Letter-1840, September 18

Transcribed letter to Major R.W. Cummins, Indian Agent, Fort Leavenworth Agency from Thomas Johnson, J. Greene and J.C. Berryman dated Sep 18, 1840

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I. M. L. School
Sept 18 1840

Maj R W Cummins

Dear Sir

    In compliance with the request of the government we have the honor to submit the following brief report of the Indian Manual Labor School as the first year has just closed.

    49 children in the school at the close 24 boys and 25 girls. They have progressed as follows

    In the male school

    1 class 8 read very intelligibly in English and are well acquainted with the first rules in Arithmetic, the geography of the United States and answer questions readily on the globe.

    2 class 6 spell and read easy lessons and have a tolerable knowledge of the first tables in Arithmetic.

    3 class 9 spell in two syllables read easy lessons and have learned a number of useful tables.

    4  1 Chippeway just commenced, but can read a little.

    In the female school

    1 class 5 read well in English and [are] familiar with the tables and first rules of Arithmetic and also with the geography of the United States.

    2 class 6 read easy lessons can draw maps of the states in a rough way.

    3 class 11 spell tolerably well read easy lessons have learned many useful tables and can answer some simple questions in Natural Philosophy.

    4 class 3 just begin to read.

    There have been in the school during the year 72 children. The most of them are permanent scholars though some have only stayed a short time but we have counted none unless they stayed a month or more.

They are from the following tribes

    We now have house room for about 80 and have told the Indians that we will take that number in next month. They have frequently enquired of us lately to know when we could take more children we anticipate no difficulty in procuring any number that we can find room for.

    The children are employed 6 hours a day at work and 6 hours at school. The boys worked in the farm until this time though we now have two mechanic shops in operation and shall put a part of the boys there at the beginning of the next session. The girls have been employed during the past year when not in school at sundry things attending to the domestic part of the Institution &c. We have not yet had house room sufficient to make arrangements for them to be employed in spinning and weaving but expect to do so.

    The children learn to work readily. The girls under the direction of their teachers do all the cooking and work for the whole school for about 20 mechanics and other hands employed at the Institution, make their own clothes the clothes for the boys and also frequently make clothes for the mechanics and others.

    We have four teachers employed, two to teach the children when in school and two to teach them when at work, a farmer who takes charge of the farm and stock and his wife superintends the cooking And also a principal of the Institution [Wesley Browning] but as he is a practical mechanic his time has been chiefly employed in conducting the buildings during the past year.

    The crop on the farm has been very good during the past year. We suppose that we have raised about 2000 bushels wheat, 4000 bushels oats, 3500 bushels corn, 500 bushels potatoes with a reasonable portion of other vegetables. We have about 130 cattle, 100 hogs, and 5 horses. We think that when the expense of our buildings is over that we shall be able to conduct the Institution on a very cheap scale. We still have confidence in the ultimate success of the school and believe it is much better adapted to the wants of the Indians in this part of the country than any other plan yet tried.

All of which is respectfully submitted by
the undersigned superintending committee
Thos Johnson
J.C. Berryman
J. Greene

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[Transcribed from National Archives microfilm series M234. roll 301, frames 643-645 by Roger Berg Jr., Dec. 1992]