Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-07-03
Education Among the Chickasaws.

The educational system OF the Chicka-
saws is maintained by the interest on
trust funds in the hands of the United
States. Hon. Geo. w. Harkins, OF
Tishomineo. is the National Superin-
tendent Of Schools. There are in addi-
ton to nine common public schools the
following institutions within the Ma
ton: The Orphans Home at Lebanon,
having thirty boys and thirty girls
under instruction regularly every year !;
the Wahpanucka Academy, with forty
five bows and girls at the last date
about evenly, divided as to sex; the
Bloomfield Female Academy, having
forty-five inmates, and the Chickasaw
Male Academy, near T1shomingo, with
sixty students. The Nation owns the
buildings Of these Iast-named four in
stitutions, and contracts with parties
to have the pupils supplied with board,
3 bedding, tuition. books, medicine and
everything necessary to school life ex-
cept clothing. AT the Orphans Home
the contractor supplies the clothing
also, and the pupils are wholly sup
ported by the Nation. The contrac-
tors are; Chickasaw, Male Academy,
Judge B. W. Carter; Bloomfield Fe-
male Academy, ROBERT l.. Boyd; Wah-
panu ska Academy, Mrs. Susan ID.
H burke, and at the Orphans Home,
| George d. James. The supply OF
school material proper. such as
1 books, apparatus, furniture, etc., is
left mainly to the discreet on of the
contractor. The contractor at the Fe.
1 male Academy, for instance, is allowed
$3.50 per month per pupil, or $9, 500 an
nuxlqy for the full number of sixty pu'
pills. The number is limited by law,
but Is const uctively always full. Many
more pupils apply than can be admit.
| ted, and vacancies from sickness Of
death are speedily filed. The Chicka
saws owe it to themselves to change
their whole educational system; estah
lish many more common free schools
| compel parents to clothe their schod
children respectfully, or do it at the .e1
| pense of the Nation; make sending {
school compulsory, especially in Il
| case of girls; abandon all pretense
| giving an academic or collegiate educ
ton at public expense, and concentra
i all their efforts upon common <schd
studies and, manual labor trainilY
School book studies for both sexes ,shonl'
embrace spelling. : reading. writing
arithmetic, geography and. where prac
ticable, English grammar and analysis
but nothing more, the remainder 9
their time should be spent by the boy
4 in learning to work on the farm. i
wood leather, iron, tin, etc.; and tn
girls should be taught cooking and ger
i eral housework. ssOnly this and moth
ing more. excepting such moral an
religious instruction as should be give
to the young in all walks of life will
| out regard to sex, color or race. TIL
is all which will now benefit the ave
age Chickasaw boy or girl, and IS a
for which the Nation should assun
any responsibility 'l.a 't..lAAffa s.s1
The Academy buildings are not ke]
in good repair and never will be- und
4 the present plan of supporting Il
I schools. The Male Academy near lis
omingo is very large and imposir
edifice as one approaches it, peasant
situated and surrounded by forest tree
bur is old, dilapidated and shabby to
degree that is wholly inexcusable.
was built long before the war, dui
: forty years ago, and was hrst conddt
ed as tirst-class 0manual trAinil
3 school. The rebellion ended allinstru
8 zion there till 1872. Very little has ev
2 been expended in repairs, and . poi
q Il now reached where a heavy outlay
q reauired to make and keep the builds
& habitable. asf.
" The Chickasaws have no written Ia
y ruace of their own but have adopt
fbaf al the Choctaws. which uses I
Roman alphabet. The Old Testame