The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1914-06-18
INDIAN PRINTERS
ARE MAKING GOOD
s'Big Chief" the Mirrors Sioux
Typesetter can Hold His own
With the Best of 'em.-TeIls
How he Learned theTrade.
By" big Chig'-W. Dec.


one of it's members a real live Siou1
Indian Big Chief" we call him
but of course that's not his name
AS a type sticker he doesn't have tt
take his hat-or feathers-off to any
body, and is always on the job
ready and willing.
Just how big Chief come te
break into the printers game, and
how other Indians are making good
at the trade, he tells in his own words
and in his own way. You will find
it interesting.
Learn to do by DOING" and this
is what | have endeavored to do
since l set my first type on little
paper called, The Word Carrier"
published at the Indian Training
School at Santee Nebraska; when /
was a small boy. | have never re-
GREETED sticking my first type. for it
seems to be the up-to-date watch
word in the Indian schools of today
in the various lines of endeavor both
in the trades and the professions.
But / want to speak of Indian
boys who are learning to be printers.
There was time when the Indian
Normal schools gave only theoretical
instructions, leaving to the peda-
gogues themselves the all important
task Of finding out the best means
of imparting that knowledge to
others.
Now, one finds model printing
plants in almost every Indian school
in the world, and each has an up-to-
date printing office with a class of
students who are under the watch
full eye of an able instructor who
must be highly recommended and
appointed by the Government au-
thorities at Washington.
Goes to Haskell
After leaving the Santee Indian
school, / next entered Haskell Insti-
tute, at Lawrence Kansas, and there
became one of the Indian boys who
entered The Indian Leader" office
as compositor. The Indian Leader,
is periodical printed by, and for
the Indians in that great institution;
not only for the school, but for the
public as well.
Through this kind of practical
methods in the two schools mention
ed l received my first instructions
in type setting, and l wish to say
that in the Indian Leader office at
Lawrence Kansas, there are being
instructed today in the art of arts,
about twenty five to thirty Indian
boys representing many tribes, from
the Siouxs of the Dakotas, to the
various tribes of Oklahoma, and
New Mexico. The Indian boys are
being taught the printing trade by
doing practical work. In fact, they
learn the trade by what might pro-
perly be termed a systematic APP
premiership system.
The Indian printing schools
there, is more than a success. Not
that every Indian boy who leaves
the school makes his living at print
ing, carpentry. or farming; all of
which and more are being taught
there, but many who leave the school
as printers, are 80 proficient that they
have no trouble in holding down
good positions. Many who have
graduated in the printers trade at
Haskell are today editors and pro-
prietors of wide-a-wake weeklies.
They have made remarkable success
in the business; and those who are
not editors nor proprietors, are to
be found in some of the largest
newspaper Offices in the country.
High Cla.. Work
The work done at the Indian
printing schools averages with the
best, and they have done consider
able very artistic work for the
lndlan once at ashlngtOn.
These facts place the stamp n1
approval upon the Indian printing
schools. and show that there are
Indians who have ambition. and 8
desire to take their places in the
various fields of endeavor. tina,
characterize the life of the nation
After an honorable training botf
at home, and in the two school,
mentioned. | had the misfortune t.
get into trouble, charged with ar
offense against the laws of m,
country. and society demanded my
incarceration at this institution fol
certain length of time; but under
the clouds of sorrow. burst forth {
CLEAN of light, and l soon founc
myself in the Prison Mirror Office