The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-02
YOUNG INDIANS AT SCHOOL.

Some Things Learned During A Re-
 cent Visit to Hampton. The teacher at Hampton Institute
 who had both Indian and negro stu
 dents under instruction has an excel
 lent opportunity to study the most op-
 posite qualities of the human mind. The
 Indian and colored pupils, though train-
 ed there side by side, require altogeth-
 CT different treatment. Where the ne-
 gro is superficial and extremely respon-
 sive, and Indian is self-absorbed and
 reserved. One can get out of the negro everything that is in him, and little
 more. But it is almost impossible to
 get anything out of the Indian pupil.
 At the same time he is retentive and reflective, where the negro may retain
 nothing and think nothing.
 One day at Hampton an Indian boy
 gave an extremely good recitation-one that proved that he knew and under
 stood the lesson. Next day there were white visitors at the school, and the teacher, to show off her interesting pu- pil, asked him to repeat this recitation. But not word could she get out of
 him. She coaxed and scolded by turns,
 but the boy would not utter sound. After the visitors were gone the teacher said to him, Now why didn't you give me that lesson?' And the boy ans wered, You knew it; they knew it; I knew it.''
 That was all. Wasn't it enough? Every unspoiled Indian is bit of a
 Socratic philosopher, and this boy could not see the use Of hattling off lot of information that was familiar to all present.
 One of the hardest things to find but in the case of a newly arrived In- dian at the school is what the child wants. He really has as many desires
 as anybody else, but he is unwilling to
 communicate them to his white guard- ians. Some years ago two Apache boys were brought to Hampton from the mill itary reservation in Alabama, where
 where their parents were in captivity. l The younger of the boys, called Jamie, was particularly silent and reserved, with taciturnity which his teachers took for sullenness and even vicious mess But they are kind at Hampton. and one day, when onesof the teachers
 was going on a trip to Norfolk, she re- solved to take the Apache boys with
 her and give them treat, and see if she could not break the ice of their natures in that way To further the scheme, somebody gave each of the boys a quarter, to spend for anything l they liked.
 | Arriving at Norfolk the teacher took ] the boys about the streets. The older one soon spent his quarter for some ! trinket, but Jamie displayed not the slightest interest in anything. The 1 teacher took him to toy stores and de- partment stores-he would buy nothing but gripped his quarter in his hand. She offered him candy, and ice cream, and soda water, and he remained silent and uninterested.
 l She gave up in despair, and having made her own purchases, was going l through the main street to return to the wharf, when she missed Jamie. He had disappeared. At first the teacher was alarmed, but the other boy pointed to | a millinery store nearby, and out of this store Jamie presently emerged, his face | Wr6atneQ III uIlWOllISu SuliiCS, otlu UT | the lapel of his coat there was pinned a very large bunch of artificial bachelors buttons! He had spent his quarter for this bouquet, and was happy
 | The fact was that Jamie was inordi- f nately fond of flowers, and these had struck his eye. He liked them all the better because they would not witheh. | When the Indians first came to
 Hampton they died by scores. The lit i tie burying ground at the school is full
 of grave stones bearing pathetic inscrip- tions-Eva Good Road, Sioux; Clara
 Head, Sioux; Yellow Star Sioux Edith Yellow-Hair, Tyrol Pole-ant, and so on. Most of these died of con
 sumption, to which they became partic- 1 ularly liable in coming from the plains | to the low, humid atmosphere of Hampton. Some died of a broken heart. Experience has taught the school how
 to choose it's Indian pupils and how to take care of them when it gets them.
 There is comparatively little sickness or death among them now.