the day and working the other half; I had one grade in the forenoon and the other in the afternoon. I have found the children apt and eager to learn, their average being as good as that of white children. In the first or primary grade we use Appleton's First Reader and Monroe's Reading Charts. They are also given instructions in oral arithmetic and in writing. In the second grade are used Appleton's Second Reader, Robinson's Primary Arithmetic, Monteith's First Lessons in Geography, Watson's Complete Speller, and the Spencerian system of copy books. All the children speak the Engligh language, and understand quite readily. In the first grade are enrolled 34 pupils and in the second grade 41 pupils, 8 of whom were advanced from the first grade at the end of the third quarter. (Minnie Unthank.) PHYSICIAN'S report. In regard to the sanitary condition of the school for the past year I have to say that the general health of the school has been good. A large majority of the cases treated have been such as common sore eyes, sore throat, colds, and other slight ailments. But few serions cases of illness have occurred, and but two deaths. Ten children were returned to their homes during the year on account of poor health. Eight of the ten were the victims of inherited consumptional disease. The two were the result of consumption. Near the beginning of the year a building 20 by 24 feet was erected for a boys' hospital, and a little later another, of the same size, for a girls' hospital. Previous to the erection of these buildings, the overcrowded condition of the school made it very difficult to take proper care of the sick. Since their erection it has been possible to give the best of care in almost every respect, and to this fact is largely due the smallness of the number of cases of serious sickness. The present location of the school buildings, considered from a sanitary stand-point, is not a good one, for two very important reasons; the first is, the drainage is very poor, and cannot be bettered without considerable expense; the second is, that the water supply is totally inadequate to the needs of the school. Of the four wells on the grounds all fail during the dry season, and it becomes necessary to haul water from to 1 mile, which, for so large a number, is not a small task. If the water furnished by the wells was sufficient in quantity, the drainage and the location of the wells are such that eventually the water in the wells will be so contaminated as to prove a fruitful source of disease Now that the number of children in school is increased from 150 to 200, if the location of the school buildings is not changed immediate action should be taken to improve the drainage and to furnish the school with an abundant supply of fresh water. (W. V. Coffin.) Yours respectfully, The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. H. J. MINTHORN, Superintendent. INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL FOR INDIAN YOUTH, Genoa, Platte County, Nebraska, August 20, 1884. SIR: I have the honor to report the opening of this school on the 20th of February, 1884, with 71 pupils from the Rosebud Agency, Dakota. On the 24th of the same month 18 arrived from the Yankton agency, Dakota. March 1, 27; March 20, 13; April 17, 5, and July 17, 2, all from the Rosebud Agency, joined the school; making an aggregate of 136. One not accepted, and sent back; 2 have since died; 1 removed to another school; 3 have run away, and not yet brought back, leaving 129; 89 boys and 40 girls attending school. Their ages range from seven to twenty-two years. A few over eighteen were admitted by permission of the Indian Office. INDIAN EMPLOYÉS. Have had 7, 2 boys, and 5 girls, from the Indian training school at Carlisle, Pa. One of the boys was discharged for insubordination; the other is now employed as laborer and disciplinarian. One of the young ladies resigned, 2 are assistant cooks, 1 assistant seamstress, and 1 assistant laundress; all of whom are competent and faithful in their several duties. BUILDINGS. The school building is of brick. The main portion, formerly used for school purposes by the Pawnee Indians, is 110 by 45 feet, three floors, with wings recently added crossing each end, each 80 by 20 feet, four floors. Basement occupied as a dining room, kitchens, pantry, boys and girls' assembly and wash room, commissary and store rooms; first floor, four school-rooms, one dormitory, office, reception-room, and officers' rooms; second floor, sewing-room, infirmary, four dormitories, teachers', employés', and store rooms; third floor to wings, dormitories-all designed to accommodate 150 pupils and the officers and employés. A carpenter shop has been built, 20 by 30 feet, one and a half stories; the upper story is used for storage of goods; it was constructed of wood by the Indian boys; a log cabin, 18 by 30 feet, two floors, occupied by the school fariner and his family, to which additions have been made and fitted up as a temporary laundry. These with a corn-crib, sheds for stock, and the necessary out-buildings comprise all the buildings, excepting four sheds and tool and store house at the brick-yard. THE FARM. The school farm consists of half a section (320 acres) of land, a rich soil lying nearly level upon the first and second benches, east of and adjoining the town of Genoa. A railroad crosses the farm from east to west, a few hundred feet in front of the school building. About 20 acres are used as school grounds, roads, &c., leaving 300 acres for farming purposes. The farmer reports that the Indian boys did all of the work, under his direction (except the sowing of the oats), clearing the land of weeds and stubble; plowing, harrowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting, and stacking of the oats; 130 acres of corn, 30 acres of it prepared, planted, and culti vated the old-time way-marking, dropping of the seed, covering, and cultivating with hoes-as a means of instruction. The balance was done with a corn-planter and double (horse) cultivators, the boys caring for and driving the teams. The corn was cultivated six times to kill out a rank growth of weeds with which the farm was overrun as the result of long neglect. Now a large crop is promised of corn, estimated yield 6,000 bushels; 45 acres were sown to oats, cut and stacked, estimated yield 2,000 bushels; 10 acres potatoes, 7 acres beans, 10 acres garden vegetables, 40 acres hay land, and the balance pasture. The boys have not only taken care of the horses and mules (4 span), but have herded the cows (16 head,) milked most of them morning and evening, and fed the pigs (24 head). In farming these boys have from the first manifested much interest, industry, and aptitude, doing their work well. They have also set out 3,500 fruit trees and 3,500 vines and plants, and in every way given evidence of their adaptability to such work. Even the smallest of the boys, from eight to ten years of age, have been employed dropping seed, pulling weeds, and gathering the small vegetables. CARPENTRY. The school carpenter has had from 5 to 7 apprentices. With them he has built a shop, sheds for the cattle and brick-yard, out-buildings, fences; made all necessary repairs and improvements upon the buildings, furniture, tables, benches, &c. The carpenter, as well as the farmer, is instructed to do none of the work it is possible for the boys to do; to take all the time necessary to show and instruct the pupils in all matters pertaining to his department. In this work the boys have exhibited ingennuity, interest, and industry, and promise to become good workmen. THE BRICK-YARD but recently started; at first was somewhat disappointed in consequence of the Indian boys failing to do the work required. They seemed indifferent and wanting in strength, and broke down, compelling the employment of white labor. But now they are doing better and promise to do as well in this occupation as they have in other. Brick are needed to build a laundry, requiring for this purpose nearly 300,000 brick; cisterns and buildings are also needed. Besides, in the manufacture of brick the pupils are instructed in an important industry; it can be made a source of income to the school. Have completed one kiln containing 80,000, which was injured by a severe storm of wind and rain, yet we have 50,000 merchantable brick selling at the yard for $10 and $12 a thousand. Another kiln, containing 250,000, will be ready for delivery by the 10th or 15th of September. Another, of the same number of brick, by the 20th or 30th of October, which will secure the completion of the laundry building before winter. GENERAL HOUSEWORK. The matron reports the general household work as performed by Indian girls, either as pupils or employés. A Sioux girl, who had previous to coming here attended only reservation schools where housework was not taught, came here a pupil and is now employed as dining-room director, having 13 girls in charge who are detailed each one to a table. She in a very quiet and matronly manner teaches her girls to place food upon the table in order and with neatness, to wash their dishes and reset the table, sweeping and cleaning that portion of the dining-room they occupy, and caring for the implements they use, teaching them to become housekeepers. Girls are also regularly detailed to care for the dormitories in their wing of the school building, the sitting and other rooms, this detail being under the supervision of the assistant matron. The boys, being in another wing of the building, care for the rooms specially theirs. The laundry is in charge of a white woman, assisted by an Indian girl who is from the Carlisle school. All the washing and ironing for the pupils is done at the laundry, and six girls are detailed daily to assist in the work, 3 for the mornings and 3 for the afternoons, thus securing attendance at school half of each day, as it is our design that labor and study shall move hand in hand. The same order of detail prevails in the seamstress or sewing room, a change being made each month in all, that each girl may become proficient in every department of labor. The small girls belonging to the primary department of the school, having only a short session in the school-room each half day, are sent on leaving it to the sewing room, where they are taught to hemstitch and darn, and are most of them very expert. All the mending for the school is done by the girls, also all the making of the garments for the girls and some of the boys. The outer garments and flannel shirts for most of the boys are sent to us ready-made, but before issue they are resewed to make strong and more durable. PHYSICIAN'S REPORT. The school physician reports that the health of the pupils has been very good since the opening of the school. There have been no acute diseases of a contagious nature. Although two epidemics of measles have been in the town and some cases in close proximity, there have been no cases among the pupils. Two have died from consumption, one at the school and the other after returning to his home at the agency. The physician attributes the good health of the pupils to the strict sanitary measures carried out. THE SCHOOL-ROOM. The most important part of this work is that of the teachers in the school-room, educating the youth, and inasmuch as the opening of the school is of so recent a date, and the necessity of first teaching the pupils the English language, not only to understand it but to use it in their converse with each other, there is but little to report after so short a period-six months only, one month's vacation, leaving five months for tuition; and as the pupils attend school but half of each day, the term of instruction is reduced to two and a half months. Therefore progress during that time, while marked and encouraging, still finds the scholars, most of them, in the primary methods of instruction, consisting of the objective study of language, writing words, phrases, and sentences upon slates and blackboards, counting, writing and reading numbers, drawing, modeling in clay, reading, reciting, singing, kindergarten occupation, &c. It may be considered unfortunate that all of the pupils are of the Sioux Indian Nation, and all speak the Dakota tongue, which renders the acquiring of another language much more difficult than if children of other tribes who do not understand Dakota were a part of the school. Respectfully, The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. SAMUEL F. TAPPAN, INDIAN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, CHILOCCO, INDIAN TERRITORY SIR: I have the honor herewith to submit the first annual report of Chilocco Indian industrial school for the fractional year commencing January 15, 1884, and ending June 30, 1884. Enrollments, males, 130; females, 56. Average attendance, 168. 4266 IND-14 Our school opened up, at the time referred to above, under very unfavorable cir cumstances, the weather being very cold and inclement, and the children having to be transported so far across the plains in wagons, and at considerable expense to the Government; but under the careful management of Mr. Frank Maltby, who was at the time employed as clerk and industrial teacher for the school, there was brought from the Kiowa, Comanche, and Wichita Agency, and from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Agency, 123 children, without any great suffering or any sickness being contracted, although they passed through a "norther" of two days' duration, causing a delay of that length of time. From other agencies we received other pupils until our numbers reached that referred to above. We have been visited quite often by parents of the children and by chiefs of the different tribes, who invariably express themselves as well pleased with the school and its prospects, and pledge themselves to work for the school and its interests; especially those of the Southwest said to me, "When you want more children let us know, and you shall have all you want." The future may decide as to the sincerity of their expressions. Some of our larger pupils have been somewhat discouraged on account of not having the necessary accommodations for learning trades, as they had expected when they came, causing discontent with some, and a few returned without permission to the agencies; but since your order to agents to return such as left the school without permission we have had no further trouble in that direction, and if proper arrangements are made in the way of shops, &c., I think no difficulty will be had in keeping the children well contented. For the most part, the pupils have engaged in the work of opening up the farms, fencing, digging sewers, &c., very willingly, and, considering their experience, have done well; and with a prospect of a little pay next year they will enter upon their work with more zeal than ever before. We had not the children long enough for any of them to learn any one thing sufficiently well to do it without some help. Some of the girls could, with a little help, cut and make plain garments, and could render some assistance in laundry and kitchen. I find, however, that in their first lessons they are much more liable to break tools they work with or dishes they use than after they have had some training. Our garden has been of considerable benefit to the school, notwithstanding it has been partially destroyed by stock which are running at large in this part of the Territory. Our pumpkins and squashes planted on the newly broken ground promise well; also the millet is looking well; seed-corn will not produce very much; melons and cucumbers look nicely-latter ready for use. The trouble we have had with trespassing stock will be avoided soon by our fence being put up. The children have made commendable progress in all branches of study they have undertaken. We find a less number of dull children among these children than among an equal number of whites. Our Sunday exercises consist of Sunday-school at 10.30 o'clock a. m. and preaching each alternate Sunday by some of the ministers from the city; we also have each evening through the week, in addition to the regular study hour, a time for devotional exercises, singing, &c. The stock interests have only begun, having just received cattle under modified contract of H. C. Slavens, and 18 high grade polled Angus and Galloway bulls bought in open market from Mr. Blacksheve, of Kansas. One of the latter has since died; the others are all doing nicely, and are being cared for by the boys, with the assistance of Mr. R. A. Munson, an irregular employé. As an experiment we have given permission for some of the children to visit their parents during vacation, with the promise to return at the beginning of the school year without expense to the Government. The sanitary condition of the school has been very good, considering the fact that the greater part of our children were sent to us without the proper medical examinations. We have lost but two by death the past year, one Cheyenne girl and one Caddo boy. In receiving children in future we hope to be able to exercise more care and have them properly examined before admitting them. Our limited number of apprentices are doing well; four in the bakery, and five at the carpenter's trade, and three are learning painting. With the same progress through another year that has been made in the past, we will be able to do our own baking without the aid of a white baker. Our carpenters show an aptness for their work and are learning rapidly. The painters have been at work on some of the ont-buildings, doing well for beginners. I think that the prevailing and oft-repeated idea "that on account of the close proximity to the agencies it will be impossible to make Chilocco a success" is already proven to be an erroneous idea. There is no reason why she may not, under careful management, take her place in the front as an educational institution for Indian children. Statistical reports have been forwarded. Acknowledging the kindness I have received from officers of the Indian Department and thanks to our kind Father above for his blessings upon us, I am your obedient servant, The COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. W. J. HADLEY, - PINE RIDGE AGENCY, DAK., August 20, 1884. SIR: Complying with your instructions, I have the honor to submit my annual report for the year ending June 30, 1881, pertaining to the health and sanitary condition of this agency. A large ratio of mortality was among young children, attributable to exposure and the harsh practices of their relatives, a majority of whom have not the remotest idea of the indispensable nursing and ordinary hygiene; hence it is, many reliable prescriptions fail to benefit and they return to their medicine men. Many of the other deaths were those whose illness were not reported at all, or until after their medicine men or women had failed, and who were then usually so exhausted that little could be done for them. Regarding the births, it is very probable many are never reported to the agency police, a death; however, on account of its impressiveness or display, can more easily be ascertained; it is my opinion the two about balance. On the whole I am certain these Indians are steadily gaining confidence in the remedies of the white man, calling for them more frequently each succeeding year. Though it is also evident they are wedded to the pernicious influence of the medicine men, so often are these empirics met with in my daily rounds, that a brief sojourn here would impress one with a belief that they were nearly all-men and women-of that vocation. Sometimes I fancy the mystic creatures (generally of middle age, rarely old men) are tolerated through fear of their conjury. Under such circumstances it is occasionally my pleasure to administer the medicine to the sick person, nolens volens, training as guides, is dangerous guess work, which, therefore, would make any one and, through the interpreter, kindly explain that doctoring, without education and of them as qualified as another. The gradual decline of their vitiating dances, an improvement in their improperly prepared food, and insufficient clothing, and the rapid adoption of log-houses for domiciles should soon show a decreased death rate, It is here noticeable that contrary to a common belief, East, the Indians, though of hardy origin, do not enjoy immunity from sickness any more than other races. Their maladies range from simple constipation to "misery all over." Tubercular diseases, diseases of the digestive system, of the respiratory organs, of the eye, and of the skin (the latter in great variety), of more or less gravity, are presented daily for treatment. With some I am able to apply routine treatment, though, in most instances, after the medicine is once theirs, nothing more is heard from them for months, if ever, so little do they appreciate the necessity of systematic treatment. No doubt some of the crude drugs applied for were for combining with their own medicinal herbs. No case of syphilis and only three of gonorrhea among full-bloods have been treated during the year. Still births, plural births, difficult parturition, and suicides not infrequently occur here, though not as often as among the whites. The efficiency of this branch of the service would be promoted here by one of the following auxiliaries: an apothecary, an assistant physician, or limited hospital accommodations-about 10 beds-for such of the sick or injured who come from great distances (furthest Indian village 40 miles) to the agency for treatment, and have to return forthwith without receiving material benefit in one visit, because at present there is no provision for shelter and sustenance of the sick. It is a source of gratification to know that notwithstanding the unfavorable physical auspices with which the large boarding-school opened-an epidemic of chickenpox and many sick from sudden change of habit-no death has yet occurred there, and now the health of the children continues remarkably good. |