West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1894-11-15
CALIFORNIA LETTER.
Special correspondence Of the Argus.
INDIAN RESERV ALTON,
Nov. ,, 1894.

nov. =, 1874.
My dear friends among the YER
dant hills and fertile valleys of dear
old West Virginia, promised to
write you concerning my Indian
surrounding, etc. viii therefore
try TO keep my word good by giving
you few inky ideas and facts.
| believe that stated IN my last
letter that | was sent out on the
desert after coming to California to
take charge of an Indian School
just new Y built. | have, therefore.
no fault to find with the former
teacher aud not having to undo
what was wrong y taught. In fact,
| must begin as with babes, for few
OF them understand one word of
English. y few Of the parents can
understand a few English words,
but none Of them can converse in
English. This fact mahes one feel
all the more isolated and lonely.
when you take into consideration
that this school is fifteen miles from
the nearest post Office and store
and no white folks nearer than
the section boss on the railroad.
who lives five miles away, and anv
way one goes 1T must be across
waste sandy plains, where one is
apt to get caught and perish in "A
sand storm. The Indians go back
and forth every week on their po-
MES and they bring my mail. |
may not get to see white person
for months at time.
This southern California is prin-
cipally Spanish IN language and Gus
toms. The English element il
greatly IN the minority. Nearly all
he Indians can understand some
Spanish. | think that | will like
the work after | get accustomed to
it. AS Alexander Selkirk said. Il
am monarch or all | survey but
that is only crowd Of dusky faced, +,
half clad, sleepy, stolid Indian chill
dren. whose nature IS TO be rcserv. d.
cd they see very little use IN all
this English teaching and customs.
The parents occasionally come
and look IN the windows, and If |
can get them inside, they will gaze
at me IN mute silence with that pc
culiar stare which seems TO set all
my nerves TO vibrating. III can
interpret their expressions at all, it
would be IN the language OF Puck
" What fools these mortaIs be. "
My first great task in the school IL
to get the children to talk English.
and this is no small one. The In
dians seem to be conteuted, peacea.
bic and self-satistied although
there WAS teacher murdered aud
the house burned not very far from
here the same week ] arrived.
Civilized customs might have
some bearing on Indians IN u colder
climate where they could sec the
necessity for something better. but
in this tropical cline, where they
need neither house nor clothing.
you might build them palace with
all the best furnishings and give
them fine clothing, yet would they
sleep under the open sky in the
sand and throw the clothing away.
except a shirt and shawl or overalls.
All the people sleep outdoors.
both white and Indian, except about
four mon hs. beginning The middle
of November, when tho nights gee
rather cool. The air is so dry ana
pure that one does not want to be
indoors ut night. AS passed
houses on my way here ] could see
the beds all standing in the yard.
| There are no mosquitoes nor guats
10 whisper in your ear. No This
climate would dry them into a Gin
der in a few hours. was return
ing from a stroll one evening after
dark. and in passing some Indian
| huts ran into a whole family
asleep in the sand
BY the way, the dirt here is about
The cleanest thing we have, being
day sand. and The Indian children
waliow ln it The same as pigs, and
it serves the purpose Of water to
wash them, for it looscns the dirt
ON their bodies, and as soon as they
shake themselves they are cleaner
thaO ever.