The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1884-03-07
Carlisle Indian School.

Lately there arrived at the Indian
Training School at Carlisle fifty-eight
boys and eleven girls, representations
of the Yumas, the Pueblos, the Chiri-
cahuas and the Apache tribes of Ari-
zona Territory.
"Poor, tired, half-clad boys and girls
they were, wrapped in their blankets,
wearing their dear.skn moccasins and
leggings, their long, glossy hair hang
ing wildly around their shoulders and
falling over their eyes the very pic
ture OF oriental grace and Incidence. As
they lounged around, resting after the
fatigue and long confinement of their
journey, the teachers admired their
costumes, and, going from one to the
other, shook hands with them and as
sured them of kindly feeling, examin-
ing-to their apparent delight-the
various curious articles that 90 to
make up the attire of the blanket In
dian.
Each newcomer is known in the
school not by name, but by number
which is engraved on little tin me-
dallion and hangs at the wearer's
side.
The general amusement may be
imagined-only equalled by the hearty
laugh Of the Indian--when Captain
Pratt, desiring to show the boys num-
ber, suddenly pulled out from the deep
mysteries of his loose sash-like belt a
clear, bright little hand looking glass,
the inseparable companion Of the typi-
cal young buck.
Some of the party had been carried
off to undergo the initiation to the first
steps toward civilized existence, and
had already emerged from the trying
ordeal, shaven and clean and well
clothed. But for a certain shyness of
manner and little awkwardness of
gait, occasioned by uncivilized boots
| and heels, they were hardly to be recog-
nized from the well-trained, blue-uni-
formed cadet of several years.
| Accompanying these embryo pupils
were three chiefs and an indian scout,
Antonio, San Carlos Apache chief of
a band of $50 warriers Chaquito Hay,
a Tonto Apache, and a chief of the
band to which Wot, the scout, belong
ed and Us-k-do-dil gas, a Chiricahua
chief, whose band is composed of wild
Indians. They were all in charge of
their escort, an officer of the United
States Army stationed on the San Car
los Agency.
These old Indians wore the tradition
al dress of their race, and beamed forth
with great briliancy, wrapped in sheets
of the color of the gorgeous sunhower,
the effect heightened, if possible, by
the pronounced contrast of a deep,
warm red handkerchief twisted, turban-
wise, around their heads. The scout
seemed to consider himself quite pro.
gressive Indian, and was not little
proud of his sergeant's uniform, and
drew on and off his gauntlets with the
ease and nonchalance of the most fasti
dious cavalry officer.
Although amid new surroundings
and scarce recovered from the delights
and bewilderments of a journey, during
which many of the Indians saw a train
of cars and locomotive for the first
time-the chiefs took deep interest
! in all the appointments of the school
and expressed themselves much pleased
, with everything they saw
! They, too, were thinly clad, and, un
accustomed to the snow that covered
the ground, felt the cold intensely, &C
, cepting gratefully the warm suits o
, clothing that Captain Pratt kindly pro
vided for them
/. AT tea-time, Saturday evening, tn
new delegation joined the older schol
: ars and marched with them to the din
q ing hall, and on Sunday, seated at tn
:; dinner-table, the new boys used thei
. knives and forks like their more clvi
= lized neighbors.
= AT chapel on Saturday evening an,
}. at all the services on the day follow
y ling, each boy and girl preserved tn
s most respectful silence, although tn
singing, the prayers and the plair
earnest address were unintelligible t
them. But under this quiet demeano
not one gesture escaped their observan
= and well-trained eyes.
. Going out of the chapel the chief
:, examined the register in the aisle, an
= pleased like a child with a new to
', cried, "Heaps warm heaps good
g smoke no smoke!' 1t is this desire t
= know where the smoke goes that wi
be the salvation of the red men.
. Among the Apache boys is son {
. the celebrated chief Soco, good ol
g brave, who was forced by his Indiar
i to join them on the war-path again
u his own wishes and his better judgmen
Another is the son of Vonito, an
> still another of the renegade Tom
a Apache chief, Del Chey, who, with h
followers, was the scourage and ii
g terror of the white settlers of Arizon
'e and for whose head the citizens offer(
$1,000. He was then murdered by {
% Apache, who brought his victim
u head into camp and received the I
ward
A These boys and girls have come vC
unfairly to Carlisle. The time h
it come when the Indian can be no 10
g ger an Indian The old hunting groun
" are gone, and he is forced upon o
a civilization, He will tell you he kno,
= why you are better and can do mo
e. than he it is because you have be-
taught, you did not know it yourselv,
e. but you had some one to teach yC
e. And now they came to ask, yes, th
or demand to be taught
m There are scholars in the CARL,
school who in October, 1888, lived
their tepees. In November they cal
all to Carlisle, and of one the teacher sal
IS "She has not spoken word of Indi
a for two weeks"
~ The most scrupulous care and ne
ed ness is displayed in their dress, a
'e- upon inspection on Sunday morni
er the dormitories, the pupils appearal
ut and their department convinces one
the unquestioned excellence of
"a methods adopted and followed out
tn this school,
it, The boys learn variety of traC
and the girls sew, iron and learn to
he useful and helpful in all the duties
Mt, the household.