Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-06-08
THE ?!eeAAH INDIANS.
l2o Boys and Girls in One of Un.
Gle Sans Schools.
THEY ALL COME FROM TEPEEs.


But Soon Take on a Polish. Sing "Amer-
lea" Learn as Readily as White Chill
dren and Say Their Prayers Every Night
100000 Indians In the United states
5000 In Wisconsin Devils Blood I.
Cwhisky) Their Worst Enemy.
Madison, Wis, May 31.--It was an
impressive sight at the Indian school
at Tomah to see and hear the 1923 boys
and girls pause a moment standing at
the tables and recite aloud a verse of
blessing in concert before they began
their meal
1t was reverent company of dusky
youth, the children of the forest, and
over them was the protecting arm Of
the United States government. While
Wisconsins famous -Bible-in-th the
pub ic-sohools decision throws a gentle
paralysis over most religious observ-
ances in state supported institutions
and keeps many public officials on ten
ter hooks lest some free thinker or Sec
tartan extremist raises objection, this
institution of the general government
is avowedly and positively Christian.
There is the same hearty, frank
avowal of 1t that one finds of the Church
of England on British lines of steam
ships, where the captain reads the
prayers in big, ringing voice, and woe
befall the luclSless mortal. sailor or
cabin passenger. who fails to pay full
respect to the ceremony.
And there is no option about prayer
at Tomah, either. Military discipline
governs everything, even aspirations
heavenwards. At the sound of the
bugle at $3.50 p. m. there is a roll call:
the 129 children march in file TO their
respective dormitOries, and taking pos
session by their 129 beds repeat an even
ing prayer: and at o'clock the lights
are out and quiet prevails.
This As Great Country.
No wonder people throw up their hats
for Uncle Sam! No wonder you have a
choking feeling in your throat when
you hear a great body of people sing
America" and a feeling of profound
awe as you look round on all kinds OF
people singing
Our Fathers God to Thee,
Author of LIBERTY
ness and their fists involuntarily
clinch! There can be no strong, pure
emotion without the religious element.
There can be no education worthy the
name; there can be no character build
ing. no home life that is to leave rich,
deep impress, without play for divine
aspiration All honor then to superin-
tendents and controllers of the destinies
nf To- xx,t,o <o,r l<r~ 81 x,,to
the banner of allegiance to God on the
outer wall.
Cutie Like Other People.
Another thing I noted at this Tomah
institution was the plainness and en-
forced economy that marked every
thing. Uncle Sam is rich but his wealth
is not lavished on Indian schools. Our
state institutions are palatial in plant
and equipment compared to this SIM
pie Tomah school. The buildings Of
Wisconsin's public activities are as fine
as money can buy; any new invention,
steam plants. labor saving machinery;
the latest thing in electric lighting; fur
nishings, laundry devices, fine horses,
fancy cattle, Office necessaries-every-
thing is of the best. There Is money
and to spare for these things that make
life easy and convenient and beautiful
fer these who man the state schools
and asylums and retreats. The super
intendents have living rooms separated
from the rest of the institution; their
private table, perhaps supplied by a
private kitchen. Not SO ct Tomah. The
superintendent family sits down to his
meals in a room with all the other en-
ployes Of the institution; and while the
food is plain but wholesome" (as they
say in the catalogues of boarding
sehools), there was a rough and ready
air about 1t all that had regular
army" smack to 1t and differed from
the elegance with which the state wise
ly invests the living of those charged
with the care of our great institutions.
Not So Lavish as the State.
The buildings are not extensive, nor
are they elaborate. The school is about
two miles from Tomah and on O. prairie
ranch of zoo acres. Our own ex-Assem-
blyman Jones of Mineral Point is now
Indian commissioner, and his Is de-
partment of the interior. The superin-
tendent Of schools Is l.. M. Compton, a
man of 40, originally from Indiana, and
he, like his staff, is under federal civil
service. He had been over Indian
schools in Montana eft. Belknap) and
on the Pacific coast. He proved to be
a gsntlemanly fellow and has his school
we'll in hand. He has wife and a
baby, and their "reminiscences of the
service had all the romance and nov
city that army people throw into their
variations of life on the plains. Super
intendent Compton is kindly and SYM
pathetic in dealing with the Indian chill
dren; he understands them and he
throwns earnestness into his work. The
clerk of the Office. Jones by name, lives
and will die in the service Of his coun-
try. He is gentle, quiet man; the
teachers, too, were a further demon
stration of the success of civil service.
Bright Ones Go to College.
These Indian children are from to
20 years of age. The theory is to give
them a good general education, largely
Industrial. the brightest ones being ad-
vanced to the Carlisle, Pa, school, to
Hampton institute in Virginia, or to
Haskell, Kan, institute. Last year sew
enteen boys and girls were thus trans
ferred to these higher schools of learn
ing. Children can only be secured for
Tomah with the parents consent. But
d
to the discipline. The parents are often
Indifferent to advantages for their chill
dren, and each year an officer of the
school goes the rounds of the Indian
colonies Of the state to drum up re-
cruits. Many of the children are half
breeds, which means that a white IA
Their is solicitous for his offspring to
have a chance in life, If he takes any
interest at all. The children can be
withdrawn by the parents, and when
the ginsing, wild rice, and BURBERRY
season comes round there is a pull to
take the children out. The average stay
in the school is only five or six years.
The government allows slt7 per child.
exclusive of the superintendent SAL
arr hich is $1,000. In the school are
abe .orty Winnebagoes, some Stock
briase Indians, one Sioux ard the rest
are Chippewas. There are 5000 Indians
of all tribes in the state, half of whom
can carry on a conversation in English,
and more than that can read the Ian
guage The Winnebagoes continue to
wear the blanket, but the rest of them
! -ess as we do.
Only 16 Per Cent. Barbarians.
Eighty-five per cent. of them are en-
gagged in pursuits Of civilized life; 10
per cent in hunting. fishing, and root
gathering and the like; and only per
cent. live exclusively on goynrnment ra