The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1889-05-23

er visited the school while In session and wa,
The little ones are taught to write and draw
On the back-boards, which surrounded the
rooms, was sample of their writing and draw
ing, and strange to say, everything visible was
pertaining to the Church. No attempt seemed
to be made to teach these Indian children any
thing except some Catholic creed. Rev. Mnot
}. Savage recently put the subject of public
and religious schools in It's true light in tie
following language:
1T is not the business of the public school
| to teach religion What difference does it make
to the State of Massachusetts or to the Amcri-
can Republlc whether my soul j. saved in the
next world or not: 1t is not their affair."
W hat difference does it make to this republic
whether 90 in one direction or another after
die: When reach that point. the republic
has done with me. II is the business Of the
| fepNblic 70 see 10 that I lire the Ute nf0
I .futhfu, honest, earnest citizen as fnr as pas
I Stble here, amt there its business elt,{S The
I State, then, has no business Whatever to touch
the question of religion or anything that per
talns in the remote>t degree % other-worldli-
ness. Its domain is this world and the con
duct of affairs here
After spending several days in Yuma we
started for the mouth of the Colorado River
\ drive of 60 miles over an arid, hot and desc
late desert brought Us to the colony of Lcrdo,
Mexico \ small colony was started here
some II years ago. but owing to the river rar-
idly washing away the land during the annual
overflow, and causing some eighty thousand
dollars worth of buildings to topple into the
stream the settlement received a blow from
which 1t has never recovered. At Ier,io we
secured the services of MIR. Brakeman, an old
resident of the place, and in all probability the
best guide ID the county, to 80 with Us down
river. Mr.. Brakeman is New England man,
but has not seen his native home for over s.
years. Prof. Gilbert of the L. 5. Fish Com
mission, DIR. Edward Palmer. of Washington.
now In the employ of the Agricultural Depart
ment, and Cocopa Indian made up the party
The river was quite swift and we were but a
very short time in covering the distance Of
forty odd miles. The Colorado is muddy
dirty stream, full Of sharp bends and agoons
This river is never twice alike one year it may
be flowing within halt mile of a certain point,
and i'll six months it may be anywhere from
one to seven miles away
About O'Clock we Went into camp on the
western bank OF the river close to band of
Cocopa Indians, who We're gathering peculiar
grass seed which is only found in this locality
1t was for the purpose Of collecting quantity
of this Erass that DR.. Palmer visited this iso-
lated and seldom traver>ed spot. ON first
landing the Indians lined the river bank, earn
estly watching every movement we made. BY
having our guide, MIR. Brakeman. with is we
We're saved any unpleasantnes~ which might
have occurred had he been absent. The In
dians all knew him and we We're soon made
welcome among them.
Having had hard day work we ate hearth
~ of the tempting yands placed before u, Mr..
Brakeman acting as cook, after WHICH we rolled
up in our blankets and Went to Sleep in true
hunters style with our feet TO the fire.
ALEXANDER.