6
THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN.
Superintendent Potter Speaks to
the Carlisle School.
Last Saturday night as Supt. Potter of
the Chemawa Indian School, Oregon, was
with U9, the usual monthly sociable which
came the last Saturday In the month
was deferred, to give the student body and
faculty an opportunity to hear our brotber-in-the-work,
who is in charge of the larg
est Indian School on the Pacific Coaat, the
first non-reservation school to come luto
existence after Carlisle,
The band played a lively selection ,uhen
Colonel Pratt introduced our visitor from
the West, mentioning the fact that Mr. Pot
ter was once a teacher with us, and that
Chemawa was established to be a running
mate with Carlisle.
Mr. Poiter began by saying that he
stayed over to hem one of Colonel Pi att's
old-time, rousing, Saturday ninht speeches,
but not to speak himself. He told of the
help those talks had been to him, and to
all who heard theiu, and he wondered how
many were truly grateful for the many
opportunities tb.it such a school as Car
lisle affords.
He alluded to Carlisle as situated In the
cream of civilization. 8me schools are
locaied in such thinly populated district,
that the influence of the civilization around
thein is like skimmed milk.
Here we are among a people who have
always loved the Indians. CarltHle Is In
the atmosphere of William Penn's treat
ment of i he red men.
All came here for the purpose of get
ting au education that will enable them to
succeed in life. Of all the youth in the land
who are educated, only aUut one-tenth
are really BUc:erttl in life, while nine
tenths fail. So Indians are not the only
people who fail.
We must have brains, character, indus
try, to succeed.
In referring to the Georgetown victory
Supt. Potter said that the result of that
game as he witueesed It had emphasized
two things 1st. that the Indian can learn,
and 2nd. that he can ezecnte what he
learns. There is no reason why the In
dian cannot be just as successful as any
body at football or In any other Hue of
The students are learning those things
at Carlisle which will be of use, if they
only use what they learn. It is posnilile
to keep locked in one's own being what is
learned, and not to use it for the benefit of
others, or oneself.
The speaker told of a Chinaman near
Chemawa who used his knowledge of hW'
to till the soil to good advantage. He
plants onions and at the end of every
season puts in the bank $1000, clear gain
from his onion patch. If a Chinaman can
do that, what Is to hinder an Indian from
doing the 8mn? It requires will power
and a determination to succeed.
A ynung 6 weds not far fiom Chemawa
rents 4') acres of land at three dollars an
acre, plants potato s and clears money.
Home students are apt to think that such
work is not stylish. Some silly girls don't
likeyuui:g men who are farmers but preler
dndea for company. It is all right to get a
college education, Lilt the majority will be
tillers ot the soil or tr.tlemen.
Here Mr. PotUr asked all who could
milk a cow to raise their bands, and a sea
of hands was at once waving above the
bead of his audience.
When he alluledtohis frequent talks
with Assistant-Superintendent Campbell
at Chemawa, about our Btaudard and In
vincible Debating societies, tell in bow
Mr. Campbell still stood up for the In
vinoibles and bow he had still a warm
heart for the Standards, and showing how
they nevf-r could aureeasto the relative
merits of the to societies Ihey had help
ed to start and keep alive, there was ei-thusiat-tic
applause.
The choir siug a selection, when C) lone I
Prattlook the floor. Ked nanaud Helper.
Good teachers and instructors do nt al
ways tell their pupils everything. Thuy
teach their boys and girls to do consider
able thinking for themselves.