Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-10-24
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| For the Tines Republican.
Grinnell. Oct. Notwithstanding
Indian school at Toledo would be a
waste of time as well as OF government
money, the reverse Is true today Ir
the tribes living near Toledo on the
preservation there are sixty-five Indian
children that ought to go to this school.
But the forty-seven regular attendants
perhaps represent as good percentage
as among white children in some Iowa
towns So far only moral suasion has
been used to get these young wards of
the nation under the civilizing influence
of schools and education and it is
question how far the government au-
thority can be used in this direction.
Occasionally 1t has so happened that a
young Indian has lost his parents and
a guardian, white man, is always APP
pointed. In such cases young Lo goes
toSthis school whether he wants to or
otherwise. The teachers and those who
are watching this experiment are much
pleased with the aptitude of these chill
dren and the interest they now seem to
| take in the school and their studies.
Rather peculiar financial arrange
ment has come about by the refusal of
quite number of these Indians to ac-
Icept the $44 a year the government
sends them. The reason why they are
| thus refusing the good money IS not
| generally understood, but we all know
/ the noble red man has always been
lcursed by some white mans advice, and
lperhaps history is repeating itself.
/ 1t must be discouraging to the be-
jlieyers in the possibilities of an Indian
acquiring the good habits of the white
! man and at the same time avoiding
| adding onto the natural vices of the
| red man those of the white man he is
| thrown in contact with. For this can
be plainly proven. These Indians near
| Tama, associating daily with as good
| citizens as Iowa affords, have not adj
lvanced socially, morally or Intellectual
1 ly particle in fifty years. Exceptions
| of course exist. but as tribe, as a
/ mass, they have not changed They
see the comforts of life the white man
/ has in horses and fixtures. They pre-
fer to live as they did fifty years ago.
lThey do not want heating or cooking
stoves. They will not farm as white
4 men do. although they see the benefits
, of ii. Not three years ago they al
lowed their horses and ponies to live
as best they could all one long, cold
winter on hazel brush and what dead
grass they could gather uncovered by
snow. Only last summer the writer
was told of their uniformly buying of
stock dealers and farmers what hogs
. died of cholera. What they could use
for Immediate consumption was eaten
at once. the other parts We're buried
and dug up as fresh meat was needed.
This is reported to be a very nice way
to keep dead cholera hogs. much bet
ter than the refrigerator system. Ex-
ceptions are noted, as in the case of
Joe Teason, an Indian who lives in a
house of his own, farms intelligently
and rides to- town in two-horse sur
rey, but whil. Joe has been acquiring
the white mans good qualities he has
lost caste tremendously with his breth-
!. rem. When Joe put on the garments OF
civilization he set an example some
i followed partially but the Indians al
lama wear the same style of garments
tboth exes) as they did fifty years ago
Good shoes at 81 80 a pair do not temp,
them to discard the soft mocassin. A
red blanket is much handler than ar
e overcoat And only last week ths
+ writer saw them ornamented with rec
Y lpaint on their faces. That's not So
i strange after all. There were severa
!. white women in the cars that day SINH
: Harry decorated, only the latter wore
silks and satins while the squaws wore
: combination suits, in one case made o
: pair of discarded trousers and shir
: waist. both covered with a high col
d ored horse blanket. In justice TO all
y when one touches upon the Tama In
+ dams and their present habits and en-
q vironments, as the optimists Away
!, mention, they are improving. you FIRE
!, lqusntly now see the buck carrying tn
ipapoose." In olden times the brav
, rode alone on his pony, while the squas
e followed on foot. carrying the pap
d poosc and family supplies.
There is another peculiar conditio
noticeable. Large sums of money hay
1t been contributed and spent in chris
O. tianizing the North American Indians
Success has been attained Just as yo
), figure it, and there is no question Blu
J. what christianity has been more or les
: accepted by certain tribes. Now II an
of this money has been used to CONVEX
any of these Indians right here in tn
'e heart of Iowa, and If so used good re
lie suits have been obtained, there is littl
N TO show for 1t today. Not stating 1t
I'd personal knowledge, but the writer
he Informed that the christian religio
r. either as preached or practiced. is a
~ most as unfamiliar to these Indians a
- the teachings of Budda or Confuciu
- There may be some christians anon
:" them, but IL so the writer did not intel
view the right person.
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