New-York tribune., 1897-08-02
THE STATES CHARITIES.
THE THOMAS ASYLUM FOR INDIAN Chill
DRT,N AT LAwTONS.
-, ,>,r,,s-v,., SCHOOL,. WHERE THE CHILDREN
ARE TAUoHT THE USEFUL ARTS
OF CIVILIZATION.
I.

AN INDUSTRIAL. SCHOOL. WHERE Ttit 'hii'DiNI-'
ARE rMJoHr THE USEFUL ARTS
OF CIVILIZATION.
s,rv CORRESPONDENT OF THE TnIBuSE.l
Iaw.ons n. v. Aug 1T Is douo'fu'
,,atber Iawtovss is on any map or New-ier"
c,.,o for Il is merely a little railway station
-, t,o puffalo and Southwestern in the south-
crn part Of Erie County. The traveller s'a'''"s
from, the big city of Buffalo before arriving mere
has iourneyed User rather level iarihii'e .'n''
but at this plaai he catches glimpse " ''s
s, ores, of the hills of Cattaraugus ana
Chautauoua couE ties. rising few miles 10 'he
.o,,hvard and it is evident that region u
narrow valleys and steep hills viii soon DC en-
tered. . ..
Iawtons usually has placid eAlstence' i'"
travellers alight from trains here. "A le" n'oi
,,gs ago however. it became apparent that II Is
n connecting link in some way WIN 'he pu's
outer world. for William r. Stewart, OF New
vorv nresidept Of the State Board of Charities'
stenped off the train. in company with henry
u IIor,o,d Of Buffalo president OF the THOMAS
,s,,,,,, for Orphan and Destitute Indian Chli-
A., There were also two other travellers oy
tho same train Mrs. Emily p. Lincoln ma'roh
of the Thomas Asylum. and a correspondent OIL
The Tribune. who had been invited by ME- stew
art 70 accompany him III tour OF lnSpectioii Vi
the charitable institutions of the STATE uhoer
the care of the State Board OF Charl''es' MI
Stewart carefully inspe cts at Intervals the o'ate
asv,ums in charge Of the Board or which ne Is
The chief. and thus gains personal knowledge
., ,hs needs merits and defects OF each one or
,,ess insttruions-a. knowledge which has
moved TO be of great value to the Legislature
IN making appropriations for the maintenance
Of the asylunns or for the repair enlargement
or increase of their buildings.
M. rbonas ASYLUM is situated about five
,r,,s. IN the southw.estward OF Lawtons. A re-
,n,naer Of its existence was at once afforded the
.-ovs,lers nv the sight Of an Indian boy of about
a,,ean wears of age seated in buggy ana care
civ driving his horse up To the platform Of the
..uroad station Two Of the travellers took seats
t.s,de "vnlyy" and were soon being poted to
.h. osv,un by him. The road to the asylum runs
-. FIRST across an unduating farming country,
hut presently has 10 cross severai Nils ana
then descends through deep cut 10 'he Nahey
of a creek in which the asylum has been placed
The ASYLUM buildings are upon the Ca'taraueus
Indian reservation. This is reservation vi
4weIve miles in length and with an average
brsadth of three miles, extending from Gowanoa
N Irving on Lake Erie. 1t covers parts OF the
counties OF Erie, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua'
md has the largest Indian population, l,2oo
souIs of any Indian reservation in the state
From its isolated position few of the inhabitants
Of the State see the Indians upon 'his reser
walton.
IN THE RED MANS COUNTRY.
1ournevinr toward the Thomas Asylum. the
travellers soon came upon reservation lana.
II was sharply differentiated from white man
country." Upon one side of rough ran renee
was the field of corn of the white farmer the
corr tall and free of weeds; while on the other
side OF the fence was the stunted growth OF 'he
Indians corn, almost choked with tall grass.
Ru, IN Justice to the Indian farmer the statement
should be made that the nearer the Thomas
Asvlum the travellers journeyed, the, better was
the appearance Of the farm. The example of the
ASYLUM and it's Indian farmers, and the training
given in farming there to Indian boys nave
had their effect Many well-tended fields of
corn and wheat and gardens were encountered.
Moreover the farm buildings steadily improved
I'm character as the asylum was approached.
From rough shanties and "shacks" at the outer
parts of the reservation, with no barns, the
farm buildings changed into neat cottages and
well-built barns. Approaching the asylum the
travellers found Indians hard at work picking
peas in large field.
Another object of interest in travelling to the
asylum was a long wooden building situated
by the roadside a smoothly shaven green
lawn looking much like a Primitive Methodist
meeting house." but actually the long house,
Of the Pagan Indians. AS upon every reserva-
ton, the Indians divided into two classes:
Christians and Pagans. The latter, their
name indicates, cling to their ancient religious
ideas and social customs The Christians fol-
low more closely the customs of the white peo
pie
The Thomas Asylum buildings situated
upon meadowlike lands to the northward of the
road that may be considered to lead from Law
tons to Cattaraugus Creek. and thence to Lake
Erie. They consist Of wooden structures, of one
and two stories in height set back from the road
a considerable distance, and surrounded by
twenty acres of green lawn. garden and farm
land Long ago these buildings Outgrew the
needs Of the asylum and modern requirements
in structures OF this character. Political man.
ayers failed to see the necessity Of better build
ings but two years ago there a change in
the Board Of Managers. and with the presidency
Of Mr. Rowland new spirit entered the man
agement Mr.. Rowland appeared before the
Appropriations Committees of the Legislature
last winter. and by making straightforward
etatement Of the objects Of the institution, its
success In educating Indian children to a life
Of usefulness, and the dilapdated condition OF
some of its buildings, he obtained an appropria-
ton Of $33, 800 for new main building for the
asylum. Isaac G. Perry, the State architect, Is
now preparing the plans, and 1t is hoped that
before another year passes a handsome and
well-equipped structure will replace the present
old-fashioned administration and dormitory
building.
IDEAS OF THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT.
George ]. Lincoln. the superintendent Of the