| Show A VISIT TO WASHA WASHAKIE JUr on monday june the day following the close of the malad stake conference president lorento lorenso snow elder fred A mitchell and your correspondent attended a meeting at washakie Wash akle the indian settlement it is 18 situated about two miles south of west portage in malad valley the school house was scrupulously clean and its seating capacity was completely occupied by the congregation fully one half of which was composed of Lama the white people were non residents having come over for or the from west portage and included members of the choir of that place the indians were fairly well dressed and had a tidy and decidedly cheerful appearance the opening singing wa done by their choir while the music was far from classical it was pleasant to the ear and the choristers cho seemed delighted at having the honor of fe render n d er ing it the opening prayer was waa offered in the indian la language nage by a stalwart the remainder of the proceedings were conducted by vale pale face musicians and speakers the occasion was novel and interesting to your baur correspondent who has always enter bained a sympathetic sentiment nowara the indian people and one of abhorrence for the numerous outrages which have been perpetrated upon that un unfortunate f 0 rt u nate race there are indians in Waa WaSh halde Okle under the vigilant and fatherly watch care of bishop moroni ward about one half of ta thorn have abandoned their wick i 1 ups and dwell in houses the ite principal reason why all are not living under shingle roofs like the white man is because about nine years since their sawmill was burned down and thus thur their chief source for obtaining building materials was cut off some of them at ethl III have recourse po to hunting to enable them to procure the necessaries of life but the great bulk of their subsistence to ta derived from 1 acres of land which is held by in ini i ownership only 00 acres ot et it is below the canal and most of toe the farming to is therefore done without lart gation the te products ale acre barley lucern and potatoes and the cereal yield ranges lall all the ayam way from two to twenty five bushels to the acre the crop prospect this season is the boot biest since the settlement was established i TOW fortunate and amr cared for people pes ahre members of the church or of jesus christ of latter day saints and have some of the organizations connected with it notably a young peoples mutual improvement association and a sabbath school which axe are well attended and are the means of developing the youth of the little community there is a district school which is intelligently conducted and the colored students as a rule are quite apt in learning and exhibit special ability in penmanship some of the youngsters youngs young teia had bad evidently sauntered into the school room after the institution had closed for vacation as some of the blackboards were covered with sentences in excellent handwriting hand writing the construe construction was in some instances ho however holeve weve a considerable distance from being faultless among them were the following columbus found this world 1 I like white man dance white man good to dance with this schoolhouse the books like schoolhouse george washington he good american indian no good lance dance this settlement was established and Is conducted under the auspices of the church authorities it was waa prompted by a noble philanthropic and religious sentiment such men as bishop ward who are laboring devotedly in practically developing such a godly work as the elevation of the ignorant and downtrodden are genuine benefactors doubtless many hearts will echo the sentiment of your correspondent in a fervent desire that godi god may blew blem them in their beneficent labors JOHN NICHOLSON |
