The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-06-05

1 young man, and he is proud that he Is relative of the old Apache Chief Ge-
 ronimo One of the young Indian grad | uates is a nurse in the railroad hospital 1 at Tucson. Another Is matron in hotel
 at Benson, and several are seamstresses. The greater number of the girl gradu- ates have married boy graduates, and
 have gone out to run little farms or
 start fruit groves with a limited capital,
 but lots of pluck and good intentions. Several girl graduates have gone ito the small schools that the government has planted on every reservation, and are there teachers to their Indian brothers
 and sisters.
 The officers in the school say that the work of the school may be seen in the
 gradual improvement in living among
 the older Indians out on the reserva-
 tions, The visits there of the neatly un-
 iformed boys and the washed and tidy
 girls have slowly shown the dirty and
 half-naked parents that there are ir-
 deed other and more satisfactory modes
 of living than they and their ancestors
 in grass huts on the hot sands knew of.
 There is more clothing worn by the
 Apaches and Pimas than ever before
 The desire to have some property and
 be above their fellow savages is slowly
 growing among these barbarians, and Is
 the first indication of a personal ambi-
 ton. Many instances may be cited of
 improvements in home and home life
 among the lowest savages since their
 boys and girls have been at the Phoenix
 school. And the institution Is yet in its
 infancy
 Under the circumstances if some of the Indian pupils do revert to their old,
 wild life, it would not be strange. But
 the number of black sheep among the graduates of Phoenix is small compared with similar white schools It is still a question whether the Indian has the same capacity for civilization as the Caucasian. But whatever may be the answer to that question, Phoenix has proved that the Indian may be civilized.
 Superintendent McCowan has given the best years of his life to studying the Indian on the reservation and in the school. Tn Arizona and New Mexico he is regarded as an authority on the char aeter and education of the red people
 "I believe" said he. "in, first of all, teaching the Indian that getting ones living is not a hit or miss game. The government has been feeding the Indi- ans for years, and the older savages do not know yet what it means. They have no idea about labor being neces- sary, and under this system of con- ducting the reservations the govern ment has been breaking down Indian character while it has been keeping the redskins peaceable. That is all right so far IS protecting the settlers and advan- cling white civilization, but 1t is not cor rect from an educational point of view. The old policy of pauperizng the Indi- an by feeding him without any return in labor or money for value received was bad enough, and should have been discontinued years ago, but the present policy of furnishing places in the vari- ous departments of the government service to Indians without other uuali- fications than their red skins is almost as bad. I think the Indians are being pressed forward too rapidly I believe it ill-advisad to place half-educated un- disciplined Indians in positions as teach CTS In my opinion, also, Indians should not have preference over any other race in civil service places; yet such is the case
 Most Indians are excellent workers in subordinate places, Some are very good as teachers. I know number of graduates of our reservation schools who are successful in life as doctors, lawyers, printers, nurses. blacksmiths and in other trades. and many who have returned from school to their reservations and taken up their f land and are making their own living l and raising their families by their own labor as farmers and stock raisers { These have refused to accept any gifts from the government in any shape, form f or manner, and are just as independent , as any white man could be
 'At the Phoenix school character building receives the greatest attention. | This is accomplished by system of ! ethical instruction, pure human ethics, or the relation of man to man. Since there is a decided objection to teaching { as such we can compromise on this ethical ground.
 "Is the Indian grateful? Well, he ' does not monopolize gratitude But i neither does the Saxon. Gratitude is ex- | ceedngly short lived in any race. It | grasps and sighs and yawns and dies, | On the whole. l have found the Indian | as grateful for favors shown IS the | white race, I believe in the Indian. I | believe he can be educated and elevated. I believe the best Indian is q liv Indian, provided he can be alive to his opportu- ,,i+;aa ,i-New York Sun