The Second Volume of Ben. Perley Poore’s Reminiscences, published by Hubbard Bros., Philadelphia, is out. The Reminiscences are brought down to the Cleveland administration. The colloquial style in Mr. Poore’s writing makes the volume like its predecessor, interesting reading. With the men of prominence at Washington, Ben. Perley Poore has been brought in contact, and concerning them all he has something to say. A carefully prepared index is contained in the second volume, which adds to the value of the work for reference.
THE SOUTH.
NOTES IN THE SADDLE.
BY FIELD SUPERINTENDENT C. J. RYDER.
The following word reached me recently from a part of the field that I have not yet been able to visit since mounting into the saddle of the A. M. A. Superintendency. It comes from Romona Indian School in Santa Fé, N. M. The writer has been a teacher in New England for many years. He writes: “Perhaps I shall not be believed if I state the case too strongly, but it is a fact that the Indian girls of the Apache tribes are very bright and are more docile and make more rapid progress than any equal number of white children I have ever seen in the course of more than twenty years’ experience in teaching.”
There are 447 of these Apache Indians held as prisoners of war in the old Spanish fort at St. Augustine, Florida. They are idle, and cannot be otherwise. They spend their time foolishly, or worse, as idle people always do. As I looked upon these men, women and children, crowded together like cattle in a pen, and remembered the stirring words of Prof. Whipple, prophetic of such grand possibilities for this people, I wondered if our Government were making the wisest use of these Apaches in holding them in this confinement, that must result in increased viciousness. A Christian lady, after looking at these Indians, said: “Why, the very sight makes me blush for my country!”
An extended trip through Florida brought to me most encouraging evidences of the prosperity of the work already entered upon by the A. M. A. in that State, and impressed the imperative need of more work. Doors are opening in many directions. Schools are crowded to their utmost capacity. At St. Augustine, in a school-room seating fifty pupils, ninety-six were packed together.