The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1897-10-23
INDIANS At SCHOOL.
They Are Natural Musicians, Fond o;
English Names and Good Clothes.

They Are Natural Musicians, Fond o!
English Names and Good Clothes.
A recent visit to the Phoenix Indian
school, California, was a revelation IN
some respects. The writer has known
the Pima Indians on their reservation
as a fierce, sullen, obstinate and cruel
lot of savages, with record second to
not even the Apaches for horrible
butcheries of white settlers, and I'M
speaksble barbarities upon their enc
mics in warfare. 1t was, therefore,
surprise to see over $50 of the boys
and girls Of these desert savages come
marching into the chapel with military
precision, dressed in handsome, neat
fitting garments; wearing linen shirts,
and with their hair brushed with as
much nicely as that of d city dude.
But the surprise did moi end there.
When the opening hymn was an
nounced, one of the Apache Indian
girls that ten months before was run
ming wild on the desert south of the
ella, readily turned to the number,
and, handing the writer the book,
asked In good English if he would not
take part with them. Some OF them
sing spiendidly, and Professor Hall,
the superintendent of the school, says
they are natural musicians: Several
of the younger ones have learned to
play the organ, and with the French
harp they will make an average city
gamin ashamed Of himself Hugh
Patton, one of the monitors, plays the
piano very we'll, having picked the &C:
complishment up without any instruei
ton: This Indian is d popularity in
Indian life. Some years ago he had
learned the English language and act;
ed as an interpreter from that time till
the opening of the school, which he
entered; where he has since remained:
He discarded his Indian name and as
sumed An English one, and in the
three years has acquired good Eng
lish education. He is of medium size,
rather dark, but with the appearance
of student. He has done much to
induce his people to adopt civilization,
and is, Of course, q warm friend Of the
school.
An advantage here is that the boys
and girls are In close proximity to
their relatives and friends, aud are al
lowed to visit back and forth, which
could not be the case in foreign
school. This is of double advantage,
for the educated children visiting their
parents, brothers and sisters tend to
raise them in the plane Of civilization,
and the change on the reservation
during the last year is marked. The
boys are allowed I'd go home two
weeks In the summer, and several are
allowed to go and assist in planting
the crops. When they leave the
school they are given their Indian
clothes, but they never fail to return
wearing better or at least more ex-
pensive clothing than the school fur
nishes them.
At times the Indian boys are al
lowed to work on the fruit farms ad-
joining the school, and they are given
their wages to spend as they please.
They usually invest them in clothing,
and Some eli them have expensive
Suits, They do their work, we'll, and
theis labor IL preferred to that of the
Mexicans. When they are out work
ing this way, they not only earn the
wages, but they learn to depend urap
themselves.
This idea OF the industrial branch
of the school is the conception Of Pro-
fessof Rich; His theory is that it is
impossible to take a savage and 80
educate him in letters and science
that he will be able to successfully
take hold of any of the higher LrapcE-
es in life, or, in other words, that it is
impossible to make Greek professo,
out of q half-naked savage. But he
does argue that they can be mad"
good citizens, able to read and write,
and, more than all, to support them
selves by tiiling the soil: After this
point is reached they will rise highea
themselves and of their own inclina'
ton, until the last instinct of the saw.
age will have disappeared.-St. Louis
Globe Democrat.