Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1899-08-29
VISIT TO INDIAN SCROLL.
cOtnriOn Sahse Observations BY indiaa 10.
spsetor W. J. ~meConusn.
WILL RECOMMEND IMPROVEMENTS.

A CITIZEN representative accompanied
non H.J. hcJUnnelI, ek senator aud ok
governor OF Idaho, aud superintendent
~ A. Alien on d visit Of inspection TO the
government Indian schoOI In this civ
yesterday a%tIefnOOn. Mr. Mcdonnell now
holds ihs position OF indian Inspector Tor
tue Interior department and IL making
Official visits To the different Indian
agencies located In the west. While the
position OF an Indian inspector NAV MOI
seem TO confer any additional honor on q
man who has sat ~ a member OF the
greatest legislative body In the world
and who has held the highest position
within The gift Of thu people OF mis- own
state for two consecutive terms. yet Mr..
Mcdonnell IL oIe Of those real big men,
who, whether ,hey are plowing h corn
heid or moulding IA mighty states de.
crees, are equally interested In their
work and do both equally we'll.
III 1870, the entire Becky mountain
region, including Idaho. was gong crazy
over Bryan aud 10 to /. Mr. Mcconnell
uln not follow the p%recipitate II not en-
tiIeiy uislhterested departure OF Teller,
Cannon, Dubois et al, from the reyubii.
cah associations OF "A lifetime. but stood
Ike a rock In his own state. brea sting
N' ttNNANNE NhNfN VI ttthD
money that aimed 10 over Hhelm and
drown In the sea of oblivion, the party OF
Lincoln, OF Grant and vi Blaine. THIS
much for the man, VINO sacrificed every
hope Of receiving honorable political re.
ward from the people OF his own state In
order to stand true aud loyal to life
principles. Now something of the man
IN the less distinguished but no lass hon-
orable position OF indian inspector. Now
as then he IL true 10 his convictions and
peaks the truth. no matter whom IT hurts
or oUends. This, too, not becauss he
hkes II. but because he feels that
IL Il his duty 90 the untutored
wards OF the nation. who have
received such cruel, bloody and brutal
treatment since the Anglo Saxon first
planted his foot on a continent, OF which
the red man WAS then the sole and I'M
disturbed possessor.
The trip with him through the build
ings and grounds Of the school was In
.eresting Indeed. revealing phases OF the
Indian question. which had never been
dreamed OF by the scribe. His wonder.
full grasp OF every detail aud the quick.
ness with which his eagle eye detected
the slightest defect. we're "A revelation,
ventilation, plenty OF fresh air, IL the
hobby that he will rid to the last day OF
his life. The writer is something OF a
crank on this subject himself. but the
apartments OF the little Indian
boys and girls would have entirely salts.
hed him In this respect, had there not
Oeen "a still bigger cr NIX along TO point
out wherein they were deficient. I'VE
are not interested 20 much in teaching
The Indians TO llnd the hypothenuse OF a
right angled triangle, as we are in
saving their lives. intellectual attain
Tor the Indians are very good In
their place, but there Gre infinitely more
important considerations, and the irst
IT these il their heslth-their lives"
Next to ventilation, the methods OF
teaching In vogue here, ~ we'll az at
Carlisle and every other Indian school in
the United States. came in for singing
0 .iticism.
what these children need is to learn
something useful. something that will be
helpful TO them when they return TO
their homes TO take up their home lives.
Nhillty TO play on the piano or other
musical instrument, iue drawing work
ana even e%xpertnes7 at football won't
help them very much there. What the
Opys need TO know IA how TO farm with
'one degree OF science; and the girls to
card, SPIN, knit and weave. II Is lust
because our government schools do not
teach these things, almost TO the exclu-
OF every other, that | and fault with
them. AT present. IL il weren't for the
bands, football teams aud pyTotech
nicsi exercises Of the Indian schools, they
wouldn't be heard Of"
The Ind an school neal this city re.
one OF tho keenest cuts from his
critical whip. could ANY one imagine
II poorer location to establish an Indian
industrial schooiY sixty acrss OF almost
alksll land. Why the most
nntOrbidden garden OF the most thrift
less farmer In the entire Rio Grande val.
ley, looks lnxuriaDt by the side OF this
garden there" ,
He inquired concerning the religious /
held ut the school, and suggested
sn Effort be made TO interest the /
and ministers of the city, in the /
welfare Of natures children.
lie thought II a contamination deyOutly
TO be wished, y II arrangements be made n
by which a different denomination would p
hold services at the school on each sue. n
Sunday afternoon, until every I
OF the white mans faith had been a
represented. lie also recommended that
an entertainment Of some kind be given
during the week, under the direction OF
he denomination that conducted the re- -,
.lgiOus services on the previous Sunday.
An arrangement OF this KIND he said.
would do the Indians good, | would DO 4,
heir teachers good and il would do the T,
good. We whites need Chris. I;
Iisnizing Just AZ much az the reds" ,
Il am not exactly what you would call !
! siraight-laced Christian myself, but, =
the fact remains that Chris +,
and civilization go hand In hand. !
me Indians have Inherited all the wild v
'upeTstitiOna OF their %fOrefathera. and ,
lniess we can substitute something for I
hem. they will bsckslide az sOOn as they ,
their tribe and breathe again the j
old superstitiOus atmosphere" .
One other unique and valuable suggps. "
ION he made, ana that was that there ,
be q matrOn located vn every In. ,
ilsn reservation. 60 look after the physi- ,
'ai, moral and intellectual welfare OF The ,
after they return from school ,
he maintaining that a matron was more :
needed right on the reservations :
han In the schools, il permanent good !,
was 20 be derived from the vast auIns of =
money being expended on lHdian educa-
lion.
FROM the cOnYer6atiOn OF inspector
Mcdonnell we infer that he will recon-
mend extensive additions TO the indus
.sial departments Of the indian school
In this city and that ~ will recommend
he purchase OF additional farm lauds
Dur conclusions ara based upon his state.
that rising above and towering
the question Of a higher education,
the plain, common, every day
question OF how 10 obtain something TO
something TO wear. Tho department
endea oring 10 give the Indian pupils,