The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-04-18
AN INDIAN SCHOOL.
EDUCATING DUsKY PUPILS IN
WAYS OF CIVILIZATION.
What is Done for Indians OF Both
Sexes at the Carlisle (Penn.)
school-Deveioping Both
Body and Mind.
. oMMENCEMENT at Carlisle


dozen or 80 OF which are scattered
over the United States; offshoots of
the Carlisle plan, and devoted to in
str1cting the remnant of the aborigi-
nal inhabitants how to trim ideas in
stead of arrows, and to eat with forks
instead of fingers.
Carlisle was the pioneer proving
ground Of this method of solving the
Indian problem" and Captain Pratt,
of the Tenth Cavalry, the father of
the method, during long and varied
experience among Indians on the
plains, and afterward, when in charge
of the unrulv prisoners taken in the
war OF 1S74.75, and transferred to
Fort Augustine, found that Indians
have hearts aud souls, and he found,
too, that they are amenable to kindly
influences and eager to learn. Then
1t was that the educational seed
sprouted, out of which Carlisle has
grown. Sixteen years ago, after hard
labor, the old, abandoned Carlisle
barracks, half mile from the city of
Carlisle. Penn, almost n ruin, relic of
Revolutionary days, was reluctantly
turned over to him by the Interior
Department, and he was told TO get
on to the reservation with his small
red men and stay there, as the people
In the vicinity, staid old Quakers and
thrifty Germans. didn't like the near
proximity of the aborigines, and were
disposed to spoil his fun il he didn't
keep them well in hand.
Captain Pratts idea was ut that
time an experiment. His idea was to
teach the Indians English, and to give
them primary education and some
knowledge of common and practical
Industry, thus affording them means
of self.support among civilized peo-
pie. When Carlisle opened its doors
there entered it less than eighty In
dians, got together only by a mighty
effort. Now there are nearly 500 In-
dian pupils IN the commodious, com.
Portable quarters at Carlisle, and they
represent fifty-five tribes.
Every industry and many arts Sand
sciences are taught at Carlisle. The
boys ale trained to be timers, tailors,
cobblers, blacksmiths, harnessmakers,
carpenters, cabinetmakers, wagon
makers and farmers, as their tastes
run, each youth being permitted to
take up for his trade the one that he
likes best. The girls learn, besides
books, all tho womanly accomplish.
ments, such as sewing, washing, iron
ling, darning, mending, baking, etc.
Boys and girls alike are instructed in
music, drawing, painting and the
other arts. and alike they serve half OF
each day in the school room and the
other half in one of the industrial
classes. For their services in these
classes few cents a day is paid each
student. and these and the "outing"
earnings amount in the aggregate to
nearly $50, 900 year, all of which is
placed to the credit of each individual
earning it, and it can be drawn upon
at will, under slight restrictions.
There is regular cashier, whose duty
it is to care for this fund, and it is
quite amusing to watch the students
draw upon their bank account. They
have bank books, which are models OF
neatness. An Indian seems to take
naturally to penmanship and figures.
There are some things that the stu
dents OF Carlisle could teach the peo.
pie who talk OF "civilizing" them.
The young ladies seldom or never
wear any other head covering than q
bright scarf, and in the evening their
glossy and well-kept black hair is fully
in evidence, with bit OF bright rib.
bon or a flower coquettishly adjusted
in it. The Indians love everything
that is bright and beautiful, and the
flower man that comes out every morn
ing reaps q rich harvest from them.
Indian children are naturally de.
vout. The belief in higher power
seems to be born in them and finds
expression in the Sabbath.school, Y.
NJ. @. A. and the Kings Daughters.
The little silver cross that sets them
apart from all others is a common or
nament. The children are left to
choose their own church. Services are
held in the chapel every Sunday, but
those who desire to attend services in
the town of Carlisle, half mile away,
| 10 SAupCiOhSu huu CuICu lOTs IL ls
the desire that all tho students attend
services somewhere, but it is never
made obligatory.
The love of the beautiful is shown
in many ways. In the neat dormi.
tories everything is as clean as soap
suds can make it, and pretty rugs,
pictures and pieces of artistic handi.
work, made by the owners themselves
or purchased with their own spending
money, adorn the rooms. The great
dining rooms are furnished with white
table linen and silver, neat china anG
and glass ware. Everything that ap'
peals to the sense OF tho beautiful il
furnished.
The "outing system" is ono OF, the
great institutions of Carlisle. Wher
the school was first established it wal
objected that it would be nuisanc,
to the surrounding farmers. wht
seemed to have an idea that the stu