National Republican., 1883-02-13
INDIAN EDUCATION.
letter from n Woman Who Knows
Something About Il.

Letter from Woman Who Knows
Something About IL.
Gen. Logan has received the following let
ter from woman who evidently knows what
she is writing about The letter is writ
ten in clear, bold feminine hand, and un-
like most communications that como to an
editors desk, required no editing"
BozEMAN, MONTANA, Jan. II, 1SS3.-HoN. JoHN A.
LOGAN, Dear Sir 1T IS with profound satisfaction
and deep sense of qualification that take the
liberty of addressing you, to tender my sincere
thanks and the thanks OF my people for your very
able effort in opposing the Indian appropriation
bill, The facts set forth by you concerning schools
and farms are only too true and need no Coloring
aud you might have added, the money appro-
priated year after year for the education of fudi.
ans had better be styled, Appropriation for In.
dian agents and thoir relatives" or else be gwen
to the army who are continually being called
upon to protect these "guardians Of the govern-
ment wards" while they aud "thcir sisters and
their cousins and their aunts," are feathering
their nests while the sun shines. / have been
connected with Indian agencies from childhood
and know whereof speak when say the system
OF fschooling Indian children, as now prnolced, is
larce OF the first water. can recall half dozen
agencies where have been, and whero teachers,
with hity children on the books and five in the
school, are drawing theirpay and scarcely child
can be found who knows word Of English, un-
less 1t is Moody and Sankey's hymns, which seem
to be used for spelling book, reader, arithmetic,
agency III particular, in Washington territory,
that has been under Christian rule for twenty
years, and yet the children sing and pray In Chi
nook iargon, and tho few who speak English do
so mechanically, and have no idea of the dcflni-
tion of a single word. have taught school at
several places and my last effort was at Vancou-
yer barracks. w. T. was given charge OF eigh-
teen Indian children who were as ignorant MS
they possibly could be. i taught them about one
year and Coils Chambers, twenty-flrst infantry,
aud Mason, fourth infantry and other officers of
the army, can testify TO the advancement made by
them, aud why cannot my palolnce sister or
foil Npt1 1 n
gentleman who was employed at my agency rs
teacher, and he had himself blackboard made.
He said he would be better able to teach the al
phabCt in that way. Ithoughtit good idea, but
changed my mind day or two after when saw
these signs on IT, viz: 5, s, c, c. It showed me
the channel his thoughts run In. II has been the
desire OF my life that my people should be edu-
&C., and have labored for yenrs to that end, and
have met with such poor encouragement, have
given IL up The only truo friends the Indians
nave are the army, ana the assistance rendered
me from time to time by the officers of the army
is gratefully remembered.
Referring to farming will not bore you with
my experience on that head. ! will only say
slope, and as for sugar with twenty-five pounds Of
stone to the barrel-my people would be. glad to
get half stone In iaCt, tho only time they get
rations of any kind regularly is when they arc
under the control the War department.
Senator, am sorry TO have troubled you so
much, but | could not resist the temptation to
thank you for it is so seldom any one ut the cap
ital strikes the keynote so forobly.
And now, in conclusion, If you will send me a
copy Of your speech in full, / will Away remain,
Yours gratefully, Mrs l.. H. HOPKINS,
(nec Sarah WinnCmucca).