The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1895-01

              The Word Carrier
VOLUME   XXIV.
IIEMMN'O    TIIK    ItHillT.    EXI'OSIN
H'lWMI.
niuiiie:
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBRASKA.
, \l8g5.
FIFTY CENTS PEE YEAR
OUK   PLATFOKIH.
For Indians we want American Education! We want American Homes!
We want American Rights! The results of which is American Citizenship!
And the gospel is the Power of God for
their Salvation!   "
It may be noticed that the Word
Carkier is giving much attention to
the presentation of the principles
of teaching as applicable to Indian
schools. A considerable number
of the readers of the Word Carrier
are in that work. It is to help them
that we do it. It is also to show to
a wider circle who are friends of
Indian education, what kind of work
must be done. Many have seemed
to think that, while we put in ten
years of hard work to give our
American children a common education, there is some patent way to
teach Indians that requires little in
time, brains, or professional preparation. But things are moving to
a better appreciation of the serious
work required in Indian schools.
Indian school teaching is hard
work at the best. And the best is
the only way to success. The ordinary difficulties are so great that
we should avoid all of them that
are unnecessary. There are natural
avenues by which to approach even
the unapproachable andmost stolid.
It is much better to find and use them
than to go blundering along. It is
true something is sometimes done in
spite of nature. And much that is
so learned had better have not been
learned. But it would have been
far better and more quickly done
if done in accordance with nature.
Not only is it better for the pupil
but for the teacher also to work in
accordance with true normal principles. It adds interest to the work
when the teacher views each pupil
as a problem to solve, and as an
imprisoned soul to which they
may give freedom and development.
It prevents discouragement. The
teacher now knows the exceedingly
low starting point of the pupil and
the consequently great heights he
has to climb; so wrong standards
are put aside and the true progress
of the pupil is noticed. And this
method brings greater real success.
It eschews parrot teaching. Its object is development and individual
growth. Its product is therefore
something real and permanent, and
does not disappear when certain
rote work is forgotten.
What, it may be asked, -has this
to do with missionary work, with
preaching the gospel, and making Christians? Much every way.
Though we have a different aim
from the educator, yet we deal
with the same nature and work
through the same mind. We also
seek to touch the affections by
spiritual relations, to implant a
moral purpose, to reach in to the
will itself and bring it into subordination to the Divine Will, recognizing the mastery of the Lord
Christ. And all this is by the influence of a higher personality of
whom the teacher is but agent and
instrument, the Divine Spirit. Yet
this Spirit works upon the man in
accordance with the laws of his being
and if the missionary would be the
helpful agent of the Holy Spirit he
should know and obey those laws.
AN  ILLUSTRATION  CABINET.
The great educational value of
pictures is so well establilied that
devices for their preservation and
arrangement are in .demand. I refer
to such pictures as these published
by Harper's Weekly, London Graphic,Chicago Graphic,Christian Weekly, Scientific American, and the
great variety of other illustrated
papers, whose i lustrations so artistically represent many departments
of school study. These newspaper
illustrations are absolutely invaluable for history and biography, and
in the many branches of geograph
ical and science studies. In showing the physical, social, and commercial conditions of countries; in
demonstrating the processes of agriculture, mining and manufactures;
they form a comprehensive supplement to   school text-books.
These newspaper illustrations, together with their descriptive articles
also afford an inexhaustible, and
most attractive, source of information for pupils' original investigation. The illustrations only need to
be classified and conveniently arranged. The old scrap book plan,
in all its improved forms, still retains its worst faults. Though a
teacher may wish to use only one
or two pictures, she must iug a
whole book full. If, after the scrap
book is filled, an illustration is
found which belongs between those
already pasted, it can not be inserted. A note is therefore made
in the margin and by and by the
book becomes full of confusing marginal cross references. The scrap
book is condemned. Then there is
the envelope system in its variety
of styles. But our pictures are too
large. One folding spoils many of
them, and continually folding and
unfolding soon wears them out; besides being an intolerable nuisance.
I trust that teachers and principals will be interested to notice an
illustration  cabinet, the invention
of which belongs to Santee Normal
Training School. It avoids the disadvantages of other means of classification, and moreover has many
positive advantages of its own. It
is a cabinet containing any convenient number of pigeon holes in pairs,
broad and narrow compartments
side by side. The pictures to be
preserved are pasted on to manilla
cards whose dimensions are llfx
16£ inches. This size is convenient
for Harper's Weekly page and for
the sizes of nearly all illustrated
papers. The cards are cut at the
printing office, from what printers
call 125 pound document manilla.
The full sized sheets cut into four
cards each of the size suited to our
purpose.   And when cut into this
sized cards they should   cost  us a-
bout forty cents a hundred.
Good Hour paste is sufficient to
secure our pictures lo the manilla
cards. And we paste the pictures
only at the corners, adding a few
touches along the edge and in the
center. Thus the cards will not swell
and warp out of shape. If pasted
rightly they will remain perfectly
fiat. Reading matter in explanation of our pictures may be pasted
on the backs of our cards if we wish
to 'preserve very much of it. The
upper, faces of the cards should be
devoted to pictures as entirely as
possible. Harper's, and the "Graphic" papers often contain double page
pictures. These may be ueatly divided and pasted on two cards, so
that the dividing edge comes flush
with the inside, edges of the cards
when laid side by side. This is easily accomplished so that, when the
cards are so placed, scarcely any
division in the picture will be noticed.
Now when your pictures are thus
mounted   how   handy   they   are!
I You  may shuffle your cards over
\ rapidly and take or leave just what
j you please.    No bunglesome scrap
I book is in your way.    The pictures
j are in neat form for holding up before the whole class or for passing
among the pupils. You may arrange
your subjects, in such a small cab-
! inet as that which we have illustrated
i some what as follows: one shelf for
History and Biography,oneforGeog-
; raphy of North and South America,
1 one for Geography of England and
' Europe,  one for Asia,  Africa and
Miscellaneous Geography, one for
what-not.    You will soon need a
whole   compartment   for   United
States Geography, and then separate compartments for different di-
1 visions of United States Geography.
! It  will be likewise with the other
subjects, so that another cabinet will
be needed along side of or on top of
the first one.    The cabinet represented in the accompanying cut was
made of a dry-goods box; the shelves
and partitions of half inch boards
were  also  gotten   frcm boxes.    A
coat of paint over the outer surface
makes all very presentable.
But the smaller compartments
shown on the right hand side: These
are for travel guides, land agents'
advertisements, board of trade pamphlets and a great variety of such
material; which contain the very
most interesting geographical matter, most attractively, and often
elegantly, illustrated. These advertisement pamphlets, circulars, etc.,
are put in the compartment opposite the card compartment of the
same subject. Here are the titles of
some of this material taken at random : "A Thousand Miles Through
the Rocky Mountains" (beautifully
illustrated advertisement pamphlet), "Buena Vista Colorado,"
"Oregon," "Denver," "Yellow Stone
Park," "All about Alaska," "Lead-
ville," "The Pennsylvania Rail-
Road," "Niagara," "Mohonk Lake
Mountain House," "New York from
Early Settlement to Present Time,"
"Appletons' Dictionary of New
York," "The State- of Maine,"
"Hartford, Connecticut," "Washington, D. C," "Cook's Excursionist
Magazine."
These pamphlets and leaflets
are not convenient in the   library
but they  are exactly in place   by
this cabinet arrangement.    Put all
your   traveling   acquaintances   on
the look-out.    Send for the advertisements of excursion, steamship,
and railway companies;   the publications  of  boards   of trade  and
! land advertisers.   Pupils may be of
I great help in this and in collecting
: illustrated papers.   Of course there
1 is no limit to the growth of such a
■ cabinet collection.    And when it is
j well started it will prove to be such a
rich mine of illustration wealth tri at
1 the   teachers   will  marvel   at  the
thought of never having had it before. F. B. Riggs,
Assistant Principal.
A PLEASANT HOUR.
At noon, December thirty-first,
a mysteriously folded note was
passed around at the dinner table.
I say "mysterious" because of its
many folds both in and out, that
made it a puzzle to open, and having opened it was still more of a
puzzle to refold. I speak from experience. Within this gay missive,
it said, "You are cordially invited
to the Primary Room at half past
four this afternoon."
Not a whisper had been heard
from the children of what it all
meant; but as I watched them it
was evident there was something
unusual in the air. Little heads
were held up straighter and little
feet were quicker to do the bidding
of their elders.
At the time appointed, I wended
my way to the school room and
found it vaeant-except a number
of guests who were seated at
the back part of the room very
evidently awaiting something. I
joined them and saw at the other
end of the room, a tree decked with
gifts. Not a Christmas tree and yet
how much like it!
Presently our kindergarten teacher, took her place at the organ and
began a march. We hear footsteps
approaching in time with the music,
and we see the children coming,
one by one, into the room. How
well they march, fully impressed
with the dignity of a great occasion.
After they are seated, the playing
continues in subdued tones, and
within the room appears a little
gentleman, attired in spotless collar and cuffs with a red sash prettily draped over his dark blue uniform. A red necktie from beneath
the collar finished the costume and
! above all appears a bright, happy
face. He turns toward us, we listen, "I am the New Year and I come
to bid you welcome and to wish you
many happy years." Short but
sweet.
Now two other boys and one little
girl take places by the tree and receive from the hands of Happy New
Year, the gifts, which they in turn
carry to each one of the audience.
Their gifts are the work of their
own fingers. They are woven of
■ different colored papers into pin-
trays, baskets with handles, baskets
without handles, picture frames
and various other offerings. They
show well what the little ones have
being doing with a part of their
time since September. It was a
pleasure to them to give. It was a
pleasure to receive. Miss Smith
has done good work. h. b. i.