The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1907-10-12
INDIAN SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT
Contests I'm Waffle Making and Dish
Washing by Girls.


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
where 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 platform built 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 Rella Baldwin, who showed
how to make waffiea The stove and
waffle irons were on the platform and
the waffles were eaten after they were
made. When they had finished Eva
Jamison and Esther Crozier washed
the dishes, giving verbal instruction In
the manner 1t should be done.
Mabel Spencer and Efiie 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 a demonstra-
ton Of the way to DO family washing
by Daisy Human 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 Schrimpeer
: Indian girls trained as housekeepers al
well as In literature.
When 1t came to the boys the mos
interesting exhibition was the hitcmns
contest There were three pairs Of
contestants. Each pair Of boys had {
! wagon and team. Upon a signal thu
, boys unhitched the horses from theil
\ wagons, took the harness of, tied botl
horses with halters 10 the wager
wheels, then harnessed up and hitchet
the horses TO the wagon again and
, started of. The contest was excitin,
! and close.
The pair Of boys winning made tn
remarkable time Of two minutes TO
= the entire performance, and the mex
9 pair was only a half-minute behind
q The boys had been trained to the worl
: and their speed and deftness were
a revelation to their fathers. who ha
b been taking thirty minutes for tn
: same work all their lives. This wa
d followed by Charles Clark, who gave
k practical example of how to transplar
9 cabbage and tomato plants. He ha
u the plants and the soil on the platform
with him
!. There are no more pupils In tn
school now than there were ten year
d ago. The Indian children attend wei
The Industrial work particularly a
7, tracts them. The Indian must hav
n something for Ms hands to do or 20
. cannot keep him In school. The scho'
owns and conducts Its farm and ga
A den, gives attention to stock breedin
and gardening and has its own carpel
ter shop, built BY the students tt
school management attempts to divid
literary and industrial work abo,
70 equally in the school curriculum