The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1895-05-28
AN INDIAN SCHOOL.
EDUCATING DUSBY PUPILS IN
WAYS OF CIVILIZATION.
What is Done for Indians OF Both
sexes at the Carlisle (Penn.)
School-Developing Both
Dody and Mind.
. COMMENCEMENT at Carlisle

INC NirIlsie plan, and devoted to in
stracting the remnant of the aborici-
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 cbargo
OF the unruly prisoners taken in tho
war OF lS74-75, and transferred to
Fort Augustine, found that Indians
nave hearts and souls, aud he found.
TOO, that they are amcnahle to kindly
influences and eager to learn. Then
1t was that the educational seed
sprouted, out of which Carlisle bas
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 tho 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 a1origines, and were
disposed to spoil his fun if he didn t
keep them we'll in hand.
Captain Pratt's idea was Mt TINT
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 nlTording them means
OF seli-support among civilized peo-
pie. When Carlisle opened its doors
there entered it less than eighty In
dams, got together only by a mighty
effort. Now there nre nearly 500 In
dian pupils In the commodious. com.
Portable quarters ut Carlisle, and thew
represent fittY-ivo tribes.
Every industry and many arts and
sciences are taught Mt Carlisle. The
boys ale trained to be timers, tailors.
cobblers, blacksmiths, hnrnessmakers.
carpenters, cabinetmakers, wagon
makers and farmers, ms their tastes
run, each youth being permitted to
take up for his trade the ono that he
likes best. The girls learn, besiles
books, all tho womanly accomplish.
ments, such rs sewing, washing, iron.
ing, darning, mcnding, baking, etc.
Boys and girls alike are instructed in
music, drawing, painting and the
other arts, and alike they serve half Of
each day Ill the school room and the
other hall in one Of the industrial
classes. For their services in these
classes few cents day is paid each
student. and these and tho "outing"
earnings amount in tho aggregate to
nearly S25, 900 year, all OF which is
placed to the credit OF each in lividual
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 aud figures.
There are some things that the stu.
dents Of Carlisle could teach the PEG.
pie who talk of "civilizing" them.
The Young ladies seldom or never
wear any other head covering than n
bright scarf, and in the evening their
glossy and well-kopt black hair is fully
in evidence, with bit OF bright rib
bon or Hover coquettishly adjusted
in it. The Indians love everything
that is bright and beautiful, and the
Hover man that comes out everv morn.
ing reaps rich harvest from them.
L
vout The belief in n higher power
seems to be born in them and finds
expression in the Sabbath.school. Y.
M. O. A. and tho Kings DAUGHTERS.
The little silver cross that sets them
apart from all others is n common or
nament. Tho children are left TO
choose their own church. Services are
held in the chapel every Sunday. bnt
those who desire to attend services in
the town Of Carlisle, half mile away.
are chnperoned and cared for. 1t is
the desire that oil the 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 ns soap-
suds can make it, and pretty rugs.
pictures md pieces of artistic hnndi-
work, made by the owners themselves
or purchased with their own spending
money, adorn tho rooms The great
dining rooms arc furnished with white
table linen and silver, neat china and
and glass ware. Every thing that an.
peals 20 the sense of tho beautiful is
furnished.
The "outing system" is one OF the
great institutions of Carlisle. When
the school was first established it was
objected that it would be nuisance
to tho surrounding farmers. who
seemed to have m idea that tho stu.
dents would go on foraginR expedi-
tions when they got tired OF the re.
strictions of tho school. Now those
same farmers nre tumbling over each
other to get Indian boys to work for
them in the summer.
That the boys nro thoroughly inn
bued with progressive spirit is
shown in the fact that when Congress
positively refused to make nppropri.
atoms for needed additions to tho
buildings for tho boys. aud for an