the cultivated young women of the State shall avail themselves of the extraordinary opportunities now offered there for instruction in gardening, fruit culture, and all that makes the country home the paradise of which we read in the poets, but which in reality it so rarely is.

For a generation or more, West Virginia will hold the educational and industrial leadership of this great mountain land at the center of this old Republic. Here is to be witnessed, in the near future, a repetition of the rapid growth on the far Western border, with no danger of the fearful reaction and collapse which now threatens vast regions of that inhospitable country. An intelligent comprehension of the situation and a resolute effort at making herself, not only the foremost in the schooling, but a pioneer in the trained industrial educational movement of the time, will not only build up the Commonwealth at home, but render, perhaps, the best service now possible to the Republic. For, surely, nothing can more certainly make for the future welfare of the new Republic than this strengthening of the old East and the original Northwest, from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, by building up at their center this magnificent mountain realm, in which is now garnered up the future prosperity of half a dozen States. Here, with the judicious support of the wealth of the great Commonwealths; the concentration of their educational, religious, social, and skilled industrial forces, may be wrought out among these mountains and valleys a civilization that will attract a new tide of immigration from every section of the Union, and mightily strengthen those great conservative agencies on which we now rely for the salvation of the nation. Surely, the call of Providence was never more distinctly heard than to-day, to the people of this most interesting of the new States of the Union-that the splendid inauguration of the Commonwealth, a generation ago, shall become a prophecy of a larger and nobler life through centuries to

come.

CHAPTER IX.

REPORT ON EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS IN ALASKA.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,

BUREAU OF EDUCATION, ALASKA DIVISION,

Washington, D. C., June 30, 1893.

SIR: I have the honor to submit the following annual report of the general agent of education for Alaska for the year ending June 30, 1893:

In the summer of 1890, in accordance with your instructions, I visited northern Alaska and established schools for the Arctic Eskimo at Cape Prince of Wales, Point Hope, and Point Barrow. Through the courtesy of the Secretary of the Treasury and of Capt. L. G. Shepard, chief of the Revenue Marine Division of the Treasury Department, I was permitted to accompany the U. S. revenue marine steamer Bear, Capt. M. A. Healy, commanding, on her annual cruise in Bering Sea and the Arctic Ocean. In addition to conveying me to the points designated, Captain Healy was under instructions from the Secretary of the Treasury to visit the coast of Siberia and distribute presents to the Koraks around Cape Navarin in return for shelter and food furnished shipwrecked American whalers. He was also under commission from Superintendent Porter, of the Census Office, to take a census of the native population along the Arctic coast of Alaska and the islands of Bering Sea, which population could not be reached by the usual enumerators.

The trip to Siberia enabled me to make a cruise of 700 miles along that littleknown coast, and study somewhat the character of the native population under conditions corresponding with those under which life must be maintained in Alaska. I found them to be a hardy, active, and well-fed people, owning tens of thousands of head of domestic reindeer.

The taking of the census of Arctic Alaska furnished me even more extensive facilities for studying the condition of the Eskimo of Alaska. I found them, like their neighbors on the Siberian side, to be a hardy and active people, but because they had never been instructed to depend upon the raising of reindeer as a support, unlike the Siberians, they were on the verge of starvation. The whale and walrus that formerly had constituted the principal portion of their food have been destroyed or driven off by the whalers, and the wild reindeer that once abounded in their country have been killed off by the introduction of breech-loading firearms.

The thorough canvass of the native population for enumeration, necessitating a landing wherever even one or two tents were seen on the beach, furnished unusual opportunities for observing the educational needs of that people and learning the great difficulties under which schools will have to be carried on.

Upon my return to Washington I had the honor on November 12 to address you a preliminary report of the season's work, emphasizing the destitute condition of the Alaskan Eskimo.

On the 5th of December this report was transmitted by you to the Secretary of the Interior for his information and on the 15th transmitted to the Senate by Hon. George Chandler, Acting Secretary of the Interior. On the following day it was referred by the Senate to the Committee on Education and Labor.

On the 19th of December, Hon. Louis E. McComas, of Maryland, introduced into the House of Representatives a joint resolution (H. R. No. 258) providing that the act of Congress approved March 2, 1887, "An act to establish agricultural experiment stations in connection with the colleges established in the several States under the provisions of an act approved July 2, 1862, and of the acts supplementary thereto" and an act approved August 30, 1890, entitled "An act to apply a portion of the proceeds of the public lands to the more complete endowment and support of the colleges for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanic arts, established under the provisions of an act of Congress approved July 2, 1862," should be extended by the Secretary of the Interior over Alaska, with the expectation that the purchase, improvement, and management of domestic reindeer should be made a part of the industrial education of the proposed college.

The resolution was referred to the Committee on Education, and on the 9th of January, 1891, reported back to the House of Representatives for passage. (See Appendix A.)

It was, however, so near the close of the short term of Congress that the resolution was not reached.

When it became apparent that it would not be reached in the usual way, the IIon. Henry M. Teller, on the 26th of February, moved an amendment to the bill (H. R. No. 13162) making appropriations for sundry civil expenses of the Government for the year ending June 30, 1892, appropriating $15,000 for the introduction of domestic reindeer into Alaska, which was carried. The appropriation failed to receive the concurrence of the conference committee of the House of Representatives.

Upon the failure of the Fifty-first Congress to take action, and deprecating the delay of twelve months before another attempt could be made, with your approval, I made an appeal in the Mail and Express of New York City, the Boston Transcript, the Philadelphia Ledger, the Chicago Inter Ocean, and the Washington Star, as well as in a number of the leading religious newspapers of the country, for contributions to this object. The response was prompt and generous; $2,146 were received. (Appendix B.)

As the season had arrived for the usual visit of inspection and supervision of the schools in Alaska, you were kind enough to direct that in addition to my regular work for the schools I should continue in charge of the work of transplanting domesticated reindeer from Siberia to Alaska. As the natives of Siberia, who own the reindeer, know nothing of the use of money, an assortment of goods for the purpose of barter for the reindeer was procured from the funds so generously contributed by benevolent people in answer to the appeal through the newspapers.

The Honorable Secretary of the Treasury issued instructions to Captain Healy to furnish me every possible facility for the purchase and transportation of reindeer from Siberia to Alaska. The Honorable Secretary of State secured from the Russian Government instructions to their officers on the Siberian coast also to render what assistance they could, and on May 25, 1892, I again took passage on the revenue-cutter Bear, Captain Healy in command, for the coast of Siberia.

The proposition to introduce domesticated reindeer into Alaska had excited widespread and general interest. In the public discussions which arose with regard to the scheme a sentiment was found in some circles that it was impracticable; that on account of the superstitions of the natives they would be unwilling to sell their stock alive; further, that the nature of the reindeer was such that he would not bear ship transportation, and also that even if they could be purchased and safely transported the native dogs on the Alaskan coast would destroy or the natives kill them for food. This feeling, which was held by many intelligent white men (Appendix C), was asserted so strongly and positively that it was thought best the first season to make haste slowly, and instead of purchasing a large number of reindeer to possibly die on shipboard, or perhaps to be destroyed by the Alaskan dogs (thus at the very outset prejudicing the scheme), it was deemed wiser and safer to buy only a few.

Therefore, in the time available from other educational duties during the season of 1891, it seemed important that I should again carefully review the ground and secure all possible additional information with regard to the reindeer, and, while delaying the actual establishment of a herd until another season, that I should determine the correctness of the objections that the natives would not sell and the deer would not bear transportation by actually purchasing and transporting them. The work was so new and untried that many things could only be found out by actual experience.

First. The wild deermen of Siberia are a very superstitious people, and need to be approached with great wisdom and tact.

Upon one occasion, when Captain Healy purchased a few reindeer for food, the following ceremonies were observed: When getting ready to lasso the deer the owner's family seated themselves in a circle on the ground, where probably some rites connected with their superstitions were observed. Upon attempting to approach the circle, I was motioned away. After a short time the men went out and lassoed a selected animal, which was led to one side of the herd. The man that was leading him stationed himself directly in front of the animal and held him firmly by the two horns. Another with a butcher knife stood at the side of the deer. An old man, probably the owner, went off to the eastward, and placing his back to the setting sun seemed engaged in prayer, upon the conclusion of which he turned around and faced the deer. This was the signal for knifing the animal. With apparently no effort, the knife was pushed to the heart and withdrawn. The animal seemed to suffer no pain, and in a few seconds sank to his knees and rolled over on his side. While this was taking place the old man before mentioned stood erect and motionless, with his hand over his eyes. When the deer was dead he approached, and taking a handful of hair and blood from the wound, impressively threw it to the

eastward. This was repeated a second time. Upon the killing of the second animal, the wife of the owner cast the hair and blood to the eastward.

Since then I have often observed the man who was selling a deer pluck some hair from the deer and put it in his pocket or throw it to the winds for good luck.

If a man should sell us deer, and the following winter an epidemic break ont in his herd, or some calamity befall his family, the Shamans would make him believe that his bad luck was all due to the sale of the deer.

Second. The Siberian deermen are a nonprogressive people. They have lived for ages outside of the activities and progress of the world. As the fathers did, so continue to do their children.

Now, they have never before been asked to sell their deer; it is a new thing to them, and they do not know what to make of it. They were suspicious of our designs. And in reference to this state of mind I have found that being on a Government vessel has been of great assistance. It impresses the natives with confidence that they will be treated honorably and justly. This moral effect was so great that we secured results that otherwise could not have been obtained so easily.

Then, Captain Healy, commander of the Bear, is well known for thousands of miles on both sides of the coast, and the natives have confidence in him. With a stranger in command I am confident that but little would have been accomplished in the summer of 1891.

Purchasing reindeer in Siberia is very different from going to Texas and buying a herd of cattle. In Texas such a sale could be consummated in a few minutes or hours. But in Siberia it takes both time and patience.

Upon the anchoring of the ship in the vicinity of a settlement the natives flock aboard, bringing skins and furs to exchange for flour, cotton cloth, powder, lead, etc. Once aboard they expect to be fed by the captain, and bucket after bucket of hard bread is distributed among them. They know perfectly well that we are after reindeer, but nothing is said about it. They have to be feasted first. They are never in a hurry and therefore do not see why we should be.

After a little small presents are judiciously given to the wife or child of a leading man, and when everyone is in good humor a few of the leaders are taken into the pilot house and the main subject is opened. After much discussion and talking all around the subject, one man is ready to sell twenty and another perhaps only two. After all is arranged the leading men send their servants off after the deer, which may be in the vicinity or four or five days' journey away. Sometimes these delays consume a week or more at a place.

Another difficulty arises from the fact that they can not understand what we want of the reindeer. They have no knowledge of such a motive as doing good to others without pay.

As a rule the men with the largest herds, who can best afford to sell, are inland and difficult to reach.

Then business selfishness comes in. The introduction of the reindeer on the American side may to some extent injuriously affect their trade in deer skins. From time immemorial they have been acenstomed to take their skins to Alaska and exchange them for oil. To establish herds in Alaska will, they fear, ruin this business.

Another difficulty experienced was the impossibility of securing a competent interpreter.

A few of the natives of the Siberian coast have spent one or more seasons on a whaler, and thus picked up a very little English. And upon this class we have been dependent in the past.

It is very desirable that a native young man should be secured and trained as an interpreter who could be employed regularly, year after year.

However, notwithstanding all these difficulties and delays, Captain Healy with the Bear coasted from 1,200 to 1,500 miles, calling at the various villages and holding conferences with the leading reindeer owners on the Siberian coast. Arrangements were made for the purchase of animals the following season. Then, to answer the question whether reindeer could be purchased and transported alive, sixteen were purchased, kept on shipboard for some three weeks, passing through a gale so severe that the ship had to "lie to," and finally landed in good condition at Amakuak Island, in the harbor of Unalaska, having had a sea voyage of over 1,000 miles. Thus the results of investigations for 1891 were:

First. The cultivation of the good will of the Siberians.
Second. The actual purchase of sixteen head of reindeer.

Third. That reindeer can be transported with the same facility as other domestic cattle; they being safely loaded, kept on shipboard for three weeks, and landed in good condition 1,000 miles away.

Upon my return to Washington in the fall of 1891 the question was again urged upon the attention of Congress, and on the 17th of December, 1891, the Hon. H. M. Teller introduced a bill (S. 1109) appropriating $15,000, to be expended under the direction of the Secretary of the Interior, for the purpose of introducing and main