Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1883-07-05
INDIAN EDUCATION,
A visit to the Industrial school at
Carlisle.


Carlisle.
Furnished by the Ladies' Indian Association.
After Congress adjourned, a large party
of senators and distinguished people
went to Carlisle, on special train
offered by the managers OF the P-nnsyl'
vanis railroad, for the purpose vi aoeing
the Indian school. Miss Robertson, who
las been a teacher at Carlisle and among
tile Crock Indians for several years, and
hiss Fletcher, who has bsen among the
northern Indians IA student OF
anthology from the Peabody museum,
were among the number. Captain Pratt
OF the Tenth Cavalry Is iu charge of the
school. lie took us first into the dining
room. glanced down the long lines,
80 indian heads. The expression OF
their faces was not heavy, hnt bright ard
VARYING. Both boys and Eiris looked At
ns with an entelligent intrfsst, PA ii they
understood that they were the nations
wards, aud were pleased tn have us
sufficiently Interested to com" aud ser
them A most suhstsutihl lunch Wa
given us, cooked and served Ivy the
Indian girla who were cordially attentive.
Then We went to the class rnnna, They
study sll the branches taught IN AZ
ordinary school, geography, aritlmrtic,
&u. Ia drawing aud writing they are
astonishipgly proli3isnt. That il thsir
hereditary rights, An Indian has moth
| lug but his hands to depend upon In the
struggle OF life. lis Is not agricultural
| Originally ne had no animals to held
| him, 40 that y delft Use OF the hands
| become race characteristic. saw this
again III the workshops. hight different
trades are taught, tailoring, shosmaktng,
carpentry, wagon making, harness MAX
ing aud tho like, and il these the boys
| displayed the same cl"verneas with the
| hands and the initiative facility in way
that convinced one That there WAS some
| thing in heredity. The girls show the
same qualities in their work III the
lsundry, in running sewing machines
aud in hand sewing.
"Ths tawny pegsns, ~ Cotton Ma,her
called them, gre learn ug IL 40 good
work." said TO Captain Pratt, "but how
is it when you send these, clothed aud
civililah and enlis htbued back 70 theti
wigwams aud the smoke and filth they
came from Do they not sink back and
become the mere blanketei Indian again
gotgipg himself on raw meat, and lazy
beyond all expression 7"
"That might have been the CAGE once,
said the captain, "but times have changed
within 10 years. The Indians are bemmeC
in on all sides with an aggressive whit,
population they eau not be as isolated
as they once were, and great pressure
is brought upon them in favor of civillza
ton. Our returned pupils becoin
mediums between their people and thei
surroundings. admit that few year
ago II would have been cruelty to sen,
back girls az refined as these becom
here, aud they would have died in de
\ SPAR or run away to us again. But nov
; every pupil tells as civllizing factor
and the more OF them we have the better
| think Captain Pratt convinced til
| whole party that a well-directed indus
trial education for Indians can he SUE
cess, and tbs subject has awakened niue
t interest in Washington, even amOn
those who are called society womeI
There We're some In this party, and the
= were all Interested, even among tn
hcrsesh0es and tim pals Of the shu
: | where the boys worked. X L.