Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-09-12
INDIAN SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT.
COntests In Wame Making and Dish
Washing by Girls.

Contents in wame Making and Dish
Washing by Girls.
In the extreme northeastern part OF
Indian Territory Is what Is known as
the Quapaw Indian agency. At this
place on the hill overlooking Lost Creek
Valley Is the United States School for
Indians.
In this school are the children OF
the remnants of the tribes Of Wyan-
dotte, Seneca, Shawnee, Ottawa. Mo-
doc, Quapaws, Peorias and Miamis, to
the number Of 100. The school was
established many years ago by the
Friends church.. 1t has always been,
says the Kansas City Star, place
whore the hand as well as the mind
was trained, even after 1t passed from
the control Of the Friends to the UNI
ted States government.
At the commencement exercises this
year Instead of brilliantly lighted
auditorium a platform QUILT under the
trees was the scene Of graduation. Hat
tie Wright and Yvette Spencer gave
demonstration Of the art of table set
ting This was followed by Ruth Ste
vens and RelIa Baldwin, who showed
how to make waffies. The stove and
waffle irons were on the platform and
the waffles were eaten after they were
made. When they had finished Eva
Jamlson and Esther Crozier washed
the dishes, giving verbal instruction In
the manner 1t should be done.
Mabel Spencer and Effie Walker
gave an exhibition Of that most abused
Of all arts, breadmaking, and they had
excellent success, even though they
were under the eyes Of 200 critics,
many Of them housewives who had
been making bread for many years.
This was followed by demonstra-
tion Of the way to do family washing
by Daisy Hinman and Ida Spicer
From the mattress up" was an exhi-
bition Of how to make bed correctly.
The bed, the pillows pillow slips and
the bed clothes were at hand and put
Into place with swift, sure touches by
Myrtle Walker and Ida Schrimpser,
Indian girls trained as housekeepers as
we'll as in literature.
When 1t came to the boys the most
interesting exhibition was the hitchinS
contest There were three pairs Of
Each pair Of boys had
wagon and team. Upon a signal the
boys unhltched the horses from their
wagons, took the harness of, tied both
horses with halters to the wagon
wheels, then harnessed up and hitched
the horses to the wagon again and
started of. The contest was exciting
and close.
The pair Of boys winning made the
time Of two minutes for
the entire performance, and the next
pair was only a half-minute behind.
The boys had been trained to the work
and their speed and deftness were
revelation to their fathers, who had
been taking thirty minutes for the
same work all their lives. This was
by Charles Clark, who gave
and tomato plants. He had
the plants and the soil on the platform
with him.
There are no more pupils In the
school now than there were ten years
ago. The Indian children attend we'll.
The Industrial work particularly at
tracts them. The Indian must have
for his hands to do or you
cannot keep him In school. The school
owns and conducts Its farm and gar
den, gives attention to stock breeding
and gardening and has Its own carpen-
ter shop built by the students The
school management attempts to divide
literary and Industrial work about
In the school curriculum.