New-York tribune., 1880-06-17

YARDS or THE NATION,
RECEPTION TO TWENTY-FIVE INDIAN STUDENTS
FROM THE HAMPTON INsTITCTE-THE INDIAN

RECEPTION TO TWENTY-FIVE INDIAN STUDENTS
FROM THE HAMPTON INsTITCTE-THE INDIAN
COMMISSIONERS.
A reception was given yesterday at Association
Hall to party of Indians consisting of seventeen
boys and eight girls, varying in age from eight to
sixteen years. who arc students at the Hampton
(Va1 Institute They arrived in the city Tuesday
evening on their way TO Berkshire County. Mass.
where they are to spend the Summer. Previous to
the reception they visited Central Park and later
in the day they escorted through the Post
office and other buildings. Their general conduct
was that of quiet, Intelligent, and refined yonng
men and women; public attention was attracted To-
them only by their well defined Indian features.
The party comprises representatives of the Sioux.
Mandan, Gros Nentrcs, ArckaIcc, and Cheyenne
tribes.
At the reception there were present General Mar
shall rcamrcr of the Hampton inSttnlc, and j. &;
Miss Harding, teachers in the school. General
Clinton B. Fisk presided, and introduced General
Marshall and Mr.. Robbins, who Ilnde addresses re-
garling the origin and progress of educational work
among the Indians. The first attempt to instruct
them was made among prisoners Of war at st.
Augustine F1a and it met with such success that
the prsoner-studcnts on being released, were for
warlcd to Hampton Institute. where the enterprise
has since been conducted. There are now sixty
eight Indians at Hampton. They are excellent
students, and live tremendously with the $3.50
negro scholars A portion Of their time is spent in
working at various trades, at which they soon he
come proficient. Increased accommodations at
the Institute now desired, and Il lady has given
Il piece of land as a site for new building, which
il is proposed to erect at cost of Sl5,O00. The
committee appointed by Governor Long, of MaS,;l-
chusetts to look into the 'Onc1 Indian case has the
enterprise in charge, and will cndcavOr to secure
funds for the work. Secretary SchurZ has written
letter approving the scheme. and promising as soon
as the new building is erected to send fifty Indian
children there 10 he educated and contribute from
the funds of the Interior Department $50 year
for the support of each pupil.
After the addresses the Indian visitors sang the
HYMN Nearer, my God, to Thee" in their natlvc
tongue They also gave illustrations of the sign
language, by which Indians of different tribes con-
verse. Other addresses, c0nmcndatOTy of the
work of Indian education as the only satisfactory
solution of the Indian question. were delivered by
the Rev. DIR. j. NJ. King of this city; the Rev. Mr..
Bradford of Montclar, y. j., who was born on an
Indian reservation. and Mr.. Smiley, the Quaker
member of the Board of Indian Commissioners.
The session of the Indian Commissioners was con-
tinucd yesterday morning at the Metropolitan
Hotel. commissioners Kingsley and Tuttle ten
dered their designations. These were accepted by
the Board with very general expressions Of regret
Mr.. Kingsley had been member of the Board for
nearly sixlycars, ana Mr.. Eruttle for a year and
halt. William IL. Lyon said yesterday to
TRlDUNE reporter that, although he knew fthat
both Of these gentlemen had been talking of re-
signing for some timc their doing so at the present
timo was a great surprise to him. Mr.. Kingsley had
been the chairman of the Purchasing Committee
for several years, and had been of the most
scicntiOus workers on the Board. Mr.. Lyon
made chairman of the Purchasing Committee. to fill
the vacancy made by Mr. Kingscy's resignation.