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Show I 388 REPORT OF BUPERINTENDENT OF INDIAN SCHOOLS. Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wisconsin, reports of . which have been made to you during the year. Rice Station School, Talklai, Ariz.-When I visited this school three years a o, shortly after it was established, these San Carlos Apache Indian &ildren were fresh from the tepee and knew no English, and the first necessity was to give them a working knowled e of the language in order that thei might make their wants known. 6p on my recent visit I found that t ey bad made remarkable progress, and that the system of teaching was one of the best I have observed. This is due to the fact tbat the instructors were compelled to adopt the method af "learn- ;"[ by doing" rather than those used in white or English-speaking sc 001s. This school is located in the midst of an arid desert, and the well-kept grounds, gardens and buildings are an object lesson to the old , Apache Indians on the reservation who necessarily pass the school in goin to and from the agency. The sanitary conditions are excellent and &e health of the pupils good. The farm of 50 acres was reclaimed after surmounting many difficul-ties, it being necessary to dig up the sage brush and thorn trees, and establish an irrigation system before the land could he cultivated. Alfalfa is the principal crop and is used in maintaining the farm stock. A large 3u antity of garden products were raised, although the school is locate in an almost arid region, which shows what can be accom-plished througb industry and perseverance. Thegrowing of the vege-tables not only furnished the pupils elementary instruction in a icul ture, hut also gave variety to the meals, which were exceptionalgweli prepared. D i s school of 200 full-blood Apache Indian children is remarkably well managed, and the superintendent deserves credit for his excellent work. I also noticed great improvement in the old Indians, as well as the children. At one little house on the reservation I found a well that had been recently dug, and, upon inquiry, found tbat it was the work of a returned student, who came to the conclusion that it was more advisable to dig a well than to go a considerable distance to a small and uncertain ~t r e amto get water, US the old Indians are doing. This returned student also acts as interpreter and adviser to many of the old Indians. - Haskell Institute, Lawrence, &us.-This school is located about 2 miles south of Lawrence, in a fertile farming region. The climate is salubrious and the health of the pupils good. The average attendance during the past year was nearly 800, bein fully up to the capacity of the school. Additional buildings, recent7 y erected, have materially added to the school equipment. The crops raised last year included wheat, pats, corn, hay alfalfa fruit, and vegetables. A competent farmer is in charge, an6 under his direction the pupils perform all the farm work, tend the garden, and care for the stock. In addition to the literary course instruction is given in manual training and domestic arts. The cooking school is specially well man-aged, being the largest and best equipped in the service. A complete course is given in this most necessary branch of the work. In add~tion to the regular course in this department, each girl before graduation is required to prepare meals for a small family and be able to take complete charge of the work of a small household. |