History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 82

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198

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HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY

country so large that he ean roam forever in a wild and uneivilized state; but he should be placed on reservations where, aided liberally by the Government, he could be taught the su- perior advantages of a pastoral and agricultural life, over his present wandering and aim- less existence ; and where the benign influences of religious instruction, the arts of peaceful industry, and the schools of learning, shall finally qualify him for the higher position of an American citizen.

The Government in our case, as in the ease of California, Utah, Colorado and other ter- ritories, extended its eivil jurisdiction over this country by organizing a territorial govern- ment, without waiting for the extinguishment of the Indian title, except in the southeast por- tion, purchased under the Yankton Treaty. From this circumstance the Government has ineurred a double obligation, which, in justice to the Indian and the citizens, should be faithfully discharged to both. First, as to the Indians: Treaties should at once be made with a view to purchasing their title to the Black Hills country and the Bad Lands, west of the Missouri, including the Big Cheyenne; and the right of way, by means of railroads and other improvements, to and from those regions, and to and from the mining regions of Montana and Idaho; at the same time seeuring them reservations on the bottom lands of the Missouri, or elsewhere, of suitable size and quality for farming purposes, with ample guarantees for their future protection and support during good behavior. So much, at least in my judgment, is due to the Indian.

As respeets the white citizen, I contend that the extension of eivil jurisdiction over this territory earries with it a guarantee of protection. It was an invitation to oeeupy and pos- sess the land by the introduction of agriculture, trade and commerce. It was a pledge of protection to life, liberty and property, to all who would cast their lots within our borders. It was an implied contract with the citizen that the Indian title should in due time be extinguished, and that the fuel, building material and mineral deposits, including all the materials which enter into the composition of industrial life, should be his at Government price. It was an invitation to organize communities in which the temple of God and the schoolhouse should be erected, under the aegis of the Government, and where the arts and sciences of eivilized life should be permitted to flourish without fear of savage molestation. It is right, therefore, that the Government, instead of dooming this country forever to savage control, should at onee secure to us, under the operation of the homestead, pre-emption and mining laws, by purchase of the Indian title, the valuable resources referred to, which are essential to the prosperity and happiness of the citizen, but which possess no value in the eyes of the Indian, and would remain buried out of sight for ages to come if left to his disposition, skill or industry to develop.

It is due to justice and truth in this connection to say that whatever may be the restilt of this important movement, in its bearing upon us, 1 have the utmost confidence in the ability, patriotism, impartiality and good judgment of the gentlemen who compose the peace commission. If great legislative experience, long and distinguished public services, and ex- tensive acquaintance with the intrieate subject of Indian affairs, are qualifications, then they are eminently fitted for the discharge of the duties entrusted to them. And if they fail to remove all just causes of complaint on the part of the Indian, or to establish peace and security on a basis of future prosperity for the citizen, I am confident that no particle of blame should be attached to them for such failure. But notwithstanding this, it would be right and proper, in my opinion, for the Legislature to respectfully memorialize Congress, to whom the final disposition of this subjeet belongs, so far as their action may injuriously affect our well known territorial interests. We should protest against the mutilation of our boundary lines as contemplated; we should remonstrate against giving up the public high- ways already established by authority of the Government, such as the Sioux City and Big Cheyenne wagon road, and that of the Niobrara route; we should remonstrate against any congressional action which would tend to deprive the white citizen of the full benefit of the Black Hills resources, and we should press our objections to an aet establishing this great Indian district or reservation alongside of the settlements of Southern Dakota.

It would be well to suggest to Congress that we have space enough north of the Big Cheyenne to accommodate on reservations. ample in size and quality, all the tribes on the plains east of the Rocky Mountains and north of the Platte, and in the midst of the best buffalo hunting grounds on the continent. This would be safe for us and an actual benefit to the Indians, while with proper regulations it would be a protection rather than an injury to the interests of the Northern Pacific Railroad. It would be well to suggest that a reser- vation which should embrace the Black Hills country could not in view of the past history of the country be a permanent one, and for that reason would not answer the design of the Gov- ernment. The rich mineral deposits and the vast forests of pine of that region. are destined to allure thousands of adventurers to that locality, who will eventually break over these temporary barriers, involve the Government in new conflicts with the Indian tribes. and thus compel new treaties and a new order of things more in harmony with the progress and spirit of the times. I do not speak of this aggressive spirit, peculiar to our raee, with a view to extol or even to justify it; but as a fet worth taking into account by those whose duty it is to legislate on the subject referred to, I mean by it to point out what experience teaches. that reservations unwisely chosen, because of the manifest obstructions offered to the white raee, ean only at best be temporary homes for the Indian tribes, and rendering their condition worse than it was before.

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The remaining duties appertaining to this and other subjects to which I have invited attention, now rest with you. Wherein I have omitted subjects of importance, dwelt on in my annual message of last year, I respectfully refer you to that document for my opinions and recommendations. But, as heretofore, you will have my cordial cooperation in whatever concerns the true interest or welfare of this territory; and in all your deliberations I invoke the direction of Infinite Wisdom.

Executive office, Yankton, December, 1867.

A. J. FAULK.

INDIAN SCHOOLS AND COUNTY SCHOOLS

The progress made in the establishment of a common school system for the territory, and the hindrances encountered, is most clearly and reliably related in the official report of the superintendent of public instruction, which is given herewith as it was submitted to the Legislature in December, 1867 :

Three years ago the superintendent of public instruction presented his first annual report to the Legislature of Dakota. At that time no public, and but few private, schools existed in the territory. The country was so thinly settled that schools could not be supported, and doubtless many families that would have been valuable settlers and zealotts supporters of the cause of education turned their course back toward the homes they had left, when they contemplated the lapse of years that would, in all probability, sweep past them before this beautiful valley could be provided with schools and other social advantages which they had enjoyed in their more eastern homes. But we are thankful that the prosperity and rapid growth of our territory has materially shortened the length of time which we then thought we must reasonably expect to wait for public schools to become thoroughly established along the Missouri Slope. We have today a free school system in practical operation in this ter- ritory, with all its various machinery of district, county, and territorial officers, and although some of our hastily constructed schoolhouses may suffer some by comparison with the superb school buildings of older and wealthier states, still they are serviceable to us, and will in due time, we trust, give place to more suitable schoolhouses. We have no reason for discouragement. Our brightest anticipations are in a fair way to be realized. A good school has been established and schools opened in every hamlet, and he who shall, three years hence, present to the Legislature of Dakota the annual school report, will number the pupils of our schools by thousands, and the teachers by hundreds. Within the last year many school districts have been organized and a free school supported for one term or more. For the educational statistics of the year, your attention is called to the following extracts from the reports of the several county superintendents :

BON HOMME COUNTY

Number of organized districts, I; number of private schools, I; number of children in the county between 5 and 21, 40; number of children attending private schools, 10; number of children not attending any school. 30; number of male teachers, I ; amount of money raised by tax, $50; amount of money raised by subscription, $450; total amount raised for schools, $500; amount expended for teachers' wages, $500.

Owing to the sparseness of our population it has been difficult to collect a sufficient num- ber of children at one point to support a public school ; but the prospects are that we shall have a school this fall and winter. Several pupils from this county have attended the schools of Yankton County. D. P. BRADFORD,

County Superintendent.

BUFFALO COUNTY

Number of children in county between ages of 5 and 21, 25; number of children not attending school, 25: value of schoolhouse belonging to United States, $2,000.

These twenty-five children do not extend to children having no visible sires and living wandering lives like Indians. Of this latter class there may be one hundred who make this agency their headquarters, whose existence here is a perpetual reminder of the success of the "brave volunteers in conquering a rebellious people." There are two Government school- houses here, not used for such purposes, valued at $2,000. There are no schools of any kind in this county. I would furnish a building free to a competent school teacher.

J. R. HANSON, Agent.

CHIARLES MIX COUNTY

Number of children in county between the ages of 5 and 21, 20; number of children not attending school, 20.

There are no public schools in the county. WILLIAM Cox.

CLAY COUNTY

Number of organized districts, 7; number unorganized, 4: number of children between ages 5 and 21. 200 ; number of children attending public schools, 96; number of children not

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attending schools, 105; number of male teachers, 1; number of female teachers, 3; number of official visits made by county superintendent, 3; amount of public money, $255.32; amount. raised by tax, $29.94; amount raised by subscription, $57.78; total amount raised for schools, $608.04; amount expended for teachers' wages, $346; amount expended for new buildings, ; value of school property in the county, $300.

The reports of district clerks are very imperfect. A considerable amount of the public fund remains in the hands of the treasurer. Districts Nos. 2 and 3 have each levied a tax for a new schoolhouse. District No. 9 is a fractional district, annexed to District No. 11 in Union County, and has built a new log schoolhouse. District No. 10 has just organized. District No. 1I will organize in a few days. The reports of district clerks I have not thought proper to transmit.

M. S. BURR, County Superintendent.

LARAMIE COUNTY

Number of children in the county between the ages of 5 and 21, 200; number of chil- dren not attending school, 200.

To the Territorial Superintendent-I will show Mr. Gildersleeve, county superin- tendent-elect, your letter as soon as he is qualified, and urge him to act without delay. We have no schools, either public or private, as yet, in this county, but hope to show a good beginning this winter. We have labored under many disadvantages, but are getting in position to make our county organization effective, which is the foundation for success with public schools. I will place the number of children in this county, between the ages of 5 and 21, at 200. You can rest assured that I will use my best exertions toward effecting: school organizations in this county. W. L. KOYKENDALL, County Judge

MINNEHAHA COUNTY

Number of children in the county between ages of 5 and 21, 15; number of children not attending public school, 15.

You see by the foregoing report that we have no schools in this county, which is not. to be wondered at, as two-thirds of the children came here less than two months ago. I can assure you that as soon as they provide homes for themselves for winter, the educa- tion of their children will be their next care. We are all united, therefore we expect success to crown our efforts. You may expect a better report next year.

JOHN THOMPSON.

(The reader is reminded that Minnehaha County had been without settlers and prac. tically disorganized since 1862, owing to Indian troubles, and remained unsettled until the fall of 1867 .- Ed.)

PEMBINA COUNTY

Number of children between the ages of 5 and 21, 563; number of private schools, 2; number of pupils : males 73, females 41, total 114; number of teachers : males 2, females 1 ; amount expended yearly in support of private schools, $600; value of school property, $1,200.

As the above county was organized only on the 12th of August, last, there has been no tax assessed and collected for the erection of new school buildings, and for the support of common schools, neither has the superintendent for that county had time to prepare and send in reports required by law, and reorganize the old schools and establish new ones where needed.

(This report was unsigned and probably made by the sitting member of the Legislature who was familiar with Pembina school affairs.)

TODD COUNTY -

No report.

Number of children reported last year, 25; number of Indian children residing on Ponca Indian Agency, 150; amount of school property belonging to the United States, $17,500.

No school has been started in this county; $17.500 has been expended in erecting a school building, which is not completed. This building is for a manual labor school for the children of Pouca Indians, provided for them by the Government under treaty stipulations, and a school will no doubt soon be started in accordance with their treaty.

J. A. POTTER, U. S. Indian Agent.

UNION COUNTY

Number of organized districts, 16; number of unorganized districts, 1; number of children between the ages of five and twenty-one, 724; number of children attending public schools, 296; number of children not attending school, 428; number of male teachers, 6;

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number of female teachers, 5; number of official visits of county superintendent, 5; amount of public money, $285; amount raised by tax, $579,28; amount raised by subscription, $187.50; total amount raised for school purposes, $1,051.78; amount paid for teachers' wages, $608.93; amount paid for new buildings, $138; total amount paid for all purposes, $1,199.50; value of school district property in the county, $949.00.

Our schools are getting it running order as fast as the condition of the country will admit. Most of the districts that are provided with suitable buildings are intending to support schools this winter, and probably every organized distriet will be able to keep up schools after the coming winter. The several district clerks' reports show you the exact condition of the schools in each district. D. P. PHILLIPS, Superintendent.

YANKTON COUNTY

Number of organized districts, 5; number of private schools, 1; number of children in county between five and twenty-one, 225; number of children attending public schools, 29; number of children attending private schools, Ico; number of children not attending school, 96; number of male teachers, 1; number of female teachers, 3: number of official visits of county superintendent, 3; amount of public money, $129; amount raised by subscription, $1,600; total amount raised from all sources, $1,735; amount paid for teachers' wages, $435; amount paid for new buildings, $1,300; total amount raised for school pur- poses, $1,735; value of school property in county, $3,000.

No public school has been kept in any distriet in this county except number 2. Number I is nearly ready with its house, and will probably start a school some time during next month. The other distriets are building houses and will commence schools soon. This accounts for only one liceused teacher; the others, teaching private schools, needed no license. A. G. FULLER, Superintendent.

STATISTICAL AGGREGATE FOR 1867

Number of organized districts, 29; number of unorganized districts, 5; number of private schools, 2; number of children between the ages of five and twenty-one, 1,550; number of children attending public schools, 421; number of children attending private schools, 160; number of children not attending school, 970; number of male teachers, 10; number of female teachers, 13; number of schools visited by territorial superintendent, 5; amount of money raised for school purposes, $5,000; paid for teachers' wages, $2,388; paid for new buildings, - -; amount of money expended for school purposes, $2,612; value of school property in territory, $5,500; total value of school property in territory, including Indian schools, $24,240.

INDIAN SCHOOLS

There are now no Indian schools of importance in this territory except the one at the Yankton Agency, and yet it is our firm belief that much could be done towards better- ing the condition of the Indian tribes if their young people could be brought under the influence of schools. In fact, the few experiments that have been tried with them, in teaching them to read and write, have been very successful. The general Government has expended large sums of money in erecting schoolhouses and supporting teachers among them, while but very few Indian schools have been taught, notwithstanding the salaries of teachers have generally been drawn by some attache of the agency, or other persons who cared but very little for, and did still less toward, instructing the Indian children. Would it not be proper for the Territorial Legislature to ask the general Government to place the Indian schools in this territory under the charge of the school department of the territory? At most of the agencies there are erected valuable school buildings, which with proper care would accommodate a large number of pupils. The sums of money appro- priated by Congress to the several, from time to time, for educational purposes, if judiciously expended, would, with a system of wholesome supervision and thorough inspection, be sufficient to pay the wages of a corps of faithful and energetic teachers, whose influence in educating and civilizing these frontier tribes could not fail of producing good results. In proof of the statement that the Government has now the necessary school buildings at our agencies for flourishing Indian schools, we need only to call your attention to extracts from letters received from Hon. J. R. Hanson and Dr. Joel A. Potter, United States Indian agents, which are embodied in this report. The following extracts from a letter received from Hon. P. H. Conger, Yankton Indian agent, show conclusively that Indian children are willing to learn if they have an opportunity :

"Yankton Agency, Dakota Territory, July 31, 1867.

"Dear Sir: I take pleasure in complying with your request to furnish you such infor- ination as I can in regard to the educational interest of the Yankton Indians and the half- breeds belonging to this tribe who reside upon the reservation. In the first place. I will premise by saying that since I have been the agent for the Yankton Indians the Goveru- Inent has not placed any funds in my hands applicable for schools for these Indians. But notwithstanding this my wife taught a small class for three months last season, and this

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spring 1 fitted up a room and she has had a very interesting school numbering from twenty to twenty-hve daily attendants, ten of which scholars are males and fifteen females, and I am happy to say that they are all making rapid progress, both in acquiring our language and in their studies. They manifest an eagerness to learn that is truly gratitying and won- derful, furnishing conclusive evidence that their race is capable of advancement and civilization. I have not filled up the blanks you sent me, preferring to give you a few facts, which you are at liberty to use as you see proper. Of course the branches taught here are elementary only, reading, spelling and writing, and I believe also a small class in geography. l extend to you a cordial invitation to visit the school, could you make it convenient, when doubtless you would be prepared much better to report upon the same than you can be from these meager facts. Assuring you that 1 take pleasure in promoting in any way the cause for which you are laboring, I have the honor to be,

"Very respectfully, your obedient servant, "P. H. CONGER."

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COMMON SCI1OOLS

Our common schools are called "people's colleges," because the great mass of the people obtain their education in them. But few who receive their education in our western states and territories ever are favored with a collegiate or even an academic education, hence the importance of making our common schools worthy of the patronage of all. A higher grade of scholarship should be aimed at, and such a course of study pursued as will in a measure prepare our young men and young women, educated at our schools, for the real duties of future life. Much might be said here upon the importance of commodious schoolhouses, increased salaries for school teachers, and of ample school apparatus; but we must first do what we can and not what we would like to do. We are far out on the fron- tier, and far from the old organized districts to which we formerly belonged. We have not a munificent school fund, like the older states, nor have we even a thickly settled farm- ing community upon whom to saddle a heavy tax to erect our schoolhouses with and support our schools. But we find a fertile soil, a healthy climate, and an excellent opening to build up a home. The pioneer selects a promising location, erects his cottage, fences his fields, breaks the ground and puts in the seed, plants forests and fruit trees around his new home, and presently another and another settler commences his improvements until enough are congregated in that locality to organize a school. Then the log schoolhouse is built and a teacher employed. Thus the great work of settling up the West goes on quietly but surely, and so rapidly is the work of settling done that it is not infrequently that where in the spring not a furrow was broken or a house foundation laid, before Christmas comes a good settlement is formed, with public schools in operation, well organized and supported, the whole neighborhood presenting the appearance of having been long settled. But gener- ally it requires time to open a farm on the prairie, and it is no wonder that two, and perhaps three, years should roll by before a school district can be organized and a school put in working order. The first great duty of settlers in a new territory is to provide a home, and after that, as soon as possible, a place to educate their children.

It is not really as much trouble to organize districts as some of our people may think. The law is very clear on this subject and all you have to do is to apply to your county superintendent or to the territorial superintendent for a copy. The people of this territory know well enough that it is best to organize a district as soon as a sufficient number of families can be gathered in one neighborhood, for this fact alone is a great inducement for others to come and settle near them so as to have the benefit of school immediately. It is far better to organize districts and support schools, even though your schoolhouse is made of logs and your school furniture of slabs, than to let our children grow up in ignorance because we cannot erect an elegant schoolhouse with patent school furniture.

One of the greatest hindrances to organizing school districts is the sparseness of our population. Not unfrequently large tracts of country are included in the same district, and a schoolhouse built by tax or subscription, in which burden all who are residents of the district bear a part. In a few years the country becomes more thickly settled, and the people, tired of the long walks of their children to school, conclude it is better to have a new district, and a call is made for a subdivision of the district. The schoolhouse at first built in the center of the district now falls near the outer edge of the new districts, and hence accommodates neither ; or if it falls near enough in the center of one to answer for a while a question comes up as to whom it now belongs, and not unfrequently much difficulty arises in settling these perplexing matters. It would be well so to modify our school law as to authorize the levying of a tax, by the district retaining the schoolhouse, to refund to the newly organized district a sum of money equal to their equitable interest in the school property of the former district, and to avoid as much as possible the recurrence of such cases in the future, I would recommend that the county superintendents of the several counties, as soon as practicable, proceed to district their entire county into such sized districts as will likely within a few years be required, and having in view the future wants of the district. In the older states it has been for some years a source of great evil that the school districts are too small, and great efforts have been made to consolidate districts until pupils enough shall be gathered together to form a school. Let us take warning from

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History of Dakota Territory, volume I, Part 82

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 1198

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1198