The San Francisco call., 1909-05-10

a things-rearing children, keeping
we'll ordered home for her nus
band; perhaps even getting arrested as
suffragette in the British parliament
or leading the insurgent faction in
ID. A. r. convention. But even the
widest stretch of the imagination
wouid hardly include among her fune-
tions the holding at bay of mob OF
drunken Indians and cowing them into
submission by her sheer personality;
more winning them over to her ideas
by that same force, and making good
citizens out of them-and all within
less than a score of months.
Yet that was the work that came
within the line of duty of one small
woman, and she performed 1t with the
precision of machine. getting results
that many an experienced man had
given up as hopeless of attainment.
She is Clara D. True. the superinten-
dent Of schools on an Indian reserva-
tion OF the far west and under the law
general superintendent of the reserve,
clothed with police powers.
Away down in the tiptoe corner Of
the United States. in the farthest end
of southern California, there dwells, or
rather roams, tribe of natives known
as the Mission Indians. For years the
Mission Indians have been a thorn in
the flesh OF the government. Lawless-
ness of ell kinds, wherein murder was
of frequent occurrence. was the rule.
The Indian agents were powerless to
control them.
WHISKY RUINS INDIANS
And the greatest evil. the root of all
other evils. was whisky OF course.
as all know, it is 4 crime to Sell
whisky to Indians. But there is
certain class of INSCRIPTIONS white
men who pander to the thirst of these
barbarians.
And nowhere did this evil flourish
more than among the Mission Indians
ern California. The Indian office at
Washington offered them every induce
ment for better life. There were put
al their disposal the fairest lands of
the continent. ready 70 bloom like
Eden. did they only put their hands
to the work. But the call Of the boot
logger who sold the contraband stuff.
the lure of liquor. was too strong upon
them. And that was the condition
when, two years ago. Francis f. Leupp.
commissioner of Indian affairs. went
west and thrust his probe into the
that needed his executive surgery, but
none more than the deplorable condi-
tion among the Mission Indians. They
had degenerated iSto a tribe of drunk
ards. It was a sad state of affairs.
The commissioner returned to Wash
lngton. shut himself up with himself
and thought long and hard. And this
is what he determined:
WOMAN GIVEN MISSION
Some years ago there taught at the
Indian school of the Rosebud agency.
among the Brule Sioux in South Da-
kota, quiet. unassuming little woman.
Clara d. True by name. She was from
Kentucky. and while without any of
the bravado that marks many OF the
folks of that good state, she had all
the sterling qualities that have made
Kentuckians known for their nerve and
sticking qualities. And when the prob
lem of the Mission Indian confronted
Commissioner Leupp he found the So
luton was Clara d. True.
Il looked over all the field for the
best man. said the commissioner.
short while ago, and 1 found he was
Miss True"
So to southern California, among the
drunken Mission Indians. Miss True
was sent as superintendent of the half
dozen schools there on the Moronge
reservation Her position as superin
tendent made her ex-officio super
visor and chief police officer OF the
reservation. And the first isntruction
the commissioner gave her was to
break up. at any cost. Illicit liquor
traffic of the bootleggers. now grown
so hagrant.
For a year and half Miss True
studied both Indian and bootlegger.
She knew that the way to make last
ing impression upon the NINA OI the
Indian. was to strike telling blow
with a dramatic setting. She waited
the proper time-and the time present
ed itself at the big fiesta" at Palm
Springs on the Monongo reservation,
on February of last year.
WHISKY SELLER ARRESTED
Miss True. who was living short
distance away at Banning. started for
the scene of the fiesta. Nearing the
spot she came upon one Dol. Martin. an
old offender in the whisky selling line
and a bad man. who had several muir
ders to his discredit.
WHISKY SELLER ARRESTED
Miss True walked up to his buggy,
reached for a jug, pulled it out and
emptied its contents on the ground: