The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-01-01
EDUCATED INDIAN
VISITS SALT LAKE
Rev. Sherman Coolidge Gives
Biographical Sketch of
His Own Career.
RAISED AND EDUCATED
BY GENERAL COOLIDGE
Now Pastor of Several Churches
and Educating His Own
Tribe.

Rev Sherman Coolidge, a full blood
Arapahoe Indian and a most interesting
parsonage, is in the city, guest Of the
Cullen hotel. Mr.. Coolidge halls from
Fort Washakie, Wyo. He was named af-
ter Gen. Sherman and was raised by
Gen. Coolidge, recently retired from the
| United States army. When seen by
Tribune representative he talked inter
estingly Of Wyoming and the work in
which he is engaged with his own In
| dian tribe
''Fort Washakic,' he said, "is a
small army post located west OF central
| Wyoming. and is occupied by two com
papies of colored cavalry. 1t is one OF
| the few frontier posts not yet aband-
oned, but probably will he soon, now
that a railroad has made its advance
| into that isolated portion of the coun-
try Either that or it will he raised
to a regimental permanent army post
within the next few years. Our Con
pressman tells me that he expects the
post to be abandoned.
''I have a church close by, the CON
| gregation of which consists of Indians,
mixed Indians and whites. and few
| colored people from the fort. | also
have charge of two churches in my own
tribe on the Teservatlon-one SIX miles
and the other twelve miles distant from
| the fort In each of these churches the
attendance is good and the work Of
| ChristianiZing the Arapahoes is prosper
! ing. although they vet retain their trl-
! bal relations; but ii is expected they
Will take lands by allotment soon and
| become citizens
''What denomination do you belong
| to7'
Is an Episcopalian.
''I belong to the Episcopal denomina-
ton. This field was given to the Epls-
copal church under Gen. Grant g admin
istratiou His idea was that the mis-
| sionary work among the Indians should
| be apportioned among the different
| Christian denominations. And here let
me say that the Episcopal church is do
| ing more missionary work in this and
| other countries than most people are
aware Of.
"As 1 have stated was raised by
! Gen. Coolidge and bear his name. |
am a little over "a years old and was
educated principally in the schools Of
| Minnesota. | was ordained to the
priesthood by Bishop Spalding, the
father of Bishop Spalding here in Salt
Lake, at Cheyenne. in May. 1885
''What is the object of your visit to
| Salt Lake at this time2'
| ' brought two young men. Arapa-
hoes. one Is and the other 20 years of
age, to be treated for an affection of
| the ewes They are nearly blind.
placed them in st. Mark s hospital,
where they will receive treatment free
of charge, and the length Of my stay
will depend on how they will get along.
[ have hard time to get my tribe to
give up faith in their medicine men, al
though these young men were anxious
TO come If these men are sent home
cured ii will 90 far TO dissipate their
| faith in their own primitive methods of
treating the afflicted
els your part of the country pros
pering? Are times good2'
''That part of Wyoming is an invit-
ing country in every way, The coun-
try is being settled up fast. 1t has
been held back heretofore on account
of the long distance from railroad trans
portation, about $50 miles. But now
The Northwestern railroad is completed
to Lander. That brings the post within
about seventeen miles and opens up the
whole country. Mining is receiving con
siderable attention now. The mines are
copper and carry some gold, and some
are proving to be exceedingly rich
From a mine on Copper mountain, near
ShoshoDe, a shipment of thirty one tons
of copper ore was recently made which
brought $3.50. There arc also eXten
sve coal and oil fields up there-which
VIII soon ne Opeucu up, now tluI ldIi
road transportation is provided. 1t is
great sheep and cattle country, al
though the range now is principally oc
cupied by sheep. 1T is a good climat,
the year around, and with irrigation tn,
soil will produce any of the staple crop;
of the temperate zone to perfection.
"I see that Salt Lake has greatly
improved since my last visit here. Thi!
is going to he a great city. 1t certainly
has a great future. We are about a:
near Denver as to Salt Lake, but every
body prefers Salt Lake to Denver"