The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-11-06
Fifty Young Indians on Their Way
to School.

Fifty red men. or, to be exact, fifty
red boys and girls, collected from the
various Indian agencies on the upper
Missouri river, in charge of Lieut. r.
II. Pratt, of the 10th United States
cavalry, arrived in the city from the
west on yesterday afternoon, and left
for the east in the evening. They came
by the Illinois Central from Sioux City,
and departed by the Baltimore and
Ohio. They are going to Hampton,
Va. to be educated. 1t is the intention
to teach them the English language, to
instruct them in agriculture, to train
them in the mechanic arts, and to pre-
pare them generally for gaining for
themselves an Independent livelihood.
There are ten young squaws in the party.
Six or seven of these are frowsy and
filthy looking, with homely features.
One girl is decidedly pretty. Another
would be passably good looking if the
fat that clings to her bones was more
judiciously distributed. These squaws
were selected with reference to age, in
tell gence, aud chastity, though it was
charged by some persons at the agencies
that one Of the girls, in her ambition
to secure an English education, has al
ready acquired considerable carnal
knowledge. The boys are small of
stature, and with the usual copperish
complexion. Both boys and girls range
in age from IA to 90 years. In tribal
nomenclature they represent the Man
dams, Gros Ventres, Arickarees and
Sioux. A majority are of Sioux par
entage. A few are halfbreeds, or, as
they used to say on the line of the Union
Pacific, half Injun and half ingineer.
They were selected from among the
Indians at the six principal agencies on
the Missouri, viz: Berthold, Standing
Rock, Cheyenne river, Grow creek,
Lower Brule, and Yankton. About one
half the party have attended the denom-
national schools at the agencies, brit
with no regularity. A few can read
and write in the Dakota, or Sioux.
language. but only one out of the fifty
can talk English, and he speaks i: more
distinctly than the republican candi-
date for sheriff in this county. BY the
aid of three years course of instruc-
ton at Hampton they hope to be able
to converse in English.
Most of these Indians were outftted
by their agents aud teachers with new
names as we'll as new clothes before
starting east. A few, however, retain
their original patronymirs, of which
the fol- owing are samples: Tiscahfuh
Laughing Face, Ecorupt ta-ha MAN
that Looks Around, Ko4unah Sioux
Boy Pa Mani Zone who Hoots while
He Walks, and Zie-Wie Yellow
Hand. Zie-Wie is the pretty girl re-
ferred to above. One of the boys is
son of Lit, e-No- Heart, once fam
Gus warrior of the Sioux nation, who,
as principal chief at the Chey enne river
agency, has won distinction as II peace
maker during the past five years.
These aspiring youth from the front
Ter have experienced a feeling of be-
wilderment and amaz ament ever since
they took to the rail at Sioux city.
Their heads lave been continually
thrust out of the car windows. Last
evening they were marched through
State street, and the sights there wit
messed nearly coaXed their eyes out O
their sockets. They became so inter-
ested that it was with difficulty that
they were prevailed upon to return to
the train. Lieut.. Pratt, desiring to
indulge in the luxury of Turkish
bath, took one of the most intelligent
of the boys with him. The young buck
experienced a degree of rapture from
the rubbing that was quite amusing.
lie fairly screamed with ecstacy, and
wanted permission to remain there all
night. On the car, before starting
westward, aquartet of ads sang hymn
in their native tongue. and, judged
from an artistic standpoint, the melody
far surpassed that which may be heard
in any average American Sunday school
this morning.
The experiment OF sending these
bucks and squaws to an eastern school
originated with Secretary Schurz and
Indian Commissioner Hayt. Their idea
is to educate them and afterwards use
them as mediums Of communication
between the government authorities
and the tribal bands.-Chicaqo Tribune.