The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1891-10-03
A FINELY FURNISHED CONVENT.
Well Situated, Handsomely Furnished
and Under the Guiding Care of the
Ursuline Sisters.

FOuTLceQ HlllCb Jul VI SdbCduc, OVtT d
winding, billy road and through the !
noted Sullivan valley to it's western ex- !
IRENE, which almost terminates in a
broad canyon, some twenty years ago
was built a small church and mission
school for the Indians by the missionary
fathers. This school has been a noted
one and has done much for the educa-
ton of the Indian youths of the tribes Of
Montana. This school is situated o N a
slight elevation in the valley at the foot
of a tall butte to the west, which seems
to stand as a monument to attest to the
awakening ideas below. At the other
side and end, except a narrow pass which
permits a small stream to wander
through on its kindly mission, is a long
circular butte partly covered with pines
and grass. The other end is open wide
to the broad, green valley which extends
for miles beyond. This school for the
boys progressed 80 well that it was de-
termined to start a school for Indian
girls, to be taught by the sisters. Ac-
cordingly six years ago a selection OF log
buildings were built O n the opposite side
of the stream and these were occupied as
a school, chapel, living quarters, ETC.. by
the sisters and pupils. The school has
proven very successful indeed, additions
have been built to it and the order has
increased until now there is a large ad-
dition also for white girls who have
RAPIDLY come in from all parts OF Mon
tana to receive instruction here.
To keep pace with this large and in
creasing demand for accommodations
both for white and Indian girls a large
: convent building was begun two years
, ago and is now almost completed. The
: building is built back somewhat from
: the stream and has a space for a broad,
! level lawn in front and a gentle incline
: toward the hill. The building itself is
: large and built after the best architect
= ural designs, and for beauty OF finish
. and from a sanitary standpoint is the
finest building of Its kind in Montana,
and few in the country excel It,. In size
/. it is 1161ax77, is four stories high, and is
built OF light-colored~ sandstone obtained
= from Square butte, a few miles away
u The basement extends under the entire
building and it's ceilings are thirteen fee'
y high. It is divided into a large kitchen
80 dinipg-room, and into recreation rooms
r., for the children in winter or wet weather
- 1t is we'll lighted by windows and ven
- tilated as the other portions of the build
30 ing. The first floor consists OF oflces
parlor, chapel, MUSHROOM, library, an!
school-rooms, and are all large and wei
arranged for convenience and access I
the other portions of the building
Through the center, lengthwise OF tn
Is, building is a large arched hail, which dl
yides It into two equal parts and I
rs which the front entrance leads.
The second floor consists OF two larg
~ dormitories containing 100 beds eacf
is. and furnished with iron beds and eac
n made private by suspended curtains SUI
rounding it. The bath rooms are sltt
ated on this floor and are ten in numbe
- and of porcelain. There is a hot an
a. al cold water bath and the children al
,y compelled to take a bath at least once
We month. There is an inhrmary on IN
W floor also for those who feel lndlspose
pt and do not feel like going to the hosPlita
~ The last floor is occupied by the dru
"a. store, hospital and large wardrobe, Whel
i7 the children's clothing is made, ana sev
~ ing. mending and darning are taugi
the pupils. h..
ms, wood. sand papered and oiled. IN
i've doors are of heavy oak and the buildln
on throughout is finished in hard wood, II
to Guiding oak, ash, cherry and black wa
lat mt. The second story is wainscOate
nd and finished in fine moulding and II
re- last story is finished in fancy wooo"oi
tlc throughout. n
it'll The plumbing was done by Rumsey
ia Skinner of st. Louis. the largest hrm
rty the kind in the United States. 1t
be heated by the Holten hot water systeI
be and ventilated by fiues that extend FRO
the bottom to the top of the buildln
:. carving cold and hot currents of AR al
f. establishing a current throughout Il
building. Though the walls and part
TO tions are of stone they are lathed an
Nil mastered with adamant. This keeps u
building warm and free from dampne'
The building is finished in every oct;
with all the care possible and VIII
mt. furnished likewise. 1t is furnished WI
ust water from two springs on the MI apo
fell which is carried to the building d!
,ro- fve-inch pipe which forces the wal
18th high above the building.
ion Though the school is Intended Tor 90
be- white and Indian girls, yet each part
hat entirely independent ana separate
in every particular from the otner, n 81
lose as studies and social cueto,us ~ 90
attic cerned they have no ihteiee.e nn,
the mon and neither is assisted nor eleval
by co-education with the other, so an
tire separation is found to be adylsat
Drs The building is sufficiently large
1ins the accommodation of 200 girls, one ~
;tte dred of each race. They are give
: di' good English education, besides less
# of in music, drawing, oil painting sew
oct mending. etc. TO advanced stuae
who remain the higher branches OF llte
Its ture, mathematics and sciences
ants taught, besides telegraphy, stenogral
nee. and typewriting.
,noI The convent is under the charge
moi, the Ursuline Sisters, and is the o
,net. convent of this order in the un1
re- States. They have missions also at
. gan, Crow, Cheyenne, Flathead. Asst
~. boine and Miles City, the latter be
for white girls only. The sisters OF
TIVE order are peculiarly painstaking IN
r1 tIa class of teaching, and have met with