Page 142

142         REPORTS CONCERNING         INDIANS IN      ARIZONA. 
have been submitted to the Department. A report in detail prepared by the
super- 
intendent is herewith inclosed. 
At St. Michaels, 8 miles southwest of the agency, is located a boarding school
under the supervision of Catholic Sisters. They have a nice plant, take care
of about 
80 pupils, all Navaho, and have done good work. A report of the school is
here- 
with inclosed. 
The matter of building a new school plant at Chin Lee, on this reservation,
has been 
submitted to your office. Good farming facilities would be afforded, and
jt is hoped 
that the school will be built. 
Report of affairs at the Navaho school, which is located at the agency, will
follow 
the agency report. 
During the year 98 pupils have been transferred from the two schools and
direct 
from the reservation to nonreservation schools, and a great many Navaho residing
off the reservation have placed their children in the Albuquerque school.
Missionary work.-Rev. C. H. Bierkemper, of the Presbyterian denomination,
is 
located at Ganada, 35 miles west of the agency. Rev. Mr. Bierkemper has assisted
the Indians in improving the roads, developing wells of water, and in other
ways; he 
has considerable influence with the Indians and is doing excellent work.
Rev. R. B. 
Wright, of the Baptist faith, has charge of the mission work at Two Gray
Hills, about 
45 miles north of the agency, while Revs. H. J. Frijling and Brink, of the
Dutch 
Reformed Church, are stationed at the Navaho and Little Water schools, respectively.
The Episcopalian hospital, which is located near the agency, has done excellent
work during the year. They have received and treated a great many cases,
and a 
number of surgical operations have been performed, usually with good results.
Mrs. Henrietta G. Cole, field matron, is stationed at Chin Lee, 50 miles
north of 
the agency. Mrs. Cole has the true missionary spirit, and is helping the
Indians in 
many ways. 
Contemplated improvements. -An engineer has been employed for a period of
three 
months making plans and estimates for irrigation projects at various points
on the 
reservation. It is hoped that a portion of the improvements will be made
during the 
current year. The making of the improvements would furnish employment for
the 
Indians, and enable a larger number to have permanent and better homes. 
Health.---I quote from report of Dr. Charles J. Logan, agency physician,
as follows: 
The health of-the Navaho has been usually good; no serious epidemic has visited
them during the 
year. The principal diseases among them are tuberculosis, due to heredity,
and their way of living; 
rheumatism, due to exposure; and diseases of the eye, due to sand-laden winds
and the method of 
heating their habitations. Some improvement has been made in their manner
of living, due to some 
extent to the example set by returned pupils. Their faith in our system of
medical treatment has 
increased. They readily yield to surgical treatment, as is shown by the work
done at the Episcopal 
hospital, which is situated near the agency, and which is a praiseworthy
institution, but too small. 
The sanitary conditions of the agency and Navaho school are not the best.
The drinking water is 
polluted during the rainy season by the overflow water running into the spring.
This can be reme- 
died by building the walls of the spring higher. The sewer system is faulty;
the main should be 
larger and the system should be extended so as to include all of the buildings,
and to makeit pos- 
sible to do away with cesspools. The boys' building is well constructed and
sanitarily arranged, but 
the other school buildings are not. The schoolrooms here are modern in no
respect; a new building 
for this purpose should be provided. There are no adequate or proper accommodations
for the care 
of the sick; the need of a hospital is great. 
Navaho Training School.-On taking charge of the school I found an enrollment
of 
43, but 280 pupils were enrolled during the year, with an average attendance
of 211. 
Literary department.-Good progress has been made, considering the fact that
a 
large majority of the pupils at the beginning of the term could not speak
English. 
The teachers have been interested in the work, and the outlook for the coming
year 
is good. 
Industrial work.-A number of the larger boys were given instruction in black-
smjthing, wagon work, and carpentering under- the direction of the agency
black- 
smith, wheelwright, and school carpenter. Other boys worked with the industrial
teacher in the garden, improving the grounds and building fences; four boys
assisted 
the engineer with his work and in making improvements, while others worked
with 
the assistant superintendent and disciplinarian in building sidewalks and
removing 
old board fences from the grounds. The girls were trained in cooking, housework,
sewing, and weaving, under the lady employees. 
Improvements.-During the year the garden has been enlarged by building a
new 
road and setting the fences out to include some good land through which the
old 
road ran; a number of the old, unsightly buildings have been torn down and
removed 
from the grounds; the grounds have been inclosed by woven-wire fencing, thus
throwing the traffic back of the buildings instead of across the school grounds;
steam 
machinery has been installed in the laundry; two coal houses built; grounds
improved 
and beautified; 1,400 feet of plank sidewalk built, and other minor improvements