu afford an outline of at least the most important facts connected with the early history of this work. The pioneer minister of the Presbyterian Church in Colorado was Kev. Lewis Hamilton, of the ])resbytery of St. .Josei)h ( N. S.). .Joining the crowds which were crossing the plains in the spring of 18."ir», he reached Denver on Saturday, nth of June, and jtreached in an unfinished building the following Sabbath. It was a time of wild excitement, and men were rushing hither and thither in pursuit of the gold that perisheth. For this they came and endured hardship and toil ; and. with most, all thoughts of serious and eternal things were ban- ished for the present. All were unsettled, and expected to return in a few months or years, with the coveted reward of their toils, to Eastern homes. There were multitudes who could be induced to listen to the preaching of the gospel for a brief season, l)ut in this unsettled condition of the country there was little or no encouragement given for the organization and establishment of churches. For several months Mr. Hamilton preached at the mining camps and in the towns adjacent to Denver, and late in the fall of 1859 returned to Iowa. In the spring of 18G0 he came back to Colorado and continued to preach at various points in the Territory. Meantime other ministers began to arrive from the East, and labored, as they had opportunity, for short periods ; but no perma- nent organization was effected until the 1.5th, of December, 18G1. At this time the First Presbyterian Church of Denver (O. S. ) was organized under the min- istration of Kev. A. S. Billingsley, of tlie presbytery of Missouri River. It consisted of eleven members. Simon Cort, a stanch Presbyterian from West- moreland County, Pa., was the first ruling elder, and he has faithfully served the church in this position ever since. From this time until the spring of 1869 four additional organizations were effected — one at Central, one at Black Hawk, one in Boulder Valley, and another at Denver, which is known as the Central Church and which is supplied at the present time bv Rev. Alex. Reed, D. D., late of Brooklyn, N. Y. The year 18G9 was the beginning of a new year in the history of Presbyterian missions throughout these Rocky Moimtain regions. Before we enter upon it, let us talie a glance at the situation. Ten years had passed away since the voice of Father Hamilton was lifted up in this wilderness, crying out, like the messenger of old, " Prepare ye the way of the Lord ; '" and yet the outlook was far from encouraging. Up to this date three of the organizations mentioned had provided themselves with church l)uildings, and in one or two instances there were encouraging evidences of growth and prosperity ; but, taking the field as a whole, the agencies for good were far behind in the race for position and influence. In the case of our own denomination this was notably so. It was not much to our credit that the task of evangelizing the tens of thousands who came to live and labor in Colorado during this decade was limited to five feeble churches, some of which were ofttimes without supplies for months at a time. With no presbyterial oversight (practically, at least) ; with no common bond of union and sympathy, and wholly dependent on transient supplies : in a shifting population, it is Jiot strange that these organizations barely maintained their existence. Where they could do no more, let it be said of them to their high honor " they held the forts " in faith and hope. In the vast Territories of Dakota. Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona there was not a single Presbyterian organization at this time, and in New Mexico but one of oiir name. Such was the condition of our church in this vast Rocky Mountain region less than eight years ago. The chapter whi'-li follows is a brighter one; for God in his providence was even then stirring the hearts of men to send speedy relief and succor to this forlorn hope. With marvelous rapidity a highway was being prepared over mountains and valleys and plains, across the continent; and, as it advanced from east to west and from west fo east, a fresh impulse was given to every movement connected with the progres.s of this " New West." The Union Pacific Railroad was not completed until the 10th of May, 1869, but long before this jieriod' multitudes had already entered the Territories or were on their westward way, in anticipation of the advantages which were sure to follow on the line of this iron trail. The men of this world, wiser in their generation than the children of light, were quick to take advantage of the oppor- tunities opening up on every hand ; but, as is too often the case, the churches were making no special effort to go in and possess the land. The billiard saloon, the concert saloon, the corner groggery, the gambling hells, moved with every shifting crowd, and were the first places of public resort in every aspiring town. In many and many a town there was nowhere else for the young man, fresh EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. 129 from a Christian liome, to go, not even on the Sabbath. Evil influences of every descx'iption were at the front in force, but the good influences lagged far behind in the race for position and power. While waiting for these to come up, many a good resolution was surrendered and manj' a promising life was beclouded and ruined forever. It is bad policy, as well as wicked neglect, to allow iniquity to become intrenched in a new community before the gospel is sent to counteract and oppose it ; yet such has been the history of too many of our missionary operations in this laud in the past. In the fall of 18G8 the synod of Iowa, realizing the importance of making an advance moAem.ent westward, simultaneous with the advancement of Immi- gration and progress, applied to the board of home missions of our church for a commission for Eev. Sheldon Jackson to superintend this important work. Owing to some misunderstanding between the secretary of the board and the synod, the request was not granted. Meantime the winter of 1868 passed away, and th<' Union Pacific, which was then attracting the attention of the world, was almost completed. The men of the frontier, who realized the necessity for prompt action, were anxious to extend their lines into the country which was opening up so wonderfully beyond, but to all human appearances there was no solution to the ever-recurring question, " How shall they hear without a preacher, and how shall they preach except they be sent? "' We lay a great stress on our trained hosts and our munitions of war, but God, who can save by few, as well as by many, is not absolutely dependent on these for the ad- vancement of His cause. If the hosts of Israel falter and refuse to move, he can use a Jonathan and his armor-bearer, a ruddy shepherd boy, with his sling, or a faithful Gideon, with his 300 men and a few pitchers and lamps, to accomplish His work. It was so here, as the history will show. On the 29th of April, 1869, the Presbytery of the Missouri River met at Sioux City, .iust twelve days before the completion of the great transcontinental rail- way. It was one of those small frontier presbyteries (which some of the great ones in the East in our day are tempted to despise), but I question whether ever church council or synod or general assembly inaugurated a grander mis- sionary movement in the midst of difficulties and discouragements. I am not informed as to whether there were many D. D.'s or LL. D.'s in this little com- pany (I am inclined to think not), but there certainly must have been some Calebs and Joshuas among them, for they, under God, began an aggi'essive movement on that day, which has placed the Presbyterian Church in the fore- front of missionary operations in these Territories, and which has given into our hands that splendid and ever-growing domain which is now covered by the synods of Nebraska and Colorado. On the afternoon of the day which was appointed for this meeting it, as hap- pened, in the providence of God, that three of the ministers, Thomas H. Cleland, jr.. J. C. Elliott, and Sheldon Jackson, of the presbytery, were prompted to ascend the high bluffs to the northwest of Sioux City and look abroad over the land. As they looked toward the setting sun their hearts were saddened and their spirits stirred within them by the thought that for 2,000 miles onward there was not a single Presbyterian Church. Before they left that spot ear- nest prayer was made for these destitute regions beyond. " The spirit of that prayer and the impressions of that hour," says one of this trio, " were carried into the Presbytery of Missouri River," and the result was that Rev. Sheldon Jackson was unanimously appointed (May 1, 1869) superintendent of missions for Iowa, Nebraska, Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. The presbyteries of Des Moines (April 22-24, 1869) and Fort Dodge (May 8, 1869) took similar action. There was nothing singular in the fact of making such an appoint- ment, for many presbyteries and synods have done the same thing before and since, but thei*e was sometlaing significant and singular in the fact that this superintendent was appointed by these presbyteries with the distinct under- standing that they could give no salary or traveling expenses either to himself or to those whom he should send. By the terms of this appointment he was expected to sustain himself and those whom he should employ in this new field, and at the same time oversee missionary operations extending over 571,000 square miles, a province larger than all of the New England States and the Middle Western States combijied. In the treasury of the presbyteries which appointed him as their superintendent there was not a dollar that could be appropriated for this purpose. Believing that divine wisdom would open up a w^ay, Mr. Jackson without hesitation threw himself upon the promises, not of man. but of God, and accepted the appointment with all its responsibilities. With his characteristic S. Doc. 483, 59-1 9 130 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. energy and promptness ho took measures to occupy at once every important point on tlie line of the Union Pacific Railway, from the Missouri River to its terminus in Utah Territory. Presbytery met, as I have said, on the 29th of April, and the road was completed on tlie 10th of May. But ere the last spike had been driven Mr. Jackson had sent out on his own responsibility Rev. J. N. Hutchinson to Blair, Fremont, and Grand Island ; Rev. John L. Gage to Chey- enne and Laramie, and Rev. Melancthon Hughes (who afterwards finished his course with joy at Santa Fe, N. Mex.) to Bryan, the Sweetwater Mines, Wah- satch, and Utah. This was quick work, but it was a time when quick work was needed. Not only did he send these men, but he pledged their support. A few weeks later four young men in addition to these were secured from the theo- logical seminaries to spend their vacation in preaching. One of these was Rev. Josiah Welch, of Salt Lake City, the present moderator of this synod, who is well known to most of your readers. During the year 1869, or rather from May 1 to December 31, 1869, ten missionaries were employed besides the superin- tendent ; " and yet," says Doctor Jackson, " as the season advanced and passed there was not a man of them could say that he had not been paid, and paid in full." " Lacked ye anything? and tliey said. Nothing.^' This was preeminently a work of faith and consecration such as has not a parallel, I believe, in the annals of home or foreign missions. Moved by the baptism of the Holy Ghost, this consecrated band of men entered upon their work without purse or scrip or commission, " covenanting with each other to make special and united prayer that He who sent them out, who controlled the silver and gold, and who swayed the hearts of men, would provide for their support." In a very wonderful manner these prayers were answered. Letters written to personal friends brought back generous responses, not in good wishes alone, but in substantial bank checks for $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, and at one time $500. In his report Doctor Johnson states that in 1869 and 1870 he received from private sources alone to carry on this work $10,079.37. " In that memorable year (I quote from his recent historical slvCtch) twenty-two churches were organized, all of which, save one, remain to this day, and of which those at the two extremes are nearly 2,000 miles apart. In that year the blue banner of our Presbyterianism was successfully planted for the first time in the Territories of Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Utah. Then, too, were laid the foundations of the presbyteries of Kearney. Wyoming. Mon- tana, Utah, and Colorado, and the synods of Nebraska and Colorado." During this year Doctor Jackson traveled over 29,000 miles in the prosecution of his laborious work, and with what success the above extracts abundantly show. In August of 1869 he received, to his great sui-prise, and without solicitation, a •commission from the board of domestic missions, by the terms of which Iowa ■wa.9 stricken from the field and Colorado and New Mexico were added. About the same time Messrs. Gage and Hughes were also placed in commission by the board. By this official recognition the work was placed in a " semi-inde- pendent " position, but still we are told it was largely dependent upon private funds, and private funds continued to be received. " The barrel of meal wasted not, and the cruise of oil failed not " so long as they were needed. With the reunion of 1870 came a change in the administration of this board, and from this time onward the work has been prosecuted by its aid and under its control. The reunion of 1870 gave a new impulse to missionary operations throughout the entire church. A movement so grand and inspiriting was naturally sug- gestive of grand enterprises of Christian evangelism. By a concentration of scattered resources and a combination of missionary efforts the united church was enabled to make a forward movement, from which, may God grant, she may never recede. The " memorial year " which followed the consummation of this union was one of unparalleled prosperity in that most important aid to permanent mission work — church Iniilding. During that memorable year Doctor Jackson states that he secured from churches and personal friends for this object, over and above large grants made by the board of church erection, the sum of $8,207.09. Under the new management some necessary changes were made in the grouping of mission fields, and, as a result, Nebraska and Dakota were cut off from this district, leaving Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and New^ Mexico under the supervision of Doctor Jackson, as before. In 1875 the Territory of Arizona was added to this field by enactment of the general assembly. This is the Terri- tory which is now covered by the synod of Colorado ; and there are few Presby- terians either in the East or West that have any adequate idea of its immensity EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 131 and prospective imiiortance. Extending from British America on the north to Mexico on the south, it embraces 18 degrees of latitude and 15 degi'ees of longi- tude. This princely domain is " as large as the combined empires of Great Brit- ain, Germany, France, and Italy" (not including their colonial possessions). It covers a field " ten times larger than all New England — a province larger than all the country between the Missouri River and the Atlantic Ocean from the Lakes to the Ohio ; "comprising, in other words, nearly one-fifth of the entire area of the United States. Since 1869 a consecrated band of men have labored earnestly, in connection with the untiring seperintendent of missions, to occupy and evangelize this vast and rapidly growing region, and the visible result has been the organization of 67 Presbyterian churches and the erection of 36 church buildings. More than double this number of churches might have been organized during these eight years if there had been any reasonable prospect of supplying them with the regular ministrations of the Gospel. It has been the settled policy both of the board and its coadjutors to occupy the central points in each of these vast regions, ^^'hilst it is a wise policy, the sad truth should not be overlooked also, that those living in- more remote regions and mining camps and almost the entire country population of these Territories ai-e still without the privileges of the Gospel. This destitution is not owing to lack of energy in missionaries or superintendents of missions, but to lack of means, without which it is im- possible to extend our bounds in any direction. The synod of Colorado, which was formed in 1871, consists at the present time of the presbyteries of Montana, Utah, Santa Fe, and Colorado. All of these except the latter are small presbyteries, but they are doing an important work for the church, which will one day be more full.y recognized and appre- ciated than it is now. When presbyteries are small because they have no I'oom to expand, they have no right to exist : but where they ought to be large and are patiently holding ground which synods will one day occupy, they have rights which the great Presbyterian Chvirch is bound to respect. The presby- tery of Colorado was organized in November, 1869, but did not hold a regular meeting until February, 1870. At that time it numbered 5 ministers and 8 small churches. In May, 1876, about six years later, this presbytery reported 26 ministers and 28 churches, 1 licentiate and 1 candidate for the ministry. (It might have sent four delegates, under existing rules, to the general assem- bly in the centennial year, but it was content with two.) Its contributions for all purposes, as reported last year, amounted to more than $32,000. It is also a matter of thankfulness that we have at the present time a gi-owing church in every prominent village and town in Colorado. In the other Territories there is evidence of progress equally gratifying, but the work in these has been of necessity confined to a few central points. It is something, however, that the blue banner of our Presbyterian host has been successfully planted in Mor- mon Utah and papal New Mexico and Arizona, as well as on the rugged heights of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado ; and that, by the cooperative work of the church and school, a leavening influence is being exerted which is even now molding public sentiment and changing open opposers into ardent workers for Christ. The experience we have passed through as a church, in connection with efforts put forth for the evangelization of our land, will be of little practical value if it fails to impress upon us the importance of pi*ompt, aggressive work. There is danger of a church becoming so firmly " established " in precise ways that it ceases to move. The minuti;Te of a successful campaign can not be written out beforehand. New and unheard-of difficulties must be met with new and special methods. When we have no vast Territories to explore and conquer, no unseen difiiculties to grapple with, no perplexing questions to solve in the absence of precedents, and, in a word, no pioneer work to do in new and unknown regions, we may dispense with such super-Presbyterian ad- juncts as synodical missionaries and the like, so essential now to a successful advance ; but for the present we must make use of these or cease to be a mission church. But for the prompt action and unwavering devotion of our honored superintendent of missions (whose name is familiar to all the churches), we would have but little Presbyterianism in these Territories to-day either to be proud of or ashamed of. All honor to the noble men who seconded him in this glorious work, both in the East and West ; but none, I am sure, will accord more honor to him, as the moving spirit in this good work, than those who labored and sacrificed with him. It is easy to find fault — much easier than to breast the current and push forward aggressive work — and this good brother has not 132 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEKVICE^ ETC.^ IN ALASKA. escaped the oonmion lot of all fearless and energetic men. It would be strange, too. if lie had not made mistakes in the midst of the perplexities and difficulties with which he was ofttimes surrounded ; but when these are forgotten, his self- denying work for Christ in these Rocky Mountain regions will remain. I do not believe in the glorification of men, but it is a Scripture precept, " Honor to whom honor is due." The older ministers of this presbytery can recall many an instance where churches were saved from failure and financial ruin by timely aid obtained from private sources through his efforts, while with few exceptions (three or four) he has assisted in this way, more or less, every church erected in this presbytery since 1809. His main work, however, has been the exploration of new and unknown fields, preparing them for occu- pancy, harmonizing diverse and heterogeneous elements and organizing them into churches, securing acceptable ministers, counseling with reference to church sites and plans and securing donations of land, strengthening and en- couraging feeble churches, enlisting sympathy and help for suffering fields, con- ducting a well-known religious newspaper, and carrying on at the same time an overwhelming correspondence with individuals and societies in the interests of the home mission work. In the prosecution of this work Doctor Jackson has traveled, from the spring of 1869 to January 1, 1877. 197.204 miles — a distance each year of a trip around the world. He has made three trips to Montana, each fnvolviug about 1.500 miles of staging ; three trips likewise to New Mexico, one continuing across Arizona to the Pacific Ocean, two of these involving more than 2.000 miles of staging and horseback riding each. Those who are familiar with the physical hardships and dangers incident to travel in a new and sparsely settled country, and only those, can form an adequate idea of the amount of suffering and fatigue which must necessarily be crowded into such trips. With all this amount of travel, by rail, by stage, on horseback, and on foot, it is not sur- prising that he " should meet with many experiences that fortunately do not ordinarily fall to the lot of a minister." I can not better describe this feature of the work than to give an extract from the closing words of a brief review of his labors, etc., which was furnished by request of the presbytery of Colorado : " With the Apostle Paul, your synodical missionary can truly say, ' In journey- ings often ; in perils of water ' — fording rivers, sometimes swollen with sudden rains ; once compelled to get out into the freezing water and break the ice that had frozen out from the bank so that his horse could get through. ' In perils of robbers ' — five times has the stage been stopped and robbed by highwaymen just before or after he passed over the route. ' In perils by my own country- men ' — once the trembling of the finger alone stood between him and instant death as a half dozen revolvers were pointed at his breast, or when lying down at night upon his revolver with the strong conviction that he might wake to struggle with the Mormon assassin ; once a fanatical Papal mob were called upon to hang him, and at another he was taken to prison for the Gospel's sake. ' In perils in the wilderness ' — as again and again he has been lost on the plains or in the mountains- — sometimes in blinding snowstorms where others have perished, or among the trackless mountains of Arizona without food or water ; again and again fighting the prairie fire that swept wildly around him, or fleeing before the roaring blast of a wall of fire madly leaping from pine to pine along the mountain side. ' In perils by the heathen ' — riding one long summer day with rifle across the knee, momentarily expecting the attack of the savage Sioux ; and again upon the upper Missouri, where the steamer was fired into by the hostile tribes that inhabit the banks of the river ; at another time avoiding the murderous Apache on the waipath and saving his scalp by fifteen hours. ' In perils by wild beasts and venomous reptiles ; in perils by land and by sea, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting often, in heat and cold.' Again and again crying out in the agony of physical suffering for grace and strength to endure to the end." " Such is a feeble delineation," he continues, " of the life of your superintendent for the last seven years. At times feeling that the burden was too great, that it could no longer be carried, that it was more than should be asked of one per- son, that he had done his full share of rough work, and then chiding his un- belief and gathering new strength and courage at the cross of Christ, he has pressed forward again, thankful for the privilege of laboring and suffering for Jesus." ■ This extract speaks for itself. I have referred to it. not for the sake of re- flecting honor upon the labors of Brother Jackson, but in order to show that aggressive work under such circumstances means suffering and toil and peril. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 133 It is meet that those who sympathize with this noble worlv and give of their means to aid it should know at what expense these triumphs for Presbyterian- ism and Christianity have been won ; and it is for this reason that I have been prompted to write this brief sketch. What the result shall be when these infant churches and presbyteries shall grow into maturity and spread abroad " until the woi'k of each shall meet that of his brother on the other side," it may not be ours to see ; but as surely as God reigns that time is coming on apace, and coming through the instru- mentalities and prayers of these faithful men who braved every difficulty and danger that this great and ever-increasing population might be saved for Christ and His church. The history of our home mission operations in the past century of our national life is full of thrilling instances of devotion and sacrifice and unre- mitting toil for the Master's sake ; and it is pleasant to record the fact that the last decade of this rounded century had been closed in the same heroic, aggres- sive spirit with which the first began. Then the blue pennon waved from the summit of the Alleghenies, while earnest men peered anxiously forward into the unknown region beyond ; now it floats from the summit of the Sierras — the last stronghold of the enemy — and waves responses to embattled hosts from the Atlantic to the Pacific shore on either side. The question is no longer, Shall we advance? but. Shall we occupy? From God in history and God in His providence we get the command as the watchword of this new century — ■ " Close up the ranks." " Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown." Exhibit 5. Clipping from Washington Post, January 30, 1906. The schooner Laura Madsen is owned and operated by Messrs. S. Foster & Co., of San Francisco, and reached Point Barrow the first week in August, 1905, loaded with supplies shipped by her owners for use at the school at Point Barrow. Reference was made to this ship in my general report. The news- paper item conveys the idea that she is operated by Doctor .Jackson's division of the Bureau of Education, and that she was sent as a relief ship. '• BOAT CRUSHED BY ICE RELIEF SCIIOOXER DESTROYED IX ALASKAX WATERS CARGO SAVED. " Prof. Sheldon Jackson, head of the Alaska division of the Bureau of Education, received a telegram at noon yesterday from Nome, Alaska, via San Francisco, stating that the schooner Madsen had been crushed in the ice and wholly destroyed. " It is the fourth vessel of its kind which the Alaska division has lost in the same way in the last five years. " The reindeer station and school at Point Barrow, Alaska, were in danger of running short of provisions, and the vessel was sent on a relief expedition from San Francisco. " Doctor Jackson was gratified to learn that the crew, with the aid of the Eskimo and Point Barrow people, had succeeded in unloading, landing, and storing the cargo before the ship went to pieces. The news of the destruction of the Madsen was brought by reindeer mail from Point Barrow to Nome, and from there sent by telegraph to San Francisco." This ship has made annual cruises to the Arctic for some years, carrying supplies to whoever would buy them of Messrs. S. Foster & Co., of California street, San Francisco. Cal. THIRD SUPPLEMENTAL REPORT. Department of the Interior, Washington^ D. C.^ June 2, 1906. Sir: I have the honor to return to you the commentary by Hon. W. T. Harris on my Alaska report : It is unfortunate that Commissioner Harris has never been in Alaska, consequently he must base his comments a-lmost entirely upon hearsay and rumors, or upon the reports made to him by his subordi- nate. Dr. Sheldon Jackson, who has not been in Alaska for more than six years last j)ast. I know from Doctor Harris's own mouth that he is acquainted with some of the weak points in past manage- ment of the Alaska division of his office, but he very naturally, per- haps, undertakes to defend or explain away past practices so far as they reflect in any degree upon the administration of his subordi- nates. All through my reports I quoted from the annual reports of Doctor Jackson, superintendent of education in Alaska, and commented thereon. These annual reports, which are profusely illustrated, are disclaimed by the Commissioner as his reports, and upon one occasion when I called his attention to statements found therein, he char- acterized the publications as " drivel." I have read ten or twelve of these books which have been printed at the public expense, and challenge anyone to show from them the average attendance of pu- pils at the Alaska schools, and I will state further that the Bureau can not show that an accurate count of the reindeer has been made at all of its stations in any one of the last three years. Commissioner Harris uses considerable space to explain away the giving of 118 head of reindeer to a mission at Cape Prince of Wales. My report shows exactly where I went in Alaska, and I took consid- erable pains to show my authority for the statements found in my reports. Mr. W. T. Lopp, the trusted local superintendent of schools and reindeer in Alaska, was with me for several weeks, and during that time I Avent over the details of the business in hand with hini very carefully. Mr. Lopp has been connected with the reindeer industry and missions in Alaska for about fourteen years, having spent several winters in the district, and I found him well informed as to the history of the reindeer industry from their first introduction. I Adsited several herds in person, and held interviews with numerous employees of the Bureau in Alaska, and I do not consider it too much to say that when I had finished my investigations I Avas as well pre- pared to submit a report on the subject as persons Avho had never been in Alaska or who haAx not been in the district for several years. Doctor Harris admits that only 30 per cent of the deer are in the unencumbered control of the United States, that 38 per cent are in the hands of the natives, 11 per cent in the hands of outsiders, and that the missions have 21 per cent. I leave his statement, adding that my reports, which, it appears, have not pleased the Bureau of Education, contend that the business should have been so conducted 134 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 135 that at this time all of the deer should have been in the hands of the natives or the United States, instead of being parceled out as the Commissioner admits they now are. Brushing away the cold-blooded transfer of Government deer to an imaginary mission at St. Lawrence Island as an " error in bookkeep- ing " and the giving away outright 118 deer at Cape Prince of Wales may be considered a simple matter by the Bureau, but the fact is the exposure of these transactions was based upon something more chan mere rumor, as the honorable Commissioner, by inference at least, would have you understand. At any rate, I considered it appropriate that attention should be called to the transactions. I recall nothing in my report concerning the sale of female reindeer that should disturb the Bureau, but it will not be denied that both sexes were loaned from time to time, and it is certainly fair to assume that the parties who accepted these loans expected to utilize the natural increase of the herd for their own benefit. The Bureau seems to surmise that an effort is being made to undo the deer industry. Nothing could be further from my intention, and I stated that the deer business, properly conducted, needs no bolster- ing up. Great sums of money have been expended on reindeer, and they will be of lasting benefit to the natives; and I am willing that the value of my reports shall stand or fall on the proposition that the Government has the right to control its property and to demand that its employees shall be loyal to the Government's interests. I gather from the commentary that the Commissioner believes in long apprenticeship for natives before they shall receive deer. If the present policies are continued and the bulk of the deer are to be loaned out, it is plain to me. with the large birth rate claimed, that long before any considerable part of the natives will be benefited large herds will have accumulated in the hands of parties having loans. Concerning deer trained to harness, my reports simply admit the possibility of training deer. No one denies that they ma}^ be so trained, and I intended only to show that the value of trained deer has apparently been overestimated by the Bureau, and I consider it useless to argue that the Eskimos will bring them into general use for transportation. Grant that some of the deer will be used as beasts of burden, the question resolves itself into the matter of supply and demand. At the present time the Eskimos have very little to transport, and the demand for sled deer by prospectors and others is not great. Those who need the animals for teams will train them, as a matter of course, and the natives will attend to that part of the business as circumstances require. The commentary intimates, in fact, states, that there is prejudice on the part of the miners and others against the missionaries. If this be true I am not aware of it, and that view of the situation can be dismissed, so far as I know. The Bureau will certainly interpose no objections to the doctrine that its affairs and reports should be put upon the same basis of requirements as is common to the other Bureaus of the Department. ENROLLMENT OF PUPILS. The Commissioner replies to my suggestion that " average at- tendance " of pupils in the schools be reported, as well as the number enrolled, by saying that the number enrolled is considered the most 136 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. important of all items of school statistics. On this point I will not undertake to dispute such high authoritj^ on educational mat- ters, still I maintain that in getting at things concerning Alaska schools, their per capita cost, and so on, the actual number of pupils in attendance at the schools should be disclosed to indicate to what extent the natives patronize the schools that are provided for them. It would certainly be a simple matter to enroll each casual visitor who should come to sit by the schoolhouse fire, when, in fact, such person would in no sense be a pupil of the school. The number of pupils in the Eskimo schools have beyond ques- tion been greatly exaggerated, and attention is invited to the state- ments of Mr. W. T. Lopp on school matters, found in Appendix A, especial attention being invited to the Wainwright School, where it is reported by the Bureau that a school was maintained in 1904:-5 with a $1,500 teacher, when, as a matter of fact, there was no school there of any kind. The teacher who was afterwards directed to proceed to that point told me that there were only forty persons, all told, at Wainwright, and Mr. Lopp says, if you will notice, that this teacher would not be likely to have many pupils there. If statements from such men as Rev. Mr. Kilbuck, the teacher, and Mr. Lopp, the local superintendent, are to be called hearsay, I plead guilty of using that class of testimony. I was at Wainwright and know of my own knowledge that up to August 1, 1905, there was no school there. Referring again to the matter of hearsay testimony, I accepted as reliable the say-so of the Bureau's employees wherever I found them, and referring again to the matter of enrolhiient of pupils, with a view to obtaining accurate data, it is clearly within the province of the Department to determine whether it wishes to know how many children actually are attending school. I can assure you, however, that the dilference between the number enrolled and the number in attendance will be quite considerable. LOANING DEER. The commentary defends its policy of loaning deer. This is a matter which is wholly in the hands of the Department. Personally I do not approve of the policy as it has been conducted, and have so stated. Although I asked for copies of lease contracts, the Bureau has not thus far exhibited any showing that parties receiving the loans could be compelled to carry out their agreements, which, so far as the missions are concerned, have been mainly verbal. CAPE PRINCE OF WALES. The Commissioner has elaborated on the gift of 118 deer at Cape Prince of Wales, and I fail to see occasion for lengthy comment thereon by me. The question is. Did Doctor Jackson give 118 deer to the Cape Prince of Wales Mission ? Mr. Lopp, the then agent for that mission, says that the deer were given to the mission without condition, and that he rec^iived them on behalf of the mission. Some time afterwards a controversy grew out of this gift and an attempt was made to make it appear that it was a loan instead of a gift, and we know now that the Treasury Department insisted on the deer taken from there for the Point Barrow expedition being returned, which shows that the mission had able assistance in getting back the deer that it believed were their own under the gift. EDUCATIOXAL A^D SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 137 ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND. It hardly seems necessary to go over the transactions at this place again. I was there twice, and it is not a matter of hearsay that brought out my report that TO deer were loaned there five years ago and to an imaginary mission. I we^it into this matter fully in my main report, and it was not an unjust or unbusinesslike criticism for me to state that the Bureau's affairs in connection with this and other stations have been loosely conducted. GELDING AND FEMALE DEER. There should be no surprise that the printed report that gelding and female deer placed upon an island in the Bering Sea " have in a measure stocked that island with reindeer " is pushed aside as a '* rumor," as this is probably the easiest way to dispose of it ; but the statement that such deer were placed there is a matter of common report and generally believed in Alaska, if the testimony of numerous persons can be relied on. The deer were placed on the island some twelve or fourteen years ago, and as there are none of them left (here it is not worth while to attempt to offer any proof. In fact, it is of very little consequence at this late day, as I have no doubt ihe deer were put there to see if they would thrive in that localitv; but I do think the statement that they " have in a measure stocked " the island an indication that the Bureau did not know the facts. " NOT ILLOGICAL." The learned Commissioner says my report is faulty concerning the separation of church and state, and is so kind as to say that this is " not because illogical, but because the data found in the Bureau's reports were wrong." As already stated, I quoted freely from these reports, believing them authentic from the standpoint of the Bureau's records, but I think I made it clear that in numerous instances the reports were erroneous, and I am glad to note that the Commissioner admits it. Hitherto no special representative of your Department has visited Alaska for the purpose of reporting on schools and reindeer, so that the only source of information was in these reports of the Bureau, which the Commissioner now admits are in a measure unreliable. It is generally understood, to say the least, that the Bureau's Alaska policy has been dominated by Doctor Jackson, who receives a salary from the Government, together with a salary from one of the great missionary boards. It would appear from the arguments of the Commissioner that the Bureau hopes to retain control of the schools and reindeer and presumably the continuanoe of its connections with the mission boards. I am not sure that I am called upon to discuss the plans for the future, but it can not be out of place for me to say that, as time goes on, the reindeer business will prove a pretty expensive branch of the public service. DEER IN 1905. The claim by the Bureau that the Government had more deer in 1905 than ever before does not occur to me to have much bearing on the general subject, as it is nothing but fair to assume that the herds 138 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEKVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. will increase from year to year. The Commissioner generously admits that if the Bureau had managed the deer as well as it has been done under Mr. Lopp at Cape Prince of Wales it would have still more deer — a statement that is not likely to be disputed ; and by way of suggestion I would add that it might be better, after all, for the Government to retire from the deer business. DISCLAIMER. I disclaim any intent of making unfair insinuations, but admit following up such reports affecting the business in hand as seem to me to be pertinent. I will add that I heard various criticisms against the methods pursued in carrying on the schools and reindeer matters that did not seem to me to be worth following up. W. T. LOPP. You have done me the honor to place in my hands a copy of an interview with Mr. W. T. Lopp, a gentleman who has spent more than fifteen years in the Arctic and who, in my opinion, knows as much about the Alaska school and reindeer service as any person. Mr. Lopp accompanied Lieutenant Jarvis with the herd of reindeer for the suffering whalers at Point Barrow. Mr. Lopp is entirely trust- worthy, and his statements may be relied upon. I transmit this paper, marked "Appendix A," and make it a part of this communi- cation, and I trust you will find it convenient to read it carefully in- connection with my several reports. In the event that the insinua- tions that my reports are based upon " hearsay and rumors " is taken seriously I invite particular attention to the numerous exhibits which were made a part of these reports. Let all the reports, tables, and exhibits be considered as a whole and we may see who has been dependent upon hearsay and rumors in discussing schools, reindeer, and missions in Alaska. Attention is also particularly invited to the failure of the honorable Commissioner to touch upon numerous subjects in his commentary upon my reports, and I think it will be discovered that quite a number of matters passed over by him will be found to be worthy of your attention. I have the honor to be. Very respectfully, Frank C. Churchill, Late Special Agent. Hon. E. A. Hitchcock, Secretary of the Interior. Appendix "A." Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, Washiiifftoii. April 2. 1906. Present : The Seci-etary, the governor of Alaska, Mr. W. B. Acker, and Mr. William T. Lopp. The Secretary. Mr. Lopp. what is your full name? Mr. Lopp. William T. Lopp. The Secretary. How long have you been in Alaska? Mr. Lopp. Twelve winters and thirteen summers. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. 139 The Secretary. What have you been engaged in out there? Mr. Lopp. Teaching ; and have also had charge of the reindeer vpork. My title, I believe, was " Supervisor." We call it " Superintendent of the north- west district of Alaska." The Secretary. In connection with what? Mr. Lopp. With the distribution of reindeer. The Secretary. By what authority? Mr. Lopp. Bureau of Education : Doctor Harris. The Secretary. When did you begin that service? Mr. Lopp. I began July 1. 1904. The Secretary. How much ground have you covered? Mr. Lopp. I have covered about 1.2(tO miles, I should say, of post. The Secretary. How many stations? Mr. Lopp. How many at the present time? The Secretary. No: how many visited? Herds and schools, or schools at which there were herds? Mr. Lopp. Seven. The Secretary. How many are there altogether? Mr. Lopp. There are eight, I think, in the district, or were eight. The Secretary. At which there were reindeer? Mr. Lopp. Yes. sir. I was unable to visit St. Lawi'ence Island. The Secretary. That is the only one out of the eight that you did not visit? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. The Secretary. How many reindeer are there now altogether in Alaska? Mr. Lopp. About 10,000, I believe, according to the latest tables. The Secretary. How are they distributed? Mr. Lopp. They are distributed among the missions. The Secretary. I think you had better begin and make your own statement covering the situation — what your position was and what your duties were, and then give any details as to any contracts and how those contracts have been carried out. what use they make of the reindeer, and whether, in your judg- ment, the system is a good one, or is capable or susceptible of improvement, and what improvement. Mr. Lopp. Well, to take them up by stations, for instance, I foiind some that were leased out to missions, and others were leased out to Laplanders, and some seemed to be mixed. The Secretary. You spoke of leases. What kind of leases were made, or loans? ]\Ir. Lopp. At Kotzebue Sound there was a written contract with the mission board, and also with the Laplander there. Both the mission and the Laplander at Kotzebue station were loaned 100 deer fom* years ago. The Secretary. Upon what conditions? Mr. Lopp. The Laplander was loaned deer on the condition that he remain there and instruct the Eskimos in the art of managing reindeer, and he was to return to the Government at the end of the five years' lease the deer which he had borrowed, or an equal number of the same sex. The mission's lease The Secretary. What mission? Mr. Lopp. The Quaker mission, at Kotzebue. They also got 100 at the same time, and I think they were bound up or loaned 100 deer for the purpose of in- troducing them among the natives. The contract did not state how many they were to train. That wa'S all left out of the contract. The Secretary. Any to be returned? Mr. JjOvp. Yes. sir ; same number to be returned ; same sex and same number. The Secretary. Any other missions? Mr. Lopp. At Deering. on the south side of Kotzebue. I was instructed by wire in the fall that I could loan them 100 deer — the Quakers' mission, at Deer- ing. The Secretary. A diffex'ent location — the second 100 was loaned to Quaker mission? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. They also instructed me to appoint two Eskimo herders To take charge of that herd. If any of the Cape Prince of Wales boys are will- ing to go up there and look after that herd they would pay them .$200 and their rations. The Secretary. For what length of time? Mr. Lopp. For a year. I will state, first, that the first instruction I got from the Department was to hire one Laplander and pay him .$.500 and put him in charge of this new herd. 140 EDUCATIOiSrAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. The Secretary. What new herd? Mr. Lopp. At Deeriug, which they had instructed me to establish. I wired tliem baciv that I did not lilce the La])lander they had suggested and preferred to put two natives in charge. They had been in the deer business for about twelve years, and I suggested that they pay the two natives as much as they proposed paying the one Laplander. They wired back to take the two natives, but pay them only $200 — .$100 each — and I did that. Those natives also took the deer which they own in the Cape Prince of Wales herd and put these with 100 Government deer, and together we drove the entire herd to Deering in Jan- uary, 1905, and established that new herd. After arriving there I wrote up a contract with the missionary in charge, and all I had to go by was a copy of the one across the Sound. I knew what that was. I made them promise to keep at least four herders. I required the mission to sign up an agreement that they would put at least four Eskimo apprentices with the herd and keep them witli it. This herd was leased for five years and was the only one I loaned during my stay up there. At Cape Prince of Wales station, which I have been asso- ciated with mostly, you probably know pretty well the history of that. I was in charge at Teller reindeer station in 1893 and 1894. The missionary was killed at Cape Prince of Wales, so I was asked to go back there and went back. The Bureau gave that mission 100 deer. The Secretary. What mission? Mr. Lopp. Cape Prince of Wales Congregational mission, and at the same time proposed giving another 100 to the Golofnin Bay mission. The Secretary. What mission is that? Mr. Lopp. That is a Swedish Evangelical mission. Beginning in 1892, and after two years' experiment thei-e at Teller reindeer station, they proposed giv- ing the Cape Prince of Wales mission 100 deer, and also the Golofnin Bay mis- sion 100. The Secretary. That is No. 9 on the map. Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. Well, they gave Cape Prince of Wales mission 100 deer, and at that time, as the representative, I signed up the agreement — it is pub- lished in one of the reports. It was stated to me that the first money to start the reindeer industry was contributed from private sources — .$2,000. At any rate we got 100 deer there at Cape Prince of Wales in 1894, and I had charge there for a year and then came outside a year, and back again in 1896 and came out again in 1902. In the meantime we had that trip to Point Barrow, in which the Prince of Wales deer were taken to Point Barrow and returned. The Secretary. That is the case where you assisted the whalers? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. The Secretary. Captain .Jarvis went up to that point with a herd, didn't he? Mr. Lopp. Captain Jarvis commanded and I had charge of the reindeer. A great many of those were private deer and belonged l:o the natives. They loaned the deer. The Secretary. What was done with them? Mr. Lopp. They killed about 200 of them that spring. The rest were left there and formed the nucleus of that Point Barrow herd. The following year part of them were brought back ; some were left at Point Hope. The Secretary. How many men were wrecked there? Mr. Lopp. I think about 280 or 290. The Secretary. That number of men? Mr. Lopp. Yes. sir. The Secretary. On one ship? Mr. Lopp. Two ships wrecked and the rest were caught in the ice; seven or eight ships, all told. The Secretary. And it required 200 deer to feed them? Mr. Lopp. It required more than that, but Captain Jarvis added that to the rations which they had. The rations got low in May and June. I turned around and came back immediately after I got there. ' Now, as to the result at Cape Prince of Wales. It was twelve years ago the Government gave them 100 deer there and this is the result: Last fall when I left there 21 natives owned 1,167 deer and the mission owned the balance — I think about 300. The Secretary. Where does the Government come in? Mr. Lopp. The Government has not come in there yet. They have never asked for any deer. They gave those deer without asking that they be returned. The contract— you will see it, I think, in the report of 189J— shows that they were not to be returned. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA, 141 The Secretary. Any reason given for that? Why did they treat that mission so favorably, or rather not upon the same terms as other missions? Mr. Lopp. The reason was. as given at that time, to allow the two nearest missions 100 deer to experiment with. This money was contributed from out- side sources. I did not think much about that one way or another. I was up there, and the deer were offered to that mission, and as the representative I took them and made what I could of them. My idea always was. and is yet, that if a mission has deer turned over to it for that purpose they should feel duty bound to use all the economy in the education of apprentices, and not allow any of the reindeer income to go to the general support of the mission. For instance, if they sell $500 worth of reindeer this year for meat or anything else they should use that in feeding and clothing Eskimo apprentices. The Secretary. What really does become of the proceeds? Mr. Lopp. Well, up until possibly year before last or last yeai'. I think, at all the stations the proceeds have gone that way ; but last year a number of mis- sions marketed quite a lot of female deer and meat, and some of them are ahead. They have used some of the funds for the general support of the mis- sion work. For instance, the Teller mission, the Norwegian Lutheran mission, they have had a herd of reindeer from the Government for five years — 100 deer. Last fall I went up there to receive them back for the Government. Their time was up. They returned the 100 deer. I asked for the contract, and they had none ; it was a verbal understanding. The man in charge told me what his recollection was in regard to sex. We took that as a basis, and I received for the Government 100 deer and marked them with an aluminum button — an ear mark. As the result of that five years' loan they paid for one apprentice. They gave one Eskimo 25 deer. The Secretary. Who did, the Government or the mission? Mr. Lopp. The mission. One Eskimo had been there during the entire five years, so they gave him that reward of 25 deer. Other Eskimos had been there two, three, or four years and had dropped out, so they came in for nothing. That mission there last fall had 270 deer left after paying back 100 to the Government. It had 270 for its increase. After paying the native 25, it had 245 left. I could not tell you just what their income has been, but I think they must have sold $600 or $700 worth of meat last year. The Secretary. And kept that money for the mission? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. They are supporting an orphan asylum. There was an epidemic in 1900, and a great many natives were left orphan children, and they have gathered them together and have been keeping and feeding them. He told me it was his understanding when he took that herd of deer that he would be allowed to use any revenues or income from the herd for the support of that asylum. The Secretary. Really, now, what means were taken to educate appren- tices — speaking generally — at the difl'erent stations? Mr. Lopp. Well, about the method in vogue is : They will take a young man and, for instance, at that station which tries to follow the i-egulations which says that no native shall own a deer until he has served five years, while other stations have given them out every year. For instance, at the end of the first year give two deer ; at the end of the second give three more to the appren- tice, etc. The Secretary. You do not understand exactly what I mean. How many natives or apprentices have been educated at all these different stations to train and use or properly train for use these reindeer ; how is the system working? Mr. Lopp. It is working fairly well so far as it goes, but there is only a com- paratively small number of natives who have learned. I do not know that I can tell you just how many natives in Alaska have become herders. The Secretary. At the different stations, have you any idea about what number? Has the number of apprentices been that which the Government had a right to expect under these contracts or under arrangements where thex'e were no contracts? Has it been a success or has it been a failure? Have they made any progress toward teaching the people who it was desired should use these deer? What progress was made? Mr. Lopp. My opinion is that they should have taken on more apprentices at those different stations. The Secretary. And devoted the proceeds to that purpose? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. 142 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. The Secretary. To the education of appreutices— to teach them hovs- to train deer so that they could be useful? Mr. Lopi". Yes. sir. I called the Kotzebue mis.sionary's attention to the matter last winter. He had 100 deer there four years, and the Laplander at Kotzebue had the same. That man only had three apprentices there. The Secretary. How many ouj^ht they to have had. in your idea? Mr. Lopp. Six or seven. They mi{i;ht have started out with three or four the first year, but as the income came in from the herd I think they should have increased the number of apprentices. The Secretary. What do they hope to teach the apprentices? Mr. Lopp. They don't teach exactly. They learn by doing it. For instance, in the winter the boys will go out of morning and round up the herd. One or two will go out each morning and hunt the herd. The deer live on reindeer moss, and may possibly be 3 miles from their camp. They notice where they were the last night and go out in the morning and round up and see that all the bell deer and sled deer are there. The Secretary. The bell is to make them follow? Mr. Lopp. It is to locate them with. The Secretary. What are the apprentices instructed to learn? Is it merely the herding? Mr. Lopp. No. sir. To protect the deer ; to harness them and to make har- ness and make sleds. It takes them some time to learn to break deer to harness. The Secretary. That shows the necessity for having a greater number of apprentices if they have these various things to do — make harness and sleds and breaking in the deer. Mr. Lopp. It is real hard to make a good sled deer, it seems, the first season — to get him strong and trained. He Is not in prime until the second year. The Secretary. Now, the argument in this deer system has been that it is for the purpose of transporting food, and I have lieard also that it was for sup- plying clothing. Don't they u.se the skin for clothing? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sii*. There is great need for clothing. The natives need the skin for clothing more than the flesh for food. The. Secretary. How about transportation? Mr. Lopp. The natives could get along without that ; they have their dogs. The Secretary. I read the story that somebody out there has the contract for the mails, supposed to be transported by deer, and that no deer are used at all, but that the man having the contract has sublet it, and it is done entirely by dogs. Is that true? Mr. Lopp. That is true. I suppose you refer to the Point Barrow and Kotze- bue mail i-oute. The Secretary. How long is that? Mr. Lopp. It must be 650 miles. The Secretary. How often is he required to go? Mr. Lopp. Two round trip? a year. The Secretary. What do they get? Mr. Lopp. One thousand five hundred dollars for two trips. The Secretary. What do they actually pay the man who does the work? Mr. Lopp. I think he said that they paid at least one-third. The natives report that lie got 20 sacks of flour for each round trip. That would be 40 sacks, or 80 sacks for the two round trips for the two natives. Besides that, he fed them ; and I am not sure whether they furnished the dog team or not. Eighty sacks of flour would be $150 or $200. The Secretary. And the other fellow was sitting back getting $1,500 for doing the job. That is about it, isn't it? Mr. Lopp. It looks that way. They get freight for $25 a ton. The Secretary. We have heard also that there is some woman up there who has somewhere between three and four thousand deer. Is that true? Mr. Lopp. I never heartj of it. Mr. Acker. She is the widow of Charlie Antisarlock, a native apprentice. She has quite a number; I think somewhere about 1.500 or 1,600. Mr. Lopp. She is not in my district ; and while I used to know her and her husband — her husband was with us on that trip to Point Barrow The Secretary. Well, call it half of that — 1,500. How in the world could she get that accumvdation of reindeer? Mr. Lopp. Her husband was loaned 50 deer in 1894. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 143 The Secretary. Twelve years ago. Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. And he was sent dowu to Sin Rock, near Nome. He had also served as an apprentice there at the station. I think they gave him five female reindeer ; possibly ten. He was a very intelligent man, and they thought a good deal of him. The Secretary. Pretty thrifty, was he not? Mr. Lopp. Yes ; he was a thrifty man ; was honest and honorable in every respect ; and Captain Haley's idea was to give Charlie a chance and see what he would do. He did very well, and took on apprentices. He took on some natives there to help herd, and they sent one or two Laplanders down there to him ; but one Laplander they sent lived in his house all the time on the beach, and was of no help, especially in regard to the reindeer. The Government paid that expense. He was out no expense for the Laplander. The Secretary. Do you call the Eskimo " Charlie? "' Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. That is his first name. He loaned his first herd tor that Point Barrow expedition, and was paid back later. His idea was to pay these native apprentices at the end of about five years. At the end of his five years he died; and I heard last winter that Mary refused to pay off all the appren- tices. Mary was his widow. After his death Mary became rather desolate, and the superintendent of that Eaton reindeer station came up there and took her herd down to Eaton station ; and it was reported that they butchered quite a number of deer going along, and that there was a good deal of drunkenness on the part of the superintendent and the Laplanders who were going do\^ n with her and her deer. After they got down there there was n change made in the administration at that station, and the Swedish mission took a hand in it, and this superintendent, after he lost his job, put in a large bill against Mary for his services, and they took it to court. Jiidge Brunner defended the woman, and the Swede lost out on it. Mary was half Russian. The Secretary. What is yovir opinion as to this system or policy of leasing or loaning or giving these reindeer to these natives, whether Eskimos, Lap- landers, or what not? Is not the thing a failure, or is it not a failure? I ask you because you have been there for a number of years. Mr. Lopp. The system is not a failure, because great good has already been accomplished. If you wish to ask me whether there is a better system, yes. The Secretary. I just want the facts. Mr. Lopp. The reindeer have thri^■ed. There is no doubt about the experiment, and I think the figures show ; but it seems to me. and always has. that deer should have been distributed to more natives. I realize and think that it was probably wise to go slow the first few years. The reindeer, while it is of great aid and assistance to those natives, it is not like distributing flour or sugar or something like that among them. There is a great difference in those natives. Some of them never would make reindeer herders. The Secretary. In other words, there are some there who appreciate the efforts the Government is making to give them instruction and aid them, and others who do not. Now, is it not probable that they are intending to run this business from the Washington end without knowing the facts out there? Mr. Lopp. I think so, and that there is a false system of economy. I think the time has come that the Government must either go into the business or out of it. The Secretary. Why should the Government stay in the business now that there are 10,000 reindeer there? Mr. Lopp. Well, the Government would have to stay in a few years or sell these off. Some of them could be sold this year and next to the natives. The Secretary. I understand the Government now owns less than 2,500 out of the 10,000. Mr. Lopp. I think the Government will have direct control this coming summer of 2,500, counting the increase. The Secretary. Are there not some more to come in? Mr. Lopp. There will be some more to be returned, according to these leases. I am not sure what was done there at some of those stations. The Bettles herd was brought down the Yukon and turned over to the Episcopal mission at Tanana. The Secretary. The Government, as I understand it, has spent in the pur- chase of these reindeer, since the time the business was first started, over §•200,000. Has it not, Mr. Acker? Mr. Acker. A'ery near that, Mr. Secretary; .$222,500 this gives it. (State- ment of the Commissioner of Education, year ended June 30, 1905.) The Secretary. And all it has to show for it is this 2,.500 deer. 144 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC.^ IN ALASKA. Mr. Lopp. That is all it has in its possession. It has succeeded in this round- about way of distributing many to the natives. We have understood that that was the object. The Secretary. This distribution to the natives was confined to comparatively- few, was it not? I mean with respect to ownership. Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir ; comparatively few. But they are increasing all the time, and it will only be a matter of a few years The Secretary. You do not advocate the Government's buying any more, do you? Mr. Lopp. If it wants to stay in the business and distribute them it would be all right to buy more, but it seems to me the first and most important thing now is for the Government to make several new herds up there and take on more apprentices and get more natives into the business. The Secretary. And manage it at the other end under the direction of the governor, rather than at this end by persons who rarely visit Alaska and do not know the details that the administration has to contend with. Mr. Lopp. I believe that the men in the field should have more authority, so that they could act in what seems best to them. The Secretary. Roughly speaking, about how many are native owners of these deer? In other words, how many have practical control of the 7,500 that do not belong to the Government? Mr. Lopp. I had some statistics at Seattle, but I did not bring them along. I did not know I was coming to Washington. Mr. Acker. Seventy-eight ; 7S apprentices own 3,817 deer. The Secretary. Some increase is to come back from these to the Government, is there not? Mr. Lopp. Not from the apprentices. The Secretary. That is outside ownership? Mr. Lopp. Y"es, sir. Mr. Acker. When an apprentice graduates he gets a stipulated number of deer, and he can not dispose of them, except the surplus males, until a stated number of years have elapsed. Mr. Lopp. For instance, take the Cape Prince of Wales herd ; when these herders graduate and become independent herders they take on herders on their own account. All the Cape Prince of Wales independent herders have taken on other Eskimos, and feed and clothe them themselves and give them their deer. The Secretary. Do these apprentices use deer for meat or other purposes? Mr. Lopp. For meat and clothing. Those who live nearest to markets where they can sell the meat, buy flour, etc. ; they market part of it and take cash and then buy their tea, sugar, coffee, and flour. The Secretary. What is deer meat worth out there? Mr. Lopp. About 2,5 cents a pound last year. The Secretary'. And what will a mature deer weigh? Mr. Lopp. Average, 140 pounds. A very large one will weigh 180. The Secretary. They get, then, about $40 or $50 for them? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. The Secretary. One hundred and sixty pounds at 25 cents per pound would be just $40. I will have to go now, and would like for you to give the governor and Mr. Acker any further information or explanation they want. I would like to have you, Mr. Acker, ask him something about the school system. The Governor. How many assistants would be required to look after these deer that belong to the Government, under direct control of somebody resident there? Mr. Lopp. For the purpose of taking on apprentices and redistributing the deer, or merely to keep and protect them, perpetuate them? The Governor. For the purpose of taking on apprentices and distribution of the surplus to the apprentices. I mean for the next year or two. Mr. Lopp. Two or three men in the field, I should think, could cover the ground. I believe it would be a very wise plan to take the brighter of those Eskimos and give them positions of responsibility as the.v show themselves capable. I think three would be better than two for all that region, but two might answer the purpose. The Governor. Three Eskimos? Mr. Lopp. No ; white men. The Governor. How much would it cost to maintain and pay these three white men? EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 145 Mr. Lopp. I tbiuk a superiuteudent out there ousht to have at least .$2,500, but it never paid that; might get some field men for .$1,200 or .$1,500. The Governor. With rations? Mr. Lopp. No; you probably would have to pay his traveling expenses. Last year they paid me $1,500 and traveling expenses when on official business. The Governor. How much would that amount to? We have just $15,000, and I want to know what we have to pay out for the necessary people to look after this matter in the field. Mr. Lopp. I don't think my traveling expenses going up from Seattle and in the field were more than $400. The Governor. Well, that is $1,000. For two others what would it amount to with rations? Mr. Lopp. They gave me to understand that if I was visiting a herd on official business the Government would pay my expenses, but at my headquarters I had to pay my own expenses. I think that to estimate it at $4,000 or $5,000 for the superintendent and two assistants The Governor. Entire cost? INIr. Lopp. Yes ; entire cost. The Governor. It would be nearer $5,000 than $4,000, would it not? Mr. Lopp. Yes. I think it is economy for the Government to have the proper number of superintendents. The Governor. Yes ; it is a pretty big country to cover. How much does it cost to maintain a herd — a herd organized for the purpose of learning appren- tices and distribution? Mr. Lopp. Well, say we take on six new apprentices and hire two of those older natives; I think it would cost at least .$2,000 on an average to maintain a new herd — that is, for six apprentices and possibly to pay a little salary to those head herders that we get from some of the older herds. Some of them might be willing to go just for the rations. They are attached to their home districts and do not like to go off to other places. The Governor. Well, for a station of that kind, how many deer could be cared for? Mj-. Lopp. Well, in that district I have been in, I think, if possible, there should be at least five or six new herds made there this following winter. The Governor. You do not understand me. At that expense, how large a herd of reindeer can we maintain? Mr. Lopp. Three thousand easily. The number of deer does not affect it much : there is a little more work when it comes to marking. The Governor. When these deer are turned over to apprentices, the superin- tendent does not have to bother about them any more, does he, except to see that they are not slaughtering the female deer? Mr. Lopp. That is all. The Governor. Those deer are distributed over that whole area. How many stations could we assemble there? Mr. Lopp. Well, we have a few Government deer at Point Barrow. It would be quite a long drive to bring these down to Kotzeltue. The Governor. Would it be necessary to bring those deer from Point Barrow? :Mr. Lopp. No, sir. I see no advantage in putting these Government deer together. The Governor. Well, of course we would have to work within the limits of the appropriation. If we have only $15,000, we have to fix the machinery so that you will not spend ;iny more. If it takes $2,000 to establish a herd and $5,000 CO superintend it, we could not establish many herds. Mr. Lopp. AVell, I hope you will not give up on the approjiriation. The Governor. Since you have been up there, how much better is the condi- tion of the native to-day than before the introduction of those reindeer? Mr. Lopp. A great deal better in the way of clothing and food, but I do not mean to say that the reindeer is entirely responsible for it. It has helped a great many families at Cape Prince of Wales and Teller, but other things have helped the natives. The coming of the whites in there has made a steady market for everything they kill and make. They all use stoves, cook their food, wear underclothes, and live clean and better. The Governor. How is the mortality? Mr. Lopp. On the increase a little. I think that, from the census last spring, it is increasing a little. Had an epidemic there last spring which took away a S. Doc. 483, 59-1 10 146 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. large imnil)pr of old jx-oplo :ui(l some yoiiiii; ones. Aloiij; the coast a great many of them die of starvation. / The GovKRNOR. Then, to take care of these 2,r)00 deer is going to require ?25,000 a year — for care and distribution? Mr. LoPH. It ought to. 1 thiiilc. to do it i)roi)ei-iy. The Governor. If tlie (Jovernment undertook the care of the deer on that basis, would the herds increase materially? Mr. Lopp. It would depend upon how many apjirentices jou took, and how many deer you gave them as a reward for their api)renticeship. The GovERN( R. Those natives have money, have they? Mr. Lopp. Yes. sir. The Governor. They would lie able to buy deer if thev wanted tlieni. wouldn't they? Mr. Lopp. Yes ; some of them would. The Governor. If the Government is going out of the business in the next two or thi'ee vears, vvhat would you suggest as the best method of going out of it? Mr. Lopp. Well, if they establish these stations and take charge of the ap- prentices and give them the deer they earn, if they could get increased appro- priations they could take on a sutlicient number of herders each year to get out of the business at the end of three or four years. I believe in actual ownership by the n.-itives. I do not believe in marking a deer for a native and telling him it is his if he is a good boy, etc. I believe in giving it to him. so that his people v.ill inherit it at his death. I believe it would be a good law which would prevent those natives from ever selling any of the female deer to the white people. That would prevent the whites from getting control of the deer the natives now own. The Governor. As I look at it, it is going to take more money each year. Mr. Lopp. Well, you can regulate that. It is owing to how many apprentices you want to take on and educate. I believe that if we could get some new herds established in the next three years and get the natives started off well they would take on ap])renti(es and they could perpetuate the deer themselves. The Governor. How long do you think the Government would have to keep in this business? Mr. Lopp. So far as the natives are concerned, I think the Government could get out of the business at the end of five years. Mr. Acker. Then, according to your view of the matter, $25,000 for the next five years. That would make a good round sum of money. Mr. Lopp. It would not be much compared to what they put in on Indian schools in Western States. They allow $166 for each Indian pupil? schools in the United States. They allow $166 to the Indian pupil. Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. Mr. Acker. At the expiration of five years the Government would be re- leased from further domestication of the reindeer in Alaska, so far as the De- ])artment can provide now. Then the reindeer would be in the hands of com- petent herders. Would it then be necessary for the Government to continue the superintendence of the deer up there? Mr. Lopp. It would be well to continue a general superintendence. Mr. Acker. Then it is your idea that if the Government appropriates $25,000 next year for the reindeer in Alaska that there should be a provision put in the law prohibiting apprentices receiving deer from disposing of any deer to white men? Mr. Lopp. Yes ; any female deer. I believe it is all right to allow these ap- prentices to sell female deer among themselves. Mr. Acker. I want to ask you about the schools up there. Those reindeer stations are under your immediate supervision? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. Mr. Acker. Now. what are the stations under your supei-vision? Mr. Lopp. Point Barrow,, Wainwright, Point Hope (just a school building there; no school or herd). Gorwin Lagoon, Kotzebue, Deering, Shismaref (no school, just a building). Cape Prince of Wales, Teller reindeer station. Teller, Quartz Creek (no Government building), and St. Lawrence Island. Mr. Acker. Those are all the points where schools are maintained? Mr. Lopp. Schools were maintained at all those points, except Point Hojie and Shismaref. There is a missionary living at Corwiu Lagoon. He gets sui)port from his board in California, and his wife is the Government teacher. They occupy the Government school building. EDUCATIONAL AXD SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 1-47 Mr. Acker. How many pupils have they? Mr. Lopp. I heard they have about 35 or 36. People are moving in there from about Point Hope. Mr. Acker. There really is a bona fide school being conducted there? Mr. Lopp. Yes. sir. Mr. Acker. And they have a fair attendance? Mr. Lopp. Yes. People have come in from other places and filled the place up. Mr. Acker. How much do they pay the teacher? Mr. Lopp. I do not know otticially, but I think about $80 a month. That is what they generally pay those teachers connected with missions. Mr. Acker. She subsists herself? Mr. Lopp. I think the (^laker mission board feeds and clothes her. The Quaker board feeds and clothes Mr. and Mrs. Walton and the Government pays Mrs. Walton a salary. Mr. Acker. And furnishes her a house? Mr. Lopp. Yes. Mr. Acker. That is the best schoolhouse in your district? Mr. Lopp. No, sir : there are several like it. I have not seen it. We landed the stufl' there last winter and sent carpenters there. Mr. Acker. Do j'ou have anything to do with the supervision of that school? Mr. Lopp. That was included in my title. I came out last winter and never visited the school. I visited the one at Kotzebue and those farther south. Mr. Acker. Then you really have supervision over the schools as well as the reindeer stations in your district? Mv. Lopp. That is what the appointment called, for. Mv. Acker. And you visit the schools as often as you can? Air. Lopp. Yes. We established one school there at Teller. The population increased late in the fall. White people moved in in the fall and asked me to come down, and I investigated and found out that there was a school population there, white and native, and the Department instructed me to establish a school there, which I did. Mr. Acker. Could you give a list of the schools in your district, with the number of children who actually attend school and the approximate compensa- tion of the teachers, so that I can identify them with Mr. Churchill's report? Mr. Lopp. I could not tell you the number of pupils. Mr. Acker. You could approximate, could you not? What I am trying to bring out is the actual attendance. This education report gives the enrollment but not the attendance. :Mr. Lopp. I was not expected to get these reports, and they do not report to me directly. I was not instructed to collect any statistics, and what I would remember would just be incidental. Mr. Acker. If you could give Mr. Harvey a list of those stations, I could make a comparison with Mr. Churchill's report. Mr. Lopp. Well, we will start with Point Barrow. Just from memory I should say it had an average attendance of 35 pupils for the season. Mr. .Vcker. One teacher at Point Barrow? Mr. Lopp. Last year they had two teachers. Mr. Acker. How much were they paid? Mr. IjOpp. One thousand five hundred dollars each. Mr. Acker. That was exclusive of everything else? Mr. Lopp. I don't know whether they were allowed coal or not. This pres- ent time there is one Government teacher at Point BaiTow and a Presbyterian missionary. At Walnwright Inlet the average attendance for this winter, I should judge, would be about 15 or 20 pupils if the natives came down and settled there, as I imagine they have. If no more natives came- than were living there last year, they probably do not have an average attendance of more than 6 or 7. It is a small, weak settlement. One teacher. I do not know what the appointment I'eads, but they pay them .$1,.500. Point Hope just has a school building, which is being finished up. It has not been occupied yet. Corwin Lagoon has one teacher. Kotzelme has a Government school building and a Government teacher, and an average attendance, I should say, of about 25 pupils ; may run 30. -Mr. Acker. What pay? 148 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Mr. Lopp. The yentleuian there is a luissioiiary, and his wife is the Goveru- meut toather. I think she gets JjJSU a mouth. The mission board has a mission building in addition to this Governmeut school building. The next place is Deering, on the south side of Kotzebue Sound. They have one (iovernnieut teacher there. A missionary and his wife are there — Quakers. The school. I should say, would average about 35 pupils. This building was just completed in September last, and is the only building. The mission board has no property whatever. I think they jiay the lady about $80. Mr. Acker. Has the lady a husband V Mr. Lopp. No ; she is single. At Shismaref the building was finished, i)()ssibly in December, but has not been occupied. Government building. Ml'. Acker. Most of these buildings were built under contract. Two or three of them we could not get any bids on and had to erect them by day labor. Mr. Lopp. The next station is Cai)e Prince of Wales. There we have a Gov- ernment school. Two teachers ; one is a white man and the other is a native. The native is assistant teacher and gets .$40 a month. Mr. Acker. Is he the only native teacher? Mr. Lopp. That is the only native teacher on the coast. He is a very bright boy and does good work. The white teacher gets .$900 a year. Last year he got $L200. but was cut down to .$000 and came very near leaving. I do not think he would stay there another year for .$900. He is a very efficient man. There is also at this place a mission maintained by the Congregational board. It has its own building, separate from the Government. At Teller there is a Government teacher — not the old Teller reindeer station. I don't know whether that was built by the reindeer fund or the school fund. Five years ago it was turned over to the Norwegian Lutheran mission. They started an orphan asylum. Mr. Brevig, at the head of that, is a Government teacher ; that is. the school is in his name, but he has a young lady doing the teaching. I think they get about $80. Mr. Acker. Does he pay her all he is supposed to receive? Mr. Lopp. I think not. I don't know just how they manage, Mr. Acker. In other words, he supervises the mission work and is supposed to do the teaching. Mr, Lopp, Yes. sir ; the missionary has the use of the Government building for residence and orphan asylum. A school for both whites and natives was maintained at the town of Teller. This other wa$ Teller reindeer station. That has been discontinued. There was also a school last year near Nome, on Quartz Creek, for natives; a Government school taught in an old road-house building bought by private contribution. I think a Congregational minister at Nome selected a Government teacher. So far as 1 know the only support it had was the Government salary. That has been discontinued. Those are all. The Governor. You were superintendent of the reindeer and schools, too? Mr, Lopp. Yes. sir. Mr. Acker. Mr. Lopp had general charge of schools and reindeer stations. Mr. Lopp. I had these seven or eight school buildings to erect; I had nothing to do with the purchase of supplies or determining the size. Mr. Acker. That is a good deal to require a man to do for $1,500 a year in that country. Mr. Lopp, They sent up some outside carpenters, too. I have been getting along very nicely. Got some men from the field there ; it costs less. For each of these school buildings they sent up some flour, sugar, and tea and put seven or eight natives on the buildings. They were all shingled from the outside. The natives put on all the rough lumber, floor, sheathing, etc. Mr. Acker. That was the understanding when the education office was au- thorized — that natives were to be employed so far as possible. Now. with regard to reindeer stations. Where the Government is supposed to have a contract, and some places have, and loans a stipulated number of deer to be used in the industrial education of the natives, are any of the people actually in charge of these stations on the pay rolls of the education office? In other words, is the station practically maintained out of the fund for education ? Mr. Lopp. I was informed the other day that my salary was paid out of the reindeer fund. There is no Govei'nment i-eindeer station in my district. Point Barrow station I would suppose to be a mission, from reading the reports. They EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 149 were only there a short time. I have since been informed that they hianed the I'resbyterian mission a few deer. I heard tliat the Government toolc the deer away from them and maintained apprentices at Government expense. The St. Lawi'ence Island herd and I'oint Rarrow herd have been supported l)y the Gov- ernment. At nearly all these other places they had been supported by the missions. I did not get to visit I'oint Barrow in the winter. There is one more scliool, that at St. Lawrence Island. There is a Govern- ment school there and a man is teacher. His wife is also there with him. T think they get $1,500, and they eai'u their money. So far as I have been able to learn, the mission pays nothing there. Mr. Acker. You mean that the missionary society pays nothing? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir. Mr. Acker. All the deer on that island belong to the Government? Mr. Lopp. The Government and the natives. Mr. Acker. As a matter of fact, some of these reindeer stations are depend- ent upon Government funds for their maintenance other than the 100 deer they are loaned? Mr. Lopp. Point Barrow and the St. Lawrence Island stations have been main- tained by the Government. The Governor. Where is St. Lawrence Island? Mr. Lopp. It is over next to Siberia. Mr. Acker. Point Barrow and St. Lawrence Island are the only two places in your district maintained wholly at the expense of the Government — the reindeer service and educational branch? Mr. Lopp. I could not be sure of that. Those are two isolated iilaces? The Governor. If you get these deer scattered around, I think it will require larger appropriations. Mr. Lopp. You have something to show for it, though, Governor. If you are feeding and clothing the natives, you have something to show for your ex- penditures. We have very little to show, so far as the training of apprentices is concerned, for the appropriation. Mr. Acker. Suppose the Government should decline to loan any more deer at those stations ; for instance, those Presbyterians — they are not entitled to any more loans. At St. Lawrence Island the Govennuent owns them all. The loan tu the Roman Catholic mission at Nulato will be due in :\Iarch this year. The loan at Bethel is also due. Suppose the Government shimld decline to renew the loan at those places ; could those deer be retained in the custody of the Government and maintained without any very large expense? Mr. Lopp. I think so. I think the mission board would surely I)e willing to keep them there without expense. Mr. Acker, Could they be looked after by the herder, who is an Indian em- ployee of the Government? Mr. Lopp. Yes, sir: if they have a herder there. I hardly think they have. I think the Laplanders there are working without any pay. I think by their contract they could be held to look after these deer. I think that could be arranged. Mr. Acker. This man Bahr; he returns his deer this sunnner. He got them in 1901 and they are due in 1!X)6. Same way with Sara and Spein. Now, three of them have discharged their obligations. There are ."lOO deer coming back this year to the Government. I suppose they are at stations where they could be looked after. Mr. Lopp. They are all down there at that one station, as I understand it. Mr. Acker. Bahr is at Eaton. Mr. Lopp. There \\ould be a group at Eaton and another at Kuskokwim Valley. Mr. Acker. Are there other Government deer down there? Mr. Lopp. There is a herd down at Iliamna Bay. Mr. Acker. The Secretary has an idea of abandoning this loan system. The Governor. I suppose he means to let the natives take care of them and let them have a portion of the increase, so that they will eventually have a herd of their own. Mr. Acker. Oh. yes. The contract with these different mission societies is that they would be given 100 deer and return an equal number at the expira- tion of live years. Now. in return for that loan they subsist the Laplander, who does the training at that particular station. 150 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEKVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Mr. Lopp. No ; tlicy have not subsisted the Laplander. The Government has been paying that. At times there has l)een exceptional cases. At Cape Prince of Wales we have never had a Laplander. Mr. Acker. What I was trying to get at is this : There are at Nulato 151 deer. If they take away lou deer for the Government that would leave 51 for the mission. If the Government took away the 100 deer and still required the missionary society to educate those natives, could they not do it at the same price they do now V Mr. Lopp. You say they would have how many left? Mr. Acker. Fifty-one. This is a table gotten up in 1904. Mr. Lopp. Well, they have 190 there now at Nulato— 100 to the credit of the Government and 9(» to the credit of the mission. Your question is whether or not there is anything to compel that mission to go ahead with the education of apprentices. I do not think they have educated very many. Mr. Acker. No ; not whether there is anything to compel them, but could the Government maintain the number of apprentices that is being maintained there now in as economical a way? Would it cost the Government more? Mr. Lopp. If the Government withdrew its 100 deer and drove it to some other herd you want to know about what that would cost it? Mr. Acker. No. The mission gets the increase from the 100 Government deer. Now, if 100 are taken away and it is still necessary to maintain appren- tices there, what would it cost the Government? Mr. Lopp. I could not say. They may arrange that with the mission for so much per capita. Mr. Acker. Five hundred dollars a year they pay the Laplanders. Mr. Lopp. Five hundred dollars and rations. Mr. Acker. The rations amount to about $500 more. Say, about $1,000 a year for salary and subsistence. Mr. Lopp. The Laplander's rations at Kotzebue amounts to $120. I gave the native in charge of that herd Laplander's rations. .'};9.855 a month is what a Laplander's rations amovuit to when purchased at a store at Kotzebue Sound. There are two stores there. That was the lowest bid. At $10 a month the cost to feed a native would be $120 a year. Mr. Acker. Would it cost more at points more remote? Mr. Lopp. At Point Hope and Point Barrow they have the same rates as at Kotzebue Sound. There is another thing I would like to call your attention to — that is, Alaska Peninsula. There are thousands and thousands of wild reindeer there. I think it is about 10 miles across there from salt water to salt water. I have been told that there are thousands of wild reindeer there, and from all I have heard I don't think it would be very costly or difficult to establish a herd down in there of about 100 deer — drive them down from the Kuskokwim region and capture some of the fawns and domesticate them. I think this would improve the breed and be the means of increasing the number of Government deer. If that could be made a Government i-eserve — there are a great many fur-bearing animals there. Some of the natives up about Nome are going down in there and capturing a great many seals. Mr. Acker. It would be no trouble to make it a reserve. The Governor. Those deer are not suitable for long trips, are they? What is the staying quality of the deer? Mr. Lopp. Five or six days at a time is long enough to drive any deer. The Governor. How many miles a day? Mr. Lopp. Twenty-five. One deer to a sled will haul .300 pounds. It is much better to only use them two or three days at a time. Turn the deer out tlien and put in a fresh one. If you take him out on a long trip, and he has to pick his moss at night and has to keep that up for two or three months, there is not nuich left of the deer. The Governor. He has to work night and day. Mr. Lopp. Yes. sir. I believe, too. that if the Government went into the business and began estab- lishing stations and training natives that some of those missions might do a little better than they have been — might take on more apprentices and make a better showing than in the past. There would be a little competition anyway. Mr. Acker. Where it is necessary to enter into a new contract with those mis- sionary societies we can impose new conditions upon them. Mr. Lopp. I suggested that to Mr. Churchill. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEEVICE^, ETC.^ IN ALASKA. 151 Mr. Acker. You saj', 'Sir. Lopp, they ought to iucrease the number of appren- tices at each station? Mr. Lopp. I said that in establishing a new herd I should like to see as uiany as six. Mr. AcKEK. Do you think it would be a fair thing if we required these mis- sionary societies to increase them to a stipulated number? Mr. Lopp. I think so. Base it on the number of deer they possess. Stipulate in the contract that they shall keep an apprentice for so many deer. That would be the proper basis for a stipulation of that kind. Mr. Acker. It does not seem to me that we could do anything else but con- tinue this arrangement with these societies, with the understanding that the number of apprentices shall be increased, and to increase the number of super- visors there. Mr. Lopp. A general superintendent, by going up and getting a man in that northern route might be able to cover the southern route pretty well, and two men might be sufficient. I think there will be some conveniences this summer for going up to Kuskokwim. Mr. Acker. In your district they have no schools for whites, have they? Mr. Lopp. No, sir. Nome is the incorporated town ; but at Teller we have a mixed school. Mr. Acker. Most of your schools will be below Nome? The Governor. Yes. Mr. Lopp. There is one thing I think important to decide as quickly as pos- sible, because time is short to make plans for the year. North of Kotzebue Sound supplies ought to be sent in. Mr. Acker. The appropriation for this service is made in the sundry civil bill, and that bill has not been taken up yet by the House committee. Mr. Lopp. If the appropriation passes in April, the firms on the coast will give credit. They have been doing that in the past. Mr. Lopp. In renewing or making new contracts with missions which already have deer, I would suggest that they be required to make an annual statement to the Government superintendent, showing what income has been derived from the herd in the sale of deer, skins, hiring of sled deer, etc., and showing also that they have expended all of this in the training, feeding, and clothing of Eskimo apprentices. In making up said income, no salary or wages of a mis- sionary for superintending should be taken into account. These contracts should stipulate the entire income should be spent each year in the support of appren- tices, and the contract should further state the number of deer to be given to these apprentices by the mission stations. Department of the Interior, Washington, June 12, 1906. Sir : I am in receipt of Senate resolution of the 1st instant reading as follows : Rcsolcrd. That the Secretary of the Interior be. and hereby is. directed, if not incompatible with the public intere.st, to furnish the Senate with a copy of any communications received from the Commissioner of Education commenting upon or in replv to the report of the investigation made in 100.") by Special Agent Frank C. Churchill regarding the condition of educational and school service and the management of reindeer service in the district of Alaska, the same to be attached to and printed with the report of Special Agent Frank C. Churchill, which was called for by the Senate in session May 31, lOtMi. In response thereto, I have the honor to transmit liereAvith copy of a letter from the Commissioner of Education, with the accompanying commentary of that officer on the report of Special Agent Churchill regarding education in Alaska and the doni-sticr.tion of reindeer m the district of Alaska, called for by the resolution. Very respectfully, E. A. Hitchcock, Secretary. The President United States Senate. 152 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Education.. Washington, D. 6'., Mmj 21, 1900. Sir : I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of a copy of the report of Mr. Churchill on the schools and reindeer stations in Alaska. After careful study of the report I have made a connnentary to some of the more important questions discussed by Mr. Churchill. There are 17 lieads in all, taking up the questions' pretty nearly in the order that they are taken up in the report. In the investigations of the special agent in Alaska it was neces- sary to collect the rumors current as to loose management and verify them by actual instances. After this, it was necessary to compare these rumors and the in- stances found with the official records of the Bureau of Education, made up from the annual reports returned by the heads of the several reindeer stations. This was necessary in order to see whether the instances constituted any considerable item in the make-up of the total, or vvhether they were of rare occurrence. If the instances of violation of the rules, as compared with the conduct of the whole, can be shown to be insignificant by the statis- tical returns for all the stations and for several years taken in suc- cession, it would follow that the charge of loose management in this respect can not be laid upon this Department. The evidence of the official reports would shut out the possibility of looseness of manage- ment in that particular. 1. Take, for example, the slaughter or sale of female deer. The reports show for 1005 that every station returns a large majoritj^ of female deer, and that the total of all the stations gives 7 female deer to 4 male deer among the the adult deer, while of the fawns born the ratio is 103 males to 100 females. The universal testimony shows that large prices are offered by outsiders to apprentices and herdsmen in order to induce them to part with female deer. Does not the actual proportion of 7 to 1 prove the impossibility of any looseness worth mentioning in this matter of the sale or slaughter of female deer? 2. Take the complaint as to the violation of the rules which guard the preservation and increase of the herd. The annual increase of fawns born and the doubling of the herds once in three years proves the groundlessness of this criticism. 3. The complaint that deer are kept away from the natives and given to mission stations and Lapland herders is sufficiently an- swered by the reports which show that of all the deer 30 per cent are in the hands of the (Tovernment, 38 per cent in the hands of trained natives, and (jnly 21 per cent in the mission herds, and 11 per cent in the hands of the Lapp herders. The number in the hands of the apprentices exceeds those in the hands of the Lapp herders and mission stations taken together, in the ratio of 38 to 32. 4. Aiud so with regard to number trained to harness, the total is in excess of 500, while the entire number of adult deer in 1005 was only 3,738; an average of 1 in 7 of the male deer were trained to harness. Again, at Golovin Bay, the station where teaming is most in demand, of the 297 male deer, 77 were trained to harness, or more than 26 per cent. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 153 In these cases the official records are sufficient to show the slender basis of the popular criticisms collected in the report. In the order of importance I should arrange the cfuestions dis- cussed somewhat differently, namely : I. The Government's support of the relief stations at Barrow and St. Lawrence Island treated in section 5, beginning- on page 13 of the manuscript, and section G. an error in the Bureau reports, Avhich caused Mr. Churchill to regard these as mission stations; section 7, the cost lines of the experiment, which is based on the same error as to Gambell and BarroAv being mission stations; and section 8, as to the real cost of the mission herds and their income. II. The sale of female deer, which is proved not to exist b\' the reports received from year to year as to the sex of the deer, which show a growing preponderance of female deer in the herds as a whole and in each particular herd, the ratio at present being 7 female deer to 4 male deer in the aggregate of all the herds. (See section 9.) III. The third point considers the deer said to be given away or loaned to private parties, considered in section 4, and also in section 12, the economy' of numagement at Wales mission as compared with the Government herds at Teller (1894 to 1898), and of Eaton (1899 to 1903). and sections 11 and 13. on the same subject. IV. The number of deer trained to harness, Avhich is represented by the report as being insufficient, though the report does not support its criticism by statistics, except from two or three places. The full statistics of deer trained to harness show an aggregate of 500 and more to be fully trained or in a state of training. The stations near the gold mines have the larger number of deer trained to harness, and incidental information on this point shows that rein- deer trained to harness are very much used at Golofnin station and some others. V. Subsidies to missions for buildings and for instruction pre- vious to 1894. There are no subsidies given to missions subsequent to 1894, as explained in section 15. The subsidies mentioned in the report relate to St. Lawrence and Barrow through the error spoken of in sections 6, 7, 8, and section 5. namely, the error of reckoning them among mission stations. VI. Under the sixth head I refer to my comments upon most of the evidence given in the report, which is in the nature of a collection of criticisms on the management of reindeer in Alaska, collected from white immigrants into Alaska from the States. These criti- cisms take the form of innuendo or the statement of a fragment of a fact which looks bad taken by itself, but which taken with the total of facts of the same kind nuiy look the opposite of bad. I have only commendation for the general spirit of Mr. Churchill's report, which, I think, does right in picking up all of the complaints and innuendoes, but is incomplete only in that it does not place the fragments of facts together with the facts in their entirety as found "n official reports from Alaska or as would have been found from a more thorough investigation on the ground than Mr. Churchill's time permitted. I have the honor to be. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. T. Harris, Commissioner. The Secretary or the Interior. ^ THE REINDEER IN ALASKA. A COMMENTARY ON THE REPORT OF SPECIAL AGENT CHURCHILL. Section. Page. 1. Deer trained to harness . . 155 2. Printed reports of Government expenses in Alaska 156 3. A herd of geldings 157 4. Deer given away or loaned to private parties 158 5. The Government support of relief stations at Barrovp and St. Lawrence Island 160 6. Error in Bui'eau reports as to Gambell and Barrow 160 7. Costliness of experiment . . . 161 8. Mission herds^their economy 162 9. Sale of female deer 163 10. Number of Government deer 163 11. Deer " put out of Government control "' 166 13. Economy of management at Wales mission 167 13. Repurchase of deer originally loaned to natives or to missions 169 14. Fragmentary facts of gossip versus official reports 170 15. Subsidies to missions for buildings and instruction previous to 1894 171 16. Miscellaneous criticisms 172 17. The siipport of apprentices 173 Letter from Secretary of Treasury, May 4, 1899. Return of deer to Wales 174 General historical table of reindeer, apprentices, supplies, and salaries. 175 "As already pointed out. the complete failure of the deer business as a lasting benefit to the natives will begin with deer getting into the hands of white men wishing to build up the business for its profits. A few white men testified that they thought the deer busi- ness did not amount to much, and when pressed for further informa- tion it wnis invariably to the effect that the deer did not amount to much to the white man ; that is. the wdiite man was unable to buy them, therefore why should they be in Alaska." (Report of Mr. Churchill, p. 57.) The narration of a fn^gment of a fact may be made to contain an inuendo or calumnious insinuation. That the air is full of them in Alaska, or any other mining region, is to be expected. It was desir- able that this rcDort shoidd gather up such insinuations as were found to be current and sift them to the l)ottom. and if the report had not been completed with undue haste I think that its able writer would have accomplished what was desired — namely, a survey of the complaints w^hich allege particular instances of malfeasance placed on a background of ascertainable facts. I mean facts that show generally a striking conformity to the policy laid down from the be- ginning — namely, the training of the Eskimo apprentices by a long 154 EDUCATIONAX, AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. 155 apprenticeship, which tests their persistence as well as their skill, and secondl3% the bringing of the reindeer into their hands and pro- tecting them in their township. (^Y. T. H., commentary on report.) I. DEER TRAINED TO HARNESS. The first criticism in the report relates to the reindeer-team busi- ness (p. 5 MS.) : Of course it is possible to develop the reindeer-team business to that extent that it will be of real value, first, to the natives, and, secondly, to the whites who push in to develop new sections ; but past management has done very little in this direction, and very little can be hoped for along this line until there is au entire rearrangement. The annual reports from 12 stations show^ 392 deer alreadj^ trained for use of sled, and, besides these, at 6 stations 83 deer are in the process of training. This makes a total of 475 sled deer. The other places not reporting— Kivalina, Iliamna, and Bettles — are known to have enough to swell the number to at least 500 sled deer. Golovin Station, near Nome, has been from the start the leader in this branch of the industry, and it reports 52 well-trained deer and 25 under training, or 77 sled deer. It seems that the number of deer trained to harness is considerably larger than the present needs of the stations. Although in a few cases long journeys have been made with deer, the industr}^ can not develop its full usefulness until a chain of relay stations is estab- lished, with intervals of only 40 or 50 miles, or at most 100 miles between them. To utilize deer for transportation for long distances they may be driven at the rate of 8 to 10 miles an hour for nve or six hours, when a relay of fresh deer should be employed (and per- haps a change of drivers), taking the load to the next relaj' station. As travel is just as easy by night as by day in the arctic winter, two more changes can be made during the nighttime, and in the course of twent3-four hours a distance of 200 miles mnj be made. But if one set of deer is expected to go 600 or 700 miles, there must be periods of rest every other day, and perhaps three-quarters of the entire time should be required for grazing in the moss pastures and resting, so that a progress of 50 miles a daj^ would be all that could be expected. Mr. Kjellmann, in his trip from Teller to Bethel, made 00 miles a day where the country was level and its snow covering in good condition. The report mentions (p. 75) the experiment of carrying the mail from Point Barrow to Kotzebue, and wonders why reindeer Avere not used instead of dogs. The explanation is that no relay stations could be arranged, and the whole distance was between 500 and 000 miles ; and while deer may stand a long journey and accomplish it in a day, they can not accomplish a series of six or seven days without intervals of rest. Relays are necessary, and relays of dogs can be obtained in all parti? of Alaska wherever there are native villages. From a remark made in the report it would seem that the writer of the report takes for granted that females as well as males are trained to the harness. He speaks of 22 deer only as trained to the harness at Point Barrow, while the herd contained upward of 600 156 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IX ALASKA. deer. There Avere only 109 males at l*oint Barrow July 1, 1905, and 22 is 13 per cent of the total. The following table shows the distribution of deer, as returned to the Bureau in the annual reports for 1905: Nmnher of trained sled deer. Stations. Number trained. Number in train- rp_x„i ingJune ^°**^- a», 1905. Unalaklik 38 32 6 40 62 20 22 52 20 15 .53 Eaton 23 .55 Nulato 2 8 Kotzebue 40 Bethel 62 Gambell 2 25" 22 Barrow 22 Golovin 7T Shismaref ... 20 Wales 41 14 41 Deering 14 Kivalina Teller.. 45 16 61 Iliamna Bettles j Total .392 ' 83 1 475 It is well to inventory all manner of complaints. All charges that point to mismanagement deserve consideration. The prol^e must be used constantly. But it is necessary to bear in mind that the white man immigrating to Alaska will be found antagonistic to any and all regulations which tend to make the natives thrifty and able to drive a sharp bargain, or even a just bargain, with the immi- grant from the States. Hence the prejudice that exists on the part of the miners and other white men at the mines against the mis- sionary stations, which stand between the native and the cunning purveyor who tries to drive sharp bargains. Instead of the soft and easy gullibility of the native, who has not been trained to know his rights and to value properly his own possessions, the agent of the miners finds the native at missions enlightened as to the condition of the market. This is well stated on page 57 of the report. II. PRINTED REPORTS OF GOVERNMENT EXPENSES IN ALASKA. The lack of printed reports made by the Bureau, whereby the public could know about the salaries and other expenses paid from year to year, has tended to throw an air of mystery around the administration of the Bureau's affairs not altogether desirable. (Ms., p. 7.) This complaint occurs often in the report. In the annual statement of the Bureau the total of salaries of officials and the total of teachers' salaries and the number of teachers and the total cost of supplies, the cost of transportation, traveling expenses, and miscellaneous expenses are given. From this can easily be calculated the average salary of officials, the average salary of teachers, and the average expenditure per school or per station for supplies, freight, and miscellaneous expenses. Besides this publica- tion there has been a report made to the Senate of the United States and published for each year since 1890, giving a great variety of detailed information and many items which are not printed in the EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 167 annual statement, for instance, the average attendance at each school mentioned on page 42 of the manuscript as missing from the printed reports. The report says : Statistics of the Bureau of Education fail to give other facts tlian enrollment for unknown reasons. The number enrolled is not of value Iteyond disclosing the number of pupils found. Requiring publicity as to the average attendance at each school should receive no opposition, and such requirement would have a tendency to encourage each teacher to bring the average to as high a percentage of the enrollment as possible. Much depends upon the personal efforts of the teacher in this particular, and percentage of attendance of enrollment should determine in large measure the value of the teacher's services. (Ms., j). 42.) The number enrolled is considered the most important of all items of school statistics because it shows how far the influence of the school extends, what part of the population it reaches. Average attendance shows only continuity of work and the length of time tliat the pupil is under school influence, on an average. The significance of the average attendance is apt to be incorrectly interpreted, especially in the case of schools in communities that are partiall}'^ migratoiT, as in Alaska, where a tribe removes from its winter abode to the shore of a sea or the banks of a river or to a hunting ground for the summer and a part of the fall to catch and dry for its winter use the supply of fish or meat. The remark in the report is based on the policy of management in the city schools of the States, where regularity and punctuality are considered great virtues, and justlj^ so. In dealing with native races in rural regions the teacher makes a mistake who insists too rigidly upon regularity and punctuality and makes the child dread absence and tardiness more than it loves the work of the school. It tends to keep children out of school altogether. It is not the pupil that attends from the first day to the last day of the school term in all cases that profits most by the school. The pupil of 14 to 16 years that attends thirty or forty days gets a sufficient start to enable him b}'^ use of the book at home or at his daily work to master the art of reading the printed book. Again, the average number attending is often taken as the measure of the amount of the teacher's work, whereas it is an inverse measure only. It shows in the case of irregular attendance how much labor the teacher has to perform to bring up the work of the pupils lost by absence through individual instruction on the part of the teacher. It increases the work of the teacher from 50 to 100 per cent, but this does not justif}" a rigid enforcement of the rules for regularity and punctuality in a country where there are no clocks and but little difference between night and day as to sunlight in the winter, and where blizzards are frequent with temperatures from 20° to 70° below zero. III. A HERD or GELDINGS. The report speaks of the rumor that the 16 reindeer landed at the island of Unalaska were geldings and quotes the report of the Commissioner of Education in 1898 (Ms., p. 43) : The 16 deer purchased in 1891 had been allowed to run wild on one of the eastern Aleutian islands and since then have in a measure stocked that island with reindeer. 158 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC.^ IN ALASKA. Doctor Jackson reported seeing fawns in the herd on the island of Amaknak, east of Unalaska, in the second year after the 16 were placed on that island and again one or two years later he saw- other fawns in the same herd. Api^arently the rumors current in regard to this herd of 16 had become mixed up with the rumors regarding the reindeer imported by the Secretary of War to conve}^ food from Skagway to the starving miners in the mining camps about Dawson. The report (on p. 46) speaks of this importation from Norway as follows: It is to be regretted that iu the early days many questionable and extrava- gant schemes were attempted not only to secure expert employees in handling deoi-. but to bring deer from the remote parts of the world to cross with the Siberian strain. In the early days a trip was made to Norway by the agents ot the Bureau to buy deer in behalf of the War Department. Ultimately the surviving animals came into the hands of the Bureau. The Norway trip resulted in the Government paying the expenses of 67 Norwegians, together v.ith their families, 113 in all, in connection with the deer business. The Bureau of Education did not send any agents to Norway on this occasion, but the Secretary of the Interior detailed Doctor tTack- son, wdth his consent, to the War Department, and he became a paid agent of the War Department, by wdiich Department, also, Mr. Kjellmann, a teacher, was employed and added to the detail of four persons or more sent by the War Department to Norway to purchase sled deer, which are in all instances geldings. Some 550 geldings, and no others, were imported ; hence " the intention to cross with the Siberian deer "" never could have formed a part of the plan. And it had been perfectly well known for five years in the Bureau of Edu- cation that the Siberian strain of deer was about 50 per cent larger than the breed of deer grown in Lapland, It had been reported from the very first that a breed of very large deer were to be found to the west of the sea of Okhotsk. Doctor Jackson, in his report for 1891-2, copies a woodcut of a native riding in the saddle on one of these large reindeer. This breed was spoken of from time to time, and finally, in '1901, an attempt was made to procure some of these large deer. Lieutenant Bertholf, of the Revenue- Cutter Service, conducting the expedition. This was the onl}^ attempt to secure a superior breed of deer " to cross with the Siberian strain." IV. DEER GIVEN AWAY OR LOANED TO PRIVATE PARTIES. There is no uncertainty as to the looseness with which Government business has been handled as to ownership, the giving away of deer, and the loaning of deer to private parties. (MS., p. 54.) I do not find in the facts reported or in the accompanying exhibits sufficient warrant for this assertion. The loaning of deer to private parties turns out upon examination to be only loans to Lapland herders, who are employed as Government superintendents to in- struct in the use of reindeer, and, instead of being paid in money at the rate of $500 each for salary and $500 more for supplies, are loaned a herd of 100 deer, to be returned at the end of five years — 100 deer of the same age and condition. The report speaks particularly of Nils Klemetsen (MS., p. 91). The report does not recognize in Klemetsen one of these superhitend- EDUCATIOXAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 159 iiig herders to whom a h)an of 100 doer has been made in lieu of sahirv, which, in cash and sii])plies, amounts to $800 or $1,000 per annum. The herd Avas h)aned to Klemetsen Jidy. IDOl, and is re- turnable July 1 present year. No loans have been made to indi- viduals except for teaching herding; and, instead of looseness in Go\'ernment management, this jjroves thrift, because a reasonable rental of a herd of 100 is $i500, whereas to furnish the salary — $500 and supplies — Avould cost the Government $1,000 taken direct from the appropriation of Congress, As to " the giving away of deer," the only instance mentioned is the 118 deer given to the Wales mission. The claim that these deer were given outright to the mission was made as early as 1894, the year of their transfer to Wales, but the Commissioner overruled this claim as opposed to the policy adopted by the Bureau, which was to loan, and not give away, deer to missions. Onl}^ in the case of appren- tices were deer to be given, and then only in numbers which would amount to two or three a year for five years, these aggregating, with their increase, 30 to 50 deer at the end of five years. But the five years had not yet elapsed for the return of the Wales herd when the representative of the Government, Lieutenant Jarvis, conductor of the expedition to Point Barrow to succor the shipwrecked whalers in 1898, took possession of the herd, agreeing to return them, deer for deer, together with a sufficient number to make up what would have been the natural increase. In the restoration of the deer the following year the Commis- sioner directed the agent of education in Alaska to subtract the 118 deer due and returnable in 1899, but was prevented in this attempt by representations from Mr. Jarvis and by threats from the Secretary of the Treasury to order his captains to take violent possession of the Government herd near St. Michael and drive it to Wales. (See copy of letter from Secretary of Treasury.) Inasmuch as the deer lost in the expedition, being used as food for the Avhalers, had to be made up from the deer remaining in the hands of the Bureau, and also the estimated increase of the herds loaned, the Bureau had to look to a Congressional appropriation for the remedy, and Congress increased its appropriation from $15,000 to $25,000 a year to restore the reindeer industry and make up the heavy loss occasioned by the expedition. The 118 deer were not given by the Bureau of Education, but constituted an emergency gift of the representatives of the Treasury who had in hand the charge of the relief expedition. Having seized property in an emergency from the Wales station said ]:)roperty Avas returned to the Wales station from the Treasury as a gift direct from the Government, represented by the Treasury ofl)("ials in charge of the expedition, and was not in any sense a gift from the Bureau of Education, whose property was drawn upon to settle the Government's indebtedness to private owners. The Bureau could not question the settlement made by the Govern- ment's representative and had no recourse except to look to Congress for increased appropriations to make up its losses. This is the only case of giving away deer known to this office except in the matter of rewarding apprentices. 160 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. y. thp: government support of relief stations at harrow and st. LAAVRENtE ISLAND. The "looseness -with which Government business has been handled as to ownership '' refers also to the state of ati'airs in the two relief stations, St. Lawrence Island (Gambell) and Barrow, where the reindeer herds were offered originally to the Presbyterian missions, but although some efforts were made to send a Presbyterian mission- ary to St. Lawrence Island, no one was found Avho would accept the dangerous ])osition. And the mission board declined promptly the offer of a herd at Point Barrow, not having the money available to incur the annual expense of suj^porting the apprentices there; but their missionary was instructed to give assistance to the enterprise so far as in his power, which he did by laboring incessantly at the work of obtaining native supplies for the apprentices, native supplies consisting of whales, seals, w'alrus, ptarmigan and other birds, and such game as could be found. Native game is preserved by throw- ing it into deep pits dug in the frozen ground and covered over for j)rotection. The food freezes immediately, and remains in a good state of preservation for many years. The efforts of the missionaries at Barrow have reduced the cost of supplies to the Government station at Barrow to an average of $800 per annum, which is somewhat less than one-third of the amount which the Government would have had to pay if it had furnished all of the supplies for the large corps of apprentices which have been connected with the herd at Barrow. To reward the faithful appren- tices by gifts of deer according to the rule adopted for other sta- tions, has not only required alt the annual increase of the herd at Barrow, but has made inroads into the original 100 loaned, so that the Government ownership at Barrow is reported at only 83 the past summer. This was unthrifty management of the Government herd, because the herd at any station ought to increase in the hands of the station as well as in the hands of the apprentices, because the station must have an increase from 3^ear to year in the number of faw^ns with which to reward the faithful apprentices. But from the standpoint of the apprentices (which is the standpoint of the report in question, and very properly, too), the management at Barrow has been very suc- cessful ; it has about 600 deer in the hands of natives and less than 100 in the hands of the station, and in the meantime the Government has had to pay only one-third of the expense of the support of the ap- prentices. ' But there is a mistake made in the bookkeeping regarding Gambell (St. Lawrence Island) and Barrow. VI. error in bureau REPORTS AS TO GAMBELL AND BARROW. The Alaska division of the Bureau of Education continued to pub- lish the statistics regarding the loans in such a way as to convey the impression that the loans offered of 70 deer at Lawrence and 100 deer at Barrow had been accepted by the Presbyterians, and that these, consequently, were mission herds. By this error in bookkeep- ing Mr, Churchill had been furnished with what purported to be reliable information as to the ownership of the deer at Lawrence and Barrow, and hence what was really an expense of the Government EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IX ALASKA. 161 for its own herds coiikl only be regarded by him (Mr. Churchill) as a subsidy to the Presbyterian mission board. In fact, howeA'er, the mission board Avas not receiving anything- from the Government, but. on the contrary, was contributing to the Government the rental of a building on St. Lawrence Island and the major part of the labor of the missionary at Barrow, who was supported out of the mission- board treasury, nominally for alternate years, but really for nmeh larger part of the time, a service Avhich was equal to $1,500 to $2,000 a year in the way of a saving of cash to the Government appropria- tion for supplies. It thus appears that this '' looseness as to ownership " mentioned in this report was only a carelessness in bookkeeping (though not involving financial loss to the Government) at the Bureau. Doctor Jackson, it seems, hoped to overcome the reluctance of the mission board in New York to undertaking these two relief stations, but the realization of his hopes was postponed from year to year, and yet the table of Government loans continued to print the erroneous information. Mv. Churchill, of course, was entirely right in his inferences based on the facts supposed and furnished him from the Bureau of Education. But a mistake in bookkeeping against the Government, if it does not affect the transfer of Government prop- erty, does not really cause the Government to suffer loss, and hence such a mistake in bookkeeping is not as bad as a mistake made in the management of the Government business in Alaska. My conclusion therefore is that the looseness with which Government business has been handled as to ownership is not made out by the report, but that a gross carelessness as to bookkeeping is made out. VII. COSTLINESS OF EXPERIMENT. The report invites attention to the total appropriation by Con- gress for the introduction of the reindeer as $222,500, and proceeds to say (MS., p. 57) : As already pointed out, the complete failure of the deer business as a last- ing benefit to the natives will begin with deer getting into the hands of white men wishing to build up the business for its profits. A few white men testified that they thought the deer business did not amount to much, and when pressed for further information it was invariably to the effect that the deer did not amount to much to the white man — that is, the white man was unable to buy them, therefoi'e why should they be in Alaska. And the report suggests that the — rational and feasible plan is to distribute the animals among the natives as fast as they shall become qualified to care for them. This is perfectly sound doctrine and very wisely stated. While it is necessary to create station herds in order that there may be a supply of fawns with which to reward the successful apprentices, the herds in possession of mission stations, or even in the hands of the Government, do not fulfill the object, but are only means for the object. Only in so far as the natives come into possession of herds of deer and prove themselves able to preserve and increase their herds in the face of the greed of the white man is the object attained. And the simplest inspection of the figures will prove that this object is in pi-ocess of being realized. S. Doc. 483, 59-1 11 162 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. July 1, 1895, the deer owned by apprentices numbered 3,817, in the hands of 78 apprentices; OAvned by the missionary stations. 2,127; owned by the Laphmd superintendents, 1,224; owned by the Govern- ment, loaned and unloaned, 3,073; total, 10,241. This shows that the great object, which is to get reindeer into the hands of the ap- prentices, must have been making more progress than any other phase of the business. One thousand three hundred and eighty-eight have been loaned to missions and Lapland herders and, deducting the loans, are represented by 2,127 deer that have accumulated as surplus. The number that the missions have given to apprentices is 2,766 (counting in their increase) and nearly 1,100 more have come into the hands of apprentices from the Government herds and from the inde- pendent herders. VIII. :>rissioN pierds — their economy. The report holds that there should be a complete separation of the Government herds from the missionary herds : Complete separation of property interests and all others which involve the outlay of money should be brought about forthwith, if anything like an orderly, dignified, and businesslike system is to be expected in managing Alaskan mat- ters. * * * 'Jo throw away hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in deer seems wrong, and to continue present methods would be as bad or worse. The mission should have no more to do than they have with the industrial schools for the Indians in the States. This statement of the report is based (as above noted) on the study of the two relief stations, Lawrence and Barrow, and consequently the reasoning is faulty, not because illogical, but because the data were wrong as furnished to Mr. Churchill — namely, l)ecause the two relief stations were reported by the Bureau as mission stations. On the hypothesis which the report had to assume it was inferred by correct reasoning that the finances of the Government were mixed up with those of the missions, and that the Government was putting in its hand to help out the missions, and doing this in a perfectly arbitrary manner. These two erroneous hypotheses being corrected, the entire basis for the larger portion of the suggestions of tlie report relating to missions falls to the ground. The account of the Government with the mission stations is a very simple and clear matter. There are 10 of these stations, of which 2 — Shismaref and Kivalina — are mere colonies of aj)prentices that have been sent out from AVales, making up a herd in each place from the deer which the said apprentices have accumulated. The total of deer in these 10 herds was 8,646, of which 2,476 were fawns at the time of the report — July 1, 1905. The cost of these 10 stations, with their 8,646 deer, for supplies from the Government was nothing — they furnished their own supplies; and for suiDerintending herders paid for in cash by the Government the cost was only $1,060. Let these mission stations only furnish all of their herd superintendents, relieving the Government of $1,060 per annum, and return the herds due them, and the mission herds become entirelj^ independent except for a trifling sum for annual inspection. ' On the other hand, the cost of the Government station at St. Law- rence Island for the six years — 1901 to 1906, inclusive — has been $10,105, or an average of $i,684 per annum. And the cost at Barrow EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC.^ IN ALASKA. 163 for seven years — 1900 to IDOG, inclusive — has been $4,7G5, the same being an average of $G95 a year. The expenses in 1905 of the Gov- ernment stations of Iliamna and Bettles were, respectively, $6,431 and $6,123. Government herds are a heavy expense and cost from $3 a head to $7 a head, and much more in exceptional localities. The $222,000 entire expense of the reindeer, as mentioned above by the report, amounts to about $14,000 a year, a very moderate expense for even a small amount of Avork carried on at such enormous dis- tances and in an arctic climate. The entire Avork costs about as much per annum on an average as Iavo good inspectors would cost if sent from Washington — nameW, $7,000 apiece. IX. SALE OF FEMALE DEER. As to the effect upon the natives of deer raising as a civilizing influence, * * * the effect is good as far as it goes ; in fact, one can hardly suggest anything in the way of occupation of economic value that would be better or more helpful in the barren north. * * * The proper coiu'se from now on is to gradually get the deer and, so far as possible, to allow no white man under any pretext to buy or control female deer. The mischief done in loaning deer to outsiders can not now be entirelj' undone. * * * Hereafter no such Joans should be made. (MS., p. 59.) The Bureau has from the beginning forbidden the sale of female deer. I have looked over the exhibits of this report to find evidence of the sale of female deer, but in vain, except in a few isolated in- stances which are more matters of hearsay than real evidence. On the other hand, the table made from the returns sent in during the summer of 1905 proves conclusively that the regulation of the Bit- reau as regards the sale of females has been well carried out, both on the whole and in detail. The fawns born in the spring of 1905 num- bered 2,978. The sex was reported of 2,423 of these fawns, of which the males numbered 1,231 and the females 1,192, the males being 103 to 100 female fawns, probably because being stronger more of the male fawns survived. Of the adults brought over from previous j^ear 4,506 were females and 2,582 were males, a total of 7,088 adults (Kivalina, with 153 adult deer, being omitted because it does not give the males and females sep- arately), the same being 63^ per cent of females and 36 J- per cent of males for the adults, although the birth of males is in excess for the fawns. The ratio of 364 per cent of males to 63| per cent of females gives If females to 1 male, or 175 females to 100 males, and proves that the regulation adopted by the Bureau forbidding the sale, slaughter, or gift of female deer is carried out strictly. X. NUMBER OF GOVERNMENT DEER. "A grand total of 10.234 deer in Alaska. Total owned by the Gov- ernment, 2,500.'' (MS., p. 64.) In these tables, pages 64-68 of re- port, the number owned by Government but in possession of the hired Laplanders, who are paid for five years' supervision of the herd by a loan of 100 deer for the same period, has in several cases been omitted from number OAvned by Government, and the report is con- sequently erroneous as to the number of Government deer, omitting, as it does, the Lapland herders at Deering, Golofnin, and Kotzebue (and at latter phice not only the 100 loaned to Laplanders, but the 100 164 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. loaned to the station herd). The correct table, according to returns received in summer of 1905, is given on page 45 of the annual state- ment made to the Secretaiy of the Interior October 1, 1905, of which page ])roofs were sent, in care of the Department, as soon as received from the Government Printer to Mr. Churchill. Counting the Lapland herders' loans not yet returned the number owned by the Government is shown in Table 9 of annual statement to be 3,073 instead of 2,500, 2,003 being under direct control of Gov- ernment; and, after the return of the Teller loan, in September, 1905, 1,070 still under loan. Mr. Churchill says (MS., p. G4) : '' The fig- ures given in some of the tables of the Bureau in its ' advance sheets ' for report of 1905 have been changed in the report proper to cor- respond more nearlj^ with my own figures.'' This does not mean that the Bureau report Avas changed to correspond to the figures of Mr. Churchill, for his own figures were not Iviiown until seven months later and were probably not taken down from actual count in Alaska in any instance, but were offhand statements made by station em- ployees without reference to written records. I give here Tables 9 and 10 of the annual statement, as showing the ownership of deer, and Table 5, as showing the several loans in force at the time of the annual statement, September, 1905. Table 9. — Oivnership of reindeer. (September, 1905.) Station. Gov- ern- ment. Sta- tion. Ap- pren- tices and herd- ers. Total. Station. Gov- ern- ment. Sta- tion. Ap- pren- tices and herd- ers. Total. 83 546 220 b333 &51 294 537 35 456 570 542 629 220 733 479 460 942 189 941 1,164 1,020 Eaton Bethela 214 376 100 438 400 189 391 190 605 562 1,008 1,329 194 100 215 28 166 216 "'"'270" 462 290 Iliamna Bettlesc. Total Lapp herders . . 438 400 189 154 215 132 478 Gambell _ Teller 3,073 2,127 5,041 1,224 3,817 10,241 Golofnina Eskimo natives "Lapp herders at these places (2 at Bethel). " Eleven of these are sled deer owned by white miners. <^ Estimated ; no report received. Table 10. — Deer helong'mg to the Government. Station. Loaned. Under direct control. Total. . 83 83 194 189 154 215 132 478 214 100 Kotzebue" 194 Wales 189 154 215 32 378 114 Gambell Teller Golof nin « 100 100 100 100 Unalakleet a Eaton Nulato Station. Bethela Kivalina Deering Shishmaref . Iliamna Bettlesh Total. Loaned. 376 100 1,070 Under direct control. 400 2,003 Total. 376 "ioo 438 400 3,073 "Lapp herders at these places (2 at Bethel). '' Estimated ; no report received. EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEKVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 165 Table 5. — Reindeer loaned. Station. Loaned. When loaned. When due. Wales (Congregational) Golofnin Bay (Swedish Lutheran) Tanana (Episcopal) Nils Klemetsen * Teller (Norwegian Lutheran) Nxilato (Roman Catholic) Bethel (Moravian) Nils PersenSara* Carmel (Moravian) Per M. Spein* Kotzebue (Friends) Alfred S. Nilima* Unalakleet ( Swedish Lutheran) . . Ole O. Bahr* Deering (Friends) 118 50 50 lOO 100 100 88 100 88 100 95 99 KHI lOO 100 Aug. -,1894 Jan. 16,1896 do July 1J!)02 Sept. 1,1900 Mar. Feb. July Feb. July Sept. July July July Jan. —,1901 26, 1901 —,1901 26, 15X)1 —,1901 3,1901 —,1901 l,19ai 1,1901 18, 1905 Gift. Returned. Do. July 30, 190r Re t u r n e d Sept., 1905. Mar. —,1906 Feb. —1906 June 30,1906 Feb. —,1906 June — , 1906 Sept.— ,1906 June 30, 1906 June :^), 1908 June 30, 1906 Jan. 18,1910 Nils Klemetsen is in charge of the herd at Golofnin Bay; Nils Persen Sara in charge of the first Bethel herd; Per M. Spein in charge of the second Bethel herd ; Alfred S. Xilima in charge of the Kotzebue herd ; Ole O. Bahr in charge of the Unalakleet herd. The returns of four loans are due at various dates in 1906 — Nulato 100, Bethel 88, Carmel (the second Bethel herd) 88, Kotzebue 95; one loan of 100 at Unalakleet due in 1908 ; one of 100 at Deering due in 1910. The six loans amount to 571, which, added to the number loaned to the Lapland herders (499), gives a total of 1,070 still loaned, (See also Tables 10 and 11, under " Ownership," where this matter will be further illustrated.) Table No. 10 of the report (MS. p. 67) gives information as to employees, herders, apprentices, and deer owned by apprentices. The number owned by apprentices is given in Mr. Churchill's table as 3,070, whereas in Table No. 6 of the annual statement " it is given at 3,817, a number which should yet be increased by adding 166 at Shismaref '' entered in Table 9 as herders," because the entire herd at that place is in the hands of Eskimo apprentices who have come to own their herds, as is also the case at Kivalina. I have therefore given in my latest revised tables the number in the hands of appren- tices as 3,983. The report gives the number owned by the herders as 3,495, and in this column he included Lapp herders and Eskimo herders together, whereas the Eskimo herders should have been placed with the apprentices, so as to include the graduate and the undergraduate native Eskimos together and the deer that they re- ceived by gift as apprentices counted together with the increase of the same. The Lapp herders in Table 9 (above) are as follows: Nilima, at Kotzebue, 245 deer: Bahr, at L"^nalakleet, 280 deer; Sara, at Bethel. 283 deer; Spein, at Bethel, 242 deer; Klemetsen, at Golof- nin. 223 deer. 166 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA, o Table 6. — Number of apprentices, icith their holdings. Station. When estab- lished. Total deer, 1905. Appren- tices. Deer owned by appren- tices. Teller 1892 1894 1896 1897 1898 1900 1901 1901 1901 1902 1905 1905 1905 1905 1905 941 942 1,164 1,020 629 189 1,329 732 290 1,008 220 479 438 "400 460 5 8 12 8 10 3 4 4 3 9 2 3 434 Wales 537 Golofnin 383 Unalakleet 309 Barrow 546 Gambell 35 Bethel 64 Kotzebue 40 Nulato Eaton . . 604 Kivalina _ 220 Deering a5i Iliamna Settles Shishmaref . . ... 7 294 Total _ 10,241 78 3,817 (' Estimated; no complete report received. Five Lapp herders with a total of 1,273 deer, as given in Mr. Churchill's table (my number is 1,224), which, if subtracted from 3,495, as given by Mr. Churchill, leaves 2.222 as belonging to Eskimo herders, who in the first instance received their deer as apprentices, and by careful preservation of the increase have brought up their herds to 2,222. Adding the number belonging to the Eskimo herd- ens — 2,222 — to the number said by Mr. Churchill (pp. 67, 68) to be owned by the apprentices the total is found to be 5,298, which is an excess of 1,315 over the number 3,983, as the true total of graduate and undergraduate apprentices' herds. It shows that in his inquir- ies the 1,315 deer were reported twice — once as belonging to Eskimo apprentices and once as belonging to Eskimo herders — Eskimo herd- ers being generalh^ called apprentices in Alaska. XI. DEER " PUT OUT OF GOVERNMENT CONTROL." The report criticises the statements of the Bureau an'd its manage- ment. (MS., p. 69.) Coiigres.s has since 1894 appropriated tlie iiniiieuse sum of $222,000 to build up this deer industry. It is indeed a pity tliat so little has been accomplished in establishing the natives in a way that can be considered permanent in the deer business. The annual reports on the subject have failed to disclose the very things that should have been made known to the Government — that is, year by year there should have been a direct and out-and-out statement in detail of all the expenditures and a full and correct account of what there was on hand at the close of the year. The report goes on to speak of the deer as being " put beyond the control of the United States Government — where we find most of them are to-day." That is to say, recalling our figures (see Tables 9, 10, and 5, aboA'e, p. 24), 3,073 in the hands of the Government on July 1, 1905; 2,003 of the same being under direct control, 1,070 loaned to missions and Lapp herders, 2,127 owned by the several mis sioii stations, 3,817 owned by Eskimo apprentices, 1,224 OAvned by LajDland teachers of herding; total, 10,241. That is to say, 30 per cent in hands of Government. Thirty-eight i3er cent have found their way to their ultimate ob- ject, which is that of placing the deer in the hands of well-trained and EDUCATIONAL, AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 167 skillful Eskimo apprentices; 20 per cent placed at mission stations, where the larger amount of the increase is given year by year for the reward of faithful apprenticeships; 12 per cent in the hands of teachers who have learned the art of managing deer in Lapland and who are possessed with the ambition of having large herds such as their ancestors and kindred have possessed in Lapland. These Lap- land herders are one of the most effective sureties of the continuance of the reindeer in Alaska. The}' will furnish for the future not only the deer to start new herds, but sources of authority which will reen- force the exjDerience of our native Eskimo. To sum up, the teaching force owns at present 3,351 deer, or 33^ per cent ; the apprentices own 3,800, and the Government 3,073, the Eskimo apprentices having more than half of the deer outside of the Government ownership. All that are " put beyond Government con- trol '' belong either to natives or to teaching plants. And as to the charge that the deer are put beyond the control of the Government, it must be replied that the Government has never had in its hands so many deer as it has to-day at any previous time. Twelve hundred and eighty were imported from Siberia, G48 female deer purchased from apprentices and mission stations to supply new herds ; the total purchased by the Government in Siberia and Alaska is only 1.928, and its present herd is about 1,1.50 larger than the num- ber purchased. Of the 618 purchased of the apprentices and missions 117 were purchased in 1899 to 1903. 344 in the vear 1904, and 187 in the year 1905. XII. ECONOMY or MANAGEMENT AT WALES MISSION. The report intimates that the Government could have kept the deer in its own hands, and then it would not have had to purchase deer. Wliat reasonable excuse, explanation, or apology, moral or financial, can be offered for presenting to the American Missionary Association at Cape Prince of Wales 118 deer is beyond comprehension when it is considered that the Gov- ernment, at its own expense, has erected a schoolhouse and provided a school- teacher at that place, while it has been compelled, through the management of the Bureau of Education, to pay the American Missionary Association at Cape Prince of Wales thousands of dollars for deer which it should have owned all the time. (MS., p. 69.) In 1899, 43 female deer purchased at Wales cost $1,290. In 1904 229 female deer were purchased at Wales for $5,725. This total of 272 female deer purchased at Wales cost, all told, $7,015. (See table. MS., p. 65.) If the Government had retained the 118 deer given to Wales (see sec. 4 above) and kept Wales as a Government station, 1894 to 1904. it would have cost $40,579. at the rate of the expenses of Gov- ernment station at Teller, which for the four years 1894-1897. count- ing only supplies and freight, was $14,758, or $3,689 per annum. This includes only sup]:)lies and freight Avithout paying anything for salaries of herders and supervisors. Adding salaries at $1,319 per annum, the total expense would have been $55,038. Taking the ex- penses of Eaton station, which succeeded Teller station in being the station for the Government herd, as a guide for our estimate, its expense for five years for supplies and freight, from 1899 to 1903, inclusive, was $12,432, or an average of $2,486 per annum, and 168 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. eleven years at this rate would have cost $27,346. Adding salaries at $1,319 per annum, the entire expense would have been $41,855. Supposing that the Government station at Wales had cost from 1894 to 1898, inclusive — that is, for five years — the same as Teller for the same period, namely, $18,445, and for the next six years, namely, from 1899 to 1904, the same rates as at Eaton, namely, $14,918, the total cost for supplies and freio-ht alone for the eleven years, 1894 to 1904, would have been $33,363. The cost of salaries for the Gov- ernment herd from 1894 to 1904, averaging Teller and Eaton sta- tions, was $1,319 a year, or $14,509 for the eleven years. The cost of the station to the end of 1904 at this average of Teller and Eaton expenses would have been $47,872, nearly the price of 2.000 deer at the price of $25 apiece. This and what follows may be better understood by the following table : Teller station— 1894, 189.5, 1896, 1897 ( foiir vears)— cost for supplies and freight $14. 758 Or, ,$.^.()89 per year. Eaton station, cost for supplies and freight, 1899 to 190.3 (five rears) __ 12.432 Or, .$2,486 per year. Making five years at Teller rate 18,445 Making six years at Eaton x-ate 14. 918 For eleven years 33.36.3 Add salaries for eleven years 14,509 Total for station without counting buildings and general super- vision 47,872 Total cost to Government of V^'ales station, as actuallv incurred : Bv 118 deer (given in 1894), at $25 each 2.950 By 272 female deer (1899-1904) 7,015 9, 965 Total cost estimated if it had been Government station since 1894 47, 872 Its product estimated at 2.000 deer, of which 1..500 came into hands of apprentices and 500 remain at station. 500 deer; balance in hands of Government station, 1904, at .$25 12, 500 Taken from total expense leaves 35,372 Deducting the actual cost 9,965 Amount in favor of Wales mission as it has been 25,407 Under the management of the Congregational mission at Wales the cost of food for apprentices has been to the mission less than one- third what it would have cost the Government per apprentice, be- cause of the use of whales, walrus, seals, birds, and game, each in their season for storage, as what is called " native food." The in- crease of the herd at Wales has been more rapid than the average increase of all the herds in Alaska. Counting in the deer that the apprentices at Wales haive sold to butchers; what have been bought by the Government, and what have been sent out to the two colonies — Shismaref and Deering — the total must be in the neighborhood of 2,500 deer, all told, that have proceeded from the 118 deer gi^en to Wales in 1894. At the rate of the increase of Government herds, no more than 2,000 deer could have been hoped for (from the 118 deer — doubling EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 169 once in three years), and if none had been given away to apprentices the Government might haA'c had a herd of 2,000 deer, for which it wonld have expended $47,872. but for what purpose? If the herd had been kept for the purpose of educating the natives — the purpose for which the mission at Wales has kept it — it woukl, like Wales, have had most of its deer in the hands of apprentices. Wales reports in 1905. as belonging to the station, only 216. The number belonging to apprentices, 567, and nearly 1,000 in the hands of ap- prentices at the colonies Shismaref and Deering, about 1,500, all told, in the hands of apprentices. As the matter now stands, 1,500 have got into the hands of Eskimos without any expenditure on the part of the Government, except the cost of the original 118 given to Wales, when the deer were returned to the stations from which they had been taken by the relief expedi- tion to Barrow. Counting the 118 at $25 apiece, or $2,950, and counting the 272 purchased by the Bureau at $7,015, the total cost to the Government has been $9,965, for which it has secured (a) the training of many apprentices; (b) the distribution of 1,500 deer to native apprentices; (c) the herd of 200 to 300 deer at the station, held there for the purpose of teaching and rewarding apprentices; (d) and besides all these, 272 female deer to send to other stations. At the rates of cost of Government stations at Teller, 1894-1899, and Eaton, 1899-1903, the AVales station would have cost nearly $48,000, as shown above, if it had been a Government station, and it would have raised in all 2,000 deer from the 118 deer given to Wales mission. If the Government had managed as well as the mission has man- aged the 118 deer, it would have brought 1,500 deer into the hands of apprentices and native Eskimo herders, leaving 500 of the 2,000 as the net amount of assets in its hands. The 500 deer, at $25 apiece, would be worth $12,500, and subtracting this from the $47,872, the expenses for supplies, freight, and salaries, the net expense that the Government would have had foots up at $35,372 instead of $9,965, which has been the actual cost. This leaves a balance in favor of the Wales mission of $25,407 over Wales as a Government station. The mission at Wales has saved the Government $25,334, and this is the answer to the question (Ms., p. 69) : "What reasonable excuse, explanation, moral or financial, etc," for the 118 deer given to Wales, and the $7,015 paid for the 272 female deer to stock other stations at a distance from Wales? xiii. repurchase of deer originally loaned to natives or to :missions. The report approves of the purchase of — deer that the natives have acquired through their own thrift and industry. * * * I respectfully sulimit that this is the very thing that sliould be done to encourage them ; and what is spoken of as educ-atiou for the native should signify, in the main, teaching him how to obtain a liveliliood and en(»ugh from books to enbale him to protect himself from unscruinilous white men in com- mercial matters. The placing of herds into outside hands to be bought back is another and entirely different matter, and, to say tlie least, should not be per- mitted hereafter. (MS., p. 70.) 170 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. The principle laid dcnvii in the above quotation seems very reason- able, but the insinuation at the end that herds have been placed into outside hands to be bought back is entirely without ground in fact. I shall be surprised if the Government purchase in 1899 of 13 deer contained a single one of the original 118, or if any one of the deer purchased in 1902 to 1905 had ever been in the possession of the Government. One hundred and thirty-six deer out of the 648 purchased (as given in the table furnished by the Bureau, and quoted on page 65 of the report as Table 11) were purchased from 7 apprentices whose names are given, and it is probable that one-half the remainder credited to the several mission stations were made up from the herds of the apprentices contributed to make up the contingent sold. The deer loaned to the stations were from 2 to 8 years old, as nearly as can be ascertained. The chief purchases were made from Wales in 1904, and if there were any of the original 118 deer still alive at Wales they must have been from 13 to 19 years of age. XIV. FRAGMENTARY FACTS OF GOSSIP VERSUS OFFICIAL REPORTS. The narration of a fragment of a fact may be made to contain an innuendo or calumnious insinuation. That the air is full of such in- nuendoes in Alaska or in any other mining region is to be expected. It was desirable that Mr. Churchiirs report should gather u}) such insinuations as were found to be current and sift them to the bottom, and if the report had not been completed with undue haste, I think that its able writer would have accomplished what is desired, namely, a survey of the complaints which allege particular instances of mal- feasance, placed on a general background of facts, as to the trend of the whole experiment, said facts ascertained from the official re- ports of the heads of the stations from year to year. These facts show generally a striking conformity to the policy laid down from the beginning, namely, the training of Eskimo apprentices by a long apprenticeship, which tests their persistence as well as their skill, and secondly, the bringing of reindeer into their hands and pro- tecting them in their ownership. Subsidiary to this end is the founding of permanent stations with herds of sufficient size as teaching centers, and Lapp herders, who will train apprentices, furnish them Avith reindeer herds, and finally, the distribution of these stations over all northern, central, and west- ern Alaska where the moss grows abundantly. To illustrate this: Against the vague rumors of the sale of female deer we have the fact of the j)reponderance of the females in the herds, as they actually exist, in the ratio of 7 to 4. (See sec. 9, above.) Against the vague rumor that the missions are subsidized we have the fact that the mission stations individually and as a whole cost to the Government not more than a tenth of the cost of the Government herds of the same size. (The past 3'ear, 1905, showed that 8,600 deer — that is, 85 per cent of all the deer — cost less than $1,500 out of the Government appropriation, or less than one-tenth of the $15,000, while the four Government herds, contain- ing in all 15 per cent, cost nine-tenths of the appropriation for rein- deer.) (See sec. 8, above.) EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE^ ETC., IN ALASKA. l71 In the presence of this broad fact, covering the whole experiment, as a background, the little fragment of a fact brought forward in the innuendo quoted seems pitiful and illustrates only the greed of the white man so well described on page 67 of the report, as already quoted : A few white men testified that tliey tliougbt tlie deer Imsiness did not amount to much, and when pressed for further information it was invariably to the effect that the deer did not amount to much to the white man — that is, the white man was luiable to buy them, tlierefore why should they be in Alaska? Or why, for that matter, should the Eskimo be there ! Likewise, the criticism often repeatd in the rej^ort that the reindeer business has been pushed with too much haste should be placed on the background of the obvious necessity of the pressing needs due to the sudden influx of immigrants to the mines. It should be sup- ported also b}^ the opposite criticisms which complain of the slow growth of the teaming interests, the training of reindeer to the harness, or the complaints which blame the tardy transfer of the reindeer to the Eskimo apprentices, or blame the slow progress in extending the reindeer system to the vast territory of the upper Yukon Valley or other river valleys in the northwest, all of which complaints have to be placed on the background of the great gen- eral fact that the enterprise can not go any faster than permitted by the natural increase of the reindeer, doubling once in three years ; or any faster than the discovery of competent apprentices and the train- ing of them for herders' permits. Again, the alleged mismanagement at Barrow and at Gambell, on the St. Lawrence Island, is to be viewed constantly in the light of the mistaken supposition that these two stations were mission stations instead of Government stations, a supposition furnished, it is true, by the Bureau through a piece of carelessness that gave to Mr. Churchill an erroneous basis on which to interpret the facts which he observed at those stations. Before Mr. Churchill's report was put in final shape the Commissioner of Education had observed ihe mistake and warned him of it, but it seems that it was too late to correct the mistake in the final make-up of the report, and hence tlie report abounds with criticisms based upon this erroneous datum, tnough not through any fault of Mr. Churchill. XV. SUBSIDIES TO MISSIONS FOR BUILDINGS AND INSTRUCTION PREVIOUS TO 189-i. The various discussions in the report of the Government expendi- tures for buildings and the claims of ownership on the part of mis- sionary bodies should l)e placed on the background of the general fact of a change of policy on the part of the Government in 1894. In that year Congress inaugurated a change in its Indian policy, which had been one of subsidizing the schools of the missions, both as to buildings and as to salaries paid. I found this policy in oper- ation when I became Commissioner in 1889. The Bureau contrib- uted something to the building on St. Lawrence Island, and again to the building at Barrow. It paid $15,000 a year to the Presby- terian boarding school at Sitka, paying it a little less than the amounts that were allowed by the Indian Department in subsidizing 172 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SEKVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. mission boarding schools in the States — namely, something over $150 a pupil. One 3^ear it allowed $3,000 for a plant to instruct Indians in saw- mill w'ork, in addition to the $15,000 paid to the school of nearly 100 pupils. But in 1894 all the subsidizing ceased and the Government began to build its own schools and appoint its own teachers, consider- ing at the same time, as was proper, such religious work as had been established by the several religious denominations in the school locality, so as not to antagonize the work already going on by intro- ducing teachers who would proselyte for some different denomination than the mission. But of course even this policy gave rise to the innuendo that the establishment of Government schools near missions was a subsidy, inasmuch as it relieved the mission of its expense for secular schools, whereas it is believed by others that the home missions ought not to pay for the secular education of children out of the funds collected by them for religious purposes, and that the secular schools of the Government ought to be kept for all classes and beliefs of population, without sectarian bias toward any particu- lar denomination, and by all means without any doctrinal tendency toward antireligion or toward atheism. The loan of the reindeer for the education of the natives is not re- gradecl as a subsidy, but only as a loan of apparatus, which is kept good and returned in good condition in five years, meanwdiile having been used to teach an industry and to form the beginning of many herds W'ith Avhich to stock the country. The cost to the Government is reasonably estimated as $600 a year for each hundred reindeer, the same being a liberal estimate for the fawns born, the Government being at no expense in caring for the deer in the meantime and re- ceiving 100 young deer in return at the end of the five years. The subsidizing in the way of buildings and instruction relates mostly to the period previous to 1894, in which year Doctor Jackson himself recommended to me the policy of adopting Government schools everywhere in the place of mission schools, and I discontinued subsidizing mission schools. XVI. MISCELLANEOUS CRITICISMS. In many places the report describes the difficulties of reaching the stations on the Arctic coast and the impossibility of entering Bering Sea nine months of the year. It is this difficulty which furnishes many of the facts for Mr. Churchill's criticism of extravagant out- lays for salaries of teachers and other employees in the schools of the extreme north. Teachers are obliged to go into the northern seas when the water is free from ice in August, although perhaps their schoolhouses will not be finished for three months later. A fragment of a school year is very valuable for education purposes, and though sometimes it costs a year's salary for a three-months' school, even the brief school may possibly be worth much more than it costs. This remark is true also of carpenters employed on buildings on the Arctic coast and who have to be employed by the year. The examples of thrift recorded of Keok and Karmun (Ms. p. 81) and other Eskimos in the herds of Shishmaref and Wales should have been recorded as proofs that the natives have acquired not only skill but thrift, and the ability to make good bargains with the miner, EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. 173 rather than as examples of undeserved remuneration. Keok and Kar- mun are Eskimo natives that have been educated at Wales and well trained for the deer industry. The Government keeps in touch Avith them by givina* them a nominal salary of $100 each per annum as teachers and fiiruishin. 187.15 $540.58 399 194 174 9 $3,709.58 8683. 80 Nome (Synrock, Rodney, Douglas) <"'» Wales 1 1 1896. 1897. Teller 423 218 253 206 1 6 «4. fil.S. .^3 525 278 367 296 7 9A OiH fiQ 82,982.20 Nome (Synrock, Rodney, Douglu.«) («) 5 4 (") C) (") Wrtles Golofnin Unalaklik (Eaton) 1,174.46 1 1898. j 1899. Teller 197 3 $424.63 SCO 328 4 (") 1 1 «771. 83 Nome (Synrock, Rodney, Douglas) Wales 216 395 671 391 C) 4 3 714 240 442 125 Golofnin Unalaklik ( Eaton) 25i.25 3,347.41 Barrow Gambell 193.18 Tanana ( St. James) 261 1 o Number not reported. 176 EDUCATIONAL AND SCHOOL SERVICE, ETC., IN ALASKA. Historical table fihouiiig reindeer in Alaska, hy stations, 1894 to 1906 — Continued. 1900. 1901. Station. Deer (Jan. 30). Ap- pren- tices. Supplies. Salaries. Deer (June 30). Ap- pren» tices. Supplies. Salaries. Teller 660 400 986 290 588 137 70 92 4 2 '"3 2 5753.62 «ti50. 00 737 507 993 311 686 227 87 11 8 '"'a 5 7 3 $413.28 »1,778.50 Nome (Synrock, Rodney, Unalaklik (Eaton) 4.963.66 5.777.31 1,002.54 2,707.55 71.85 1,200 00 1 j 1; 360. 68 Ganibell 2,727.34 "> dd