The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-07-01
]. /. SEaR and
HIS SCHOOL
President of North Carolina
University Talks Interestingly
OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA
And Education of the ArapahO
Indian
OF WESTERN OKLAHOMA


spoke very Interestingly to the Eagle
correspondent here both of Indians and
of oklahoma:
People who live at a distance from
Indian reservations and Indian schools
have little idea of the substantial and
practical advance made during the last
ten or fifteen years in the solution of the
Indian problem. We see references in
the daily press from time to tine Of such
excellent schools for Indian youth as
Haskell Institute, Chillocco, Carlisle and
Hampton, but these references arc chief
ly 10 fotbaH and baseball. though some
times to the revival of basketry, an in
teTesting art of a fast waning race The
fact that these schools are doing splendid
work in a very practical and sensible
manner, and the Indian race instead OF
dying out is on the increase. When
entered uIon the SUPPLEMENTARY Of Has
KEEL Institute at Lawrence, in 1889, the
Indian population was a little below 250,-
600; it is now about 262, 900.
"a few weeks since on my way home
from FL Paso to Raleigh 1 stopped over
in Oklahoma two or three days to visit
the Segvr School. This is an Indian In
dustrial Training school supported by the
United sitates government. 1t was opened
January 18th, 1892, and Mr.. John H. Seger
was msde superintendent and mas contin-
ued in that capacity with marked sue
cess eE er since. Mr.. Seger was selected
to develop this important enterprise be-
cause IF his successful experience Of
twenty years in the Indian service He
Yves employed in various capacities ar the
Cheyenne and Arapaho agency, Darling
ton, Oklahoma Territory, under agents
Dyer and Miles. His methods of handling
and winning over the Indians had been
30 sensible that he was selected in 1856
20 take 135 of them to Colony, fifty-five
mnes TO the southwest of Darlington,
and set them to work. Before the end
of the year they had numbered five hun
dred. There was one of the Florida
prisoners among them.
For some years Mr.. Seger had charge
OF a mail route in Western Oklahoma
and Texas. He had also been in the
cattle business and knew thoroughly the
country and the Indians of Western Ok
lahoma. When the proposition was made
to establish a school for the education
of Indian youth in what is now Washita
county, ne was asked by the government
to locate it, and he decided upon the
present beautiful location in the bottom
lands on Cobb Creek, about So miles
southwest of Darlington. Many a time
had he camped along the creek and slaked
his thirst at a spring of pure, clear,
sweet water. and often thought what
favorable place it was for the location
of an Indian school.
There were at first two buildings, a
dornitory and a farmers cottage. At
the present time there are thirty-one
buildings. When the school opened the
attendance was ffty-eight; it is now one
hundred and thirty-one. At first there
were FIVE white and two Indian employees.
Now there are nine white and six Indian
Employees. Redmoon School, also under
Mr.. Seger's jurisdiction, has five white
and six Indian employees. and the agency
employees are four and three Indian po-
iicemen About a year ago Mr.. Seger
was informed by the Indian office at
Washington that he was to be agent Of
the Chyenne and Arapaho Indians on
his part of the reservation, and that he
was to have charge of the Redmoon
School. and all this in addition to his du-
ties as superintendent Of she Seger school
at Colony This was done without any
solicitation on his part and was a recog-
milton of the officials at Washington Of
his rare worth and unusual ability in
handling Indian business.
THE first year Of the school there were
100 acres under cultivation and tr>school
reservation consisted of 2560 acres. About
TOO acres have been broken this year by
indians There are 242 sheep. 173 head Of
cattle. II head OF horses colts and mules
and % hogs. This stock, with the ex-
ceptfon Of seven head, was all raised at
the school. Superintendent Seger does
not spend any time theorizing about the
solution of the Indian problem; he simply
goes at it and solves il. I have visited
the Seger school q number OF times dur
ing the last twelve years ana have al
ways been impressed with his sensible
methods Of MANAGEMENT. Mr.. Seger be-
lieves in the gospel OF work. he sets
the example himself and knows how TO
get the Indians TO work I do not refer
merely to the children but TO the able
bodied men. on my recent visit there
were some % or . Indian men at work
sidewalk and doing other kinds Of manual
labor. on the morning OF my departure
two Indians came TO Superintendent Seger
and asked for work. and. when he told
them that he had all the force he could
use that day, they turned away in dis
Hpposntment. on other visits to the
school / have seen Indians making NOR
tar, carrying stone and brick, and in two
or three instances laying stone This IS
much better than receiving an allowance
from the government every two or three
weeks and laying around until the next
issue day. Commissioner Jones has made
8 wise change in cutting OF or reducing
rations and authorizing agents and SUI
perintendents TO hire Indian men TO do
necessary work at $50 day. AT the
present time most Of the able bodied
Indians Of the Seger colony are at work
and are self supporting. The effect OF
cutting of the rations has been very
beneficial Mr.. Seger says he had a short
talk some time ago with some OF the
chiefs and il was their unanimous opin-
ion that the Indians as a whole were
healthier than when they drew rations.
and that there was less hunger in camp
now than when rations were issued. There
has been no suffering whatever TO Mr..
seger's knowledge on account Of the
discontinuance Of rations. When speak
OF the Indians being seif-supporting. I
mean so far as their subsistence and
clothing are concerned. The children are
educated in schools supported by the
United States government. and are fur