FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY. 87 
At all times it was the aim to keep alive interest in the school, its work, and the 
advantages to be gained from earnest application to what it had to offer. With this 
in mind, steady routine work was avoided as much as was consistent with the desired 
rate of progress. Singing, spelling matches, addition and multiplication drills and 
talks by the teacher on subjects which could be understood, did much toward this 
end. This occasional stimulation of interest is believed to be very important inas- 
much as it seems a trait of the Aleut to demand periodical excitement and variation 
as the price of his undivided attention. 
As has often been said, the seeming apathy with which the Aleut people regard 
the study of our language constitutes the greatest difficulty in the accomplishment 
of other work in the schools. This is indeed true, and while the belief is entertained 
that considerable progress has been made during the past term, the day when it will 
cease to be the prime factor in the school work is not yet in sight. 
As in several previous terms the exclusive use of English in the schoolroom was 
insisted upon. It was voluntarily used to a certain degree in the outdoor play about 
the school building. In order to encourage expression the pupils were not prohibited 
from conversing freely in an undertone as long as this did not disturb the hearing of 
classes and general order of the room. It was felt that this laxity of strict class-room 
discipline was in good cause as the free exchange of thought, in English, is one of the 
most desirable ends we have in view for the present. 
The story books received last Noveniber from the Bureau through its librarian 
were placed in a neat bookcase and given a permanent place in the schoolroom. 
The children were allowed to take these in systematic order one at a time, and they 
proved of very great assistance in the work. Many of the adults availed themselves 
of this opportunity to obtain reading matter and some became regular applicants. 
It is hoped that more books of a similar character to these may be furnished from 
time to time to the end that this little library may eventually become a dependable 
source of entertainment for the children. The books already sent were exceptionally 
appropriate for the existing needs. The value of children’s periodicals such as the 
Youth’s Companion, the American Boy, St. Nicholas, and others, is inestimable in this 
connection. 
As in other subjects, the difficulty incident to the study of arithmetic texts was 
entirely due to an incomplete understanding on the part of the pupils of the English 
statements contained in them. It is felt that of all studies arithmetic is the most 
difficult to present in an orderly manner to the Aleuts. However, regular classes 
were held, embracing subjects from simple addition to computing area and volume. 
Daily practice in writing was continued throughout the term and steady improve- 
ment was noticeable in many cases. Toward the close of the term all were asked to 
write a letter to some one whom they knew on St. Paul Island. This idea was taken 
up with apparent pleasure, and the correspondence was mailed in the regular man- 
ner. Many of them wrote very intelligible letters about school, community, and 
family affairs, and it is planned to encourage further letter writing between people 
of the islands in order that they may more often be called upon to express their thoughts 
in our language. 
Spelling is the one subject in which the Aleuts do not meet with the usual diffi- 
culties. They can commit the words by simple observation of their structure with- 
out making any effort to understand theirmeaning. In this last connection, however, 
they were given the definition of each word as they wrote it out, and a test late in 
the term showed that they had grasped the meaning of a great number of words. 
The institution of a course in manual training, it is believed, would prove very 
beneficial. With the number of pupils at present under one teacher, however, it 
would bean impracticable step. Otherimportantstudies would have to be abandoned. 
Instruction in cobbling was given to the older boys, and the resulting work was 
entirely worthy of the effort made. I¢ is felt that this is a good measure of thrift, 
and that similar instruction should be continued during each school year, even at 
the sacrifice of some textbook studies. 
It is eee mniate here to comment on the work of the junior school which was con- 
ducted by Mrs. Proctor. The value of this little preparatory course is inestimable. 
The pupils coming from there to the senior school have already obtained a knowledge 
of conversational English, of what the school is and its purpose, and also an under- 
standing of schoolroom decorum, which is sometimes hard to impress upon very 
young children. If the senior school-teacher were to devote the time and attention 
necessary to starting in of the newcomers, it would very seriously handicap the work 
of the older children. 
The number of pupils enrolled in the school was 15 boys and 18 girls, a total of 33. 
The average daily attendance was 27.25 and the percentage of punctuality 99.56. 
