INDIAN HELPER, VII:17 JANUARY 8, 1892

THE INDIAN HELPER
~%^%~
A WEEKLY LETTER
FROM THE
Indian Industrial School, Carlisle, Pa.

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VOL. VII. FRIDAY, January 8, 1892 NUMBER 17
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THE blustering wind cannot chill
The lake, though he ruffles its face,
But the frost, with its presence so still,
Locks it fast in a silent embrace.
So you may win fame beyond price,
And conquer the world with its pelf,
If you only will heed this advice,
And first learn to conquer yourself.
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A LESSON FROM LITTLE INDIANS
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When this week's snow came giving so much pleasure to the Carlisle boys and girls, Aunty Martha was carried back to her old Nebraska days when she taught Indian boys and girls in a reservation boarding school, and the striking picture they presented one morning as she stood upon the back steps overlooking the bluffs to the north.
In Nebraska the snow often comes down in very fine and dry flakes, and with a strong wind behind the storm, it makes a blinding blizzard and piles itself 15 and 20 feet high in the fence corners and ravines.
Snow in that country rarely ever comes down gently spreading itself over the face of nature, saying as it seems to do in this country:
"I will cover up all the unsightly places and make your abode pure and clean and white. Get out your sleds! Coast, and have a good time!"
So the boys and girls of Nebraska do not have coasting and sleighing so often as in some other countries where the snow is not so dry and does not blow in heaps.
On one occasion, however, Aunt Martha remembers when the snow did stay, like this one, long enough to afford a lot of good fun.
One bright morning before school, the usually noisy hallways and playrooms became astonishingly quiet.
Aunt Martha's curiosity becoming aroused at the sudden cessation of noise, she went into the hall to make inquiry.

There was not a boy in sight.
Other employees were out of their rooms on the same tour of investigation endeavoring to ascertain the cause of quiet at a time when the house was usually in an uproar with the merriment of children.
"What can the matter be?" inquired one of another.
"Not a soul around to help do up the morning work!"
"Where are the children?"
"Have the chiefs come and stolen them away, en masse?"
Absurd!
And yet they had once or twice stolen scholars.
Was there a Sioux scare, and had the children flown to the village to seek the protection of their parents, most of whom were brave warriors?
The Sioux were the terror of that little band of school children, indeed of the whole Pawnee tribe, and many were the times when quiet, peaceful occupations were broken in upon causing general "scatterization."
Pupils had been scalped within sight of the teachers, and carried limp and dead to their homes in the village, right before the very doors of the school-house in which other pupils were crouching in fear.
But on this morning there was no indication of a Sioux scare.
There were no Pawnee warriors in war-bonnets and paint, dashing excitedly here and there, whooping as only excited Indian on the war-path can whoop; and none riding majestically by, singing a weird and soul-harrowing death song as some were accustomed to do before going in quest of the enemy who had outraged the tribe.
There was none of this, hence the absence of the children was the greater mystery.
Just then the merry shouts and laughter of
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The Indian Helper.
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INDIAN INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL, CARLISLE, PA.
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There is but one girl in the Junior Class. Her absence on the first day of the new term cause anxious inquiry as to "Where is our girl."
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This way of borrowing step-ladders and tools and not returning the same is more fun for the borrower than for the one who is kind enough to lend. Shabby!
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Kish Hawkins re-subscribes for the HELPER but says nothing of his doings or prospects. His friends would be glad to hear occasionally from the Cheyenne and Arapahoe quarter.
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Moses King, who was with us a short time and is now at Haskell, sends a list of five subscribers and says "I will never forget how pleasant it looks at Carlisle School also my old companions."
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The Editors of the *Red Man* and the HELPER have been honored with invitations to attend a special reception to be given by the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry, in Philadelphia, tomorrow evening.
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A young man can waste a great deal of time in sauntering around hoping to get a smile from a young lady, and this lost time tells on his lessons, too. Such a person goes stumbling along in recitation, a disgrace to his class and to himself.
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Some visitors in the sewing room were commenting on the appearance of the busy girls: "Now look at 'em; they are apparently as well educated as some of the white folks apparently is." The girls might have been excused had they remarked "Ahem!" but they were too polite to do such a thing.
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The boys and girls who spent a very interesting and profitable afternoon at Steelton last Thursday, and had supper saved for them when they returned, thereby putting the matron of the dining-hall to considerable inconvenience, might have rewarded her with a plain "thank you," but only one on the whole party thought such a mark of civility worth while. Boys and girls, IT PAYS to be thoughtful, kind, polite, grateful, and it tells AGAINST you, when you fail in this essential.


A few boys and girls received presents this year who no more thought of thanking the givers than does the porker think of thanking the farmer who fills his trough with good rich swill. Is it any wonder then that the Man-on-the-band-stand rejoices to receive the following evidence of gratitude? "Dear Friend: A happy New Year to you. A few days before Christmas A. and I received two pretty cards from Carlisle, but there was no name on them to tell who they were from so we do not know who to thank. We will ask you to please thank the person who sent them to us for we know that ou know who the person is, because you always seem to have your bright eyes on everything that is going on at the Carlisle school."
A kind lady in Philadelphia sent cards enough to give to each boy and girl here and on farms - over eight hundred in all - and each farm student had one addressed to him. Our thanks are due to Miss Longstreth of Philadelphia for the kind remembrance.
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We are pleased to learn that Charlie Dagenett has arrived safely at his home in the Indian Territory. He says he has spent most of his time so far in the saddle, and we believe this is just what he needs to make him well and strong. Delia Hicks and Eva Johnson are employed at the Quapaw School. Joel Cotter is Government blacksmith for the Quapaws. Eliza Peckham is assistnat matron at the Wyandotte school. He speaks of Mr. and Mrs. Bennett as taking part in a cantata which was played at the Wyandotte school recently. Charlie lay over for a day in St. Louis, went to the Central branch of the Y.M.C.A., sent in his card and was "treated like a brother," he says. He was escorted over the city by the Assistant Secretary and had an enjoyable as well as profitable time sight-seeing.
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Robert Mathews who came in from his farm home near Bryn Mawr, for a holiday visit, asked to be released from the school rool, saying that he now felt able to take care of himself like a man. He had received his share, he thought, of the privileges given at the Carlisle School and he wished to make room for some one else. The release was granted and Robert went back to his farm-home a free man - a citizen of the United States. His Pawnee reserve has been enlarged to take in the whole United States. We hope he will stay among citizens, work with them, vote with them and in time occupy a place equal to the best of them.
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The next issue of the *Red Man* will be enlarged from 8 pages to 12 to give place to the proceedings of the Conference of Indian School superintendents and Supervisors, held on the 23rd and 24th at Lawrence Kansas. No. 6 will appear the latter part of this month and will embody December and January numbers.
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Misses Carter, McAdam and Burgess visited the Lincoln Instutute, while in Philadelphia, last week. Thley were much pleased with the appearance of the girls at supper, and were greeted warmly in the few minutes there, by those with whom they were acquainted, Among others Bertha and Madge Nason, June Eyre, Maud Echo Hawk and Etta Tyndall.
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A cold snap sure.
The ice-man smileth.
Skating and coasting are the amusements of the hour.
Miss Botsford's school took in Steelton, last Thursday.
Miss Dittes spent a few days last week in New york City.
Lida standing has returned to her school in West Chester.
Miss Woile, of Lititz, was a guest of Miss Luckenback for a few days.
Miss Hilton of town was a guest of Misses Ely and Burgess on Sunday.
The Misses Livezey, of Germantown, friends of Miss Nana Pratt, were her guests last week.
All hands are back from their holiday visits and business has resumed with increased enthusiasm and interest.
Mr. and Miss Campbell are in deep grief over hte loss by death of their father. The deceased resided in town.
Before the close of the vacation Miss Moore took a run over to Miss Paull's home near Pittsburg returning with her on Saturday.
Miss Nana Pratt returned to her school in Germantown, on Tuesday, after a very pleasant and shall we say lively holdiay visit at home.
Mr. J. B. Given returns today to Business College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He put in practice his stenography and type-writing while here, in helping the Captain work off a tremendous pile of business letters.
Mr. Edward Marsden, an Alaskan Indian, now attending College at Marietta, Ohio, was a guest of Samuel Townsend during the holdiays. Mr. Marsden was greatly interested in all that he saw, and gave a remarkably interesting address to our pupils.
Miss Carrie Cory, of Delphi, Indiana, has joined our corps of workers as teacher in No. 4. Miss Cochran the former teacher in this departmen thas taken Miss Meredith's school and says she enjoys the change, although she was sorry to part with her old boys and girls.
Mrs. Pratt is again mother of her own little home, no doubt feeling great relief from the care of providing for such a large family as the club. The member sof hte club can but feel grateful to her for having carrie dthem over the breach, giving them time to look around for a suitable person.
Opening exercises in school began again with the new year. While the chapel was being painted the teacher of each department conducted the exercises of her own school. A new and interesting feature at present is the bringing of bits of news as recorded in the newspapers, the pupils doing the selecting.
Mrs. Sage of Toledo, Ohio, is with us, having assumed th eperplexing duties and responsibilities as matron of the teachers' club. Mrs. Sage comes from the Smead Seminary, of Toledo, wher eshe taught Physical Culture and Hygiene. The Man-on-the-band-stand likes her kind and motherly face, and he feels safe in prophesying that the teachers have secured the right person.

Oh, for a sleigh ride!
So say the young ladies.
Useful, faithful Yaamie has gone to his home in New Mexico. He will be of use wherever he is for there is not a lazy bone in his body, and we shall miss him.
Nancy Cornelius ran over from Hartford, Connecticut, for a holiday visit at Carlisle. She has not been here for several years. Since graduating from the school of nursing in Hartford she has had her hands full of private cases for which she has received first class remuneration. While here she was offered a forty-dollars-a-month position in our hospital, but could not conscientiously accept when she can get fifteen and twenty dollars a week as private nurse. We rejoice in Nancy's pluck and great success.
One of the society events during the holidays was a party given by Miss Nana Pratt at her home to some fifty of her friends in the town. Progressive Crokinole was the order of the evening, Miss Marie Worthington winning the best prize. Although the weather was inclement nearly all of the guests were present and most of the young ladies wore full evening dress lookign very sweet and pretty to the old eyes of the M.O.T.B.S. who has not forgotten what pretty girls looke dlike in his day. Appropriate refreshments were served at the usual hour an dthe guests departed giving everhy evidence as they passed the old man's stand of having spent a very enjoyable evening.
A remarkable chest expansion: Dr. Dixon, our school physician, reports officially as follows: In my examination of the late party of Nez Perces, I find one young man of whom I wish to make special mention, David McFarland, standing 5 ft. 7 in. high, and weighing 160 lbs., has a clear chest expansion of 5 inches. When we remember, that by far the larger number of successful applicants for insurance fall below 3 1/2 inches, and that it requires, as a rule, persistent training to reach 4 inches, I regard this as remarkable."
The names of the eight Piegan Indians who visited Carlisle on their way west from Washington, last week are White Calf, Little Plume, Little Dog, Four Horns, Runnign Crane, White Grass, LIttle Bear Chief, and Brocky. Their Agent, Maj. Steele and Mr. Kipp, intprt. were with them. At the last sociable they were out in full dress, the finest it has been our privilege to see. Eagle feathers, beads, porcupine-quills and human hair ornamented their buckskin shirts and leggings. The reluctance with which they owned that the hair was human, and taken from the head of an enemy, is a most encouraging sign of progress. The young chiefs claimed that the suits had belonged to their fathers. The Captain bought one of these suits for the school museum. The chiefs wore citizens, dress on all occasions. White Calf, who is the head chief of the tribe, spoke briefly at the close of the sociable. He rejoiced to see what the school was doing for his people, and he believed the Almighty had placed Capt. Pratt here to help the Indians. Robert Hamilton interpreted in clear voice and with sufficient force to be heard all over the spacious room, for which the audience was very grateful.
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boys at play was wafted from the distance, on the northern breeze.
Aunt Martha rushed to the back steps and there saw one little, two little, three little, yes, forty little Indians, and big ones, too for that matter, off on a distant bluff, bobbing their black heads up and down as they bounded over the snow-covered bumpers on the hillside.
A youth in the early morning had discovered the coasting place and communicated the news like an electric shock to the other boys.
But how could they be riding down hill, when there was not a sled to be had?
There was no Carlisle carpenter shop in which the boys could make sleds.
There was no school father who could issue an order for the carpenter boys to knock together hastily a score of rough sleds for his children.
But what did the little Indians in that faraway school use instead of sleds?
Ah! There goes one on a barrel-stave. And see how swift he fies!
And what is that one on?
A dust pan, as sure as he is a boy!
And another on a dust-pan. Every dust-pan in the house had been appropriated, as was afterwards discovered to the grief of the housekeeper.
The dish-pans, too, were missing.
An Indian boy seated in a dish-pan, sailing with feet in air and arms out endeavoring to maintain a balance, while going round and round down the hill, full tilt, was a sight that Aunt Martha will never forget.
Fire shovels, coal shovels, on which tow or three could pile, the axes from the wood-pile, ash-pans, wash basins, stove-covers, pot-lids, anything and everything that had a smooth surface 3x4 inches was snatched up regardless of value, and a jollier set of youngsters could not have been found in the land, as they were putting these articles to such an unheard-of and comical use.
The lesson comes, not in the wasteful appropriation of valuable articles for the sake of a good time. That is wrong. And we are bound to admit that the school-lesson that day contained strong advice regarding extravagance which though not altogether understood, still had a good effect.
The lesson to us comes in the way in which those untutored Indian boys used the MEANS AT COMMAND, without waiting as some people frequently to do for a BETTER WAY to attain a desired end.

*IT PAYS.
It pays to take as much interest in your employers business as if you were working for yourself, even when the employer is the United States Government.
It pays to be reliable. Reliable people are not too plentiful.
Let your employer have confidence that if you undertake anything you will do it right
Let him feel that you can be trusted to follow his instructions; that you will work as well when he is a hundred miles away as if he were present. Reliability is always profitable.
IT PAYS to be enthusiastic, energetic, conscientious and honest.*
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Do not dare to live without some clear intention toward which your living shall be bent. Mean to be something with all your might.
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A CONUNDRUM.
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A query strange I have to ask,
If thou wilt list to me;
Yet stranger still the answer seems,
Most surely you'll agree.

Suppose a blind man glasses wore,
To shield his sightless eyes;
Pray tell me how you'd liken him
To "taters" of mean size?

Well, now the answer you shall hear,
So all should hark to me;
They both have *eyes* and "*specs*" I ween,
And yet they cannot *see."
- For the INDIAN HELPER,by R.N.W.
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ANSWER TO LAST WEEK'S ENIGMA: A holiday.
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STANDING OFFER.
Premiums will be forwarded free to persons sending subscriptions for the INDIAN HELPER, as follows:
1. For one subscription and a 2-cent stamp extra, a printed copy of the Pueblo photo advertised below in paragraph 5.
2. For two subscriptions and a 1-cent stamp extra, the printed copy of Apache contrast, the original photo of which, composing two groups, on separate cards (8x10), may be had by sending 30 subscriptions and 5 cents extra.
(This is the most popular photograph we have ever had taken, as it shows such a decided contrast between a group of Apaches as they arrived and the same pupils four months later.)
3. For five subscriptions and a 1-cent stamp extra, a group of the 17 Indian printer boys. Name and tribe of each given. Or, pretty faced pappoose in Indian cradle. Or, Richard Davis and family.
4. For seven subscriptions and a 2-cent stamp extra, a boudoir combination showing all our prominent buildings.
5. For ten subscriptions and a 2-cent stamp extra, two photographs, one showing a group of Pueblos as they arrived in their Indian dress and another of the same pupils three years after, showing marked and interesting contrast. Or, a contrast of a Navajo boy as he arrived and a few years after.
6. For fifteen subscriptions and 5-cents extra, a group of the whole school (9x14), faces show distinctly. Or, 8x10 photo of prominent Sioux chiefs. Or, 8x10 photo of Indian baseball club. Or, 8x10 photo of graduating classes, choice of '89, '90, '91. Or, 8x10 photo of buildings.
7. For forty subscriptions and 7-cents extra, a copy of "Stiya, a returned Carlisle Indian girl at home." Without accompanying extra for postage, premiums will not be sent.
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For The Red Man, an 8 page periodical containing a summary of all Indian news and selections from the best writers upon the subject, address RED MAN, Carlisle Pa. Terms, fifty cents a year of twelve numbers. The same premium is given for ONE subscription and accompanying extra for postage as is offered for five names for the HELPER.
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Transcribed from the original by Barbara Landis-- http://www.carlisleindianschool.org There is a discussion page and blog linked among the menu options on the web pages.
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