Dances were regulated and a fixed time was allowed. As it was, dances were sometimes very late and school children were tardy; therefore the council ordered that all school children should not be allowed in such dances later than 9 o'clock in the evenings; and they plan not to allow them at all the coming school year.

The annual village cleaning has been done; each able-bodied male adult has contributed two days' labor or paid $2 to the village fund. The water supply has been kept opened by order of the council all winter by those who were absent at the time of village cleaning last year.

Sanitation.-Care has at all times been exercised in looking after the cleanliness of all the school children who came to school. The children came to school with clean faces, hands, ears, necks, and with the hair combed. The health officers of the School Republic inspected the children at the opening of school every morning, and if a child was found with dirty hands, face, ears, and neck it was sent home to clean up.

The sanitary condition of the village has much improved in every way. Soap was used in washing clothes of all the people. Everything liable to decay was buried and all ponds of water drained. The water supply has been kept in sanitary condition.

Reindeer. I left here November 13 for the herds, to attend to the annual counting and separating the deer, and arrived at the corral on the 14th. Four herds came near the corral the following day, and the herds were kept separate. The counting and separating was done in a week. In the evenings meetings were held, discussing the reindeer matters, and disputes were settled. I came back to the village November 23 and made the reindeer reports.

A full delegation was sent to the Igloo fair from this station, but I could not go with them as my wife was not well at the time. The boys came from the fair with full satisfaction. Mr. Arthur Shields visited us in April and stayed with us nearly a week. While he was here we had a reindeer meeting, discussing the Reindeer Men's Association, which was organized at the fair and the local clubs which are to be organized at each station. On the first part of May the rules and regulations were sent, and on May 10 they were explained to the reindeer men and owners who were invited to the meeting. The election was held at the same meeting for the officers of the local reindeer club. The membership increased at the next meeting, several owners joining the club.

Native support.-Hunting for seals and walrus and fishing are the principal means of support. Seal hunting was successful all through the winter, and about 24 polar bears were killed. One whale was bombed and killed, but on account of a sudden change of wind the ice drifted before they could cut it up and only the fluke was secured. The walrus catch was far shorter than usual and the long-continued stormy weather prevented the spring hunting. Less than 40 walrus were secured. The necessary amount of meat has not been stored away for the winter in the village. The fur trapping was fair, but no complete record of number and income was reported. The reindeer furnished clothing and food; the surplus skins were sold. The sale of deer meat was smaller than usual; 167 white foxes, 60 red foxes, 2 cross foxes, 2 minks, and 10 lynxes sold for $4,630. No report of fur catch was received from one herd. I am sure that the boys in five herds must have earned by trapping alone more than $5,000.

Mission. No missionary has taken charge of the mission work. Fuel and light has been sent in for the church. Seven of the members were elected as the church committee and took charge of the janitor work and selected the leaders for the meetings. Two services were held every week and well attended.

Village improvements.-Last year the Wales Cooperative Store was started with a small stock. Former stores failed because they were not managed right. Many meetings were held in order to explain the main object of starting a store as follows: First, there has always been shortage of flour, sugar, and other articles of food. Second, much time has been lost by going to Teller, Nome, and other places to buy a sack of flour, sugar, or other articles; often from 7 to 10 days of good hunting. The time would have been saved for hunting if such food could be bought from the local store. Third, the store would be a great help for the village as well as to the stockholders by handling furs, sealskins, mukluks, and everything that the store can sell for cash.

The old mission building was repaired at the expense of the store. The building was raised and a new foundation built; new roofing paper put on one side, windows repaired; outside was painted and the signs were printed in front; a partition was put inside and painted. One side was used as a storeroom for the mission. Also a counter and shelves were made. The store has been successful for the first year. We should now have a cold-storage plant. Many improvements of homes would have been made if building materials were obtainable. Some of our young men have earned enough to build better homes, but with the high cost of lumber and freight it is impossible for them to get the materials. Wood is hard to get here at the present time and to get a sled of wood is a day's work, from 6 to 10 miles, which does not last a week for fuel. Often for several days, even for a week, it is too storming to go to get wood.

King Island.-Last February 13 of our men drifted off on the ice and got to land at King Island. Eleven of them walked back from the island and two were left there, who were not feeling well and could not keep up with the others. The 11 men walked about more than 50 miles in a day and night; the ice was rough and the snow was soft and deep all the way. Nearly all the men have families and while they were away some of their families were short of food and were cared for from the school's destitution supplies until they came back.

In about the middle of June 17 men from King Island were drifted here by the storm. They were hunting walrus out from the island, and the fog came before they went back. They missed the island on the way back. There were 6 kyacks and 11 men in an oomiak. They tried to locate the island for two days and nights, and they had to come over to this side on the ice with their kyacks and oomiak. Many of the men visited our schoolhouse during their stay here about two weeks and saw our schoolroom, desks, books, and other things that we used for the education of the children. They strongly wish that a school be established on the island, as their children are growing up uneducated. Several of them came over to the schoolhouse and made many inquiries. They know their people well, and they told me that on King Island there are 34 men, 32 women, and 57 children; total, 123. Out of 57 children about 40 were of school age, 17 under school age, and some of them will be old enough to come to school in a year or two. Two of our men stayed there for nearly four months and reported that the people there have kept the days of the weeks and months right during their stay, also they have held meetings every Sunday. But the only question is about the location of the building. As to the water, they said that there is a stream or spring near by, where they get water which is open until December or January. They said that if a tank or box were set in, it would keep open much longer.

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNITED STATES PUBLIC SCHOOL AT PORT MOLLER, ON THE ALASKA PENINSULA.

By WALTER G. CULVER, Teacher.

This spring sees the close of the second term of school at this station. Reviewing this year's school work we note with satisfaction that the children have made better progress along all lines than in the year previous.

This place is an ideal location for a large native village. The excellent supply of salmon, seal, game birds, caribou, and other native foods, also the large demand for native labor at the canneries during canning season, combine to make this locality a more desirable home for them than the cities of the north, where the influence of the whites is not for their betterment.

The past year's income from labor, fishing, sewing, and trapping amounted to an average of about $275 to a family. One large, new, four-room frame house was built this year. At present all houses are frame and above ground. Both men and women are industrious. All natives with the exception of one blind man and his little adopted girls are self-supporting. While those men trapping near the village did not have large catches, those who trapped up Nelson River did real well, catching as many as 38 or 40 red foxes. A trader, coming from Nome by dog team, paid as high as $20 for their skins. The men are slowly getting clear of debt with the local trader, who, by keeping them under obligations to him, has been forcing them to sell their furs to him at his own price. Since coming to this locality I have constantly advised them to get out of debt in order that they may dispose of their furs to people who will pay them more money. This year I am taking the catches of two men to the Seattle office to be sold. As these natives know I am not returning to this station it shows that I have won their confidence, as the money from the sale will be returned to them through other channels. Another thing I have been trying to interest these people in is a cooperative store, and a third thing is their salting salmon for the market. Last fall a few of the younger men put their money together, and believing that the price of provisions was bound to rise, bought up nearly $100 worth, afterward selling same at a slight raise in price and realizing about $17 profit. This little experiment worked out so well that they are anxious to start a store of their own. They are also anxious to salt salmon for the market. Sanitation and hygiene.-The condition of both village and people is very good. As all houses are frame, they are much drier and more easily kept clean. Although we have had to send children home a number of times because of dirty clothing, their general appearance has been very good. I have made it a point to visit each house often, and as the women do not like to have the teacher sit down in a dirty house, they have made special efforts to keep them clean and neat. They have also been encouraged to visit the school room and teacher's dwelling. Mrs. Culver and I have tried to set them a good example on the care of their houses both inside and out. Last fall a number of holes were dug, and during the winter the garbage was thrown into them. This subject has been taught in the school room and at the village gatherings. I gave each child a toothbrush, and brushing of the teeth was made a part of the daily program. Both young and old thoroughly understand the different ways in which disease is spread. All houses have an opening for ventilation.

Medical aid.-There was not the sickness in this locality that there was last year. Medical attention was given 203 times. An epidemic of itch broke out, but yielded readily to proper treatment. There were three deaths and four births this last year.

Manual training.-The class in manual training was composed of four boys. This class was one of the most important of all. Only practical instruction was given. Each boy was allowed to choose what he wished to make, and after selection was made I saw to it that the tools employed were used in the proper way. The principle employed in the teaching of this class was for each pupil to learn the correct use of the different tools. In this way, when they wish to make any particular thing, they are able to go ahead and do it. Each was taught to solder. Sleds, skiis, boats, kiaks, stoves, box traps, kites, bows, and arrows were made. Two boys made ilttle power boats. This was done by making a toy boat and by taking an old alarm clock and soldering on a shaft and propeller for motor power. Great interest was taken in this class at all times, to the extent that they worked ofttimes on Saturday of their own accord.

Sewing. Forty articles were made in the sewing class, including handkerchiefs, underskirts, with waists, bloomers, towels, work aprons, fancy aprons, holders (for use around the stove), caps for wear in the cooking class, fancy aprons, and a small pieced quilt. Two pairs of yarn mittens were crocheted and one wool cap. Six towels were made for school use. The girls did very well in sewing, considering their ages. They learned to do very nice feather stitching, and this was used much as trimming for the other garments made. They also did darning and patching.

Cooking. Much interest was taken in the cooking class. Bread, biscuits, steamed oatmeal, fried oatmeal, dried fruits, beans, rice, pie, and eggless cake, as well as tea and coffee, were made. The children often get cake and pies in the summer time at the canneries and wanted very much to learn how to make them. In their own homes they use little butter, and no fresh or canned eggs in winter, so recipes were made up that contained no eggs, in order that they might be able to make these things at home. They succeeded very well. books were made containing the recipes they learned to use.

Cook

Reading. Reading has been taught slowly and thoroughly. Eskimo children learn to read very quickly, but a teacher has to be careful or the pupils will not learn the meaning of the words and sentences they study. I have found that by translating English to Eskimo and Eskimo to English is the most effective way of teaching this study.

Arithmetic.—This subject seems to be a stumbling block to the native children for the first year or so, but patience and tact on the teacher's part in order to keep the children from becoming discouraged will eventually overcome the difficulty. Once the fundamentals are grasped, they make good progress. The only advanced pupil finished division and multiplication to 9, also practical problems in addition and subtraction. The toy money sent with our supplies was very helpful and practical in teaching this subject.

Writing, drawing and painting.-These three subjects come naturally easy to the native children. Although their first efforts are very crude, their perseverance in this line of work makes them quite efficient. They are quick to copy anything they see. The work along this line compares favorably with the average white child.

Geography. The Eskimos composing this village have migrated from all parts of the north, and therefore the children are interested in studying and locat ing the different places their parents came from. Much interest is taken in the

World War, and they never tire of studying the different maps of Europe showing the seat of the great conflict. Many excellent maps of Alaska, North America, and Europe have been drawn.

History. Owing to the fact that there was only one advanced pupil, this subject received less attention. The history of Alaska and the United States was taught, and maps of Alaska, North America, and Europe were drawn.

English talking.-The English language only was used in and around the schoolhouse except for explanation purposes. The children all became very efficient; in fact, during the last two months of school I did not know of one word of Eskimo being used except at my request. This result was largely due to a contest I started among the children. In this contest the pupil using the least Eskimo in and around the school was to receive 50 cents; the second least, 25 cents; and the third least, 15 cents. These rewards were given at the end of the term. Each time a child used Eskimo one point was marked against him. It is a strange fact that the pupil who was dullest in her studies received the first prize. It was no uncommon thing to hear the children using English in their playing after school and on Saturdays and Sundays. Although the contest is closed and the rewards given, the spirit of the contest still lives and they are trying to pick up new words which they hear, as well as using the ones they have learned.

School Republic.—Although this was the first year of the School Republic, the rule of the children in the classroom was a success from the beginning. The officers consisted of a president, vice president, secretary, and policeman. The president was also judge, and the policeman, truant officer. The morning opening exercises were presided over by the president. Election of officers was held every month, in order that all might have the experience of holding office. This method of governing the classroom is by far the best of any I have ever known. The making and executing of their own laws taught them the why and wherefore of the democratic form of government. When any of the school laws were broken, the defendant was arrested by the policeman, brought before the judge, witnesses were called, and the case was tried. Punishment for minor offenses was usually standing in the corner. In no case was authority taken advantage of, and all business was attended to with seriousness. In only one case was the ruling of the court disobeyed, and the offending pupil was suspended until such time as she was willing to cooperate with the student body. The pupil truant officer was the solution of the problem of tardiness and delinquency.

Red Cross. As a result of an explanation of the Red Cross work by Supt. Miller, our village paid into the Red Cross fund the sum of $27. Many natives had not returned from their winter trapping grounds, or doubtless the amount would have been much larger. The remark of one native showed the appreciation we have been striving to make them feel; it was: "Government help us. He send school teacher. We want help Government fighting man if he sick." Work with adults.—A special effort has been made to understand the thoughts and ways of these people. Four hundred and thirty-eight visits were made to homes.

After the schooner Eunice brought the Government freight last fall (Oct. 3, 1917), a combined carpenter shop, storehouse, and coal house 20 by 24 feet was built. The carpenter shop was open at all times except Sundays and during the manual training periods to the adults of the village. This opportunity was taken advantage of by all, and much work was done on ivory carving, sleds, stoves, kiaks, etc.