The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1896-01

              The Word Carrier
■ :
VOLUME   XXV..
HELPING    THE   RIGHT,   EXPOSING   THE   WRONG.
NUMBER 1.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBRASKA.
JANUARY, i8g6.
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR
OUR  PLATFORM.
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
tlieir Salvation'	
In too many ways Indians are
like children. But the only way to
make them otherwise is to treat them
like men whenever it is possible.
For one thing it is the right of every
educated and self respecting man
to write his own name. But universally, signatures to issue and pay
rolls are taken by mark; and an
intelligent educated man is required
to idiotically touch the tip of the
pen handle. That is Government
civilization.	
The Government now generally
uses checks for payments of cash
annuities or for labor. These checks
are rarely if ever endorsed by the
Indians to whom they are made
payable. But their names are endorsed upon these checks by any
one who may happen to get them.
This in a civilized country would be
a crime. In any country it is not
business like, nor is it helpful to an
Indian's manhood to treat him as
not controlling the use of his own
name. Nor is this education in forgery at all helpful to his development as a responsible citizen.
Another outrage against Indian
manhood is the way in which the
Indians' mail is generally treated at
the Agencies. While a white man's
mail will be kept for him in the post
office and only delivered to himself when properly identified, or to
i esponsible parties for him, the Indians' mail is clumped into a public
box or scattered upon a counter for
any one who comes along to help
himself from. At many of the Indian Agencies it is impossible for an
Indian to get his papers and quite
uncertain as to bis receiving his
letters.
A  RECEPTION.
Not one of your white kid glove
affairs, with high stiff collars, and
oiled hair, and—. No. A genuine
sociable held in the Dining Hall
from 7:30 to 9:30, the evening of the
first day of the new year, and to
which all the pupils of the school,
friends from tbe Agency and Indian
friends bad been bidden a few days
previous, also all the workers in the
mission. Dr. and Mrs. Riggs were
host and hostess and received the
guests. When Miss Leonard and I
entered the room we found the tables
moved back against the walls and
chairs arranged in their stead.
The pupils had assembled and
were scattered about the room in
groups, some standing in rigid positions, others sitting or standing
in varied attitudes of grace such as
would do credit to students of the
Belsarte school. Some ofthe older
boys arranged themselves picturesquely on a table from which a few
of them did not move the whole
evening—afraid to spoil the picture.
The people kept coming in.
Those wdio cared to divest themselves of their wraps were taken up
to the parlors on the second floor,
from which they descended with a
look of joyful anticipation of a real
social time, and but few went away
disappointed.   For nearly all had
come with the determination to
give and to get good, and those who
had not, unconsciouly caught the
spirit of good will and were lifted
out and above themselves.
After all had visited a few moments Dr. Riggs announced the first
number on the program which had
been previously prepared by the
four sole surviving members of the
"village choir," a jubilee song. This
was followed by Mrs. Stone appearing in the costume of' 'times of yore,"
the hair arranged in an esthetic
style with long gray curls fondly
caressing the ears. She spoke a
piece in harmony with the costume
worn, and, in response to encore,
given in appreciation of the first
recitation, came back and told the
children about "My Dolly." This
was enjoyed by all.
The choir then charmed the audience with a song about "A Tale of
Selfishness," as manifested in four
kittens who had been crowded into
a basket just large enough to hold
one, and all wanted to be that one
occupant of said basket.
Our elocutionist, Miss Mary Theodora Morris, then recited "Miss
Kate Penoyer," so effectively as to
make the dignified members of tbe
audience relax, and they didn't laugh
but they shouted in a modified way;
and when she told how the darkey
man pushed his head out of the
window and threw cold water (figuratively speaking) upon the head of
the youthful serenader with,
"Young man below dar!
Young man below dar!
Playing so sweet on you ole banjo;
Young man below dar!
Young man below dar! [below."
Miss Kate Penoyer lives four doors
it brought down the house.
The young men were not much
interested in the next announcement, "How a young man from the
country makes a proposal," but the
young ladies present listened with
breathless interest, 1896 being leap
year, but were doomed to bitter
disappointment—the proposal was
deferred until another time when
the flies are less troublesome and
the young man shall have grown
more courageous.
Well, pupils and guests were now
thoroughly awake and ready to take
an active part in the program. So
about two-thirds of the number present "formed into line for a grand
march with Miss Morris and Mr.
Hamlin as leaders.
We succesfully went through the
intricacies of forming into circles
and forming out of them, countermarched, marched single-file,
marched double-file, while those
who were spectators looked on with
admiring eyes.
After this a song in Dakota was
sung in which the Indian guests
joined heartily, followed by one in
English with a wish for a happy
new year for all in it, that is, the
happiness that comes through right
living.
Rev. Mr. Ehnamani offered a
prayer, and Dr. Riggs after a few
characteristically helpful remarks
told us that it was time to adjourn,
or at least that we might have that
privilege, which many of us accepted with pleasure mingled with the
hope of meeting again in a similar
way before another new year shall
have been ushered in. M. E.
Santee Normal Training School.
"THEM ALSO I MUST   BRING."
How glad we are to have God's
word declare that heaven will not
be complete without them, the poor
ignorant heathen who know not
except as God's servants hear the
command, "Go ye,"and teach them
that Jesus himself has said he must
have. It is such a blessed privilege
to be his embassador to the despised
Indian, and see one after another
translated into the kingdom of His
dear Son. As the years go by it becomes necsessay to "enlarge the
place of our tent" so that now
we have stations all along the
line.
When the Indian village at Fort
Berthold was abandoned ten or
more years ago, part of the Mandans came up here, to Independence, forty miles from the mission
home. Our superintendent, Rev. C.
L. Hall did not leave them to themselves but kept in touch, coming
through winter's cold and summer's
heat, often weary but never discouraged.
About six years ago a neat log
chapel was built and a native
young man and his wife put
in charge. But as they had very
little sympathy from the people they
grew discouraged and abandoned
the field. Since then, occasional
meetings were held, but the people
asked for a permanent worker as
they wished to have regular meetings
and other advantages.
There was no money with which
to reopen the work, but God sent us
a gift to begin on and we know
He will not fail us now. I have
been here five months and the
work is very encouraging. Two
Sunday and one mid-week meetings are well attended, and the
people seem glad to have the mission here.
There are so many ways of giving
a helping hand. They live in log
houses and have thought it impos-
| sible to have neat houses. But
when they call here and see my log
house is neat they are inspired with
courage to make an effort. I had
the privilege of teaching a woman
bow to wash dishes one day, and before I got through several women
came in to see how it was done.
Another woman pointed helplessly
to her child's torn stockings. She
was not hard to teach darning and
enjoyed learning and in a few minutes had them neatly mended.
Then they want to learn sewing and
crochet work.
Our young men have earned e-
nough money to buy a nickle plated
set of band instruments of fourteen
pieces. The Government school
teacher has encouraged them in
doing this and is to be their leader.
This will lift them to a higher plane
and give them new thoughts and
inspirations. One young man said
when speaking of it, "It seems as
though it is all a dream; that it is
too good to be true." This shows
that they do appreciate our efforts.
Thus they are brought, a step at a
time, until one day will find them
all in the fold of the tender Shepherd. Elizabeth Kehoe.
FROM OMAHA AGENCY.
On Communion Sabbath, December 15, at the Blackbird Hills
Presbyterian church one hundred
and thirty were present, which is
the sitting capacity of the house.
The new Superintendant at the
Government Boarding School here,
Mr. D. D. McArthur, formerly a
teacher at Yankton Agency Scliool,
and Sabbath School teacher in Dr.
John P. Williamson's church, is
giving good satisfaction. He is
succeeding remarkably well in get-
ing the children to use only the
English all the time. He gives such
pupils special privileges.
Four out of five of the assistant
employees at the Government
School are now members of our
church, three having recently united on profession after being baptized.
The Indian Police are doing excellent work in returning to the
school runaway pupils, and in
discovering and capturing "bootleggers."
Two district schools, started within the last twelve months, and the
only ones on the Reservation, are
doing excellent work. The pupils
are mostly the children of white
renters, but the Government allows
each school $10. per quarter for
every Indian pupil in regular attendance.
We attended the entertainment
and Christmas exercises at the Quinton school-house Christmas eve,
where a play entitled "Out in the
Street" was enacted. We were surprised to find the house crowded,
for we thought there were not that
many people to be found near there;
at least, that many had never been
seen at church.
Rev. J. F. Minton of Magnolia,
Iowa has arranged to deliver a lecture here, January 5, on "Who are
the American Indians."
Arrangements have been made
for Rev. R. M. L. Braden, of Omaha,
to conduct a series of meetings here
beginning March 16.
A barrel full of useful articles was
received from Mary E. Miller,
President of a Missionary Society
in West Lebanon, Pa., and distributed to.those in need of such things.
It will relieve much suffering. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one
of the least of these my brethren, ye
have done it unto me."
 W. A. Galt.
MARY WOLD
December 14, 1895, Miss Mary
Wold, who has grown up among us,
beloved by all, entered into the new
life beyond. She was the daughter
of Mr. Iver P. Wold, who has been
connected with the mission for fifteen years as superintendent of the
shoe-shop.
Mary was eighteen years old, and
a sweet christian girl. Her sisters
and brother are studying in the University of Oregon. Mary was at
school with them in 1894, but was
obliged to leave because she was
not strong. She began to be really
sick in the spring of 1895, but until
within two days of her death, was
able to be up, and interested in all
the life about her.
Sbe had charge of a Junior Christian Endeavor Society. The last
time she went to the church it was
to meet with them, and she spoke
of them, just a little before she died.
She passed away in faith, comforting her father and mother and then
falling asleep to wake with the Lord.
E. L.