The Word Carrier (Santee, Nebraska), 1899-04

              ^aH
The Word Carrier
VOLUME    XXVIII.
HELPING   THE   RIGHT,   EXPOSING   THE   WRONG.
NTXMHEU   I.
SANTEE AGENCY, NEBRASKA.
APRIL, i8qq.
FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR.
OUR   PLATFORM.
For Indians we want American Education! We want American Homes!
We want American Rights! Tlie result of which is American Citizenship!
And the gospel is the Power of God for
their Salvation'
INDIAN   FARMERS' INSTITUTES.
Why not have them ? Many of
the Indians have enough experience to make them appreciate explanations concerning the why and
wherefore of things. Some of them
too can tell of what they have tried
to do, and of their partial success.
The program of topics would of
course depend upon the particular
lines of industry possible in each
section. To tnose in the arid regions the topics would be limited to
cattle raising and tentative efforts
at irrigation. Even these interests
would be excited by the knowledge
of the work carried on elsewhere,
which affected their markets.
So far the Indians assemble onlyfor
religious meetings, for talking over
government claims, or gambling.
It were well to make a diversion from
the last two in favor of considering
their own resources and the results
of honest labor. Every treaty we
have made with the Indians in the
past eighty years has been ostensibly for the laudable purpose of
leading them on to civilization;
while the administration of our
Indian affairs has been conspicuous
for its lack of effort along that line.
What has been done has .been accidental rather than the result of intelligent forethought and a consistent plan.
We notice with pleasure the
reports of a very successful farmers'
Institute of the State of Wisconsin,
held with the Oneida Indians of
Wisconsin. This session of the institute was secured to them largely
through the efforts of Superintendent Charles F. Pierce of the Oneida
School, formerly of Santee Agency.
According to the accounts the Indians were greatly interested.
clinched. A two-hole rubber stop
per is inserted in the lower end
of the chimney and glass tubes put
through even with the upper side
of the stopper. From these, rubber
tubes lead   10 the  basin of  water
A HYDRAULIC  PRESS MADE IN
SCHOOL.
In Intiian education we are bound
to use the very best methods and we
must bave apparatus to correspond.
What we are financially unable to
buy we must make. If we can not
make apparatus according to the
conventional pattern we invent
some plan that we can make it on.
At any rate we must have it. We
are as good as dead if not progressive.
., Intermediate schools, high schools,
academies, and even colleges neglect to demonstrate the principles
of hydraulic pressure, because they
cannot afford to buy the apparatus.
The smallest model of a hydraulic
press, from the apparatus manufacturers, costs about $25.00. But
here is one for twenty-five cents! t
And it will easily lift the heaviest pupil in the class—150 or 200
pounds.
No 1, is an argand lamp chimney arranged as a pump. The
plunger is a spool wound with
cotton twine to fit the chimney. A
piece of telegraph wire is bent for
a lifter. The spool is bored for the
ends of the wire, which are sharpened to project through and then
No. 2, and to the section of lamp
chimney, No. 3. A small tack is
stuck through a bit of leather and
fastened over the entrance of the
tube from the basin.
When the plunger is raised in
the chimney, water is drawn from
the basin, to which it cannot return
because of the valve just mentioned.
When the plunger is lowered the
water is driven into the cylinder
No. 3. Over the entrance to No. 3,
there is a valve like the one in No.
1, so that the water forced into No.
3, cannot return. From the cylinder No. 3, the way is open into the
rubber bag, No. 4. The bag is a
common hot water bag which may
be borrowed for the occasion and
sustain no injury. Fit a pipe to
screw into the mouth of the bag, onto a rubber hose washer to make the
connection tight. Have the pipe taper off to tit the rubber hose that
projects from the rubber stopper in
the cylinder No. 3.
To complete the press place the
rubber bag between two boards that
may be connected by leather hinges. Now start the pump. -When
all is in order a pressure of the
little tinger on the plunger in No.
1, will raise the heaviest pupil, in
the class.—Frederick B. Riggs, in
School Journal.
AN INDIAN HERO.
Soon after Manitoba was formed
into a province of the Dominion of
Canada there was a great deal of adventurous travel into the vast regions
beyond. Men in search of gold or
game or mere adventure traveled
some thousands of miles farther on
to the great West and North. For
their support, beyond what their
guns secured for them, they depended wholly on the supplies which were
each summer carted into that land
by ox-trains over the long prairie
trails.
With but little warning, the terrible small-pox broke out among the
whites and Indians in those remote
regions and wrought fearful havoc
among them. To keep it from entering into the new province of
Manitoba, the governor instituted
the most vigorous quarantine regulations. In spite of the urgent
pleadings of the friends of those
who were in danger of starvation in
those remote regions, he positively
refused to allow the quarantine to be
| broken. The serious question then
I was. What can be done to get food
to those hundreds of people who
are in such danger? After many
plans had been suggested, which
all proved abortive, it was decided that a deputation should go
north to Norway
House and see if
some scores of
the Christian Indians at the mission there could
not be secured
to undertake the
perilous work of
taking the food
1,200 miles up
the great Saskatchewan river,
where it would
be accessible to
to the perishing
ones. Samuel
Papanekis had been the best guide
on the great Saskatchewan river for
many years. He knew its shifting sand-bars and dangerous places,
and so now, in this trying hour, he
could accomplish this dangerous
trip so surrounded with unknown
perils, if he had moral courage sufficient for the ordeal.
When in an Indian council he was
consulted about his undertaking the
fearful risks of going on for 500
miles after they had reached the
plague-infected district, he asked for
some time for consultation and
prayer. When he again met with
the deputation, he bravely spoke as
follows : "We will go and carry the
food to our white brothers, although
we have seen them not."
After a memorable Sunday with
their families and the missionary in
the house of God, they started off on
their long journey. They weregone
for ten long, anxious weeks. They
had any amount of hardships, as
they had to row their heavy-laden
boats against the current the whole
of that immense distance.
When 700 miles of the journey
had been accomplished, they began
to see sad evidences of the ravages
of tlie fatal pestilence. Disease and
death were in many of the wigwams
on each side of the river, as rapidly
and carefully the rescue party pushed along. At times the sad wailings
for the dead could be distinctly
heard.
Samuel's heart was full of sorrow
for them, and he and his men gave
what gifts they could, placing them
where they could be picked up when
the boats had passed on. Many of
the men were depressed by these
sad si-enes, but Samuel's words of
cheery hopefulness and courage
were heard day and night. He kept
his men to their work by being ever
at the front himself, and at length
succeeded in landing the supplies at
a designated island in the middle of
the great river. Then the brigade
of boats at once started on the return
journey. Samuel, ' ever solicitous
for the safety of his men, kept careful watch day and night that not
once should the shore be touched.
Faithfully and well did he fill til his
trust, and grandly succeeded, without the loss of a man.
But so tremendous had been the
strain on Samuel himself, that soon
after his return tlie reaction set in,
and in spite of all that we could do
for him he slipped away triumphantly from us to the Paradise of
God. Ere he left us he said that
he was so thankful that he had been
able to be of some little service and
do a helpful act for the white race,
for they had brought to him and
his people the Bible with its sweet
story of the Gospel which had
made his heart rejoice.—Rev. Eger-
ton R. Young, in The New Voice.
INDIAN  CHARMS.
One evening as I sat in the lodge
of an Indian chief, says the Rev.
Dr. MacLean, taking notes on the
customs relating to the people, the
chief taking up his war bonnet
placed it on my head, and putting
in front of it the head of a squirrel,
said : Now you can go to tight your
enemies, and they will not be able
to harm you. When I go to fight I
wear this bonnet with this charm in
front of it, which, when I am not
using, I keep in my medicine-bag.
My enemies shoot at me but the
bullets fly all around me. They are
not able to harm me when I wear
this charm.
When a young man intends to
become a medicine-man, he fasts
and prays until there is revealed
to him his god, in the shape of a
bird or animal which he seeks, and
carries with him as his protector
and guide. Every young man must
seek a god to protect him. The
representation of this god he carries
at all times. The skins of the animals and birds seen in visions are
stuffed and worn on the person.
War charms were borne upon poles
as standards,and these were held to
be sacred in war. Such was the faith
in the potency of these charms, that,
when the standard-bearer was slain,
their courage departed, and they were
easily defeated by the enemy.
But these charms were not worn
for protection only. Charms were
worn and potions were drunk by the
native women of British Columbia
to ensure the love and faithfulness
of their husbands. Then the hunter
and the warrior were accustomed
to carry with them the representations of their guardian spirits to
secure game in times of scarcity,
and success in hunting, and to give
victory on the field of battle.
With all their superstitious reverence for these things, they are
only doing what mans people of
culture have done, although surrounded by all the blessings of a
higher civilization and sustained
by a nobler faith.
When an Indian wears a charm
as a protection against witchcraft,
he is but doing exactly the same as
our ancestors did one hundred
years ago.—Progress.
Under the guidance of Mr. Arthur
Tibbetts the Y. M. C. A. of Santee
has opened a reading room at the
agency which pronusis to be a
popular and helpful place of meeting for the young men. Besides
plenty of good reading matter to be
found here are some excellent
games which those" who can not
enjoy reading can take part in. No
smoking is allowed and only the
best things countenanced. Before
closing each night a short prayer
and praise service is held to which
nearly all remain.