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Show I 348 REPORTS OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS CARPENTER SHOP. Building,privy. ............. 1 ' Building, wash-room ........ 1 Screen, door. ................ 1 Screens, window . 19 Tables ...................... 4 SHOE AND HARNESS SHOP. Shoes, boys' .......... pairs.. 161 Shoes, men's.. ....... .pairs.. 127 Shoes, misses' ........ ..do ... 3 Shoes, women's ....... .do.. . 8 Straps, lines ........... sets.. 2 DAIRY. Butter.. .......... .ponnds.. 1,282 / Milk.. ...... _ .gallons.. 17,453 RAISED ON FARM. Beef, net ........... ..pounds.. 2,523 Beets .............. bushels.. 500 Calves ...................... 16 Hay .................. tons.. 83 Hides, beef .---...........---- 2 Oats in straw.. ........ .do.. . 8 Pumpkins ................... 5,672 Squashes .................... 1,000 With thanks for every courtesy from your office, I have the honor to be, Yours, very respectfully, THBO.G . LEMHONS,u perintendent. The COHHI~~IONOFE RLW IAN AFFAIRS. REPORT OF SCHOOL AT FORT LAPWAI, IDAFIO. . -: FORTL APWAIS CHOOLID, AHO, August 25, 1807. SIR: I have the honor to forwmd this my annual report for the fiscal year of .1..R.. 97. In my report for last year mention ~ v mm ade of the pernicious effect upon the Indians of this tribe, and therefore upon the pupils of this school of the payment by the Government to them of large sums of money. This inj;rious action has continued throughout the present fiscal year. Life,never very seriously taken by them,is now more lightly considered than ever, because no thought need be given to to-morrow. Theregular payment of money may be depended upon to takecare of that. With them t.here seems to be no day hut to-day, and their pilrse will ever contain that sum which it now holds. I mention this of thq tribe because it bears directly, in my opinion, upon the atteddance at this school in this: That while thia idea prevails they me not able to see the necessity of placing their children in school. They me thoroughly able to take care of themselves now without schooling. Why should they not always be able to do so? The child pleads (as what vigorous youth does not?) not to be sent to school, and his petition is heeded because there is a full home larder and clothing is easy of acquisition. There seems to be eo apprecistion of the benefits which the child will receive in after years from a11 education. With this reluctance to place children in sohool haa also come another idea on their part, and that is that it is left entirely to their own inclinations if their children are given schooling or not. Heretofore the prevailing idea among the tribe has been that did they not vol-untarily leave their children at the school the Government's agents were empow-ered tovisit the Indian homes and take the children from thence to the Government school. While this idea. prevailed, there were few Indian youth on the reserve tion of school age not in attendance at tbis or some other Government school. Now, however, since they have been told and have learned to believe that they might follow their own wishes in the matter, not more than one-half the reserva-tion children of school age are in school. They boldly state: '<We are ,citizens; we shall do as we please." The agent states that he and his police are powerless in the matter, so the Indians do in truth, follow their pleasure, which seems to be to retain their children home'in idleness. Education is com~ul sor~tihnis state. 1t might be nossible to reach the matter thnlogh rlleStatr11iw. Wirh nomesnsof influiuciug barents, other thn~r tllronyh TeRFOII, I am confi4ent Ill0 attendance at rhie school u,I:I retrotmdn llnril rhe llse of no tine a school plant ior .:o fimrtll :L numlrr of pulo3l.i wo!~ld seem little rns,l.< |