6 CHEMAWA
Thomas W Potter, Superintendent
of the School at Chemawa,
whose picture appears on the cover page,
is the son of a Methodist minister and was
born in Ontario, Canada, December 28,
1863. He graduated from the. Hamilton
Collegiate Institute and Toronto Normal
school when 18 years of1 age. He taught
one year in Canada and then, longing for a
Western life, went to Texas. He taught
mathematics in a Ft. Worth university for
one year. Tiring of books and school rooms,
ne threw them aside for the free and wild
life of a Texas cowboy. He worked on the
cattle ranches on the Texas plains and the
Indian territory, learning to lasso the wild
est Texas steer and ride the meanest of
bronchos. After two years of ranch life
he went back to his educational work as
teacher at the Cheyeune school, never re
gretting the splendid experience he obtain
ed with the wild and wooly cowboys.
When Col. D. 13. Dyer was Indian agent of
the Cheyennes and Arapahoes, he appoint
ed Mr. Potter as a teacher in the Cheyenne
school in 1884 and he has been in the ser
vice since that time in various positions
and places, towit: 1884 to 1885, teacher at
Cheyenne school; 1885 to 1886, teacher in
Arapahoe school; 1886 to 1887, teacher at
Kiowa and Comanche agency; 1887 to 1889,
sub-Indian agent at Cantonment, Okla;
1890 to 1891,' teacher at Carlisle " Indian
school; 1892 to 1893, principal teacher at
Fort Totten, N. D.; 1893 to 1895, superin
tendent and acting Indian agent of the
Eastern Cherokees, N. C; 1895 to present
time, superintendent of Salem Indian
school.
In 1895 Salem Indian school had but 200
pupils because of the frequent change of
employes and superintendents, as there,
had been sevn changes in the position of
superintendent from 1893 to 1895, when
Mr. Potter took charge. Today the school
has an enrollment of 675 pupils and ia in
creasing annually. There ara 50 employes
at the Chemawa school. Many good, sub
stantial and valuable improvements have
bsen made each vear. ' No rackets or in-
AMERICAN. .
ternal dissensions mar the peace of the
school, hence it can't help but prosper.
The school is doing excellent work in its
shops and school rooms, as is evidenced by
results. Scores of its pupils 'are woridng
at white mechanics' wages in towns of
California, Washington and Oregon, many
- are in business for themselves, operating
small shops and farms of their own. The
Chemawa girls are filling positions of
housekeepers, cooks and seamstresses all
the way from Colorado to Alaska.
Mr. Potter owns a large cattle ranch and
farm in the Indian territory and ia es
pecially fond of the stock business for the
pleasure as well as the profit that is in it;
and when he gives up the wearisome and
worrying duties of the government service
he will devote his whole time to superin
tending his private business.
Native American.
The members of the Reliance Society
spent a very profitable evening together
last Thursday. President Gillis being
absent Chas; Cutter called the society to
order. Every member enjoyed the selec
tion by the Reliance Quartette. Miss Rea
son was a visitor the early partof the even
ing. Willie Allen, Willie Brannan, and
David Mike were visitors.
The following program was rendered;
Address, Richard Decker; Recitation,
Simpn Ellis; . Reading, Simon Booth;
Selection, Reliance Quartette; Debate
Resolved: That wealth is more beneficial
to mankind than an education.
Affirmative. Negative.
Yeppie Nelson. Simon Ellis.
John Harris. Chas. Hilburn,
The Girls' Band Of Mercy met on last
Thursday evening in the Girls' Home,
The meeting was called to order by the
president Rosa McKay. The program
consisted of songs and recitations by the
little members of the society. Miss Miller
read to them part of the story about Little
Nell by Dickens after which they all join
ed in singing a song, and then the meeting
closed.