ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 335 



If such a sclieme can not be carried out, then an effort shoukl be made 

 at once to establish siuiihir schools on the islands, the basis of which 

 should be the entire care and maintenance of the children in order that 

 they may secure the good effects of isolation from their undesirable 

 home surroundings. 



FOX KILLING. 



Present arrangement tentative. — The Department is already fully 

 aware that the taking of fox skins on the part of the natives makes a 

 substantial contribution to their annual income, and in the instructions 

 of last season permission was given them to take foxes during this 

 winter. 



Several conferences were held with the natives with a view to arrang- 

 ing such a modification of the practices heretofore obtaining as would 

 enable all the villagers to secure an equal proportion of what may be 

 fairly considered common property. It was suggested to them that all 

 money obtained from the fox skins should be pooled and equally divided 

 among the famdies after each man who had actually taken the foxes 

 should have deducted a small bonus therefor. To this communal prop- 

 osition, however, they all so promptly and so strongly objected that the 

 old method was adhered to, except in one particular. As the natives 

 are receiving their maintenance largely from tlie Government, it was 

 insisted that all money due them by the company for taking fox skins 

 should not be paid in cash, but should be jdaced to their credit on their 

 pass books, thus insuring its more prudent expenditure. 



The relation of the conii)any to the question of fox skins is fully set 



forth in the following communication to the superintendent of the 



company: 



St. Paul Island, August 11, 1S9.2. 



Dear Sir: I have to inform you that in accordance with the instructions from 

 the Department under date of May 2, 1892, the natives of St. Paul and St. George 

 islands are permitted, under direction of tlu'- Government officers in charge, to take 

 iox sicius during the coming winter. I have informed the resident agents that the 

 "foxing season" will extend from November 15 to January 20. 



j\Iy understanding of the arrangement made between us in our conference is: (1) 

 That the company will, upon the re(iuest of the Government officers in charge, loan 

 such traps to the natives as nuxy be necessary in trapping, a native borrowing traps 

 being reciuired to pay for all he does not return in good order; (2) that all skins 

 taken are to be turned over to the company after having been duly credited both by 

 the Government officer and the local agent of the company, to the native bringing 

 them in; (3) that the sum of $2 per skin for all skins taken is to be advanced by the 

 company, pending the action of the Department ; and (4) that all sums due the natives 

 at the end of the foxing season is to be placed to their credit on their pass hooks, no 

 cash behig paid them at any time for the skins brought in. 

 Very respectfully, 



J. Stanlky-Brown, 



Acting Treasury Agent in Charge Seal Islands. 

 Mr. George R. Tingle, 



SuperintemUnt North American Commercial Company, 



GUARDING THE ROOKERIES. 



The method used. — After the experience of two seasons, I am convinced 

 that the only esffective method of guarding the rookeries from raids is 

 from the shore and not from the sea. While but few such assaults have 

 been made in years gone by, and their effect upon rookery life has been 

 trivial, coming as it does at a season when the rookeries are entirely 

 disorganized, many of the seals absent from the island, and the weather 

 so inclement as to make landing difBcult and dangerous, nevertheless 

 it is desirable to discourage such attacks by summarily dealing with 



