The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1877-06-03
SUNDAY At SPOTTED TAIL AGENCY.
The Sioux Church and Sabbath School
Wy ~ Points of Interest. ,

dL SpOlISu 1aU agency, NcpIdoha, anu
enjoyed to the utmost the novel and in
teresting scenes and doings OF the day.
They have Il church at that Agency,
built especially for the benefit of the
Indians, and the Episcopal society has
established q mission there, which has
now been in operation about two years,
with encouraging results. Rev. W. j..
Cleveland is in charge Of the mission,
and Is efficiently assisted by Sisters Pen
dleton and Lee, as well as by his esti-
mable wife, a Christian lady of noble
attachments and generous impulses.
All labor earnestly and increasingly to
improve the mental and physical condi-
ton of the untutored red man, "
faltering, though often experiencing
most discouraging trials.
The shrill clang Of the church bell at
1890 II. m, called together a curiously
mixed congregation for the English
service. There were soldiers from
Camp Sheridan, teimsters, clerks and
other employees from the stores and
Agency, two or three uniformed Off
GERS with their wives, white ''squaw
men, several half-breed women, and a
few children Of mixed blood. The cosy
little brown church, the interior of
which, done in plain pine, with no
fixtures, but beautifully ornamented
with evergreens, either woven into ap-
propriate notices or formed into cross
es and festoons of fanciful design, the
walls covered with tastefully-lettered
cards bearing various quotations from
the scriptures, in both the English and
Dakota dialects, with the patent hard
wood seats, presented q very beautiful
appearance. \ wild canary CHANGED to
stray inside, and fitted about among
the evergreens throughout the entire
service. giving the scene a somewhat
wilder aspect. TO this motley assem-
blage the rich, full and clear tones of
the rector's voice rang out, speaking
holy truths in plain. yet brilliant and
impassioned words. lie reminded one
of Goldsmith's description of the pas
tor in 1.-The Deserted Village:''
At church. with meek and unaffected grace,
His looks adorned the venerable place.
Truth from his lips prevailed with double
sway,
And fools. who came to laugh. remained to
pray
At the close of the service two
squaws. married to white men, came
forward with babes in their arms, and
the right Of baptism was administered
them.
At . p. IN, the bell called together
about sixty children, nearly all of mixed
blood, and half a dozen young women,
among them Il beautiful half-breed, the
daughter of Mai. Sully, Of frontier
fame, by his Sioux wife, who is now
welded to = half-breed at Spotted Tail.
The rector opened the school with
prayer and song, and the sisters began
the exercises by having the copper-col-
ored scholars repeat the Ten Command
ments in both English and Dakota,
which was very well done. Other les
sons were repeated, and the rector
closed the school with singing and
prayer.
Mr.. Cleveland informed the repre-
sentative of TIE LEADER that this
Sabbath school was established two
years ago in the mission chapel, and
that the number OF scholars has stead
lily increased ever since. The sisters
have charge of this work, under his
advice and guidance, and feel much en-
couraged.
At G:30 p. M, another summons from
the bell called together about one hun
dred people, mostly adult %half-breeds
of both sexes, with q sp~rinlling Of curl
Gus soldiers and other white men. The
service was entirely in the Dakota Ian
guage, for which printed Aymnals and
service books are provided. After the
service four squaws, one male half
breed and Il white man were baptized,
the rite being administered in Dakota,
and after song and prayer the DoXology
was sung in Dakota, nearly the entire
congregation joining in, and the meet
ing was dismissed.
The writer left the next morning too
early to allow of his attending the
opening of the day school, but not until
he had cleaned from Mr.. Cleveland full
information in regard to the expert
ments made in the education of the
Indians at Spotted Tail, as well as in
teresting points concerning the red
man, which Will be given in future arti-
cles. The day school had upon its rolls
in February last 1913 names, the largest
attendance having been 15j, and the
average attendance about 100. The
attendance is larger in winter than in
summer, for the reason that education
not being compulsory the youthful
Sioux attends in winter because there
is always a good fire to sit by, but in
sumner he can roam at will in perfect
comfort and will not bp confined in n