The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-01-19
INDIANS JUSTIFY TRAINING.
Boarding Schools Turn Out Graduates
Equipped to Battle with Life.

Equipped to Battle with Life.
Our Indian schools are now giving
boys and girls training in the prac.
teal affairs of life. Nearly all board
which there are about hundred, have
farms with herds of swine and dairy
cattle, gardens and poultry, besides
workshops and mechanical appliances
for conducting the usual activities that
relate to farming and to a number
of the trades, such as carpentry, ma
sonry, blacksmithing, painting, shoe
and harness repairing, and the essen
tial features of household enconomics
The Indian bureau has worked out
a very practical course of study for It's
schools, of which the central idea is
the elimination of needless studies and
the employment of natural process
of instruction adjusted to actual ae-
tivities in industry, esthetics, civlcs
and communit interests. Without
and neglect of moral, academic and
cultural training, the Indian pupils are
especially taught TO design and make
useful things with their hands; to
study and appreciate art in the cook
ing and serving of meal, in the fit
ting and making of a garment, and
in the furnishing and decorating OF
tools and furniture, in building con-
venient and sanitary houses, and in
discovering the best uses of the soil.
In agriculture the aim is to pro-
duce not a specialist, but a practical
capable farmer, whose success will de-
pend largely on his skill in doing. In
the mechanic arts the purpose Is 10
help a boy find himself, and if in
clined to craftsmanship to help him
select the trade for which he il best
fitted Girls are trained to become
model housewives and mothers in the
community TO which they will return.
This work is practical rather than
idealistic. and conducted with the home |
of the farmer or moderate workman in |
mind, and with an idea of fitting In
dian girls for making their future
homes pleasant, healthful and efficient.
The typical day school has a gar
den plot, a little shoproom and enough
ordinary tools for teaching the sim
pier construction repair work necessary
about a home. and thus is taught the /
beginning Of handicraft along with In.
struction and actual practice in gar
dening, including lessons about seeds.
plants, soil, fertilizers and cultivation.
The government generally furnishes
sufficient supplies to enable the house
wife to teach the girls something about
cooking and how 70 cut and make va
rious articles Of clothing. Quite cred.
table results are often achieved hv
small boys in the use Of hammer. saw
and plane. and by girls Of 10 in cook
ing, sewing or canning " fruits and
The dav schools on some
have produced from their
gardens sufficient to afford their pu-
pills a nice MONDAY meal throughout
The wear.
This instruction and practice in the
MT Of DOING the essential things re-
luired bv the daily life Of those who
must support themselves is. ~ course.
enlarged IN the boarding schools q
he reservations. where equipment for
~ such activities j. more complete
md systematic industrial courses are
pursued. and are still further broad /
ned in the non reservation schools !
A. many Of the boarding schools much
4 the upkeep labor requiring a c1n-
siderable knowledge n mechanics =
performed by the students. in edition
o the farm, gardening, dairvine and ]
ither activities which Weld much sub !
iistence and sometimes produce large &
surplus.
Il i not uncommon for the ~ale ~
,rcduets above the quantity consumed !
= the school t. rim into th0u-an8s II I
iollsrs A NOTABLE instance is giten
" the SCHOOL having she largest farm {
those receipts for the last wear fram 4
Re sale r. wheat alone were over :
.3on0o. whose farm. garden ard dairy :
lroiucts we're worth SO COO and !