It is a nursery. Small children whose mothers have died, and there is no one to care for them, are also received.

It is a refuge for homeless and friendless waifs; for children fleeing for their lives from the tortures of witchcraft. They here find a good home and training that will make them good citizens instead of allowing them to grow up vagabonds.

It is a reformatory to which the United States district court, not knowing what else to do with young offenders, has committed them. This department will be enlarged when suitable buildings can be secured.

It is a trade school, being the only place in Alaska where a young man can learn a

trade.

It is a high school to which bright pupils in the various day schools desiring greater advantages than their local school can afford them may be advanced.

It is a normal school. If in the immediate future Alaska is to have any native teachers they are to-day among the young men and young women in the Sitka Training

School.

IV. OTHER SCHOOLS.

1.-Unalaska district.

The school at Anvik that was in commission last year was not this. But being about three thousand miles from a post-office, with only a chance mail once a year, the teacher supposed that he was still in the employ of the Government, and has sent in his annual

report.

Antik, Yukon River (Protestant Episcopal).-Rev. Octavius Parker and Rev. John W. Chapman, teachers. As mentioned in a former report, in the summer of 1886 Rev. Mr. Parker and family reached St. Michael and attempted to open a school at that point, but did not succeed, In the summer of 1857, with the full approval of the general agent of ication, he removed the school from St. Michael, on the coast, to Auvik, a native village in the Lower Yukon Valley.* This was in accordance with the original plan to establish a school in the valley of the Yukon.

In the spring of 1887 Mr. Parker was joined by Rev. John W. Chapman. At Anvik they purchased and fitted up buildings for school and residence purposes, and arranged the work between them as follows: Mr. Parker was to teach three hours each day and get sapper; Mr. Chapman two hours a day and get the breakfast and dinner. days Mr. Parker did the baking, and Mr. Chapman the washing and ironing,, The statistics of daily attendance has not yet reached this office.

On Satur

Seri Islands (Saint Paul and Saint George).-These two schools are maintained at the expense of the Alaska Commercial Company, in accordance with their contract with the Government. The reports are supposed to be sent to the Treasury Department. I notice that Mr. George R. Tingle, special agent of the Treasury Department, in his annual report, July 31, 1887, makes no mention of the schools. It is presumable, however, that with the fixed population of those islands the school attendance varies but little from year to year. In 1884 Saint Paul reports an enrolment of fifty-four, and in 1881 Saint George twenty-eight. These are the latest figures to which I have access. Unalaklik, Norton Sound (Swedish mission).-Rev. Axel E. Karlson, teacher.

In 1857 the Free Mission Society of Sweden was so deeply impressed with the neglect and degradation of the natives of Alaska that it sent two teachers to this Territory, Mr. Karlson locating at Unalaklik, sixty miles north of Saint Michael on Behring Sea, and Rev. Adolf Lydell at Yakutat.

Mr. Karlson reports that it was with great difficulty that he was able to secure the materials and erect a small school-house. In September, 1887, he opened his school with Eskimo children. They made good progress during the winter.

One boy, who had already learned the Russian language, made such progress through the winter that in the spring he was able to converse in English. Others mastered the alphabet and were able to read intelligently in simple sentences. Special attention is given to the English language. Mr. Karlson has gone to San Francisco for material for a larger and better building.

2. Sitka district.

Respecting the Roman Catholic school at Juneau I have been unable to obtain any

report.

Hoonah (Presbyterian).—John W. McFarland, teacher. Enrolment, one hundred and thirty-six. This school, sixty miles from a post-office, is the most inaccessible of all the hools of the Alexander Archipelago. Owing to the fact that the whole population eave their homes in the spring to hunt sea otter or work in the mines, and do not return til fall, the school was open only during the five winter months. This school received Government assistance last year. It would be well to place it on the same footing as the day school at Metlakahtla and allow a certain amount per pupil per quarter.

*But without notice to the Commissioner of Education.

Yakutat (Swedish mission).—Adolf Lydell, teacher. During the present season Rev. Adolf Lydell, of the Free Mission Society of Sweden, has built a log house on the main land east of Khantaak and opened an English school.

Schools of the Russian Church.

In addition to the above schools the annual report of the Governor for 1887 mentions fifteen parochial schools under the care of the Russian Church, reporting three hundred pupils, of which one, in Sitka, has been mentioned.

B.-REGULATIONS PRESCRIBED BY THE TERRITORIAL BOARD.

I. MEMORANDUM OF ITS ORGANIZATION.

On the 14th of July, 1887, the Hon. A. P. Swineford, Governor, Hon. La Fayette Dawson, judge of the United States district court, and Dr. Sheldon Jackson, United States general agent of education in Alaska, having been on June 15, 1887, appointed by Hon. L. Q. C. Lamar, Secretary of the Interior, as a Territorial board of education, met and organized at the office of Judge Dawson at 3 o'clock p. m.

Judge Dawson was elected chairman. At a subsequent meeting the board adopted the following rules and regulations, which were drawn up by Judge Dawson at the request of the board:

II. RULES FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF ALASKA.

I. The school-bell shall be rung promptly at 9 o'clock a. m. and at 1 o'clock p. m., and all pupils must be promptly in their seats thereafter.

II. The teachers shall have complete control of their respective schools when in session, and may suspend an unruly pupil until the case can be heard and passed upon by the educational board.

III. Corporal punishment should not be inflicted except in extreme cases of misconduct, and then in moderation only.

IV. Calling of names, the use of slang phrases and vulgar language, must be prohibited by the teachers, and if persisted in by the pupil or pupils who indulge in the use of such terms, names, or vulgarity, so as to shock decency, must be reported to the educational board.

V. All absentees and their parents must be reported to the board, where proper action can be taken in relation to their dereliction of duty under the compulsory rule adopted by this board.

VI. The teachers must labor during school hours to advance the pupils in their studies, to create in their minds a desire for knowledge, principle, morality, politeness, cleanliness, and the preservation of physical health.

VII. Six hours shall constitute a school-day, beginning at 9 o'clock a. m. and ending at 4 p. m., with one hour's intermission from 12 m. to 1 p. m., and recess hours must be regulated by the teachers and at such time and for such length of time as their judgment may approve, but promptness to return at the ringing of the bell must be inculcated and enforced.

VIII. And as the teachers of the various schools in Alaska are, as regards their pupils, in loco parentis, the custody, care, and moral training of their pupils are in a measure submitted to their judgment and discretion, but with the understanding that all questions which in magnitude exceed the power herein conferred upon the teacher must be reported to the board of education.

Obligatory Attendance.

the

At the opening of the year Judge Dawson, at the request of the board, drew up following rules to secure a more regular attendance of pupils at school. They were submitted to the United States Commissioner of Education, and meeting his approval, were adopted by the board.

III. RULES FOR OBLIGATORY ATTENDANCE AT ALASKAN SCHOOLS, APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, AUGUST, 1837.

In pursuance of the regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior, under an act of Congress approved May 17, 1884, in relation to public schools in Alaska, and under authority of Rule B in the regulations so prescribed by the Secretary in conferring authority upon the board of education by him appointed "to provide general rules for the government of the schools and the attendance of the children," this educational board has prescribed and adopted the following as to the attendance of children of school age: Every parent, guardian, or other person having control or charge of any child or children of the age of six years and under the age of fourteen years, residing within two miles of any school established and maintained by the Government in Alaska, shall send such child or children to such school at least two-thirds of the time during which such

school shall be taught each school year, unless it can be satisfactorily shown that such child or children is or are physically or mentally disabled. To the end that such regulations may be enforced the deputy United States marshals and Indian policemen, appointed upon the recommendation of the Governor by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs at Washington, are hereby authorized and empowered, and it is hereby made their duty, to see that all children of school age herein designated and within the limits and distance herein set forth attend said schools: Provided further, That when it is made to appear that the presence and services of any child of school age as herein prescribed are necessary to the care, protection, and comfort of such parent or guardian in case of sickness, accident, or any physical or mental infirmity, it shall be a good excuse for such

non-attendance.

C.-SCHOOL CENSUS-PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SCHOOL.

ATTENDANCE-NON-ATTENDANCE.

It has not been practicable to take any census of schoolable youth in this Territory during the year under review.

It follows as a necessary consequence that the volume of non-attendance upon schools is equally a matter of conjecture or estimate.

The following table shows, for public, Indian, and other schools, from which reports have been received, the enrolment of pupils and the monthly attendance of pupils.

Grand total of all;

39

52

18

12

schools reporting. 979 688 829 606 708 499 703 529

I also present a table showing the subjects taught in the several schools and the number of pupils who pursued each branch.

D.-NAMES, STATIONS, AND SALARIES OF SCHOOL OFFICERS AND TEACHERS.

Names and Stations of Private School Teachers Mentioned in this Report.

I have not been able to comply with the rule requiring the general agent to visit every school in the Territory at least once a year. There is no regular means of communica tion with the schools in the Unalaska and Kodiak districts. During the summer the United States steamship Thetis made a tour of the villages of those districts, and it was understood that she was to enable the Government officers to discharge their respective daties. But when she arrived at Sitka no officer was allowed transportation but the Governor. Even in the Sitka district it was impossible to visit the schools at Howkan and Klawak for want of transportation.

It would add to the general efficiency if at each place where there is a suitable white population a local committee of three be appointed by the Commissioner, upon the nomination of the board, whose duties should be to provide fuel, look after repairs to the school-house, direct the school policeman, visit the school, and recommend to the Territorial board such things as may seem to be important for the welfare of the schools in their place. In several places suitable persons can be found who will perform such service gratuitously because of their general interest in education.

F.-ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

mentioned under topic A. I now give some information which I hope will explain some Many particulars which, strictly classified, should appear under this head have been Federal territory, without civil or military organization, and practically without any the difficulties in the way of managing and teaching the schools in this outpost of civilized organization of society, industry, or belief.

To some of these topics recommendations are attached; these are made with a view to

increasing the efficiency of schools in the future.