Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-11
FOR INDIAN YOUTH
Work of Sherman institute at
Riverside, Cal.
PRACTICAL ARTS TAUGHT
Total of Five Hundred and Fifty
Pupils on the Rolls.
GIVEN WHITE MANS CHANCE"
Boys and Girls Taught Under the
Same Roof-Scope of the
Instruction.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

RIVERSIDE. Cal, May 4. 1911.
| II you will board trolley car any
| where on the main street of Riverside
| with magnolia avenue painted upon it,
| you can enjoy a treat--one of the most
delightful trolley rides I know of along
broad boulevards, between rows of date
palms and eucalyptus and pepper trees
that line both sides Of the track and
make a tunnel of foliage almost the
entire distance. Behind the walk Of the
| tunnel orange and lemon groves, laden
with golden fruit. and grape fruit trees,
| bending to the ground with their juicy
! burden. Here and there. half hidden in
| the orchard, are artistic villas with roses
and other climbing plants festooned over
| the porches and the windows and creep
| ing up the roofs, and lovely gardens
| laid out in an artistic manner with all
| kinds Of flowers and shrubs. Behind
| them, rising like the background of d
| picture, are mountain peaks covered with
snow, which lasts the greater part of
the year.
They call 1t Magnolia avenue, and I did
see two or three magnolia trees, for which
| l presume the boulevard was named
but it might be called anything else with
equal proprety. One of the women S
| clubs has built rest house at the end
of the trolley line. which has made many
| tired people grateful, and little far
Their on is a geological garden with a
| number of strange beasts and birds and
creeping things that are objects of in
terest to many people, but not half as
much so as the orange groves.
Vice President Honored.
Just before reaching the terminus the
cars pass a group of handsome buildings.
mostly of the mission style of archtec-
ture, in which $50 Indian boys and girls
are being converted into useful citizens.
1t Is called Sherman Institute. in honor
of Sunny Jim," our beloved Vice Presi
| dent, who was chairman of the commit
tee on Indian affairs of the House OF
| Representatives for many years. and is
| largely responsible for the present COM
prehensve and successful system Of in
| duStrial education among the Indians. Ii
was eminently appropriate that this citi-
zen factory should be called by his name
So far as I am aware it is the only monu-
ment that has been erected in apprecia-
ton of his efforts to give the Indians
"a white mans chance" by training the
children in the practical arts.
This institution. which is one Of the
best of all the Indian schools, consists
of thirty-four different buildings. grouped
in an attractive manner upon a campus
of forty acres, separated by Well kept
lawns, a profusion of flowers and trees
and well kept gardens which were laid
out and taken care Of by the Indian
boys and are an object lesson as well
as a demonstration of their taste and
capacity for gardening.
The most imposing structure in the
group of buildings contains an auditorium
that will seat a thousand people. and Is
surrounded by lecture rooms. classrooms
a library, an office for the principal
and other apartments.
On either side of this building are six
dormitories. three for girls and three
for boys. Each of them has a name OF
significance The Ramona" named
sons pathetic novel, is occupied by the
oldest girls; 1.-THE Tepee" is the home
of the youngest girls. and "Minnehaha
Is occupied by girls of intermediate age
The boys are housed in AlessandrO Lodge
Hiawatha Lodge and the Wigwam.
Each in Charge of Matron.
Each of these dormitories is in charge
of matron, who acts as a mother, an
adviser and friend Of the students under
her charge. She is a character builder,
for her influence is more immediate, more
lasting and effective than that of any
other person connected with the institu-
ton Each Of the dormitories has q
sitting room, music room, a library
and other home-luxe apartments in which
the girls mingle like a family. The older
girls have rooms, similar to those OF
students of other schools for young wom-
en-, and are furnished and adorned In
the same way with pretty trif1es, trophies
and tokens. The feminine love Of finery
is apparent everywhere.
l asked one of the matrons when an
Indian girl first developed that character
istic of her sex:
LAS soon as she recognizes the differ.
ence between the beautiful and the ugly
was the reply. Il have never known q
girl to come here without it-no matter
how young she was or where she came
from"
Indian girls are just as human as white
girls They have the same wants an6
tastes and aspirations, and they must bt
treated in the same manner to develop
their characters properly. Color is only
skin deep: environment changes manner.
and customs, but not hearts and souls.
Fifty Tribes Represented.
The present enrolment Of the schoo
embraces five hundred and fifty pupils
the boys and girls being about equal!
divided. They represent fifty diheren
tribes and bands and come from ffteer
different states. More than IS per cen
of them are full bloods. None but. thos'
of more than quarter Indian blood Cal
be admitted. Fourteen years Is the De
sired age of entrance, but every Chile
whose parents apply is admitted
The Mission Indians of southern. Call
fornfa have the largest representation
the Pimas of Arizona are next, because
they live in the neighborhood. The MO
------------------