THE NATIVE HOSPITAL
Recently Earle Jamison, the news ed
tor of the Juneau Daily Dispatch,
printed in his paper a well-deserved
tribute to the native hospital at Ju
neau. There was but one thing omitted
that might have been said. The coming
of W. G. Beattie as superintendent of
all the Indian work in Southeastern
Alaska has had its etfect at the hospi
tal as -well as on the activities of the
bureau in this part of Alaska. Be
yond question Mr. Beattie has been the
ablest superintendent the bureau has
ev r had here.
Mr. Jamison’s story is as follows:
The United States government hospi
tal, the only institution of its kind in
Alaska, has extended its merciful aid
to Southeastern Alaska natives for
nearly thirteen months.
On November 8, 1910, a month after
the bureau of education in Washing
ton had lent its ears to a crying need
and had authorized the establishment
of the hospital, the institution was giv
en birth. The late Dr. C. H. Slightam
had been named as physician in charge;
the building had been fitted up for
yeoman service; a staff of nurses had
been engaged and from the first month
following the throwing open of the
doors to the Indian patients a lessen
ing of the Indian death rate in this
section of Alaska was noted. And the
work did not stop. As the fame of the
“white doctors” spread to the many
outlying villages, the natives came for
treatment. The hospital was a fixture.
Following the death of Dr. Slightam
in February, many in Juneau said the
hospital would be abandoned; with
such a champion gone they reasoned,
a hitherto well regulated native hospi
tal would be thrown in utter chaos
while the government was making a
new appointment to the superintenden
cy.
Dr. P. J. Malione was given a tem
porary appointment to the position on
February 3rd, 1911. On July 1 he was
officially appointed to succeed his pre
decessor.
A great many people in Southeast
ern Alaska are in ignorance as to the
good work which has been done since
the hospital first commenced. Many
are totally unaware that natives are
given the best of medical treatment
for which they pay but a trifle. Con
sultation, medicine, care; everything
is free with the exception of board.
For daily subsistence patients whose
ills necessitate confinement are charg
ed fifty cents for board. One of the
obstacles which the hospital has en
countered is a belief among the natives
that the government “makes” some
thing out of the fifty-per-day board
rate. This is a false impression for
in the course of time their gratitude
bump will have been developed so that
such a fancy will be discarded.
At the present time Miss Jean B.
Rankin, an experienced nurse and an
untiring worker, is assisting Dr. Ma
hone in managing the hospital. Mis»
Angelica Babbitt, who has been dis
pensing medica J aid at Killisnoo and
Angoon, will be added to the hospital
staff within the following week, taking
the place of Mrs. Rebecca Young, re
cently resigned.
At the present time there are seven
patients occupying as many rooms in
the hospital. Since the hospital was
opened nearly 500 patients have appli
ed for treatment. Of that number 88
were given rooms and many underwent
major operations. The majority of the
applicants, however, were treated for
ailments without confinement.
This clinical mode of dispensing re
lief to the sick without causing the
patient loss of time has proven a boon
to the Indians.
Since a year’s report of the hospi
tal ’s work is available, the statistics
show that on an average for the twelve
months, ten patients called daily for
consultation. During the summer
months there were very few sick na
tives and the average was consequent
ly lessened; in the winter there were
considerably more than ten a day who
are forced to seek the invaluable as
sistance meted out by Dr. Mahone and
his staff.
'Considerable improvements have late
ly been made on the building, both ex
terior and interior. Paint, paper and
plumbing have greatly helped the
environment of the institution. Eight
new hospital beds have been added;
the rooms have been retinted; sanitary
conditions have been looked after,
rugs have been laid in the first-floor
rooms, the nurses’ quarters have been
refitted and the entire hospital is now
an extremity of cleanliness. A new
bath room has been provided, linole
um has been placed in the spotless op
erating room, in short the renovatory
work has permeated every nook and
cranny of the hospital.
The hospital is open to inspection by
the public. This hospital deserves the
commendation of all Alaskans and the
best way to form an opinion is by a
personal tour. “Seeing is believing.’’
A REFRESHING STATEMENT
Professor Georgeson, may his name
be blest, declares upon his reputation
as an agriculturalist that the possibil
ities of Alaska as an agriculturl coun
try are unlimited. The soil is the most
prolific in the world, while he sees the
fertile vallelys o fthe land supporting
a population in the future— and never
a single word about the Guggenheims
trying to gobble it all.
This is about the most refreshing
thing about the learned agriculturalist’s
remarks, and we would be willing to
avow it would be the most refreshing
thing we have come across in a long
while. Consider it a moment, untold
wealth possibilities like Dr. Johnson’s
brewery, beyond the dreams of avarice,
and not a single conservationist in the
bunch proposes that the agricultural
lands of Alaska be withdrawn from en
try and opened up to lease holders
only.
We can hardly credit that there are
uplifters who realize that this immense
resource is lying at hand for the man
who wants it, and never a financial
magnate so far has seized it.
There must in truth be something
wrong somewhere. Notice whenever
we take hold of a paper concerning thp<
outside states and the immense possi
bilities of the land in Arizona, say, or
Florida, and Oregon, and notice we, too,
that these same lands are all corralled
by syndicates.
We remark no unusual squabbling
over Alaskan farm lands, no scandals,
no congressional inquiries, no political
knight errantry in the language of the
poets, no nothing. Seems to us then
that there is something wrong; perad
venture the professor painted the possi
bilities in too roseate colors, perad
venture likewise he added a little color
to the gilding of the refined gold of
these possibilities, and gave an extra
touch of color to the lily of prosperity
that surely awaits the Alaskan farmer.
We do not cal lin question the facts
as stated by Professor Georgeson, with
that we are in perfect accord; but what
does puzzle us is how any such things
as even agricultural resources can pos
sibly be exploited without the aid of a
syndicate or moneyed men. We have
been crying out for capital, and more
capital, we have been whining because
the Spirit City ignored or knocked Al
aska, simply satisfied that Alaska
could not progress without the good will
and assistance of outside help.
No doubth at all that Georgeson
knows what he is s peaking about,
but how will Alask support three mil
lion souls on its farm lands if no grac
ious syndicate gets a corner on ’em
first?
Somebody or something seems to be
overlooking a bet, and we would be
well advised not to pursue the matter
too deeply, lest another scandal is un
earthed. Give everyone concerned
some time, and the up-lifters and the
syndicates will be flying at one anoth
er’s throats over the relative agricul
tural values, that are being corralled.
The Professor opens up the way for aH
kinds of rag-chewing.—Nome Indus
trial Worker.
“Eight days to the States” is the
slogan of the Fairbanks Times. “Fix
Fairbanks First” retorts the News
Miner. “Fairbanks, Alaska’s Golden
Heart,” chips in the Citizen, “Ruby
and Bust” is a suggested motto for the
new camp.—Douglas Island News.
James Gordon Darling Frank Tascher
Chester George and -George Bach were
passengers for the Sound on the Hum
boldt last night.
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