The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-07-04

The Cross6elds are now living in
Los Angeles. Cal.
Incidentally. l wish to say that
an infant child Of Alexis was enroll
ed at the agency n 1891 under the
name of O.. S. Crossfieldson, but
turned out to be asdaughter. later
known as Lucy Alexis, now dead.
The enrolling clerks were some
times compelled to enroll children
who had rot yet been named, and
it was their delight to give them
the names Of persons employed or
who had been employed at the
agency Or school. In 1891. when
Mr.. EIrod was compiling the roll
for the socalled big payment, the
clerks frequently attempted to en-
roll some child as Elrod, but Mr..
E!rod always raised terrible
fuss whenever he discovered it.
He said that he expected to bring
bride out soon and he did not want
her to find a lot Of little Indian
children named after him.
When Mr.. Cyossfeld was relieved
of the position Of principal Of the
school Mr.. Joseph r. Brown. whom
you all know, was in charge from
May until September, 1885. when
T. C. Gordon became principal. his
title also became that of superin-
tendent part of the time. 1t was
during his administrator that the
name of the school was changed
to Sisseton Indian Industrial School
The next principal was j. H.
Malugen, later superintendent at
various agencies or schools. |
Nave been unable to ascertain the
present Location of MIR. Malugen,
but understand that he was in the
service until recently. He was prin-
cipal here in lSSS.S9, heing sue
ceeded by Sam Brown, of Browns
Valley who was in charge until
1890. In 1891 J. H. Meter was
principal, and it was in that year
that the school building was en-
larged to almost its present proper
tions. In 1892 Rev. j. C. Shetland
was principal. and he was succe: :ded
by Charles l.. Davis, now superin
tendent Of the Fort Apache Indian
School at White River, Arizona.
A Mr.. Baker and Macarthur suc-
ceeded Mr.. Davis. In 1902 C. =.
Jackson was made agent his success
or being designated as super!ntend-
F., ent of the Sisseton Indian School.
with a principal in direct charge of
the school under him.
Following Mr.. Macarthur as prin
cipal were Horace G. Wilson, q few
months in 1903; Samuel ]. Saindow
1903 "A Ross e. Preston part Of
1904, s, \ NJ. Young l904-3; Fhi.-
lip II Sayles, l905-S Jesse L. lay-
lor 1e08-l0; Z. D. MoSsman 1910
Il; Il. { Russell l9l4-lG; and then
he present superintendent. Mr..
Bert K. Be;z, VINO took charge last
November.
The school has always been main
tained by the interest en- the Sisse-
ton and Wahpeton fund and not by
direct appropriations from the
United States Treasury. This fund
was derived from the sale Of sur
plus land. and the Act Of Congress
of March 3, 1881, provided that it
should be he Id in trust for twenty
five years, at the end of which per-
;od It should be paid out to the in
dividual members # the tribe or
bard. That period Of time has
passed; the fund is rapidly being
paid out. so that there is not now
Sufficient money to maintain the
schoo! which ceases to exist after
tomorrow.
Time does not permit me to tell
you Of all the good that has been
done bv this school during the
forty eight years of its existance.
but | can not refrain from mention
ing one result that has been very
noticeable. So many Of the white
children in their early days fal!
into the habit of using incorrect
English from hearing it incorrectly
spoken at home and not seem to
have the pride or ability to over
come his fault later in life when
they are taught better. In this
school the young Indian children
many of whom never heard the
English language spoken at home,
were taught to speak English pro-
perly in early childhood with the
result that the difference in the
language used by them and used by
many of the white children of this
section is very noticeable to an
outsider like myself.
In conclusion, | want to impress
4 n A. IL