The CHEMAWA AMERICAN
LOCAL
Mrs. Chas. E. Larsen and daughter, Miss Vivian,
spent a portion of the holiday period with relatives
near Seattle, Wash.
Just recently Mr. Bent was a guest at a banquet at
Hotel Marion, w’here were assembled many of the
prominent people of the state.
Miss Edna Groves, Supervisor of Home Economics
in the Indian Service, left Chemawa for the middle
west last Friday, having made an official inspection of
our school.
Miss Idaho Lipps, after spending the holidays with
her parents here at Chemawa, is again back in Coeur
d’Alene, Idaho, where she holds a position as a teacher
in the city schools.
Mr. and Mrs. Kirk desire us to express their thanks
to employes for their sympathy and many floral offer
ings in the recent death and burial of Mrs. Kirk’s
mother, Mrs. Mary A. Briggs. For these many kind
acts they are sincerely grateful.
Mr. H. A. Kunkel, our bandmaster, made a trip
to Portland last week to hear a rendition by the sym
phony orchestra and a large chorus of the oratorio of
Handel, the “Messiah.” Mr. Kunkel was pleased
with the production of this famous work.
A recent issue of the Gresham Outlook contains
quite a lengthy article by Mr. R. H. Knox, a retired
Indian Service employe, in which he sets forth many
interesting personal experiences and observations.
Mr. Knox is a frequent visitor at Chemawa and is a
likeable gentleman. He was eighteen years in the
Service.
The following Chemawa graduates now attending
other schools visited here during the holidays: Carl
Muller, Oregon state college; Robert Peratrovich, Uni
versity of Washington; Raymond Haldane and Char
les DePoe, Willamette University; Vina Smith,
Bellingham Normal; Peter Rasmussen, Monmouth
Normal.
It is with pleasure that we take it upon ourselves to
express the thanks of all Chemawa for the gift of a
fine Atwater Kent radio presented us by the Miller
Bros. Co. of Salem. This is all mighty fine, and it
seems almost too good to be true. We now have it
installed in the auditorium where it will prove of the
greatest service to ail.
It was a shock to many of the oldtimers at Che
mawa to learn of the death of Theodore E. C. Vesper
a little more than a week ago in Salem. Pneumonia
was the cause of death. For some years Mr. Vesper
was our school engineer, although at the time of his
demise he was not in the service. We extend sincere
condolences to Mrs. Vesper and family.
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Miss Myrtle Peters, our financial clerk, is home
again after an enjoyable vacation which she passed
with friends near Tacoma, Wash.
Just a week ago Mrs. Mary A. Briggs, mother of
Mrs. Kirk of Chemawa, died of pneumonia in Port
land. Until quite recently Mrs. Briggs had been in
Chemawa at the home of her daughter, leaving for
Portland a few days before she was taken ill. She
was 81 years old and at such an advanced age she
could not withstand the attack of pneumonia. Inter
ment was in Salem. The American sympathizes with
Mrs. Kirk in her great bereavement.
During our chapel exercises last Sunday evening
Supt. Lipps reminded all of us that resolutions to im
prove ourselves, to study with a greater purpose, to
work with a will the achievement of something worth
while, are now in order, as it is the beginning of 1930.
As a matter of fact, he said that good resolutions are
in order at all times throughout the year, but custom
has placed greater stress on “New Year’s Resolutions. ’’
The talk was most instructive as well as entertaining
and those who paid heed to what was said should have
profited largely. In addition to the address the choir
sang a good number and the orchestra contributed a
selection of unusual merit.
During the first of last week Supt. Lipps was the
principal speaker at the luncheon of the Salem Com
mercial Club. He gave an unusually fine address on
Indian education, passing from its conception by Gen
eral Pratt many years ago, to the present time. He
spoke of his recent visit to Washington, D. C., in the
interest of our Chemawa school and the splendid
treatment he was accorded by all, and of a sincere de
sire evidenced by those in authority to put into effect
a plan which, it is hoped, will solve the problem of
Indian education at Chemawa. Space prevents the
enumeration of lots of “good news” that Supt. Lipps
voiced. It was a fine address. Our orchestra was
present and provided music for the occasion.
The “weight report” of Dr. Cisco on our students
for the month of December is certainly a testimonial
to the care they recieve at Chemawa. It is as follows:
At the opening of school there were 119 pupils who
were five pounds or more underweight. At the
weighing on December 15th, the following facts are
of interest: Of the number 119, 56 had gained their
normal weight, or exceeded it; 53 had gained a num
ber of pounds, though had not reached their normal
weight; and 10 had not gained, though they had
maintained their entrance weight. It may be added
that of the remainder who were normal or overweight
on entrance, only two had fallen below the normal
weight line, and the rest, almost without exception,
had made more or less gain.