The sun., 1899-04-30
WILD INDIANS RECLAIMED.
STRIKING RESULTS PRODUCED AT THE
sCHOoL At PHENIX.

Traits of Young Indinns-objocts and
Methods of tho Phnnix School.
PunxIx. Ariz.. April 1e-Pcople who believe
that tho only good Indians are those who are
dead should visit tho Indian school at Phpnix
Here n wonderful work is going forward in
making useful men and women out OF tho
most intractablo. savage raw material Uncle
Sam has anywhere within his domain. In
some respects the work OF civilization at this
school has no counterpart The institution is
tho next largest after the Indian school at
Narlisle. Pa 1t has among its pupils Apache,
Pima and Marlcopa boys and girls principally.
A large majority OF its pupils are tho
offspring OF the Apaches. who only fifteen or
eighteen years ago were massacring white set
tiers wherever they found them in southern
New Mexico and Arizona. were beating tho
brains out OF white babies. were perpetrating
crueltles upon women and youths before de-
spatching them and were giving the troops
under Gems Crook and Miles the hardest and
fercest kind OF fighting. Two grandsons OF
the merciless sub-Chicf Cochise arc the super
intendents of tho hrickyard at the school. and
one OF them Is tho crack cornet player in
the school band. The school takes red
skinned children. half naked. filthy. super
stitious and rebelous directly from tho
wickiups on the hot sandy plains OF
Arizona and In six or seven years
converts them into as attractive and bright
youths rs one commonly meets Not only that.
but the school has been located down here In
the region OF the Apache. Maricona and Pima
reservations. so that the instruction may be
adapted to the needs OF the Indians on the
reservations. The graduates from Carlisle
have too often come back to their parents
wickiups and Rrassroot shacks with good
knowledge Of common school studies. an idea
Of farming under Pennsylvania conditions
and perhaps training in shoemaklng: but
IN the arid regions OF the Indian reservation,
whore irrigation Is necessity In grow
ing crops. where mining and cattle are the
chief industries. and where shocmaking
ts about useful trade diamond polish
Ing the Carlisle graduates have been of little
or no help in aeviatng the conditions OF
themselves or their race. The superntend-
ent and other officers at the Phoenix school
observe the usefulness. spirit and work of the
graduates after they return to their tribal To-
calitics and the course OF instruction is always
bent so as best to subserve the slowly expand
ing intelligence and ambitions of the tribes.
The Indian who has passed seventeen or
eighteen years o! his life as his ancestors did
is seldom "A good pupil in school. The recipe
for converting a rcdskin into u person OF per-
manent usefulness. industry and morality may
be stated as follows: Catch your Indian as early
In childhood as possible. Five years is the best
age. Then. when the subject has been thor
oughly washed and well dressed begin a
course of kindergarten work. Add an occa-
siOnal dash of music, especially vocal. Sprinkle
with encouraging smiles. and with
mechanical ideas. Then begin long sys-
tematic course Of daily studies of a practical
nature and instruction in agricultural pursuits
and T you Wi VIII secure Sc 1t,, lasting u benefit
Phoenix The last Congress appropriated
$65.OoO for two now buildings here, and when
they are erected the schoo will have q capacity
of nearly 700 pupils. To-day the school. with
GERS quarters. recitation buildings. dining
halls. work hops. lighthouses. farm and stock
barns and assembly ro9ms-s more attractive
than many American colleges, Therraro great
sweep,s OF lawns of blue grass. winding grav:
elled driyeways lianked by rows Of cottonwood
shade trees. stone walks. cypress and laures-
tina hedges everywhere. enormous flower beds
End End sp,ashing fountains; Away to the rear Of
flowers is the school farm, with its cattle sheds
and toolhouses. Beyond is the brickyard and
& the sheep e0rras: The area of the school and
"A a dozen white men are employed as teachers
Indian boys. An Apache lad whose father is
SeW wf i2r an IS 9fh9s5y thc s in she
intendent in the alfalfa fields. and So industrious
an offer OF $50 a month as overseer over
neHr TSmrs Ws RSreT h on sch hSG a2" rHGh
hhPrc2ts. h melons. corn and garden Vegetables.
oS a@cs he the TS2Hfn H" and
WAGONS wagons are repaired by corps q Indian boy
Shom IS 6 T6H"dWFSFS the are od
plan pantfd' the aiaia Is heaHtif4iIy green. and
horses aud, cattle. Last year a Pima Indian
lad devised n scheme by which tho surplus
be run to the prunc orchard. thus putting to
thst Rnd iae eH wa4%d he t @ 9 %@%F
great practical utility to the farm
There arc twenty young Indians employed
Navajo tITp
fondest of the work in this line for they have
hSaS"E %%o"k 'H al "nf n;S f%Is io
1e1sr 1e5s are SIn made here &n%re In an adjoining room
N" sy TEs S b S"s aow"a ikS5s a cna na
this branch OF labor. because they SEQ posi-
they will have returned 10 the reservai"n. " The The
nerd IN connsStl"n with he dairy department.
COWS. p4sturcd on tho forty acres Of nlinlia
sn1 Lps1 Magaa iaIi amd Winter number Of old pmas
the resorvpton and gather Quantities OF alfalfa
@ seed i4r % planting on their own land this
good people a decade or two ago to be utterly
intractable. have planned to buya mower and
aeaner @ like the one at the school and to use, it
Pim4s have harvested their wheat and l"3 barley ley
tie ga w tRer hand 1 m nSog on
%5aSsps 5aSs Enf T i not go very far amopg 300 In
Ss%s the the neSc i@f ffHi %ah
,bs sS are bpa 9hsr I8danS busy in the work
most generally built in his land Of long, hot hot
summers. There are evidences all about OF
the skill and industry OF these aboriginal sons
OF Arizona The big twoIIstory brick building
occupied as boys hahhouSc. band heal
quarters and assembly rooms is the sole work
81 the boys. Tho artistic band stand In the
plaza is also the work of the boys and there
are fences, highly ornamcnted gates, ehairs,
tables and interior woodwork about the instl-
tuition wrought by Indian hands The Indian
boys have 10000 bricks made. burned and
ready for use in tho new dormitory soon to be
buIt from the Congressional appropriation.
The girls are taught, besides their daily
foutine IN the classrooms. to sew. knit. bake.
TO make clothes for themselves and the boys
and perform the duties an American wife who
bias 70 make her own way. The Govrrnmrnt
has furnished sewing machines for these In
dian girls. The art 0f weaving is taught in a
dozen forms. The fancy, work made by tn"
tribe. is Surprisingly deytrous. A young
Woman Of Marc9pa birth. graduate, q
OF this branch OF the girls industrial
education, and she has Won fame among
the dealers in rurlOS nnl nhnrlpInnI