Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-31
OUR INDIAN SCHOOLS
Notes Of Special Interest About the
Day Schools Under Agent Wal
poles Charge.
IMPROVEMENTS PROPOSED
The Jicarillas Sent to Omaha, Return
After Acquiring Themselves with
Marked Oredit-Pueblos
Now to Go.

Now to Go.
The Indian agency in this city under
the immediate charge of Hon. N. s.
Walpole, of Pueblo, Colo, has come,
under his able administration, into a
more creditable condition than ever
before. But Agent Walpole is not sat
isfied with merely making one or two
steps in advance; he proposes advancing
many more, and has asked the govern
ment for $50, 900 with which to erect
new and improved school buildings,
| especially for the Jicarilla agency at
Dulce, N. NJ, So miles east of Durango,
| Colo. Agent Walpole has under his
charge 1880 Indians all told, s41 be-
ing Dulce snb-agency Jlcarillas. These
latter Indians are supported by the
government whose annual rations to
| them include $50, 900 pounds of beef,
100, 900 pounds of -four, l 5000 pounds OF
| sugar, and other staple articles in pro-
portion. But the present agent intends
turning the attention of these people
toward self-support, and a notable fac
tor in the process of education will be
the education of 337 children of school
age at the sub-agency. In fact the In
dians have promised to lend their active
support to this measure, which of itself
is a great encouragement. The Pueblo
Indians constituting the great bulk OF
Agent Walpole's charge are practically
| self-supporting, as q tour through the
various pueblos of the agency will show.
Passengers do not fail to note as they
ride down the Rio Grande valley the
thrifty Indian settlements scattered
along, and the fine crops grown by In.
dian hands.
Mr.. Walpole is very hopeful of his
wards, and says there is no reason why
an Indian will not improve and do well
if treated decently. The red nan has
| rights as we'll as other people.
When asked as to the particular bent
of the Indian mind, the agent said it
was toward mechanics, as any one might
notice on looking through the curio
stores in this city where much handi-
work is displayed. However, education
in an Indian youth is lost if he is allowed
to frequent. saloons and soak his syS-
TEN in drink. In fact, in such cases,
the noble red man. sinks lower than
he would were he not educated. Mr..
Walpole proposes to see to it that as far
as his agency is concerned, this sort of
thing shall be stopped. The Indians
| will be made to stay away from drinking
| places, and besides, the arm of the law
/ will be stretched out to make it warm
| for violators of the law.
The agent is much pleased with the
| record of the Jicarillas he sent to the
| exposition at Omaha. The band con.
| sisted of seven men and two women,
with two children. The men were as
fine specimens Of physical manhood as
have been seen anywhere, and the whole
outfit were much admired. One of the
children attracted much attention by
his expertness in hitting a nickel with
an arrow at 60 yards. The Jicarillas
created such a favorable impression al
the great fair that Agent Walpole has
a letter from the management congrat'
ulating him on their fine appearance in
the congress OIL 500 Indians and stat.
ing that their departure&As a de.
moralization among the, offers.
Fifteen Pueblos within TURF be sent to
Omaha September s, and lively hopes
are entertained of their also making a
creditable impression. The Indians at
the fair represented So agencies.
Agent Walpole was formerly state
superintendent tot insurance in Colorado.
where he was prominently identified
with the Republican party, and where
he has made an excellent record fol
himself. He took charge here July
last, succeeding Captain G. l.. Cooper
of the 10th cavalry, now promoted tt
be major in the 5th cavalry. Mr.
Walpole though agent here, still re
tains an interest in the Pueblo banking
investment firm of N. s. Walpole &
Co.
The agent looks for an increase of Isl
per cent in the general attendance a
the day schools attached to his charge
There are two non-reservation school:
within the limits of this agency; the ont
in this city, now with $50 children Of 6 tt
1G years of age, under the supervision o.
Superintendent A. II. Veitz, formerly
lof Oklahoma, with six instructors anC
ten other employees. The other is a
Albuquerque with 300 children undel
the supervision of Superintendent E. A
Allen, The agents charge over these
schools goes no further than to see tina
contracts and instructions from the In
dian Office are carried out, the super
intendents reporting directly to Wash
ington.
The agency headquarters in this city
are pleasantly located on Hillside ave
nue. in the northeastern part of thu
town. Immediately under the agent ar
Chief Clerk w. H. Woodward, a brigh
young man from Neosho, Mo-, who ar
rived here December ~ last. In thu
clerical branch Of the Office are also
Miss May F%auorote, of Iowa, field mat
ron. located at Zuni, on the Arizons
line, where she has been stationed. Sht
was promoted from an assistant teacher
ership in the day school there one veal
ago, and has been three years in the
service. Jose Valdez, Of this city, il
the acting interpreter and teamster
having been promoted a year ago
Sabarino Cordero has been an employs
in this city since November l.
A valuable and very competent oficia
is Professor c. E. Burton, the supervis
ing teacher of this agency. Professor
Burton has seen IA years as an in
structor, and was the valedictorian o
his class in the Normal school at War
%rensburg, Mo. He has been four year
in the service, and came here from
California April 21 last to fill his pres
ent position. 1t is a new position pro
viding for supervision Of all the teach
ers and educational interests proper O
the agency. A detailed list and a fe,
statistics of the several agency da
schools Professor Burton has immediat
jurisdiction over will be Of interest t
the New MExIcAN's many readers.