Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/100

 84 Charles Henry Carey There is devoted to the use of the school perhaps five thousand dollars worth of stock and tools to carry it on, in its manual labor operations, but the income of this stock and the productions of the farm will not more than keep the stock and tools good, after all the wear, tear, break loss and stealing of these scholars and their asso- ciates are made good. The benefits of the school were also inquired for. The prevailing opinion was that all or nearly all the good that had resulted from it was that quite a number had experienced religion here and died when in school and hopefully gone to heaven. All agreed the Indian community had not been benefitted by any one who had left the school and returned to the various walks of life. If they have distinguished themselves in any way it is for their depravity. Four only have left the school regularly. Some of them have run away and many have died. The dead have been decently buried. Runaways have been punished as criminals. The most of them have taken their stolen budget and when found have been brought back, put in chains, severely whipped, &c, &c, guarded and kept within a high enclosure, like prisoners. I blush at this information, but it has all the overwhelming evidence of truth, and, indeed, its verity makes me blush the more. In some instances the consent of the parents of these children has been bought that their children may attend school. The health of nearly all in school at this time is very poor, corrupted by crime in their degraded and depraved ancestors, they are seriously affected with venereal scrofula. In some instances there is great reason to fear the boys and girls have had criminal intercourse with each other while at- tending this school. Individuals of them have required medical aid and attention to cure them from the disease so common to the dissipated. Our school has given some occasion, perhaps, to be suspected at this point, but pos- sibly as much caution has been used as could be expected all things taken into account. These children receive no