Semi-weekly herald., 1910-04-07
SENATOR GuGGENHEiM AND
FORT LEWIS SCHOOL

Ihe fOll0wing letter VIII he of inter
est to Herald readers aud fully ex-
plains the dismantling of the Fort
Lewis Indian school:
Washington. d. c.. Mar. 90, 1910.
Mr.. A. L.. Nathan.
President Durango Board of Trade,
Durango, Colorado.
My Dear Mr.. Nathan:
Last year secured the passage of
an amendment to the indian appropri-
alton bill providing for the granting
to the state of Colorado OF the Fort
Lewis Indian school property: said
property to be taken over by the
state on or before June 30. 1910: and
also had the appropriation for the
maintenance of the school continued
until June 80, 1910. unless the state
accepted The grant before that time, in
which case The appropriation would be
pro rated.
| The last legislature failed to pro
| vide for the care and maintenance of
the school made strong effort in
thiS uhctiioii' anu upon llie IalluIe OF
the last Legislature to make proper
provision. l urged upon the governor
The necessity of Including the matter
within his call for an extra session of
the legislature. which the public press
stated he would call, but he would not
indicate TO me that he would do so.
then introduced an amendment TO
the present Indian appropriation bill,
OF the grant until June 30. 1911. and
also providing for the maintenance of
the school until the legislature could
provide for the transfer of the grant
and The acceptance of the conditions
thereof
have succeeded in securing the ex-
tension OF the grant, but in the opin-
ion of the indian department and of
the respective committees on Indian
affairs the desirability of longer con
tinuing the school no longer existed.
and the appropriation was therefore
stricken from the bill-the records OF
the Indian office showing that there
are no pupils or very few in attend
ance at the school.
| have been assured that a Gus
todian viii be appointed to properly
care for the property until it is turned
over to the state.
believe the Fort Lewis property
will prove TO be a most valuable ac-
quisition to the statet. Under the Pre-
visions of The act the lands and build.
ngs must be held and maintained by
the state as an institution of learn
ing, and Indian pupils shall at all times
be admitted to such school free of
charge for tuition and on terms of
equality with white pupils; but the
educational purposes and scope are not
restricted, and the possibilities for use
fulness can hardly be measured. IT,
for instance. as a part of the edu
cational institution, an experiment sta
| ton should be established there which
would include within it's curriculum the
study of the breed of sheep adapted to
the climatic conditions of the south.
west there is no reason why that sec.
tion should not be the great wool pro
ducing section of our country.
Colorado probably presents as great
variety OF agricultural conditions as
may be found anywhere within an
equal era. In altitudinal range the ex.
tremes between which farming is done
Is very marked; the temperature range
is likewise remarkable; and the VA.
riety of agricultural soil presents
equally marked differences.
careful and systematic study of
these conditions, with intelligent ex.
perimentation, would disclose re
sources heretofore undreamed of, and
would be of the greatest benefit to our
people.
With our state but beginning to Of
fe" of her wonderful stores to those
who diligen ;ly and intelligently seek
them; with her field still new to her
children, but inviting them 10 partake
OF her bounty, every effort should be
made to give to the younger genera.
tion and 10 those who are still able TO
enjoy them the means of Wrestling
from nature the screts which she is