Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-10
TITLE ON BLOCK.

| lille ON
Miss Howards family consists of one
matron, one teacher. four servants. thirty
two Indian children. three dogs, and
eleven cats. The house containg a large
assembly-room, an rtlstically-,Nnlshed
| parlor the bedroom OF Miss Howard.
| Il company bedroom, Miss Howard's pri.
vate dining-room. large dining-room for
| the other women and children, a kitchen,
| laundry. a girls dnrrnitory and boy,
| dormitOry. a servants room, n sewing
rOcm an industriql-roOm. a hospital and
a school-room, with desks enough for
thirty-fve pupils. Out IN the farm
yard, seven horses and thirteen cattle.
| including three beautiful little calves the
| pride Of their fair owner, are well housed
and kept.
| When this house was built it's site was
an open prairie. There was not a road
| within a mile Of 1t. Now all the roads
| Of that section Of Dakota lead to It. In
| dans and tradesmen. catte-men. and
the people of the agency, new settlers.
| and, indeed everybody living thereabouts.
| have found some business with the school
| and have come to see its proprietor, and
! enjoy her hospitality.
Miss Howard dates all the occurrences
! OF her life from Cleveands first ad-
ministratlon. II was then that she de-
termlned to go into the Indian work
Before then she lived as other girls I'm
similar circumstances live In New York.
In the spring Of 1885 she went on a
visit to Fort Monroe. While there she
called on cousin. who was a teacher
in the Hampton Inlian-Scho1l. She be.
came interested In the Indian children.
Just at that time Miss Elaine Goodala.
who was one Of the instructors IN the
school. became III. Miss Howard volun.
teered TO take charge. during Miss Good
ale's Illness. Of her classes. The charge
lasted four months ana in this tine she
became thoroughly in love with the In.
dian work
The following fall she told her father
she wanted 10 take q trip out 10 Dakota
TO study the Indians on their native sou
There, under the direction Of the wife Of
an Indian agent. whom she had met at
Hampton, she made a tour of The Indian
settlements. She liked the Sioux Indians
who lived upon the Crow Creek Rescrya-
ton and she decided 10 establish a home
upon the beautiful plateau overlooking
Crow Creek
She returned 10 New York. secured her
fathers consent 10 her plan hen came
to Washington and got from the govern
ment a permit 70 build the house. Her
father gave her $1,000 10 put into H. This
was supplemented by voluntary contribu-
tions from interested friends. The house
has been enlarged from time to time
until it has reached its present proper
tions AT a cost OF 5000
The next year Miss Howard secured
from the Interior Department an aDpro-
prlation Of 500 10 pay for the care and
teaching for "A year OF five Indian chill
dren. The next year she got the number
Of children and the amount OF the appro-
priatiOn doubled. The following year the
number Of children was doubled again,
and teacher was furnished by the Bu-
reau OF Indian Affairs 10 aid her. The
current year she has had thrty-tgO In
dian chldren-twenty girls and twelve
boys. Next year she proposes 10 have
thlrty-nve. Since the first year she has
done no teaching herself, but has man
aged all under the designation by the
government as Principal OF the Grace
Mission School"
Miss Howard visits Washington every
year and keeps the department inter-
ested IN her work. The Bureau OF In
dian Affairs welcomes her, the office OF
the Secretary OF the Interior opens 20
her any time, regardless Of the regular
visitors hours, and the portals OF the
White House swing wide at her ap-
proach.
Miss Howard keeps her hold on the
Indians by making them seek her in
stead OF her seeking them. She never
asks an Indian for the privilege OF
teaching his child. In every case the
Indians have come TO her and asked her
10 take their children. The law OF the
government now cOmpels Indians 10 send
their children 10 school from the ages
OF 70 IS. and those around Crow creek
consider themselves fortunate IN being
able TO entrust their children 10 Miss
Howard.
HOW SHE MANAGES INDIANS.
Many and queer have been the expert
ences OF this young New York woman
In Dakota. The FIRST Christmas she de-
cided 10 delight and amaze the indians
with a Christmas-tree laden with be. uti
ful New York trinklets. IL was seventeen
miles to Chamberlain. the nearest railroad
station. The weather was twenfy-eleht
degrees below zero. There was 10 man
TO send for the box. and a snoY-stot,n
added to the perplexity of the situation.
Miss Howard had a pair OF horses nifched
up; took an Indian woman as u COM
panion: drove through the ow-storm Sc
venteen miles 10 the station. and re-
turned at midnight with her presents the
night before Christmas. Many people
froze 10 death In Dakota that night She
and her companion ran great risk of not
escaping. but they did escape Aud the
Indian children had beautiful Christ
nias-tree.
Often she drives her wagon 10 the