Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-04-28
RAISING THE FLAG
An Interesting Ceremony at the
Indian School Every Morning
at 8 O'Clock.
RESPECT SHOWN TO BANNER
Notes Of the Many Valued and Profitable
Improvements Being Made Under the
New and Effective Administration
Of Superintendent Viets.

Superintendent Viets of the Indian
school in this city, believes in teaching
his young charges patriotism as well as
letters and manual training. So at $
O'Clock each morning, there is a some
what elaborate ceremony of flag-raising
which can not fail to impress itself up
on the minds of the Indian children
with such force that they will not be
likely to forget it in after life.
just before s a. m. each day, the en-
tire school is drawn up in two double
ranks, the 1913 boys in front of their
dormitory, and the 81 girls in front of
theirs, clad in the regulation school
uniform. At the signal from the com
mandant of cadets, the band starts out
with the boys following in column of
twos, while the girls march in the same
| order, both columns halting and facing
each other in front of the mast or flag
staff The national emblem is then
slowly raised while the band plays
Columbia the Gem Of the Ocean or
some other national air. As the banner
reaches the top the boys all remove
their hats out of respect to the flag, and
| then the columns return to their re-
spective quarters again in good order
and the order is given to break ranks.
1t is an interesting sight to see this
parade, and the way the small children,
especially, watch the star spangled ban
ner as it rises to its place. This rev.
ercntial Difference to the flag has be-
come something of a custom since the
Spanish war. So it is proper in the In
dian schools In this country, that the
children should show their respect for
the emblem of the nation that is now
rescuing them from lives of useless bar
barsm. and giving them an cd Icational
training that will fit them to become
useful members of the community and
self-respecting citizens of this great ma
tion. Superintendent Viets is fully
alive to the value of this object teach
ing.
On stormy days, or when it is impos-
sible to observe the flag raising exercises
out of the doors, the entire school as
sembes in the new chapel where one of
the honor pupils holds up and waves the
national banner, and the school repeats
in union with bowed heads, MY head,
my heart, my hand give to my country.
One country, one language, one nag"
| The remembrance of such an observance
as this can not ry.well be effaced.
There are quite a number of little
tots, barely out of long clothes, in this
school, and they are catching the ways
of civilization with pleasing alacrity,
great care being taken that evil infu-
ences are kept far distant. As one
stands and looks at these cute, little
fellows at their play and as they march
with the larger boys, he can not help
but feel gratified that they have been
rescued from ignorant conditions and
are where they can be taught to live
lives of usefulness and learn to be-
come self-dependent. 1t is the hope
of the superintendent to secure
such further appropriations at Wash
ington at an early day, as will enable
him to double the attendance, and make
this school more than ever, one OF the
more noted institutions of the kind in
the United States.
One pleasing feature about the chill
dren is the absence of the rude bolster
business so often noticed in schools, and
the mean disposition Of the older boys to
pick at the younger and moro helpless.
This latter evil has been the bane of
schools, especially military schools,
where unruly boys are sent by their
parents in so many cases merely to get
rid of them. There is none of this in
Indian schools. The children treat one
another with consideration, and defer to
each others feelings and wishes.
The new and nearly finished school
building, costing $4,000, is great ad-
dition to the local plant. 1t contains a
34x5O feet chapel, 22 feet in the clear,
with commodious rear gallery, and
will seat comfortably 420 pupils. The
stage is conveniently arranged, In the
building are also four school rooms, "a