Carlisle, Pa., June 20th, 1898.

Landen F. Smith,
Female College,
Chapel Hill, Texas.

My dear Sir;

I doubt very much if I shall be at the N.N.A., but
Carlisle is chosen by and I am likely to be here at that time. I
will be glad to see you, and this will be the best place for you
to get an understanding of our work.

(Dictated) Mc

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF
THE YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., June 20th, 1896.

Fred P. Hall,

The "Journal",

Jamestown, N.Y.

My dear Fred:

I will give you the job of making five thousand books for us, and can send you most of the pictures immediately, and all of them in a short time. I have not a full set, but the photographer will supply them in a few days. The material to go with each picture, and the order in which they shall appear, can be arranged later. Of course, the important point to you, as I understand, is the photographs in order that you may make the pictures. I send you herewith one of the photographs. They are mostly of this size.

I want them all to be clear and a clean cut job, as nearly free from defects as possible, so that if any are imperfect I should want them worked up. It occurs to me that the 6 x 7 size I had thought of may involve changes different from what you would suggest, and that it might suit better to have some other size, even the size of the present photograph. I wish you would give me your own and your artist's judgment about this.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

Supt. H.B. Peairs,
Haskell Institute,
Lawrence, Kansas.

My dear Sir:

By starting this evening I could be with you Wednes-
day, but it would be at the expense of neglecting important mat-
ters here, which I am sorry to say I feel I cannot consistently
do.

Be assured that I am heartily in full smypathy and fellow-
ship with you, and rejoice greatly to hear of the steady growth
and improvement of conditions at Haskell since you took charge.

Wishing you the greatest success and expressing the full-
est desire to on all occasions cooperate with you always, I am,

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

Chas. Daggett,
Indian School,
Chillicothe, Kans.

My dear Charley:

Since receiving your letter, I have one from
Supt. Taylor, in which he expresses a desire to bring a party
to Carlisle. I did not know his wishes in the matter when I
wrote you. You will, of course, understand that it would be bet-
ter so, as he is the superintendent, and in some way I may be
able to arrange that you come in later.

I want to see you at Carlisle, and if you were not so
high priced already, I should suggest a transfer. We are likely
to have the position of Asst. Disciplinarian vacant, as C.Y. Robe
is seeking a transfer. The salary, however, is only $600, and I
would have no vacancy to offer Esther. You and Esther are good
influences in the western schools.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

Hon. W.A. Jones.

I am so glad that she is worthy of the best of help, and I think it a great
and better policy that the Government should do this for her in a
limited way, of course, than that she should fall into the hands
of someone to whom she might possibly be over obligated. If you
find time I wish you would give me a decision as early as practi-
cable. If Miss Simmons leaves (and she would like to at once), I
shall be without a teacher.

No word has come about the Cheyenne and Arapahoe party leaving
Washington. I have arranged to have them met with transportation in
Harrisburg, but ought to know some time in advance. It is my inten-
tion to come down about Wednesday of next week for one or two days.
We leave here on the 13th on our trip.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

BLEED THROUGH

Carlisle, Pa., December 3rd, 1898.

Bausch & Lomb Optical Co.,
Rochester, N.Y.

Gentlemen:

The booklet you said you would send has not reached me. As I leave home for a long absence on the 13th and desire if I bought a glass at all to have it for the trip, I am anxious to get the booklet and understand. I can, of course, get a glass through any arrangement the Army may have with you, but it might facilitate matters if I could get one direct, if I could have it at the same price.

(Disted) Mc

VOL. 35

BLEED THROUGH

Hon. W.T. Harris, L.L.D.,

Commissioner of Education,
Washington, D.C.

My dear Doctor:

I have this morning your notification of my appoint-
ment as one of the Advisory Board to look after the interests of
the Education Exhibit at the Paris Exposition with special reference
to the Indian feature.

I feel honored by the confidence the National Association
places in me in this and accept the appointment, and will cheerfully
give my best efforts to this purpose.

You should know at once that I contemplate an absence of
about six weeks, but I shall not be beyond the reach of mails. Mrs.
Pratt and I leave home on the 13th and sail from New York on the
15th for Bermuda, where we will stay until the last of January. Any
communications sent to Carlisle will be forwarded to me promptly. It
is only forty-eight hours from New York to Bermuda.

(Dictated) Mc

<table>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>NOT TO BE PUBLISHED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

VOL. 35

447

General Theodore Swan,

War Department,

Washington, D.C.

Dear Generals:

Mrs. Pratt and I are going to Bermuda for six weeks.

I have been thinking of buying one of the "Ziest Starie Field Glasses"
Bausch and Lomb manufacture at Rochester, N.Y. They write me that
I can get a very material reduction on their prices by getting one
through the War Department.

As I do not know which particular department has charge of
the matter, will you please let me know to whom to apply? This
glass, as you probably know, is very small with tremendous power.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

448

Carlisle, Pa., December 5, '98.

Miss Delia Randall,

Ross Fork, Idaho.

My dear Delia:

The money that I have is not money which you saved, but it is money which I saved for you with special reference to your return East. So long as you remain at the Agency, contrary to the arrangement and expectation when you went home, I shall consider the money held in trust, and it is held in trust for the only purpose of bringing you back here.

I am somewhat disappointed that you should have remained so long, and feel convinced that it is not in your own interests.

All goes well with us here at Carlisle.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

BLURRED TEXT

Rev. J.H. Wright,
Colony, O.T.

My dear Brother:

I have your highly appreciated letter of the 29th
ult., and am truly glad to hear from you. How I wish you could
come and stay with us some time. Can't you? I will undertake to
pay your way and take care of you, and perhaps I can do something
more. It will do us all good, not only the superintendent, but the
students and all the force as well.

Mrs. Pratt and I have planned to go away from home for about
six weeks. I am going to Bermuda for a rest. It is an out of the
way place, very quiet and with the mildest of climate, plenty of
tropical fruit, fine bicycle roads, fishing, boating, and other,
to me, tempting methods of amusement, so that we shall from New York
on the 15th to be back at the end of January.

I should like particularly to have you here at our Commencement
the end of February. Suppose you lay your plans for that. Let me know
when I come back, and after Commencement stay with us as long as
you can. Bring Mrs. Wright with you. We have heaps of room.
It will be an inspiration to you to see our greatest occasion, and
so we shall be swaping inspirations.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

451

Hon. W.T. Harris, L.L.D.,

My dear Doctor:

I have yours of December 1st, advising me of the dates of meeting of the Department of Superintendence at Columbus, and I shall undertake to meet with the organization this year.

As this was all that would probably prevent your being with us at Commencement, I greatly desire and we shall all be honored if you will deliver the diplomas to the graduating class. We shall have the largest class in our history, and it will give you a better chance, perhaps, than you had before for expression. We should expect to bring you here, and entertain you, and send you back, just as we did on the former occasion.

Trusting that you will see your way to do this service for us, and that I may have your prompt decision, I am, my dear Doctor, as ever

VOL. 35

BLURRED TEXT

W.F. Campbell,

224 Third Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C.

My dear William:

I congratulate you on the successful consummation
of your contract. If all goes well I shall hope to see you at
Carlisle at our next Commencement, and should be glad to give you
an opportunity with the other distinguished speakers of the occasion.
Shall be glad to, because I shall want for myself and shall want
the school to hear what a former Carlisle student can do in that
line. So if it suits you, make ready for it. The only thing I would
say is to concentrate all that you would say in two hours into 10
minutes.

I shall be away from home from the 13th until the end of
January with Mrs. Pratt in Bermuda.

(Dictated) Mo

VOL. 35

453

BLURRED TEXT

Carlisle, Pa., December 3rd, 1990.

Canfield Rubber Co.,
75 Warren Street,
New York.

Gentlemen:

Replying to yours, both dateless and headless, I have to say that we have a half Indian girl whose father was a Frenchman, and who speaks French, herself, who is quite easily among our very smartest and brightest girls. She will graduate from one of our State Normal Schools next year, and will be looking for something to do. She can easily get an appointment at a good salary in the Indian School Service.

After thinking the matter all over, I am willing to know more of the particulars of your wants for the Paris Exposition, and to consider this girl as eligible in case all proper conditions are successfully met.

(Diated) Mc

VOL. 35

BLURRED TEXT

Carlisle, Pa., December 3rd, 1998.

Jason N. Betzenez,

Darlington, O.T.

My dear Jasen:

I felt hurt that you did not write to me all these
months, for I tried to help you when you were here, and I tried
to help you when I sent you away to a better place for you. I have
heard about you, that you are doing right and doing well, and these
reports, of course, have cheered me, but I thought Jasen, himself,
should write.

I can only say to you, my good Jasen, to pull ahead. Do
your level best all the time, and that will enable you to do better
all the time. You will continue to grow.

I must leave you to the Helper for news. We are in good
health here and have 896 pupils on our rolls, more than we have ever
had before at this season of the year.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

BLURRED TEXT

Cardiffle, Pa., December 5th, 1909.

Mrs.J.H. Rabbitt,

781 Eleventh Street, N.W.,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Mrs. Rabbitt:

I send you herewith your railroad and sleeping-car ticket, Washington to San Francisco, which came this morning.

Please be sure and sign your name where I have checked with
blue pencil.

(Distributed) Mc

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., December 5th, 1898.

A.M. Longacre, D.R.A.,

109 South 3rd St.,
Philadelphia, Pa.

Dear Sirs

Yours of the 3rd, enclosing railroad end sleeping-car
ticket, Washington to San Francisco, received.

Enclosed find my check for $52.00 covering same. The name of
the person who uses the ticket is Mrs. J.H. Babcock.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

457

BLURRED TEXT

S.C. Johnson,

Racine, Wisconsin

Dear Sir;

I had your circular some time ago, but we are not wanting
to put down any Parquetry floors.
Maple

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

450
458

BLURRED TEXT

Dr. Carlos Montezuma,
100 State Street,
Chicago, Ill.

Dear Doctor:

I would like to have you and Dr. Dudley come on from
Chicago at our Commencement. Can you not make up a party to be
with us on that occasion? I can arrange a half rate for you, and
I shall be on hands to make the trip to the Southwest in March if you
are ready.

I wish if possible you would find out the address of an old
Chief named Pokagon, who writes occasionally for the papers and who
lives not far from Chicago. If it were possible for you to see
him, I would like you to do that. I would like to have him here
at Commencement.

(Diated) Mo

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., December 6th, 1936.

New York Life Insurance Co.,
110 Broadway, New York.

Gentlemen:

I propose leaving the United States for a brief trip to
the Bermuda Islands, calling from New York on the 13th inst., expect-
ing to return to the United States by the 1st of February, or possi-
bly the 1st of March, and request permission therefor, under my
Policy No. 87004.

(Distributed) Mc

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., December 6th, 1896.

King Canvass Folding Boat Co.,
Kalamazoo, Mich.

Gentlemen:

I enclose my check on the Carlisle Deposit Bank for $10, for which please send me one of your lift. boats with jointed paddle, two seats, as per your list. No skill.

On receipt and examination, if satisfactory, I will remit balance.

The shipment should be made promptly, as I leave home a week from today.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

462

Carlisle, Pa., December 7th, 1898.

Ainsley Fox,
M.E. Hospital,

Philadelphia.

My dear Ainsley:

I have just written to Dr. Seabrook about you,
and think it would be well for you to have a good talk with her,
and understand just what they will do for you.

If you are able to earn your own way, I think you had
totter rema in until you are thoroughly cured.

(Diated) Mc

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., December 7th, 1896.

Dr. A.M. Seabrook,
M.E. Hospital,
Philadelphia, Pa.

Dear Doctor:

I enclose you a letter received from Ainsley, by which it appears that he is getting along to his own entire satisfaction. The question of cost is material to him, as I intend that he shall pay himself, so that I trust you will guide accordingly.

A week from tomorrow Mrs. Pratt and I expect to be on the steamer enroute to Bermuda. I am enjoying the anticipation I have no doubt nearly as much as I will the realization.

Please remember me to Dr. Lippincott and Mr. Edwards.

(Dictated) Mo

VOL. 35

465

Dr. W.T. Harris,

United States Commissioner of Education,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Doctor:

I should have stated in my former letter that our
Commencement Exercises will be on Tuesday Feb. 28th, and Wednesday
and Thursday (Commencement Day) the 1st and 2nd of March.

Mrs. Pratt and I will be delighted to entertain you, and
should be glad to have you bring any members of your family with
you, and I shall do all in the way of furnishing transportation
that you desire me to.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

Curtiss, Ia., December 7th, 1996.

Commissioner of Pensions,

Washington, D.C.

Dear Sirs,

B.S. Pickard of Delphi, Ind., who served in the same
regiment with me during the War, advises me that he has solicited
my services for his pension, that his number is 360,306, and asks me
to forward his application for information in regard to the same.

I know well his loyal service throughout the War, I can
endorse his application, and would be greatly obliged for informa-
tion to the status of his request for increase.

(Disted) Mc

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., December 8th, 1898.

C. E. Osterbridge & Co.,

39 Broadway, New York.

Gentlemen:

I enclose my check for $102 for two round trip tickets
New York to Bermuda, sailing on the "Trinidad" December 15th. As
I wrote you in a previous letter, Mrs. Pratt and I are taking our
wheels. Would it be advisable to box them, or is there some
arrangement by which they could be taken without boxing.

(Dictated) Mc

P.S.- Your advertised rates are $50. round trip. Why $102, as per your notice.

VOL. 35

Hon. James S. Sherman,

House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C.

My dear Mr. Sherman:

I have your letter of the 6th, asking me to increase the pay of Miss R.E. Wilson. The salary list is fixed for the current year ending the 30th of June next.

There are several reasons why I ought not to increase the salary in this place. The position is for a second assistant matron, not matron, or even first assistant matron. When created it was for one of our Indian girls, and becoming vacant at a time when I did not have just the proper Indian girl to put into it, I asked for a Civil Service appointment, and Miss Wilson was selected and accepted at the salary named. It is as much as I think I ought to pay for the place, and left to myself I can easily get a much more satisfactory help for it than Miss Wilson. Miss Wilson, like all employees coming from Washington, intrigues and relies upon outside pressure more than her service to get herself advanced. I have had quite a number of letters from officials and others of influence in her behalf. She is not willing to let my judgment in regard to her value prevail. On a former occasion I submitted to her that her dissatisfaction could perhaps be satisfied by a transfer, and that I would be very glad to have her apply. This she is not willing to do, but tries to compel me to increase the expense of the school.

VOL. 35

Hon. James S. Sherman.

to oblige her.

You have been misled in regard to her working hours. Three
mornings of the week she does begin duty shortly after the rising
bell at 5:45. The other mornings nothing is required of her before
her breakfast at 7 o'clock. She has a very considerable number of
hours off duty, both forenoons and afternoons. She has to go the
rounds at 9 o'clock in the evening. She is the embodiment of faith-
fulness and renders willing service, but lacks in a marked degree
power to control, and is entirely incapable of rising to the nec-
essities of an emergency. She does not seem to grasp what is im-
plied by responsibility, and allows herself to be outgeneraled by
capricious girls, thus almost destroying the power of control vested
in her. She has gained some since coming here, but not sufficient
to lead meto expect that she will ever be what I ought to have in
her position. Under these circumstances I, of course, do not feel
friendly to an increase of pay, greatly as I should enjoy meeting
your desires in any matter.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

BLURRED TEXT

Maj. Chas. L. Cooper, U.S.A.,

Mayaguez, Porto Rico.

My dear Cooper:

Yours of the 24th of Nov. has just reached me. I enjoyed it very much. Mrs. Pratt and I sail for Bermuda on the "Trinidad" from New York on the 15th, to be absent six weeks, and I fear I shall miss seeing Governor Stone, so I write him a good strong letter. I expect to be in Washington tomorrow, and if he is there and I can get a chance at him, I will speak to him personally. Otherwise, his home being in Pittsburgh, I fear I shall not be able to do more than write the letter.

Your account of Porto Rico is very entertaining. I have been asked recently by a very distinguished politician if I did not think we ought to keep all we have captured. My answer was, that if they were pure unadulterated savages I would say, yes, but being such a bedeviled lot, and in such absolute grip as they are, I feared the consequences, and that it seemed to me we would be either compelled to go into the class with the Catholic Church, or else fight that Church, and if it was to fight that Church I would be in favor of it, but the going into business with it was against my convictions. Porto Rico and Cuba, of course, are different. My mind was particularly on the Philippine Islands.

You will be interested to know that just after Kelly was relieved from command at Ft. Assiniboine, he wrote urging me to

VOL. 35

transfer with him, saying that he had western interests which re-
lieve his looking after, and that it would not make any difference
in his regiment. I was in, and so on, but I replied that I
thought the 10th Cavalry had done without an officer long enough
and that I believed some other regiment ought to be persecuted for a
time, besides Mrs. Pratt and Mrs. Veila were great friends, and
that Mrs. Pratt was particularly pleased at our assignment, espec-
ially if we had to go to the regiment, and for these reasons I did
not care to transfer. Just about the time that it would have taken
to get my letter, and then get the matter in Washington, the papers
announced the retirement of Kelly, so you may just chalk up one for
me for having helped us to make a file.

It begins to look as though we were going to make files pretty
rapidly soon, and that you and I may be Lieut. Colonels, at least,
before another year closes.

I wish you would write me a whole lot about Porto Rico. I
had an invitation to go there and to Cuba in company with a Presi-
dent of a western college and his wife, but I want to go off some
place where I can be very quiet, where I can go fishing, ride a
bicycle, and be away from mails and telegrams, so have selected to
go to Bermuda. We shall be back home about the 1st of February.

(Dictated) Mc

P.S.- I have been informed that it is a policy of the Department not
to detail officers for duty in their native states. If such is the
case, your chances in Pennsylvania would be slim.

VOL. 35

473

Hon. W.A. Stone,

Governor Elect of Pennsylvania,
Pittsburg, Pa.

My dear Sirs:

Major Ches. L. Cooper, of the 3rd U.S. Cavalry, and I
have been friends and comrades in the 10th Cavalry for 27 years. He
was recently promoted from Captain of the 10th to Major of the 3rd,
and I was promoted to the 1st Cavalry. Cooper is a fine officer
and has been on duty with his regiment and company almost all the
time during the 27 years that I have known him. He had one recruit-
ing detail of two years as I remember, and one or two months before
the War broke out with Spain, he was detailed as Indian Agent for the
Pueblo Indians in New Mexico, but when the War came he was recalled
to military duty.

He asks me to intercede with you in his behalf to try to get
him detailed as the regular Army officer on duty with Pennsylvania
State Militia, which officer will be changed about the 1st of Feb-
ruary next. He informs me that these details are usually made on
the selection of the Governor. I can say that should you request
the detail of Major Cooper, you will have an officer in every way
worthy and efficient, and who will bring high skill and character
to the discharge of duties required.

I am, Governor, with greatest respect

N. J. T. M. U.

BLURRED TEXT

VOL. 35

474

Carlisle, Pa., December 10th, 1898.

Hon. James S. Sherman,

My dear Mr. Sherman:

I have instructed my foot-ball manager, Mr. Thompson, to correspond with the manager of Hamilton and arrange a game for next fall at 00 o'clock as you desire. There is more leeway to arrange now than later.

VOL. 35

475

Miss L.L. Hunt,

San Carlos, Arizona.

My dear Miss Hunt:

I submitted the reports you had received about
the Apaches to Dr. Diven, and he writes me the enclosed. Miss Barr
says they are getting on very nicely.

I saw the Commissioner yesterday and he spoke of you, and was
very glad you were willing to remain where you are for the present.

Presuming from what you say that congratulations are in order,
I do most heartily congratulate you, and wish for you very much hap-
piness in your proposed change.

Excuse my use of Miss McCook for I am dreadfully busy. We
leave home Tuesday. This is Saturday. This evening Wilson Col-
lege musical faculty are coming to give us an entertainment.

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., December 11th, 1901.

To the Honorable,

The Commissioner of Indian Affairs,

Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

Your message about Lincoln just received. I enclose copy
of my letter to you giving experiences of Miss Sara Smith, one of
my Oneida graduates, in securing pupils for this school last summer.

I found early in its history that Lincoln was disposed to set
up as a rival. For that reason I studiously kept away from both
schools, and whatever information has come to me about these two
Institutions, has been pushed upon me and was generally of a confi-
dential nature, from friends in Philadelphia, some of them neigh-
bors to the Institutions, and in such a way and of such a character,
that I would not feel warranted in making them the basis of any charg-
ea. I have long felt that the Department should know by careful
inspection the exact nature of these schools and just the kind of work
they were doing, and have so indicated verbally from time to time
to Department officials. There was a very injurious report against
the Institutions when Soldiers' Orphan Schools, just prior to the
time they took up Indian work. The same parties managed them then
that manage it now, Mrs. Ballangee Cox being principal director,
and Mr. Hugg her confidential man. There was also a report made in
'84, '85 or '86 to the Secretary of the Interior by a committee of
three distinguished Philadelphians, appointed by him, of whom ex
Mayor Daniel M. Fox was one, which was strongly supported.

VOL. 35

Com. Ind. Adffrs.

I do not remember the names of the other members. Mrs. Cox is an
Episcopalian, and also all the large Board of management, so far
as I know, and the Episcopal missionaries in the field have all the
years co-operated in securing pupils, and to that extent it has been
a material influence against Government schools. Supervisor Wright
of your Bureau made a recent investigation, but it was one of his
very first visits to an Indian school, and he may not have gathered
up the situation properly, but must have seen the very palpable
objections, especially in the location and conditions of the girls
school.

I doubt if any Indian school in the Service has had half
as many superintendents in a proportionate number of years. From
time to time I have met ex Superintendents of the boys' school,
and their statements if taken down and made proper testimony would
be seriously against it. But they were dismissed employees. There
are good people, living neighbors to the boys' school in West Phila-
delphia, who could also give information that ought to either lead
to radical changes, or the discontinuance of the school. Several
years ago an Episcopal clergyman, living near the school, told me
confidentially things within his own knowledge and observation in
regard to the boys and their conduct and management that were
exceedingly damaging.

You can readily understand that being here in Pennsylvania,
and situated as I am, it would be unfortunate for me to appear as
its prosecutor. I have stated at the Department what I know
about it from time to time, and there seems to me no good reason
why the Department does not know fully all about it.

VOL. 35

The fact that Mrs. Cox has such a large board of distinguished management will in the future, as in the past, make it exceeding difficult for any except the shrewdest and most persistent inspection to arrive at the whole truth.

State interests and local advantage are always pressed upon, but sylvania Congressmen as reasons for standing by it.

I have written this with the expectation that it is only to be used in a confidential manner. Were I differently situated, and an inspector, supervisor or other official, whose official province it was to expose conditions, I am sure I could lay before the Department very promptly and evidence to call for most radical and prompt measures. I do not know, and cannot hear of, any results at all worth its fifteen years' existence and expense.

Respectfully yours,

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., December 12th 1896.

Hon. James G. Sherman,
Chairman, Indian Committee, H. R.,
Washington, D. C.

My dear Mr. Sherman:-

The enclosed letter has just reached me, and I have
telegraphed you in regard to it.

Mr. Peake is a Chippeway Indian from Minnesota. He comes from good stock and is very enough to strike out for himself, as you can see by his card, and endeavor to hold his place among civilized people. His sister is one of our graduates, class of '93, and she is also doing the same thing for herself in the city of Chicago. I believe what Mr. Peake says in regard to the conditions at Lincoln Institutions to be true from information that I have from many other quarters and that the Government should not longer perpetuate such wrong.

VOL. 35

480

Carlisle, Pa., December 12th, 1893.

Hod. James S. Sherman,

My dear Mr. Sherman:

The parental consent clause in the Indian Bill is mainly a contribution to the Catholic Church, and largely evidences its central in Indian school matters. Having that clause, it simply puts force on the other side by informing Catholic parents that if they send their children to Government schools, particularly certain ones, they will resign them to Purgatory. Over and over, through all the years have I had this to meet. There should be no such law. The states have laws compelling parents to send children to school. What an anomaly for the United States to have a law practically contradicting these state laws. It is placing an arbitrary governmental force in the way of the progress of young Indians.

Young Indians become ambitious to get an education. Their parents know nothing about the value of it, and if it were left to settle itself without any law, either one way or the other, in many cases the young people by their own efforts would escape from such baneful domination, and no harm be done to anybody and great good come to them. I wish you would repeal it, or leave it out, and let things adjust themselves. Neither should the Indian agents be allowed any such abatement to prevent the progress of young Indians.

VOL. 35

481

Carlisle, Pa., December 12th 1898.

Prof. J. Emory Shaw,
Wilson College,
Chambersburg, Pa.

My dear Mr. Shaw:-

I wish to express to you the gratitude we feel for the
treat you gave us Saturday evening. The Concert was delightful, and
a small amount was realized so that there will be a nest egg for
a fund for a musical library, of which Miss Senseney told you.

Please advise Miss Senseney the entire amount of your expenses
and she will see that a check is sent you at once.

Mrs. Pratt and I leave home tomorrow and sail for the Bermudas
on Thursday, so that I write somewhat in haste.

With cordial regards,

N.

P.S.- I enclose you check for $12.00 as per your telephone message
this afternoon.

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483

Carlisle, Pa., December 12th, 1898.

Jerome Kennarly,

Kipp, Montana.

My dear Jerome:

I get your letter and am very glad to hear from you.

Am especially pleased to know that you are still going to school.

What you need is lots of school.

Yes, Mrs. Given is here, and I have let her read your letter.

She is very much pleased to hear from you. You must write to her.

Mrs. Pratt and I leave home tomorrow to be gone until the
1st February. We are going to take a little trip to Bermuda.

Look on the map and see where that is. It will take us two days' sail from New York. It is very warm and pleasant there all winter, no snow, no frost, nice tropical fruits, bananas, oranges, etc.

Remember me kindly to your father,

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., December 12th, 1890.

David E. Peake,
1509 South 61st Street,
Philadelphia.

My dear David:

I have made good use of your letter, and think the
whole matter will adjust itself before long.

I leave home tomorrow to be absent six weeks. When I return I should like to have you run up and see me. I have a particular matter that I want to talk to you about, and if you will remember and call my attention to it, I will send you ticket.

(Dictated) Mc

VOL. 35

King Folding Canvas Boat Co.,
Kalamazoo, Mich.

Gentlemen:

I have the boat today just in time, as I leave tomorrow.
I have opened it out and am satisfied that it is worth the money
and have accordingly paid the bill. For my uses, I think, perhaps,
I do not need the sail. If I went into any considerable use of such
a boat, I would want one that was larger and safer for heavy water.

Thanking you for what I am sure will prove to be a very great
pleasure in my outing, I am

(Dictated) Mc

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486

Carlisle, Pa., December 12th, 1899.

Mrs. Eda M. Wade,

Vinita, I.T.

My dear Mrs. Wade:

I have sent direct to the Commissioner an endorsement of Gertrude Reufrow for position of asst. seamstress, and also one from Miss Shaffner. The Office requires that there shall be a matron's estimate as well as a superintendent's. Tell Gertrude to make an application on the enclosed blanks sent herewith for the position of asst. seamstress.

Mrs. Pratt and I leave home tomorrow to be gone until the 1st of February. We intend to spend about six weeks in Bermuda.

With kind regards

(Dictated) Mc

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Carlisle, Pa., December 15th, 1898.

Major N.C. Fatches,

War Department Signal Office,
Washington, D.C.

Dear Sir:

I am blessed to inform you that the glass arrived this morning in good time.

Yours respectfully,

(Distated) Mc

VOL. 35

COPY TELEGRAM.

Maj. E. O. Fetchet,

Major H. O. Wadsworth,

Class 'not yet received'.

"Postal" 2:21 P.M.

VOL. 35

Carlierville, Pa., January 6th, 1908.

Dear Mr. Pratt:

Yours of the 3rd to hand last night, and I assume
know the ticket for Dorothy's use to Rush Springs, good for
starting on Friday. The best train being the one leaving Norristown
at 9:30 in the evening, known as the "St. Louis Express", but there
is a Chicago coach on the train. At Chicago she will have to
transfer in a bus to the Rock Island Decot. There are agents who
will look out for her transfer all right, and it should not cost her
anything. At Rush Springs she will take the stage to St. Louis, 2½
miles, and should there report to Cap. Scott or Lt. Beach.

There has been no delay in this matter. I merely wanted the
word from you, or some other source than the one only, and as
such word had come to me that your time had arrived.

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., January 7th, 1899.

Mr. Richard Davis,

Sager, Wasnata Co., O.T.

Friend Richard:

Your letter of January 2nd finds Major away from
home and out of reach in the Island of Bermuda. I, therefore,
answer your letter for him, so far as able. As I understand the
situation with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes is this. Some
years ago Congress passed a law barring out all such old claims
as are now being pushed against your people. I think this was the
situation at the time your last agreement was made, but a few years
later another Congress changed the law and opened the way for these
old claims, thus making the present trouble; because you know while
one Congress may decide one way, another Congress can reverse the de-
cision, so as it now stands, these old claims, once dead, are now
alive and being pushed, and you have no one to defend you, so when
they come before the Court of Claims, and no one makes a defense
for the tribe, they are allowed. It would seem, therefore, that
it is necessary for you to have a skillful attorney in Washington
watching this matter.

Major and I have talked over your case somewhat, and we, of course,
see the injustice of it to you young people in being robbed
for something your parents &c. or grandparents did, or are said
to have done, and we considered that your best way was to have an
attorney, and in trying to think of someone who would be likely to

VOL. 35

R. Davis.

do well for you, we could not think of anyone better than Mr. R.Y.
Belt, formerly Commissioner of Indian Affairs, who lives at 1314
Tenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. We believe him to be a good
man, and one who knows more about Indian affairs perhaps than any
other man in Washington, as he was for years in the Secretary's Of-
fice in the Indian Division, and for four years the Asst. Commissioner
holding that office at the time when your agreement was made.

I think your first move should be to get a stay of proceedings that are now being had, to allow you time to take action in defense. I do not know just how this could be accomplished, but should think through the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

If you send delegates to Washington, they should have full
power to act, and by election a few could represent all, and so
save the expense of a large delegation; but one good lawyer right
there I think could accomplish more, and it would be economy for
you to employ and put him at work at once. You young people ought
certainly to represent your side of the case, and should not be called
on to pay the penalty for something you have never had any part in.

You know it is against the rules for an outsider to give
advice to Indians about their matters, so I send this letter to
you as a man, and a citizen, I believe, and not for you to make
public use of it in Indian Councils.

Very truly your friend

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., January 9th, 1899.

Rev. D. H. Wright,

244 San Jacinto,
Dallas, Texas.

Dear Sir,

Your letter of January 8th finds Major Pratt absent from
the school in Bermuda.

He will be sorry, I know, to find that you cannot be with us
at Commencement time, but we all understand that you cannot endure
the cold winter weather of this northern country. Major will write
you further on his return home.

(Continued) Mc

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., January 12th, 1890.

Mrs. Kate I. Miller,

305 East Cheltenham Ave.,
Germantown, Penna.

Dear Madam:

Replying in the absence of Major Pratt to your letter of the 11th, I have to say that the testimony of missionaries as to the success of their work among the Indians would vary very much, according to the missionary, and the particular tribe of Indians in question. Making them as a whole, however, I believe it is considered that missionary work among Indians has been as successful, or more so, than is the average among heathen peoples. In fact, it is no longer fair to regard the Indians as a whole as heathens. I think they are fully as much Christian, if not as actual Church members, yet acquainted with Christianity and influenced by it to a very large extent.

In regard to the Indians' appreciation of study, I think I can truly say that of those we have had here, there have been fully as large a proportion of earnest students among them as there would be among the same number of whites. As to their going back to savagery, it is pretty nearly impossible. You cannot wipe out the education or its influences. Whether they are put to immediate use or not, they are eventually, and as the conditions on the West are changing so rapidly, it will not be many years before savagery is a thing of the past, that is to say, the young are

VOL. 35

Carlisle, Pa., January 12th, 1899.

Rev. Chas. L. Fry,
Lancaster, Pa.

Dear Sir:

Your letter of yesterday finds Major Pratt absent on his vacation. I, therefore, reply to your letter in his stead.

Answering your first question, I would say that an Indian on a reservation, under the care of an agent, is not expected to leave that reservation without the Agent's consent, but being off for educational or labor purposes there is no law that compels him to go back; that he does generally go back, is owing to the fact that his property interests are on the reservation and the influences of clan and association. There is now a process going on to a very considerable extent of Indians being employed away from their own tribes, and in the Government's plan of utilizing Indians for positions which they are capable of filling, it is preferred that they be removed from their own tribe.

Until recently, it was not possible for an Indian, having an allotment of land on a reservation, to live away from it and derive any benefit from his ownership, not being allowed to rent it except in the case of physical disability making him indigible of working it himself. This is now changed, and it is possible for an Indian to live away from his reservation, working at whatever he may choose, and still derive some benefit from his tribal

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BLURRED TEXT

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Rev. Fry.

property.

As to your second question, I am not able to give a definite
percent of those who live away from their tribe, but I am simply say
that in the way before alluded to of scattering them among other
tribes, and by the general increase of intelligence qualifying them
for many different occupations, the influence of tribes is weakening
very rapidly.

As to your third question, there is less, of course, in educated Indians going back among their tribes, but what is less on the one side is gain on the other, that is, increased intelligence being injected into the tribe.

The conditions under which we get young Indians here at the
school are that after so many years they shall be returned free of
expense to the homes from which they came, if they so desire.
The desire for this return, after years of absence from friends
and home association, is very general.

At most places the Government makes considerable effort,
such as these educated Indians are able to give, and they are very
largely used now for minor positions in the Indian Agency and
School service, with a considerable sprinkling who are at training
to the higher positions.

The foregoing remarks will apply to the young women he will
as the young men. They are used as teachers and help in the school
work to a very considerable extent, and the inquiry to be for com-
patient young men and young women is very frequent.

I send you herewith a little printed matter, which will give
you Major Prate's distinctive ideas on the Indian problem.

(Dated) Mo

Very truly yours,

Acct. Sept. in one.

Carlisle, Pa., January 14th, 1893.

Mr. Joseph Lujan,

Co. "B" 1st Territorial Infantry,
Camp Churchman, Co.

Dear Sir:

Your letter of the 11th finds Major away from home, and,
therefore, comes to me for attention.

I am sorry you did not get the opportunity you wished in
Cuba or Porto Rico, and failing that I suppose the next best thing
is to be mustered out.

In regard to visiting Carlisle, while we are generally very
glad to receive visits from ex pupils, yet in your case there are
reasons, which you are familiar with, that make it best you should
not come by way of Carlisle. I regret to say this, but it is de-
cidedly the best.

(Dictated) Me

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