Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-09-08
INDIANS AT SCHOOL
The Nursery of Aboriginal Slips at
Lawrence, Kan.


girls. There is very considerable
group of buildings forming the institute,
which consists of large and capaclous
structures for the school rooms, dorml-
tories 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 a large farm attached, on
which the b US are taught farming, gar
dening and the like, and which Is con-
sidered not the least valuable Of the IN
structive agencies TO which they are
subjected.
The institution is under the manage
ment of superintendent and a large
staff of teachers and assistants OF varl-
Gus kinds. The number of tribes repre-
sented in the school is nearly or quite
thirty. and includes the names of many
of the most famous fighting bodies, as
well as others not so well known In his
tory.
.'Do yon have any difficulty arising
from the tribal distinctions? was asked
of the superintendent.
There has been a good deal, rs /
understand, under prior managements.
but | have substantially obliterated II
under the system which | have adopted.
There is an intense clannishneSS among
the bows on their arrival, and In fact
their tribal affections are never obllter-
ated; and yet it is at least kept well IN
the background during their stay in the
institute
"How do YOU bring this about!n
II arrange them in companies, select
ing them with reference to size, putting
the tallest boys on the right, which, of
course, prevents anything like tribal
association. They are also mixed at the
tables, and the companies are roomed
together in the various dormitorieS, and
thus. by these and other means the
tribal relations are weakened by dlSuse,
II not wholly obliterated.
''Do you find any intellectual differ
,nce in the various tribes-that is, are
tome of the children of certain tribes
brighter, quicker 10 learn, more or less
lOcile than others?H
There is not much difference in that
direction: the children of one clan are
about the same in intellectual qualities
as the remainder. | do find an inequal-
ity in one respect, and that is that
think | find more tractability and am
bitlOn among tlilSe possessed of warrior
blood, i had LIuch rather teach the
children of blani 1 Indians than those
of the more civilized. As TO the chill
dren here, while there are twenty-nine
tribes in all repre- Sented, there are more
Cheyennes and Arapahoes than all 9TH
ers combined
In reference TO the control of the boys,
the manager said that he has great sue
cess in appealing TO their manly senti-
mentS. 1t is enough 10 say TO an erring
boy: "A brave man would not do thatl
The son of a warrior would not do thisl"
When one of them gives his word on
or shakes hands on it, he re-
CARDS his pledge as inviolable, and never
''goes back on it, in the words of the
\ trip through the shops reveals the
boys engaged in various occupations. In
the rooms devoted TO shoemaklng, there
were four or five young men of from 10
TO 20 years of age engaged in repairing
foot furniture. Some specimens of their
work were shown, and while they were
not just what would be produced by a
cosmopolitan artist, they were at least
creditable TO the locality and the oper-
atorS. They handed out their work for
and seemed sheepishly pleased
at the commentator which their labors
elected.
There were several young fellows at
work i'll the carpenter shop who showed
the plane and handled the mallet and
chisel with as much earnestness as if
they were white men. The exhibit in
the blacksmith shop was as creditable
as that of other work places; and, in
short. in all the mechanical departments
the BOYS seemed as much at home as If
they were Injured to the business by gen.
erations of training.
There was, however, point of differ
ence between these young men and the
same number of white boys. There is
in the face of the thoroughbred mechan-
ic an expression which seems to be i'll
entire harmony with his occupation.
There was lack of this in the faces of
the young Indians. They were at the
bench and forge, and yet from their
they seemed to be far
awav. They worked, as il were, me-
chanically, perfunctOrily. They seemed
one thing, and their Surroundings some
thing else. They were like an in
harmonious element in the scene; as if
two quite unlike things had been thrown
together. Their expression was solemn,
stern and unyielding. During the Ell;
tire visit of inspection there was scarcely
such thing as "A smile TO be seen Oh the
faces of the boy or girl. This was not
owing to anything like unhappiness
over their situation, but rather TO the
peculiaritieS of their race.
Each young Indian who was at work
suggested some wild animal tanned suf-
ficiently to perform domestic service:
something like wolf broken to harness,
doing the work well, but yet very much
out of place with bit, traces and collar.
That the boys retain much of the old
warrior leaven is constantly shown
They evince it in their fondness for mill
tary trappings and paradeS. They art
excessively fond of listening TO nara
tions of heroic deeds. Talk to US,
they viii often say to the superinten-
dent. ''of the warrIors of Europe!''
They listen to battle accounts and Incl
dents in the lives of great soldiers with
interest intense beyond description.
With such sentiments prevailing their
natures, it is not likely tnat they will
make first-class, plodding mechanics.
They may not know why they do not
love the occupations to which civilization
has assigned them; in fact, they may
fancy that they do like their civilized
trades, but beyond question there is
something in these labors that is at war
with their instincts. a generation or
two later may afford a difference, and
they may take kindly then TO what they
now apply themselves to as q duty or a
task.