The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1889-02-09
APACHES 'AT SCHOM.
a Glimpse of the Ramona lnsti-
tuition for Indian Giris.
The Interest Of the Pupils in domestic De-
= supations Their Implicit Faith Ia
the bible aud Their Respect
for the Ten Comm ans'meuts.

Z Under the shade OF group Of sturdy old
cotton woods. IN the banks or the Eio ue
Santa Fe. in the midst Of q spacious plot OF
seven acres stands small cluster OF ADOBE
houses and "a long. plain, iight-colored
wooden dormitory. An orchard OF pear,
nescb. apr cot. cherry, plum, ounce and
apple trees mate "a bank OF lrust olosaoiis
behind this gro,lpof Mexican and American
buildings. in brilliant contrast WIN Tue uarA
green Of the grove. @'N
Here in the gay sunlight OF cloudless
New Mexican morning. says writer IN
WIDE snul,, are children running from one
bulldug 10 another clad in work aprons,
carrying brooms. busters and baskets OF
wood or coal. or freshly washed clothes to
the lines; or IN neal schoel garments Win
smoolhed hair and clean faces approaching
the door OF the ,chcol-roon,. Soon there are
gn,her,e. around p dGrl-cycd teacher, with
geul.e lno,, an,i u .nuer. twenty or thrty
little North American luiian glrls. from five
to thirteen win black eyes. ruddy cheeks,
trim figures. aud slender hands ana feet
An opel, crate fire rs burning III the cen
ter of the srhool-room: the walls are plain
but Frightened with reading and singing
charts. Ard the notices and pictures above
the lOn5 DidtkU}HihS. n hlhuei ~ itSH "
BILE on one side with iow chars and numer-
GUS groups Of material make coy corner
Half dozen Apache boys. waiting for their
own Government; school to be erected near
by, form background to the picture.
This is hc Ramona Industrial School Tor
Apache girls, the Indian department OF the
University of New Mexico, whose large
brick building, Wh,un Hall, s';lpds in sight
on higher ground on the other Side OF the
RIVER
These Apache gir:., were brought from
camps three hundred miles away to The
queer old town OF Santa Fc. They have
been transformed in this school from dirty.
thin faced, unitempt girls /. inoccasin,.
buckskuls. blansets aud paint iuto eager
pupils who are dressed and tam read, count
write, draw. sing. sew a,d work Ike the
American white girls Ia orr own homes.
These children are all genuine Apaches
vet show traits which surprise those Whl
have despiscd the Indian They are not in
ferior in capabilities TO the White children
They learn quickly, are apt in numbcr-wort
and initiative studies. Ike drawing, writins
and singing. They readily catch hold o
the form of woisis and at once associat.
them with their objects or IDEAS. The,
learn the letters without ANY particular eli
fort Of teaching. Trey haze to learn ever
thing as we learn foreign language, IA
English is to th,la foreign language
They understand il more easily than the
speak it.
Their interest in domestic occupations
marked They prefer Their sewing olasse
To play, and their trained eyes anu muscle
make accurate sr,'ncS. AT the age OF tie
or eleven they Ell and make their under
garments, apro,-s sad plain dresses, ard d
every kind of scNlns that IL required
tue hens. gathers. slpave-titting, overcas
ing and butiou-h.las, Those OF tweiv
make excellent bread. cook plain food, was
dishes, do laundry work. make beds, 5,
and wait on tables. sweep, dust and arrane
rooms,
The work Of tn. school is SO divided tn;
it falls lightly on each one OF these lit
girls, who are thus learning. in thrt
years course. to becneie capable mistressi
of homes Those Wau lake IA longer c0urs
OF SIX OF ten Years. win he trained to b.
come slllcd cooks and housekeepers, d
signed to take p,,ces in American hous
holds, whence lii y viii carry estabshe
habits into thcir own homes. perhaps vii
husbands trained III the Governnel
schools
These Apache .,ls appear To have s,ron
mimic powers ana Ia ~ fond of using then
The evenings III Tao uprmuofy are devote
TO games OF their uwn Invention. The
charades are viva p,tsoa.sjlUn>. Their ma
usaliy keen Observation sJiles upon the p
culiarities oil persons and animals. Th,
play SCHOOL mitl mcur;itc limitations
their teachers. eoulnenGine and correctil
the pupils with 500, Iugt.ent
They are implicit believers in what the
are taught OF rc.i:si"l, or from the Biol
and respect the commandments. The sc
ond Sunday after fourteen or iiftet
Apaches had arrived they were fitted ont
American garnc.tti ;.ld ,cuG 10 church. I
they were leaving tne house il was disco
cred that skirt vi o:c of the little girls W;
100 long. The teacher took Il needle al
thread and fastened il no securely. II
older girls were a,x,ous ma, The first i,
pressions of the new puihl- Just from ;
Apache camp. shonid "a correct One
them went ut once To The iaa,rul and ind,
nantly asked "Whtt ior Mls. DeSette Sc
en- Gods day. What Tor YOU no tell her
n st0ps"
These Apache children are easily iSi
Z their unfeigned belief IN aGreat Father
our Christian faith and worship Supers
ton in them gives place " chiid-like dey
ton in which every want, every fr,en
"A every blessing finds place At ,ho no,
E Of going to bed in the d0rnitory, when ;
N are ready for sleep. theybegin 10 say, AFT
the Sour Father their own prayer
i'll Sometimes in praying fortieir friends the
M is q devOut rivalry among them, AS amoi
NJ some older American Christians, to pr
N for what others have not thought OF. .
OF the little girls had been very palticu
"A in naming all her family relatives, bessie
the teachers, aud finally, AS with a n
idea, closed her list OF ''father moth
M ri sisters, uLcie, aunts, nieccs,n with
III ''brotherln-lsw.r The next one, not to
Y surpassed, included III her petitions
IAN flAan aud flxaal ss.il