542 ALASKA INDUSTRIES. 



children of the lower class, 2 for the higher class, and 1 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 Eussians left the country and their places were taken 

 by Americans. Many came in from California, and on the 8th of 

 November, 1807, less than a niontli from the time that the country 

 passed under the United States flag, the citizens called a meeting and 

 formed a temporary local government, and on the 18tli of December, 

 1867, a petition, formed by 49 persons, 2 of whom ^'made their mark," 

 was presented to the common council, asking that a citizens' meeting 

 might be called to emi)ower the council to establish a school. On the 

 20th of March, 1868, the council adopted some school regulations and 

 appointed three trustees, who exercised a joint control with a com- 

 mittee of officers from the military post at Sitka. During the winter of 

 1868-69 a school building was purchased. The annual reports of the 

 trustees have disapi)eared, and there is nothing to show the time when 

 teaching commenced. In October, 1869, the council voted that the 

 salary of the teacher should be $75 i)er month in coin, and on March 1, 

 1871, it was ordered to be $25 ])er month, which evidently means that 

 at the latter period the post commander withdrew the $50 per month 

 which had been paid from the army funds. On the 12th of August, 

 1871, ijermission was given the bishop of the Greek Church to teach 

 the Eussian language one hour each day in the public school. During 

 1873 the school seems to have died out. 



In 1879 and 1880 an attem^^t was made to establish a school for Rus- 

 sian children, which was taught by Mr. Alouzo E. Austin and Miss Etta 

 Austin. In the winter of 1877 and 1878 Eev. John G. Brady was 

 appointed to Sitka, and in April, 1878, a school was opened by Mr. 

 Brady and Miss Fanny E. Kellogg. In December, through a combi- 

 nation of circumstances, it was discontinued. In the spring of 1880 

 Miss Olinda Austin was sent out by the Presbyterian Board of Home 

 Missions from New York City, and commenced school April 5 in one of 

 the guardhouses, Avith 103 children present. This number increased to 

 130. Then some of the parents applied for admission, but could not be 

 received, as the room would not accommodate any more. 



In November some of the boys applied to the teacher for permission 

 to live in the schoolhouse. At home, they alleged, there was so much 

 drinking, talking, and carousing that they could not study. The teacher 

 replied that she had no accommodations, bedding, or food for them. 

 But they were so much in earnest that they said they would provide 

 for themselves. Upon receiving permission, seven native boys, 13 and 

 14 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 boarding department of the Sitka school. Soon 

 other boys joined them. Capt. Henry Glass, who succeeded Captain 

 Beardslee in the command of the U. S. S. Jamestoicn, from the first, 

 with his officers, especially Lieut. F. M. Symonds, U. S. N., took a deep 

 interest in the school. As he had opjiortunity he secured boys from 

 distant tribes and placed them in the institution, until there were 27 

 boys in the boarding department. 



in the winter of 1882 the schoolhouse was burned, and the boys took 

 refuge in an abandoned Government stable, which was fitted up for 

 them. In the fall of 1882, after consultation with the collector of cus- 

 toms, the commander of the United States man-of-war, and the leading 

 citizens, I selected a new location for the school outside of village limits 



