The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-06-30
THE lola REGISTER.
FRIDAY, JUNE 80, 1893.
THE LAND OF THE wICHITAs.

THE LAND OF THE WICHITAS.
Continued from last peek.)
There are few places within easy
reach of civilization where Indian life
can still be seen in its originality and
simplicity. Year after year, steadily
and with resistless advance civiliza-
ton is encroaching upon what yet re-
mains to conquer and the waste plac-
es OF our fair land are being brought
under the dominion of the ruling race.
And like the march of a victorious
army, there is no retreat, no evacua-
ton.
With very few exceptions these In
dams are dependent absolutely upon
their anmities. They would go max
ed and starve were they not clothed
and fed by the United States; and
since this has come to be the case they
have gathered more and more about
the Agencies and military posts and
have grown if possible more indolent
and improvident than ever. The
suuaws have abandoned their little
fields of corn, and, owing to the scar
city of deer skins, do very little bead
work. They have little use for ponies
and their herds have dwindled to in
significance. With the disappearance
of the buffalo, the cessation of tribal
wars and the invasion of the whites
have gone out the life, energy and
ambition of the Indian. One cannot
visit them in their homes and see
them in all their squalor and filth
and idleness and disease without feel
ing that as a race their days are num-
bered. And indeed that consumation
may not be so remote as is generally
supposed. Owing to their filthy man.
ner of living, their ignorance and
stubbornness ordinary diseases are
singularly fatal among them. just at
present these Indians are suffering
from an epidemic of measles and their
treatment of it illustrates what has
lust been said. In spite of the advice
and directions of the white, as soon as
the attack is discovered the patient is
plunged into bath of cold water and
mercilessly held under until thorough
Iy chilled-resulting almost uniform
Iy in death. At Anadarko, IS miles
northeast of Fit. Sill, in one day (the
10th of June of this year, 80 Indians
died of this disease. About that time
the writer of this stepped into an In
dian Tepee in a camp near Fort Sill,
where the disease was raging. On a
bench, and only sheltered from the
blazing sun by thin canvass, sat an
Indian woman holding a sick child in
her arms. 1t was covered with ghast-
" sores: the lips drawn, the eyes dull
and staring-eviGently few hours
would end its misery In answer to
an inquiry the women held it out,
"Baby sick, baby die" she said In a
tote of patient pathetic helplessness
that made the heart ache. Thesepeo-
pie in their suffering remind one of
the dumb animals. They never cry
out, never complain, but their eyes
take on a look OF patient endurance
that is painful and pitiable beyond
expression.
The war department is trying an
experiment with a company of In
dian soldiers at Fort Sill; and appar-
emily with success. They take pride
in their proficiency as soldiers and
are tractable and obedient. But they
are natural Stevens and it will take
wears of drill to teach them to wear
their clothes and walk with soldiers
step. However, it is a move in the
right direction and if they can be
made useful as soldiers by all means
make soldiers of them-it is all under
the heavens the Indian as he now is
is good for.
But here is a brighter picture.
Near the agency of the Kiowas, Wich-
itas and CaddOs at Anadarko, is 10
Gated the "Riversiden Indian school.
1t was established in 1886 and has
grown in the face of difficulties and
obstacles until the Inspector now pro-
nounces it the model school of the
Territory. Geo. l.. Pigg, of Nebraska,
formerly of Kentucky, and noble
Christian gentleman, is Superintend-
ent, and it is TO his untiring energy
and faithful, conscientious work that
the success of the institution is due.
The building was intended to accom-
modate 60 pupils; Mr.. Pigg now has
75, and a brighter, more vivacious
and cheerful lot of children it would
be hard to find. The Wichitas and
Caddos are especially bright and in
teIligent. Their ages range from five
TO sixteen; they are kept clean and or
DERBY and are neatly dressed. The
use of the Indian tongue is strictly