Wichita eagle., 1886-10-20
9ai1yR eagle
INDIANS AT SCHOOL.
TIE NURSERY OF ABORIGINAL 81 Ips
AT LAWRENCE, KAN.

AT LAWRENCE, KAN.
How the Young Indians Look, Live, Study
and Worl-Their Peculiarities and
Progress-Breaking Down Tribal Clan
nishness-A Marked Difference.
The Haskell institute cares for nearly 400
pupils, about one-third of whom are girls.
There is very considerable group Of build
ings forming the institute, which consists of
large and capacious structures for the school
rooms, dormitories and living purposes of the
pupils, and additional buildings which are
used for shops storehouses of various kinds,
and which constitute little settlement.
There is also large farm attached, on WHICH
the boys are taught farming, gardening and
the like, and which is considered not the least
valuable of the instructive agencies to which
they are subjected.
The institution is under the management Of
n s,,rerintendent and large staff Of teachers
and assistants of various kinds. The number
OF tribes represented in the school is nearly
or quite thirty, and includes the names Of
many of the most famous fighting bodies, as
well rs of Others not SO well known in history
"Do you have any difficulty arising from
the tribal distinctions!' was asked Of the
superintendent.
There has been a good deal, as under
stand, under prior nanagements, but have
substantially oblterated it under. the system
which / have adopted. There is an intense
clannishness among the boys on their arrival,
and in fact their tribal affections are never
obliterated; and yet it is at least kept well
in the background during their stay in tho
institute"
BREAKING DOWN CLAS.7IsHNEss.
allow do you bring this about:'
Il arrange them into companies, selecting
them with reference to size, putting the tall
est bows on The right, which, of course, pre-
vents anything like tribal association. They
are also mixed at the tables, and the COM
panies are roomed together in the various
dorrritories, and thus, by these and other
means, the tribal relations are weakened by
disuse, il not wholly obliterated."
"Do you iiad any intellectual difference in
the various tI'ibes-that is, are come OF the
children of certain tribes brighter, quicker
TO learn, more or less docile than others!'
"There is not much difference in that dircc-
ton; the children of one clan are about the
Same in intellectual qualities as the re-
maindcr. do lnd an inequality il enc re-
spect, and that is that | think | find more
tractability and ambition among those pos
sessed of warrior blood. had much rather
teach the children of blanket Indians than
those of the more civilized As to the chill
dren here, while there are tweilty-nine tribes
in all represented, there arc more Chcyennes
and Arapahses than all others combined"
In reference to the control of the boys, the
oil hot he hoc n,
pealing to their manly sentiments. 1t is
enough TO say to en- erring boy: "A brave man
would not do that. The son Of warrior
would not DO this When one of them gives
his word on anything or shakes LANDS on it,
no regards his pledge as inviolable, and never
"coes back or t." in the words Of the SUPER
intendent.
A trip through the shops reveals the boys
engaged in various occupations. In the rooms
devoted to shocmakinc, there were four or
five young men of from IS to 20 years Of ago
engaged in repairing foot furniture. Some
specimens of their work were shown, and
while they were not just what would be pro-
tluccd by n cosmopolitan artist, they were at
least creditable TO the locality and the oper-
ators They handed out their work for in
spc-tion and seemed sheepishly pleased at
the cnInmendation which their labors
elected
There were several young fellows at work
in the carpenter shop who showed the plane
and handled the mallet and chisel with as
much carnestness as il they were white men.
The exhibit in the blacksmith shop was as
creditaIle rs that of the other work places;
and, in short. i'll all tho mechanical depart
ments the boys seemed as much at home rs il
they were Injured to the business by genera
tons OF training.
A POINT OF DIFFERENCE.
There was however, point of difference
between these young men and the same num-
Der Of white boys. There is in the face of the
Thoroughbred mechanic an expression which
seems to be in entire harmony with his occu-
patton. There YVES a lack of this in the faces
of the Young Indians. They were at tho
bench and forge, and yet from their counte-
nances they seemed to be far away. They
worked. as il were, mechanically. perfume
torily. They seemed ono thing, and their
surroundings something else. They were Ike
an inharmonious clement III the sscne; rs II
two quite unlike things had been thrown to-
gether Their expression was solemn, stern
and unyielding During the entire visit OF
inspection there was scarcely such thing as
n smile 60 BE seen on the faces of the boy or
girl. rms - l4tb W 'A1N~ NA
happiness over their situation, but rather TO
the peculiaritics Of their race.
Each Young Indian who was ut work suS-
f-ested soma wild animal tanned sufficiently TO
perform demcst c service; something iikc
wolf broken 10 harness, doing the Work wei,
but vet very much out Of place with bat,
traces ana cellar.
That the boys retain isuch OF the Old war
rior heaven is constantly shown. they evlnce
it in their rond.,esS for military trapplngs ana
parsdes. They are excessively fond OF Asteh-
inc 10 narrations Of heroic deeds. Talk tc
us they viii often say to the superintendent,
.of the warriors Of EuropeT They listen TO
battle accounts and incidents in the lives OF
great soldiers with an interest intense beyond
description. With such sentiments pervad-
inc their natures. it il not likely that they
will make frst-class. plodding mechanics.
They may not knew why they 30 not love
the occupations to which civilization has as
sirrel them: in fact, they may fancy that
,hev do like their civilized trades, but beyond
ourst;on there is somothing in these iabors
that is at war with their instincts. \ genera
,;on or two later may afford a difference, and
they NAV take kindly then TO what they now
a,,,ly themselves IS duty or task.-Cor.
Chicago Times.
New Japanese Loan.
The japanese government has issued q