Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-09
ST. BON|FACPS SCHOOL.
Mission Indians at Banning
Being Taught.
The Scholars Making Most Ex
cellent Progress.
How the Children Enjoy Their Work
The Visit Recently of Bishop
Mora-Incidents of the
Reception.

A FRIEND OF the Indians" which
nom de plume is assumed by we'll
known resident of Banning, wrote the
following about the Indian school near
that place:
In the charming valley of the San
Gorgonio Pass, San Bernardino county.
situated at the foothills north of Ban.
ming, the stately structure of the St.
Boniface school, with its surroundings.
attracts the attention of the traveller
MIA.
Built for the purpose of educating the
children of the 5000 Mission Indians.
the remnant of the once flourishing
numerous missions, the st. Boniface
Indian school. opened its portals to
these poor children September 1, 1890.
and more than 100 Indian children were
received and educated during the first
year.. The second year commenced
with a full attendance September l,
1891, and at present there are 1913 merry
children, little ones and tall ones of the
red race inhabiting the spacious rooms
of the school, eager to learn and to fol-
low the directions of the good Sisters of
St. Joseph, who instruct the pupils in
all the ordinary branches of q school, as
we'll as in civilization as far az can be
attained.
We would call the attention OF the
readers to the work of this school.
| There are three divisions of the pupils:
Senior boys, junior boys, girls; each
| part headed by sister-teacher.
The Indian boys, besides receiving
| regular lessons in the school room, are
instructed also in the various labors of
farming and horticulture. You may see
them cutting wood, tilling and cultivat-
ing the land and orchard, pruning the
trees, irrigating and so on; for which
purpose the thirty-five acres of orchard
and forty-seven acres of land under cul-
tivation afford ample opportunity.
Three boys are in the shoeshop under
the direction of competent shoemaker; !;
ten boys are carpentering with their
teacher of mechanics; two boys learn
| how to attend to the bees; six boys are
baking, etc.; all and every one COM
manded and shown their work by one of
the fourteen employees. They have q
time for game, too, but otherwise are
kept busy all the day.
The girls also have time for taking
their books and states and pens in the
school room and time for industrial
exercises in the kitchen, in the sewing
room, in the dining hall. in the laundry
and iioning room, and everyone of them
tries to profit daily by the splendid op-
portunity offered to learn and become
useful for life. The school is doing a
very good work indeed.
Monday, the I'd of May, his lordship,
Bishop Francis Mora, D. E., of Los An
geles, accompanied by his secretary,
| Pow w r. n,o noiI ,>1oocco% ,,;o:& -
the school. He was meet at the depot
at Banning by the Rev. B. 7. Hahn,
superintendent of the st. BonifAce
school, Rev. E. Steinach and large
number of Indians from the Portrero
reservation, near Banning. The pupils
of the school sailed forth from their
halls to meet the bishop, greeting him
by chanting a welcome song and the
| tears which stole down from the eyes of
the good bishop, told better than words
of the bishops emotion, when he be-
held the children in their festive dresses
on both sides of the street. The follow
| ing day, Tuesday, the right reverend
bishop administered confirmation to
fifty-eight OF the pupils, to two white
persons, and also to sixty Indians from
Portrero, who, in spite of the pouring
rain, hurried to the schools chapel,
thus showing their reverence and love
to the bishop. They are good, peaceful
people indeed. The bishop confirmed
in all 120 persons.
In the afternoon an entertainment in
honor of the high guest was given. The
children sang and recited patriotic songs
and poems. and also merry ones. The
two priests present, Revs. Hahn and
Steinach, and Mr.. E. Heyes of Los An
geles sang some three-voiced chants, in.
creasing the solemnity of the occasion.
A brief address of Right Rev. Bishop
Mora ended the exercises of the day,
but the Indians would not leave before
speaking once more to their bishop,
asking him to come again and see them.
The educating of the Indian youth is
a moat important point in the Indian
question. We have taken away the
lands of the Indians we owe them now
at least generous support in educating
their offspring. One Indian child is
worth hundred times the money ex-
pended for its education. The St. Bon
iface United States school has made
successful beginning. May the Sisters
OF st. Joseph and the rest of the EN-.
ployees at the st. Boniface school sue
ceed and prosper in their arduous task
| for q n rc fo