AS SEATTLE SEES US.
The following is copied from
the Seattle Post Intelligencer of
July 17th, 1926. We assume that
the location of the Eskimos in
Metlakatla is not attributable to the
Bureau of Education or to Mr.
Caldwell, but that it comes from
the typewriter of some reporter
in Seattle who has vague ideas
about its next door neighbor
Alaska. However, we consider the
mistake amusing enough to reprint.
ESKIMOS IN METLAKATLA
An experiment in introducing
chickens, ofthe Rhode Island Red
variety, and such other accessories
of the farm as apple trees and bees
and ducks and perhaps a cow or
two, will be made this fall in South
eastern Alaska when agriculture as
a course of study will be taught
for the first time in a government
industrial school.
Heretofore, agricultural activi
ties have been largely confined to
the several experiment stations, and
the native population has contented
itself with hunting and fishing
where there was a bit of a thrill
as well as subsistence.
This year Jonathan H. Wagner,
chief of the Alaska division of the
United States bureau of education,
has decided to try out the ac
climatization of hardy poultry and
large fruits to Alaskan conditions.
The trial will be made in the indus
trial school at Mletlakatla, southwest
of Ketchikan.
The industrial director who has
been appointed to the post, Horace
Caldwell, will sail shortly and his
luggage will contain such interesting
items as two brooders, sixty-five
baby chicks, one hive of bees
(if permission is obtained), and
possibly a young nursery of fruits
which are successfully raised n
Western Washington. The Metla
katla region is not dissimilar to
this portion of the state, Caldwell
explained, a little damper, and
probably quite a little colder dur
ing certain months, but otherwise
propitious for the experiment.
The village of Metlakatla has a
native population of between 700
and 800. There are 200 children
in the elementary and high schools.
Upon these Eskimo boys and girls
the success of the agricultural at
tempts will largely rest. Working
through the school club plan which
has proven so successful in rural
schools, the pupils net only will
study such subjects as poultry rais
ing, husbandry and fruit farming,
but will be responsible for the en
tire venture.
Caldwell is faced by another big
job. He will direct the building
and installing of a power plant
for the school and town. From
their fishing profits the natives
have saved $35,000 for their plant.
A lake high in the mountains will
be tapped and Mama Eskimo may
yet run her washing machine by
electricity.
Reports now indicate that the
salmon tagging- operations in the
Pacific States are not proceeding
with the successful cooperation ex
pected at the first of the season,
due in some measure to the lack
of centralized direction and also
to the difficulties encountered. The
plan used in British Columbia
where successful tagging has been
fc,l|lilll!l!lllllll!!!llll!!!ii!|i!i!ll!l'<;!: Hi. :•'!! " 1 .
under way since early in March,
has been to place employees on
commercial trolling boats, who
would pay the - boat owners the
marKet price for all fish tagged
and released. It was expected to
carry on the American work in a
similiar way, in Washington and
Oregon and Alaska. ^
However the Bureau states they
have found it hard to find reliable
employees who would go out on
trollers without becoming too sea
sick to work; also that they had
trouble finding fishermen who would
cooperate. In addition, in many
localities the runs have been so
poor that it scarcely seemed worth
while to have a man on the grounds.
Accordingly up to the end of Junet
few fish had been tagged in Wash
ington and Oregon. Harlan B.
Holmes, who was in charge of the
field work in that district, was larg
ely occupied in checking up on
the return of marked Sockeyes in
the Columbia River.
However, it is planned to equip
one of the Fish Commission boats
for trolling and to start tagging
about the 5th of July- It is hoped
that by means of these tagging
operations some definite know
ledge of the coast wise migrations
of fish can be obtained.
SUBSCRIBE FOR THE ALASKA (
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