The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-03-02
CARLIsIE. Pa. March 1.

CARLISLE, Pa, March l.
! IN N AUDIENCE of almost 2 900
! IAN people witnessed the interesting
| Il( commencement exercises of the
u y Indian Industrial school this af-
teruoon The great interest of the
occasion WAS further heightened by the
celebration at tn" same time OF the fl
teeuth anniversary OF the institution
which Captain Il. IL. Pratt estab-
lished in the heart Of the Cumberland
valley. As an army officer Of many
years experience on the frontier he
early reached the conclusion that the
Indian question, if it was ever to be
solved, must b8 accomplished through
assimilation anl everyday contact
with the civilized white people; that
the tribal relations must be broken up,
that the Indian must be treated as any
other citizen ana not as al alien.
He had no faith in the reservation
system and does not now believe that
the herding together of the Indians
will accomplish anything, except the
annihilatiol OK the race. 1t was Cap.
tain Pratt's original thought that until
the Indian youths were scattered
among the whites their condition
would not he materially improved, anl
he carried out this policy when the
school at Carlisle was opened.
OUTING SYSTEM SUCCESSFUL.
His outing system has been success
from the beginning. Every summer
from 400 to 800 of the girls ana boys of
the school live upon the farms Of east
ern Pennsylvania They ara in de-
mpnd and the applications for their
services largely exceeds the supply.
Their earnings last summer amount ed
in the aggregate TO nearly $25, 900 and
the boys and girls were able to bear
| their own expenses at the Worlds fair.
Today four big chiefs were present
on the invitation of Captain Pratt, and
their expenses, over 5000, were paid by
the students. These chiefS were Lone
Wolf, leader of the Kiowas; Quanah,
a rich Comanche; Cloud Chief, Chey-
enne, and Black Coyote. an Arrappa-
hoe chieftain. They will spend several
days at the school and will have pow
WOW with Captain Pratt. to whom they
bear messages of good will from their
people on the frontier.
THE OPINION OF LONE woLF
In speech last night Lone Wolf,
who is a fine looking, intelligent man
and an orator, dwelt upon the kind
ness of those who had given these
privileges to their children. Captain
Pratt, he said, had been raised up by
the great spirit to do this work and
added: "As | look into the faces of
these Indian children l am thankful.
You have already started on the right
road and all yon want to do is to push
forward Keep your faces to the front.
DO not turn aside, but go for.
ward. | like to see the young In
dians grow up to be different from
what their parents have been | like
the white mans rule. | now realizs
that the white mans rule il very good.
While am talking here God is listen
ing and he is glad, nm sure, because
what have said iy all from my heart,
and he knows that although | am ig
norant, yet have the right spirit
within me. lam lon ging to see ths In.
dian children grow up like white peo
ple.'
The commencement exercises vert
held in the large gymnasium hall
which was decorated with flags nnt
plants. The Indian band furnished ex
ceilont music There were nineteen il
the graduating class and the various
orations and declamations would have
done credit to any college Many
of the sentiments expressed were
worthy the highest type of culture
Several of tho graduates could moi
speak a word of English when they
were admitted to the school A pa
thetic appeal was that Of Mlrtha Nap.
await. whose paper, "Put Yourself il
My Place brought tears to the eyes
OF Secretary Morton aud 9th ers,