314 FUR SEAL FISHERIES OF ALASKA. 



the time. — A. I never knew him to be in that condition; on the con- 

 trary he was a very temperate man. 



Q. State, if you please, all about the company's school on St. George 

 Island I — A. 1 can not see where there can be any reason for complaint 

 in regard to the company's school. It is conducted like schools in most 

 country villages. It is kept eight months in the year, and tbe teachers 

 are usually first-class teachers; in fact always while I have been sta- 

 tioned there they have had capable men as teachers — men who have 

 been teachers in institutes here in this country, and who are well edu- 

 cated in the art of teaching. The school-houses are kept in first class 

 order always. 



Q. Has this a familiar look to you (exhibiting a photograph) ? — A. 

 Yes, sir ; this is a picture of the school-house and the school children 

 taken on the island last winter. 



Q. Does it correctly represent the children ? — A. Yes, sir; just about 

 as they appeared in school every day. 



Q. What branches are they taught f — A. Spelling, reading, writing, 

 arithmetic, geography, and some few other exercises. 



Q. There is still a prejudice against the teaching of English only on 

 the part of the Greek Church ? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. It is the only difficulty the company has to contend with ? —A. 

 That feeling always existed on the part of the Church. 



Q. Why is that?— A. They seem to think that it has a tendency to 

 alienate the children from the Church service. 



Q. The Greek Church is a close corporation ? — A. Exactly. 



Q. Is that because of the failure of some of the children to attend 

 regularly ? — A. It is, without doubt. 



Q. What efforts do the company make to induce the children to go 

 to school ? — A. The company's agent does what he can and the Gov- 

 ernment agent gives it his special attention. If a child is absent the 

 teacher reports it and the Government agent will send for the chief, or 

 go to where the child lives, and ascertain the reason why the child does 

 not go to school. 



Q. As the results of the teaching, are they learning to read and write 

 and to speak English 1 — A. They are, without doubt. 



Q. Did you hear this young man that testified here? — A. Yes, sir; I 

 am well acquainted with him, and have been ever since he was eight 

 years of age. When I first saw him as a child he could not talk any 

 English, and you see what progress he has made. 



Q. What proportion of young men and women of eighteen or twenty 

 years of age can read and write and know something of geography and 

 arithmetic f — A. I consider all of that age on the islands can read and 

 write and know more or less about geography and can master figures 

 to some extent. They go to the store and buy things, and they know 

 what amount of change they want back and exactly when they have 

 the correct amount. 

 . Q. The books are kept in English ? — A. Yes, sir. 



Q. There is a school on each island ? — A. Yes, sir; there is a school 

 on each island. 



Q. What do you say as to the condition generally of the natives of 

 those islands and their treatment by the company ? — A. I consider the 

 natives in very comfortable condition. As good as I have found in any 

 working communitj^ that I ever came across. 



Q. How are they clothed ? — A. They dress well ; wear good cloth- 

 ing. 



Q. Both men and women !— A. The women always wear good clothes 

 as good as you generally see in any city. 



