The joker of the Sulzer bill that made it a
bad bill from the standpoint of Alaskans is this:
under that bill trap-sites would have been recog
nized as property, to be mortgaged, sold, and
treated as other property. Hence the mere
location of a trap site would have been enough
to keep other trap-men and fishermen away
from the location. Why should those of the
Alaska Press subsidized by the Canners’ Trust.
not praise the Sulzer bill? It was written by
the canraeity men’s attorney, (Mr. McCord of
Seattle. !
The key to the whole situation is the Fish
Trap. When that evil institution goes, the
fish question will have been settled, and the
fishing districts of Alaska will at least double
in population.
Traeppa delenda est.
Ketchikan, Alaska,
November 4, 1925,
Sec. cf the Interior,,
Washington, D. C.,
Dear Sir:— I understand through
Mr. P. G. Charles, that you wish
a statement from me as to how
the patients at Morningside Hospital
for Insane are being treated
I have seen different nurses beat,
ehoke and pull the hair of many
of the patients, seen Dr. George
Dewees beat a Native woman, Mrs
Mary Hughes in her right side
while the head nurse whose name
is Mrs. Merchant held her. I have
seen this same nurse, with the
help of others throw another Na
tivc woman in the strong; room
and know for a fact that she had
nothing* to eat but bread and water
The white woman went in alone
when ordered so that I know only
of one w’hite woman being choked
and having her hair pulled; that
one was putting big laundry on the
line in the next room to where
I was ' serving and 1 heard Rose
trying to explain to Mrs. Merchant
that she had told her to bleach
the table cover and doilies and that
was why she had not starched them.
Rut Mrs. Merchant would not list
en to her; accused Rose of having
done it. to be contrary. I then heard
Mrs Merchant call Rose the vilest
name". ihen I hoard her go down
the stairs and Rose rushed in to
where I was with her hair down
and told me she ha,d been cursed
and abused, and while I did not see
the trouble, I heard it and know
Rose was telling the truth. This
Rose, with a little help from ano
ther patient, does the laundry (all
by hand, not even a wringer) for
the Matron, Mrs. Barnes husband;
for the boss over the men cooks
f patients), a Mrs. Larson and her
husband- for the night nurse
r Mrs. Harkins, and her husband;
for the second nurse, a Mrs, New
berry; for Mrs. Merchant; and the
student Doctor, besides all the pil
low shams table dresser scarfs etc
Then this same Rose sets up all
the trays for the patients who are
not able to go to the dining room
r~d washes all their dishes and
trays when they arc through, I
have seen her work from three to
four days a week over a tub. While
I was in the children’s ward, she
washed six days I was told. Then
to be abused after all that slavery!
A colored woman, Gussie Bolan
by name, is called at 5 a. m. and
works cleaning the porch where
they have seven beds till between
8 and 9 o'clock a. m. just taking
time to eat breakfast (so it is
called). Then she goes upstairs and
irons for the rest of the day with
15 minutes off for lunch and another
J& minutes for supper, then to bed
as soon as supper is over. Every
body must be in bed by 5 p. m.
I have seen Gussie faint at the
table during meals, I believe from
exhaustion. If one of the patients
had a cold or is feeling badly
she may be allowed on the cold
linoleum under the bed in one of
the strong rooms, but she must not
mu -3 uo a bed for fear visitors will
cal] and it would not look well.
I wish you could see these
nurses driving tubercular patients
to work on the blocks, sometimes
using straps. Blocking, you know,
I suppose, means dragging and
pulling heavy weights over a floor
after it has been waxed in order
to polish it. While I was working
in the cook house helping to can
preserves and jam truit, I was
told to put the scum in prunes or
dried peaches or rice, whatever
they would have on the stove at
the time for the patients, The
fruit goes on the table for the
doctor, a Dr, Lucky, and his staff
of assistants, while the patients are
fed the scum. They gave us musty,
mouldy bread to eat until I rebelled
and for rebelling- I was put in the
“•strong room” on the 15th of
July, and the steam, heat was turned
■jV
on and with the sun beating down
on the glass window of a room
feet wide and 6 1-2 feet Ion*?
with not a drop of water to drink
even tho I had been given a pint
oi hot salts to drink and with an
open slop bucket in the hot room.
The torture was beyond descrip
tion! My scalp is bald in spots
where the hair fell out and a part
of what did not fall out is white:
when I went into that place— I
cannot call it a hospital— I had
not a white hair in my head and
I am past 00 years of age. I had
never taken a dose of medicine
in my life till I had landed there,
then I was forced to take salts
and pills. Mrs. Merchant confiscated
my syringe for cleansing my bow
els. When she wants to be nasty
and has no cause to abuse any one
she goes around with a pitcher of
salts. I have spoken of the women’s
ward only because I know the
facts there.
I would not advocate an asylum
in Alaska for had I not been able
to pass over the heads of Alaska
officials I would have spent my
last days in a mad house; but if
there is any way to pull off Drs. Coe
and Lucky out of the management,
with all of their corps of assistants,
both male and female, it should be
done.
If I can be of any further
assistance, call me. I am only too
pleased to know that you are
looking into conditions. May our
heavenly Father guide and direct
you.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs. M. B. Allen.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,
TERRITORY OF ALASKA,
SS
I, William L. Paul, Notary Pub
lic for the Territory of Alaska, re
siding at Ketchikan, Alaska, do
hereby certify that on this 4th
day of November, 1925. personally
appeared before me Mrs. M. B.
Allen, to me known to be the
individual who executed the within
slimed and sealed the r*ame her