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Show REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF INDIAN AFFAIRS. 9 The attendance upon these schools is good, the increase during the year in enrollment being 437, notwithsta~ldinga decrease in the num-ber of schools. The schools at Warm Springs and Yainax have been consolidated. Fort Bennet school at the old Cheyenne River Agency has left its dilapidated buildings and been consolidated with the new Cheyenne River Agency school. The Pine Ridge school has cot been in operation owing to the burning of its buildings. The personnel of the various schools has been placed upon a higher plane and a corresponding inoreasem efficiency can be noted. With few exceptions harmony has prevailed between the agents and superintend-. ents, and in unison they have endeavored to build up the schools under their charge. I note with pleasure the great interest taken in their schools by the agents and their commendable pride in making up by excellent work for deficiencies in eqnipment. As teachers and officers become more experienced they of course become more proficient in dealing with and instructing the Indians. It is a difficult matter for a new teacher, no matter how eficient in white schools, to at once become a successful Indian instructor. Con-ditions are so diEerent,lauguage is such a barrier, and individual char-acteristics are so dissimilar tbat it takes time to become adjusted ind to learn how to invent new methods or to adapt old ones to new Bur-roundings. DAY SCHOOLS. One of the most valuable adjuncts to successful Indian instruction is the day school. These schools are generally situated near the camps, and take the little ones from the very heart of barbarism. R~de, uncouth, and shy, the teacher has a most difficult task in iustilling the first principles of knowledge into their brains; but patiently, step by i step, this is gradually accomplishe(1. These schools perform serious work in the educational plan. There are now110 of them, all, with the exception of eight, on reservations, and they have a capacity for 4,145 pupils. This is a11 increase during the year of 411, in capacity and 10 in number. At a large majority of these schools a noonday lunch is l furnished. This is a most valuable addition to tlleh etliciency, and has done much in the way of increasing the attendance. The distfibution of the day schools is indicated in the following table: TABLE 7.-Zocatio,t. and capacity of G.o:overnmcnl day schools, Jme SO, 1895. Arirnna: Capaoity. M"%b,,. .......................... oreiba .............................. 2: Polaces ............................ 50 N&v~o- Little Water ....................... 30 Sopai .............................. 30 California: 35 Rig Pinso .............................. I l i r h o p ~.. ............................. ManclleBtera . :: Misaion. I aohools ...................... 233 Potter valleyo . . ....................... 50 Cki&ho ................................ 40 Iowa: Capac>ty Saa and For ............................ 4. xiowan: Ilaraga ................................ 60 Mionesora: Birch Coole ........................... 36 White Eart .Twin Lake ............... 25 Montana: Tongue Riser .......................... 30 Nab'a8ka: S'ntee,Ponan .......................... Nwads: Walker River .......................... 30 UpperLaken .......................... 4 5 Wadaworth ............................ 8U .Sot on resenation. |
