Page 182

182     REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE IiNTERIOR. 
operate against the best interests of this school, and I therefore asked
last 
June that the vacation period be changed from the months of July and August
to the months of August and September, which your office approved. The result
of this change has been highly satisfactory, as during the month of July
we 
had an attendance of over 72 instead of 33, which would be the most that
could be secured for the month of September. The year before this we had
23 
Pit River children in attendance, which up to that time was the largest num-
ber of this tribe that had ever attended the school; but this year we had
26 
Pit River children, showing a gradual increase in the number of children
sent by the Pit River. 
Health.-The health of the pupils the past year has been very good. There
has not been a serious case of sickness among the pupils during the entire
year and not a single school child has died. 
Class-room work.---The work in this department has been highly satisfactory
during the entire year, and the pupils have shown a great deal of interest
in 
their schoolroom work. They have made more progress during the past year
in their schoolroom work than at any time since I have been here. In the
advanced room Miss Cochrane, teacher, seems to have been able to arouse the
older pupils from that mental stagnation which ,seems to have had them under
its spell, and the pupils seem to have grown to like the schoolroom work
instead of going to this work with a feeling of distaste and disgust, as
was for- 
merly the case to a great extent. 
The kindergarten work has been very satisfactory, and the pupils have been
making most rapid progress as well as enjoying their schoolroom work. Many
of, these pupils who commenced the kindergarten work a year ago are now 
reading nicely in the First Reader and doing all other primary work in a
highly satisfactory manner. The kindergarten work and the primary work 
are together and under the charge of Miss Rita B. Rakestraw, and the work
is so arranged that the kindergarten work leads up to and into the primary
work without leaving that "gap " which is so often left and has
to be bridged 
over when the pupils take up the primary work. 
School entertainments.-During the year, under the direction of the school-
room teachers, Miss Cochrane and Miss Rakestraw, the pupils gave four public
entertainments, which were highly successful and showed the progress the
children were making and the interest they have taken in their work. 
Visitors to the school.-This school is becoming well and favorably known
in 
this section of the country, and the white people are beginning to take a
great 
deal of interest in the school. Formerly there were scarcely any visitors
at the 
school.' During the past year there have been over 200 visitors, visiting
and 
inspecting the school and its work, some of these visitors being so thoroughly
interested in the work of the school that they remained several days, and
on 
leaving expressed themselves very highly pleased and very much surprised
at 
the results being accomplished. 
Industrial work.-The industrial work for the girls is not what it should
be, 
owing to the lack of facilities. General instructions in cooking, sewing,
laundry 
work, dairying, and general housework has been given, but the facilities
for the 
proper instruction in domestic science are not what they should be. A year
ago 
I asked for a separate dining room and kitchen, also a laundry building,
in order 
that this part of the work may be made thoroughly practical and of educative
value. The laundry building has been granted and is now being constructed,
and we then hope to make this portion of the work more educative in value
than 
it has been in the past. I shall at once make request again for separate
dining 
hall and kitchen and submit plans for the same, as was done a year ago, with
the hope that this building will be authorized, in order that we may be able
to 
give the proper instruction to these girls in this line of work. 
Your office materially assisted the industrial work of the boys by the installa-
tion during the past year of a saw machine, by which we are rid of the 
drudgery and great waste of time in having to use our force of boys in sawing
wood by hand. We have been able to give the boys practical training in farm-
ing, gardening, stock raising, irrigation, carpentry, painting and glazing,
and 
masonry. 
The school garden has been successfully maintained and the pupils have been
taught the raising and care of small fruits and various vegetables, as well
as the 
care and pleasure of ornamenting the school gardens with flowers. The very
dry spring and the lack of water for the purpose of irrigating has greatly
injured the vegetable garden, but, with all, the pupils have had very valuable
inst.ruction in the industrial work during the past year.