The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1893-01

              The Word Carrier.
VOLUME   XXII.
HELPING   THE   RIGHT,   EXPOSING   THE   WRONG.
NUMBER   1.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBBASKA.
JANUARY, i8q3.
FIFTY CENTS PEE YEAB,
OUR   PLATFORM.
For Indians we want American Education! We want American Homes!
We want American Rights! The results of ivhich is American Citizenship !
And the gospel is the Power of God for
their Salvation!
In January Harper's Magazine the
Editor's Study has some remarks
upon the true way to improve the
conditions of men, which are pertinent  to   the  Indian problem.    It
points out that the chief difficulty
lies in the fact that many men are
not only on a low plane but are in
the habit of being there.    Men are
all pretty much of the same quality, the main difference is that they I
accept different conditions. No real
change can come to them without j
a change of ideals.    Forcing a dif- j
ferent condition upon them is inhu- '
man and also generally disastrous, j
The thing to be dmie is to raise their
ideals step by step; then they will
seek higher conditions.    This is a
function of education and religion.
The Indian's Friend says that,
"One proposal for Indian industries
is that Indians plant broom corn and
make brooms." What a sweeping
proposition! Who knows what it involves ? Where are they to plant tlieir
broom corn ? They have no tit land.
We hear of "grand" speeches made
in the east about "Indian civilization" and "land in severalty." Sueh
benevolent oratory may do easterners some good, by making things
pleasant all around. But it would
be well to mix in a few facts with
these fine theories. The fact still remains that the famous "land in severalty" scheme don't amount to
much on the great Sioux reservation.
How can it? What is the difference
to an Indi an or any other man whether a desert is surveyed aud assigned
in severalty or let alone ? For the
purposes of agriculture, the great
Sioux reservation is practically
worthless and this elation over "land
in severalty" is a delusion.
Uncle Sam is very accomodating
to town site boomers. The Cheyenne Agency was pulled up by the
roots for their benefit. It is now
on the Missouri Biver opposite "Forest City," and convenient to nobody, except the scheming white
men who think to build up their
shanty town by means of the traffic
that pertains to the Indian Agency. In the meanwhile one hundred
miles away there is a community of
enterprising Indians who are suffering the consequences. This community is on Bad Biver.west of Pierre,
So. Dak. When the reservation was
opened two years ago a large number of the Bad Biver Indians chose
to stay off the reservation, and press
on toward civilization the faster by
taking up lands among white settlers. The Agency was then at the
month of the Cheyenne, two days
journey. But since then the Agency has been moved to suit the purposes of said "Forest. City" town
site schemers; and now the Indians
are obliged to go more than a hundred miles for their rations. To
travel this distance every two weeks
the year around, in all sorts of
weather, is a most disastrous check
on any civilization. The Indians
and   their  teams are continually
worn down to a frazzle. They scarcely get home before it is time to start
for the Agency again. Nevertheless the Indians are sticking fast to
their places on Bad Biver, and hoping m vain for better conditions.
But if after a while the present
grind of life drives some of these
Indians back onto the Beservation,
there will be seen many a wise
fraud in Government circles exclaiming, "Can't do anything with
Indians nohow!"
MARRIED.
Moeris-Strangeway.—At Boches-
ter, Minn., December 20,1892, Mr.
Henry S. Morris and Miss Mary F.
Strangeway. The best wishes of The
Woed Carrier to the new branch
of the Biggs family, and greeting
to the new sister. Their future
home is Wilmot, So. Dak.
Tackett-Connell.— In Sioux City,
Iowa, Wednesday, January 18,1893,
Mr. John E. Tackett, of Santee Agency, Neb., and Miss Julia Connell,
of Sioux City, Iowa. Mr. Tackett's
many friends on the Agency think
all the better of him for his excellent
judgment and good taste.
A KELIGIOUS SOCIABLE.
At the meeting of the Evangelical
Alliance in Boston we learned of a
great Institutional church in Philadelphia where church fairs are
made a means of grace; yes, even
seasons of revival. The idea of a
religions sociable seemed likewise
preposterous. Do not sociables a-
bound in gossip rather? But the
scheme worked out well after all. It
happened in this wise: Here at
Santee, we have been accustomed to
frolic on New Years night: theatrical perfomances, a variety of monkey
shines (so to speak) upon an extempore stage in the Dining Hall. But
this year there was a decided jar in
the rotation of events because New
Years and the beginning of the week
of prayer came upon the same day
and evening. A composite was decided upon ard given the above name.
This religious sociable began in a
frolicsome way. There was music
and marching, playing, laughing,
chatting. There was gay and funny
singing; more playing and marching.
Then, between times Dr. Biggs began to make brief and spicy re-
I marks about the relation  of true
©ood Will /Mission gehool.
BOYS    H^IiXj.
We give here a cut of the Boys Hall of the Good Will Mission
School, Good Will, So. Dak.    This only one of a group of a dozen
buildings, including school house, girls hall, extensive shops, residences
of superintendent and other instructors, residence of the general mis-
! sionary, and, near by, the Good Will Presbyterian church.    This school
! was planted by Dr. Stephen B. Biggs, in 1870. It was much enlarged in
! 1877, and has since had a steady growth under the charge of Mr. and
I Mrs' W. K. Morris.   The work they so successfully developed is now carried'on under the superintendence of Bev. Geo. F. McAfee, with encouraging prospects for growing usefulness.    The present corps of instructors is as follows:
IN SCHOOL WORK PROPER :
Miss C. D. Bockwell, Principal.
Miss Donizetfa Jones, Academic Department.
Miss E. Coe, Mathematics and Drawing.
Mrs B  L. Scouten, Intermediate and Beading.
Miss Eugenia La Moure (Native), Primary and Instrumental music.
Licentiate Bichard King (Native), Disciplinarian.
IN  INDUSTRIAL DEPARTMENT:
John Stavely, Blacksmith, Wheelwright, and Carpenter.
H. T. Smith, Industrial Instructor.
R. L. Scouten, Farmer.
Miss E. Forman, Girls Matron.
Miss Lena Mathews, Sewing. . •- .
Mrs  Nellie Thompson, Laundry, Dmmg Hall and Cooking.
Mrs' H. L- Smith, Matron Large Boys Home.
Miss Ada Patterson, Matron Little Boys Home.
Miss Mary McOut, General Matron.
Mrs. Nettie Hamill, Cook. .
Anderson Crawford (Native), Assistant Farmer.
Jonah Wynde (Native), Assistant Carpenter.
George Head (Native), Janitor.
joy to spiritual life. And then he
showed how we should take Christianity with us into our work and
play. Our Saviour was a child and
played with other children. The
streets of the New Jerusalem are to
be full of boys and girls playing
therein.
Finally Mr. Abraham, one of our
native teachers, made a very bright
and interesting address. He said:
"You have been marching to music
this evening. All has been harmonious and delightful. You have
walked together two by two, and
occasionally by threes. You have
all followed the same course about
the room. The road of life is likewise one and the same. We are all
walking along it together. But we
have not all reached the end. This
one and that one will loose his or
her companion. The Bible says
that where two are gathered now
one shall be taken and the other
left. As you marched tonight you
were joyfully chatting. And in our
journey through life we fall in with
all sorts of companions. If a companion introduces conversation that
is not good we are equally guilty if
we enter in to it. But let us be
watchful for ways in which we may
lead all those with whom we associate into the best thoughts and acts.
Let us take care that the day of our
Lord's reckoning does not separate us.
"Here at school you are separated
from your people. When you return
to them you will be even as widely separated unless you win them
to the better life. Let us take care
that they be not everlastingly separated. Life-giving influence should
radiate from this scliool to all your
people—through you! And you,
young people who have come to
us from afar must not imitate
our Santee youth, so many of whom
revel in the evils of civilization:
dancing, drinking, and gambling.
My heart aches for the waywardness of the Santees. May you
return as a blessing to your people.
So strive hard to march in the
road of life.
"This leads to riches. Just the
other day a small boy that I know
of surprised his mother by suddenly running to her and saying 'I want
to be rich.' His mother said: 'Why
my boy what do you mean ? what
kind of riches do you want?' The
boy answered, 'money." What do you
want money for?'said his mother.
Because men who have money,'
said the son, 'are every where much
spoken of and highly honored.
Don't you remember that yesterday
a man asked Father who is the
richest man in this place.' Then
his mother told him about the riches that are always safe and that we
do not loose when we die. The little
boy thought it all over and decided
to spend his life in trying to gain
those better riches. Now with this
new year let us all make a new start
in the way that leads to heavenly
treasure."
Our native pastor, Ehnamani,
asked the Lord's benediction and
the "Religious Sociable" was over.
An Indian without a vote is a ward.
A foreigner who has been five years
in the country runs the ward.—The
Indian Advocate.