principal, wno was a graduate or the School of cial Navigation; a free pilot, who taught navigation; an employee of the company, who taught book-keeping and commercial branches; one priest and two licentiates, graduates of the University of St. Petersburg. The corresponding schools for girls were in charge of a lady graduate of one of the highest female schools in Russia, with two male teachers. This made five schools at Sitka-two for the children of the lower class, two for the higher class, and one seminary. About the time of the transfer of the country the teachers were recalled to Russia and the schools suspended. But with the change of government came a new people. The majority of the Russians left the country, and their places were taken by Americans. Many came in from California, and on the 8th of November, 1867, less than a month from the time the country passed under the United States flag, the citizens called a meeting and formed a temporary local government. And on the 18th of December, 1867, a petition signed by forty-nine persons two of whom "made their mark," was presented to the common council asking that a citizens' meeting might be called to empower the council to establish a school. On the 20th of March 1960 th 1878, a school was opened E. Kellogg. In December circumstances, it was disc 1880 Miss Olinda Austin w City, and commenced schoo of the guard house, with number increased to 130. applied for admission, but room would not accommoda Miss Austin received the ance of Captain Beardslee, S. S. Jamestown, who prove the enterprise. mission, seven native boys, thirteen and fourteen years of age, bringing a blanket each, voluntarily left their homes and took up their abode in a vacant room of one of the government buildings. Thus commenced the 3oarding department of the Sitka school. Soon other boys joined them. Captain Henry Glass, who succeeded Captain Beardslee in command of the U. S. S. Jamesown, from the first, with his officers, especially Lieut. F. M. Symonds, U. S. N., took a deep interest in the chool. As he had opportunity he secured boys from distant tribes and placed them in the institution, until here were twenty-seven boys in the boarding depart ment. each house for These sanitary These sanitary In February, 1881, Captain Glass established a rule ompelling the attendance of the native children upon he day school, which was a move in the right direction and worked admirably. He first caused the native village o be cleaned up, ditches dug around rainage, and the houses whitewashed. egulations greatly lessened the sickness and death rate mong them. He ordered the houses to be numbered nd an accurate census taken of the inmates, adults and hildren. He then caused a number of labels to be nade of tin, one of which was tied around the neck of ach child, with his or her number and the number of the ouse on it, so that if a child was found on the street uring school hours, the native policeman was under rders to take the number on the label and report it, or he teacher each day would report that such and such umbers from such houses were absent that day. The ollowing morning the head man of the house to which he absentee belonged was summoned to appear and anwer for the child. If the child was willfully absent, the ead man was fined or imprisoned. A few cases of fine roved sufficient. As soon as the people found the capain in earnest the children were all in school. This ran he average attendance up to 230 and 250, the attendance ne day reaching, with adults, 271. In April of that ear Mr. Alonzo E. Austin was associated with his daugher in the school, and Mrs. Austin appointed matron. In he winter of 1882 the school-house was burned, and the oys took refuge in an abandoned government stable, which as fitted up for them. In the fall of 1882, after conultation with the collector of customs, the commander f the United States man-of-war and the leading citizens, selected a new location for the school outside of village mits and erected a two-and-a-half story building 100 y 50 feet in size. In 1884 the Girls' Boarding School t Fort Wrangell was removed to Sitka, and the united chools made a government contract industrial and train. pupils. On Nov. 16, 188 Pennsylvania, was appoint which reports 77 pupils in At Juneau a school was Marion B. Murphy, of Ore tendance varying from 30 1 a member of the Roman Ca At Hoonah a school was pupils, with Mrs. M. D. Mc Church as teacher. At Fort Wrangell a scho with 33 pupils. The attenda Miss Lydia McAvoy, the te At Haines a school wa with 40 pupils. In January The teacher is Miss Sarah half-breed girl, educated school at Forest Grove, Ore Protestant Episcopal Schoo At Jackson the school wa 59 pupils. The teacher is Virginia. At Killesnoo a school wa by Prof. Geo. B. Johnston, A school has been opene pils. It is in charge of Mr. Hebrew. The school at Bethel is Weinland. On May 1, 1870, Congres the Alaska Commercial Cor Paul and Saint George. By Company is bound to maint for eight months in each yea children of school age are r "If a person dies in his h tribes hold that house sacred after for the habitation of foot may cross that threshol passed in his awful silence. instead of being allowed to r is hastily lifted from his cou a hole in the rear wall, so tha may belong in mystic lien earth burial is made, clothing and food are placed in and is often lighted and kept b some time that the spirits n orced the following year by Rev. J. G. Brady in March, liss F. Kellogg in April, and Rev. S. H. Young in Auust. In the article following we give an extended acount of the present condition of the Mission. For years the English Church Missionary Society has ad mission stations at Fort McPherson and La Pierre House, bordering on Northeastern Alaska, and their issionaries have made occasional trips on the upper ukon and its tributaries. The Protestant Episcopal Church has lately sent a misonary, Rev. Octavius Parker, to Alaska. He is now n his way to his mission station which will be at St. Michael, on the western coast. The Baptist Home Missionary Society has appointed tev. W. Roscoe and wife as missionaries to Alaska, and hey are now on their way to their destination which is 'ort of St. Paul, on Kadiak Island. This island has an rea of 28,980 square miles and a population of about ,000. The American Branch of the Moravian Church sent in 884, the Rev. A. Hartman and Rev. W. H. Weinland, o visit the western section of Alaska and locate a mision. They decided to establish a mission station 150 iles up the Kuskokwim River, near the native village f Mumtrekhlagamute. The new station was named Bethel. They returned to the United States and made heir report. In May, 1885, Rev. W. H. Weinland and ife, Rev. J. H. Killbuck (Delaware Indian) and wife, nd Mr. John Torgerson, left the United States for Alska. On August 10, 1885, Mr. Torgerson was drowned. contract has been entered into with the Moravians or the establishment of a school at Fort Alexander, The teachers selected are Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Wolff and liss B. Bradley, M.D. The buildings are now being rected, and the school will commence early in 1887. An additional missionary, Rev. Frank E. Wolff, sailed or Alaska from San Francisco, July 17, 1886. He will e stationed at Nushogak. where the sessions can be the natives have returned to the mountains. I ask yo succeed. To teach these can speak but very little o almost unbounded amount the work of erecting a sc able. "While I am thus engag a log dwelling-house at th It is by mutual agreement As regards dividing the h lies and each occupying a that you will fully endorse "News have reached us missionary at Fort Yukon, some Canadian Missionary able to learn his name, H poorly provided with the deavored to live upon the "It is a matter of great th in conclusion, that we are We feel that the blessing of and our work, and pray ea to prosper us." Presbyterian Mission BY SHELDON The year 1885 has been discouragement in the Alas These discouragements h tion of causes. Prominent among them h the spiritual claims of the C ries first met the people, school and church, and bo this interest has somewhat Rev. W. H. Weinland, in a letter written February 16, learned to appreciate the G 886, says: "We have made progress in learning the Eskimo lanuage. As to the work of gaining the confidence of the eople we feel greatly encouraged. A great many have ome to us for medical assistance. The medicines we ave given have, in almost all cases, taken immediate efect. The people have shown us great respect, and exressed their love to us. "We see no way of establishing anything of a boarding chool at present. That may come later, but at present ur working force is too small, and the worth of an edu sake, and are still diligent means of grace, many oth church in the hope of world prominent chiefs expected build them a house, and like Government make them pre the missionary would give t neighboring ones. But finding on the one ha gifts, and on the other that them to put away their plura MISS O. AUSTIN AND A CLASS OF INDIAN BOYS, "SHELDON JACKSON INSTITU many are drawn away and make shipwreck of their faith. 3. The greatest difficulty, however, has been in the opposition of several of the former Government officials, who have since been removed and better men appointed in their places. For reasons best known to themselves, those officers directly or indirectly threw their official influence in opposition to the school and mission work. Some of them by continuous and persistent misrepresentations sought to weaken the confidence of the natives in their missionaries. In some instances the natives were told that their children were not learning and would be better off out of school than in it and were even advised 10 keen their facture of a vile intoxicat has greatly increased and is ever before in the whole h Lawlessness and insubor The above causes, and o have temporarily suspended among the Chilkats. HA During the past year, R pleted a comfortable and the Home and School. to the many Sabbath-so bands who had furnished building. |