Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-04

try. Each year Miss Reel travels from
coast to coast to study the various needs
of the reservation schools and compare
their results with other schools in more
settled districts. During her first year OF
Office she travelled seven months, be-
coming acquainted with the various tribes
and the methods used in civilizing then
Much of the distance was covered by stage
and wagon. 1t is largely due to her per
sonal observation that the schools show
greater efficiency than at any other time
during their history.
Congress has a faculty OF appropriating
money for Indian schools without def
mite idea of where they are to be located
The representative in Washington knows
little or nothing Of the wflaS of Arizona.
Another reason for the .nannessibiltty of
the schools Is that they are frequently es-
tablished near reservations for which the
Indians purposely chose remote locations
Miss Reel often travels through parts OF
the country where there is not even
wagon road.
Her most perilous journey is up the
Colorado river. She is obliged to hoard
a barge and take a two days journey on
the river accompanied only by two In
dams Teachers who hav, come Il long
distance from the east protest that they
cannot go on when they get this far, but
Misc Reel is confident the Indians are her
friend: and never feels the slightest fear
of them.
Isolation from railroads makes Miss
Reels visit an event in any Indian school,
esnecjally as she carries with her whole
pharmacopoeia of medicine. This Is intended
for the teachers and scholars. to whom she
is doctor and nurse.
MANY features of Indian life seem pathet-
ic to Miss Reel-the hard work the squaws
are obliged to do. and the way in which
they stand waiting until their braves have
eaten their fill.
souaw with a baby in her arms, looking on
and crying while her lord and master, tall
and fine-looking brave. devoured every par
ticle of food. 1 had no Interpreter, but feel
ing it was because she was hungry l sent
her next day some presents which L hoped
would please her..
The children who attend the Indian schools
are gradually learning civilized ways. They
cook their food differently from their par
ents, and are clearly in eating.
In spite of popular opinion to the con-
trary. Miss Reel contends that contagious
diseases spread rapidly among the red men,
AT one reservation which l visited, she
says II asked to see the chief braves. After
being kept a long time. l was informed the
delay in appearing was due to their making
their toilets On their appearing in state
later I saw that their usual queer appear
ance was enhanced by the application of
red paint put on to conceal peck marks"
One of the aims of Miss Reel and others
interested in similar work Is to bring the
handicraftS of the Indian to the front. This
is already being done. In a personal in
vestigation which she has made of the sales
of three of the principal-stores that handle
curios in New York she found that at pres
ent more Indian goods are sold than orien-
tai. rich families like the Vanderbilts fire.
quently buying a thousand dollars worth
at a time to decorate an Indian room. The
time for getting these curios cheapiy is
rapidly passing. for the Indian is learning
that good prices can be obtained. just as
he is learning the secrets of aniline dyes
and ordinary Germantown wool for rugs.
instead Of vegetable dyes. Miss Reel re-
grets this and urges that the Indians be
taught to do their original work and not
limitations
mot long ago." said Miss Reel when dis
/ cussng this subject. IT saw an old squaw
working on basket. She took bottle Of
red ink and began painting 1t. I immedi-
ately went to her. told her It would not
do, and took the ink away. Then turned
and bought from her an old basket that
knew bad been made of native grasses and
stained with vegetable dyes. in order to
show her that we really wanted work done
In the old manner"
A preliminary step toward solving this