Part 9

There are now no nomadic tribes; the hunting-grounds are all taken, and the Indian must work, receive government rations, or die. The Indians receive over $200,000 in money, some by contract receive rations through removal, and all are assisted with agricultural implements, seeds, and breeding animals.

It was once my lot to see an Indian tribe forcibly removed from some place in the North to the Indian Territory. A more sorrowful sight can scarcely be imagined. My recollection is that they were the Nez Percés. They were large men with fine heads and faces. The women were worthy to be the mothers of warriors. As they camped for the night, the men gathered in small circular groups, sat Turkish fashion on the ground, and smoked their pipes in absolute silence. Sorrow, dejection, and despair were written all over them. The women pitched the tents and cooked the suppers, with the bent bodies and cast-down countenances of broken hearts.

A company of regular army men was their escort. I spoke to the officers. The captain said: "I hope my government will never again detail my company to do such work. It simply uses me up to see these broken-hearted people. Many have escaped, but I can not shoot them."

That they have been deeply wronged, no one doubts; that they are still in many cases victims of the white man's cupidity, is self-evident; but the government is trying to do the best now possible for them. It is not possible in a short time to correct the errors of a century, but when kind hearts and wise brains are acting in their behalf the future may be considered more hopeful.

It is gratifying to see that the present Commissioner urges that local schools shall do the work with the Indians, for even tho the Indian should learn less, his home ties will be maintained, and his knowledge, as it is acquired, will be applied in the home. Then the _reconcentrado_ methods can be abolished.

Young Indians should be placed with farmers to learn farming, and paid as much as their work is worth. In the same way girls should learn housekeeping. Of all people the Indian is a social being. If placed on farms all the homes would center in one place. Our young white people can not stand the loneliness of the farm; how can we expect people who have had tribal relations to endure it?

The white man's trades and occupations only to the degree positively needed should be forced upon them; but their own bead-work, fancy baskets, queer pottery, and Navajo blankets should be greatly improved, and their artistic tastes in their own line cultivated. Let us make them see that we white people like their own characteristic work, and we will not need to turn their industry into new lines.

Miss Estelle Reel, Superintendent of Indian Schools, visits all the Indian schools, whether in civilization at Carlisle and Hampton or at the farthest reservation. She receives a salary of $3,000, with an allowance of $1,500 for traveling expenses. Stage-coach, buckboard, railroad, boat, and canoe are familiar servants in her work.

Every line of her splendid reports teems with heart-and-soul enthusiasm. She has just put out a book entitled, "Course of Study for the Indian Schools of the United States, Industrial and Literary." Besides the common school branches, it treats of the elements of agriculture, bakery, basketry, blacksmithing, carpentry, cooking, housekeeping, laundry, physiology, shoemaking, tailoring, upholstering, and, in fact, almost everything needed in daily living. Through it all runs a real practical teaching in morality—that good work is truth, bad work is untruth. Work in any one is the measure of character.

You remember President Roosevelt, in his New York speech concerning missions, spoke of the great underpaid army of faithful clergymen all over this land who, in obscure places, hold up the correct models of morality, who keep the ideals of the nation to honest, simple, earnest, true daily living. Much more is this true of the missionaries among the Indians.

I remember once visiting the Indian school at Albuquerque, New Mexico. Professor Bryan was then at the head of it. The school was partly supported by funds from the Presbyterian Church and partly by government money. At the table I was trying to find from each one his or her share in the great work they were doing. I asked each one, and each gave me a short, graphic account of his work. I sat at Professor Bryan's right hand; just opposite me sat a bright-faced German, looking the wisest person at the table. As I came to him I said, "And you, Professor?" "Madam, I am the cook." Whether my face flushed with surprise or not I do not know. No one smiled. After a somewhat embarrassing moment for me, he said: "Madam, since I was a little boy I have desired to be a missionary to the Indians. I received a good education, graduated at the Berlin University, took a course in theology at a seminary in Germany, then came here, where I found that my imperfect English was an insurmountable barrier to religious work among the Indians. We had no cook. Some of our best teachers were ill nearly all the time, so I became the cook, and I do it unto God, believing that every soul saved by these devoted workers, whose health I have improved, is part of my work. Do you approve?"

"Do I approve?" I said. "Why, every pot and kettle becomes a sanctified implement in your hand. The Master said: 'And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'"

XXIII THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

THE great necessity for a separate building for a Congressional Library was first urged by Mr. A. R. Spofford, in his Librarian's Report in 1872. An appropriation was made for the purchase of the ground in 1886. The site consists of ten acres of ground, facing the east front of the Capitol. The ground and the old buildings upon it cost $585,000, and the building itself, $6,032,124.34.

It is the handsomest, most convenient, and best lighted and ventilated library building in the world, and I believe it to be the handsomest building for public purposes in the world. The building is of the Italian Rennaissance order of architecture. It has three stories and a dome, and covers three and a half acres of ground. Its dimensions are 470 × 340 feet, and the height of the wall 69 feet.

The Library, or collection of books, was founded in 1800, Congress appropriating $5,000 for that purpose. When the Capitol building was fired by the British, this Library was nearly destroyed. It also suffered from fire in 1851.

The Library of Congress purchases rare books from all lands. Its chief source of supply is through the copyright law, which requires that two copies of every book copyrighted should be sent to the Library. It has acquired by gift or purchase the Library of Thomas Jefferson, of 6,700 volumes, for which $23,950 was paid, the Force Historical Collection in 1865, the Smithsonian Library in 1867, and the Toner Collection in 1882.

The Smithsonian division is largely composed of books on scientific subjects. The law library of over 92,000 books yet remains in the Capitol building.

The Force Library is a fine collection of books, manuscripts, and papers concerning the early history of America, especially of the Colonial times.

Every picture, photograph, piece of music, engraving, dramatic production, pamphlet, or brochure published in the United States can be found here in the copyright edition. The collection is the largest in the western hemisphere, comprising about 1,000,000 books and pamphlets. The Library has forty-five miles of shelving, which is more than twice its present requirements. There are in the book division 207 employees, and in the copyright-rooms 49. The caretakers number 116. The appropriations by Congress for service, and for the printing, binding, and purchasing of books, amount to not less than $1,000,000 annually.

Any one can read or study in the Library, but only Congressmen, members of the Supreme Court or their families, or the President's family, are permitted to take books from the building. No pen-and-ink work is allowed in the Library, for fear of stains.

In the basement, one room is set apart for the blind, where they may read for themselves, and almost every afternoon they have a concert, or some noted author reads from his own writings, or some distinguished speaker lectures before a most appreciative audience of blind people.

The present Librarian is Mr. Herbert Putnam, of Boston. The most interesting personality in the building is Mr. Ainsworth R. Spofford, who was the Librarian from 1864 to 1897.[7] He was appointed during Mr. Lincoln's administration. He is a walking encyclopedia.

Footnote 7:

Mr. Spofford died at Holdness, Mass., August 11, 1908.

I once asked him for the names of a few books on anthropology. He poured out such a stream of titles and authors that I was obliged to call for quarter. He then wrote me out a list of fifteen titles and authors, taking only a minute or two for the whole matter. He seems conversant with every subject. His memory concerning books is simply phenomenal.

In the Library is a perfect copy of Eliot's Indian Bible, published in Cambridge in 1661, the last copy of which brought $1,000. Here, too, may be found the works of Cotton and Increase Mather (1671 to 1735), and leading journals, all publications of our country from 1735 to 1800. Bound volumes of many of them can also be found here. The first edition of the Mormon Bible, published in 1830, and printed at Palmyra, New York; Archbishop Cramer's version of the Bible, 1553; Martin Luther's Bible; and the Catholic version of the New Testament, 1582, are among the rare volumes in the Library.

An extract from a copy of the Washington _Post_ of 1897 well describes the official test of the device for sending books to and from the Capitol:

An official test of the device for transporting books between the Capitol and the new Congressional Library was made yesterday afternoon. Mr. John Russell Young, the Librarian; Chief Assistant Librarian Spofford, and Superintendent Bernard R. Green assembled in the small receiving-room, just off Statuary Hall, about 2 o'clock. Mr. Young had prepared for the test a list of books known only to himself until they were ordered from the Library.

The first volume sent for was William Winter's poems. Mr. Young gave out the name and Mr. Green wrote it on a slip of paper. This was placed in the pneumatic tube, which flashed it to Mr. David Hutcheson, who is in charge of the reading-room of the new Library. The book was ordered by Mr. Hutcheson from the shelf-clerk and sent to the desk in the center of the reading-room by the Library carrier. It was then taken to the big carrier in the basement and started on its journey to the Capitol. The time consumed from the moment of sending the order by pneumatic tube until the leather case containing the desired volume deposited its cargo before Mr. Young was exactly ten minutes.

Mr. Young then sent for a copy of "Faust" in German, Hugo's "Les Châtiments," and Hildreth's "History of the United States," vol. i., all on one order, and for the London _Times_ of 1815, the year of the battle of Waterloo, on a separate order. The "Faust" and the history arrived in eight minutes and "Les Châtiments" on the next carrier. The order for the London _Times_ was an extreme test, as the volume is so large that the carriers in the Library connecting with the shelves would not accommodate it, and a messenger had to be sent from the main desk to the top deck of the south stack, where the newspaper files are shelved. When the messenger returned he just missed the carrier, which had been sent off with one of the other volumes ordered, and he had to wait the four minutes consumed by the transit of the carriers before he could start the _Times_ on its journey. It arrived at the Capitol just thirteen minutes after the order for it was sent.

The carrier consists of an endless cable, with two metal baskets at an equal distance from each other. These work on the cable, the power for which is furnished by the Library dynamo. The books are carried through the tunnel, and when they reach the wheels which change the direction, the speed is automatically slackened, so that the delivery is made gently and without the possibility of damage. Smaller books are first placed in a large sole-leather case. The carriers are taken through the tunnel at the rate of six hundred feet per minute. Should any trouble occur, the mechanism can be instantly stopped by an electric button, one at each end. The machinery of the carriers and its instalment was largely the work of Superintendent Green.

All who witnessed the test were surprised at the ease and swiftness with which the books could be sent for, taken from the shelves, and transported a distance of about a quarter of a mile. Librarian Young was very much gratified. He characterized the system as remarkable. The test also demonstrated that the arrangement of the books in their new quarters is perfect, as those sent for were selected at random and were readily picked out from the enormous collection by those in charge of the shelves.

In this labyrinth of beauty, known as the Library of Congress, I believe a man would see no fault. But women, except as allegorical characters, such as imaginary figures of history, science, pomology, art, etc., have no share in the scheme of ornamentation. But men of all ages, of all branches of art, science, commerce, and literature, are memorialized in painting, sculpture, writing, or suggestion of some kind, either concrete or abstract. It is true, Sappho (whom I suppose the artist thought was a man), grown dim in the long vista of years, is a lone woman among the world's _élite_. No George Eliot, nor George Sand, nor Harriet Hosmer, nor Rosa Bonheur, nor Mrs. Browning, nor Mrs. Stowe now stands near Holmes, Whittier, Longfellow, Byron, or Landseer. This omission is not like our gallant American men.

I remember once at a table in London some distinguished English women were complimenting the achievements of American women. I replied, "I have met the college women of almost every European country. I do not find American women in any way mentally superior to the women of Europe. But American women accomplish much more than their sisters east of the Atlantic simply because of our men. Now here in England your husband and brothers insist on silence, but with us if a woman sings or talks well it is the hand of her husband or father that leads her to the front, and it is the kindness of our men that starts us on our public life, helps us at hard places, and encourages us everywhere. No, it is not our _women_ who are superior, it is our men, our gracious, helpful men."

Whatever women in the United States have accomplished beyond their sisters in foreign lands has been done because of the friendly, cordial, helpful encouragement of their husbands, brothers, and fathers; so in this Library the womanhood of the world is slighted in the house of her friends.

XXIV THE PENSION OFFICE

THE Pension building is situated on Judiciary Square, near G Street. It is the largest department building in Washington, being 400 feet from east to west and 200 from north to south, and 75 feet high.

The walls surround an interior courtyard, two galleries extend around this court, and from these galleries access is attained to the rooms on the second and third stories. The building cost half a million dollars; it is of mixed architecture, not beautiful in appearance, but the best lighted, heated, and ventilated department building in the city. It is sometimes called "the Meigs (name of architect) Barn," because its outline is not unlike a Pennsylvania red barn.

When the architect had finished escorting General Sheridan through the building, just after its completion, the former inquired enthusiastically, "Well, Sheridan, how do you like it?"

"I find only one fault," said the General, solemnly; "it is fireproof."

At the close of the year 1908 there were on the rolls 951,687 pensioners. During 1908 there were added 413,017, with a loss from death of 428,701, making a loss above all gains of 15,684.

The number of pensioners should grow less each year.

There remain on the rolls the names of no widows and but two daughters of Revolutionary soldiers. In the last report of the Commissioner of Pensions (1900) but one soldier of the War of 1812 survived. He was at that time (September 10, 1901) 101 years of age. Of the Mexican War, the names of 2,932 soldiers and 6,914 widows are still on the rolls; of the Indian wars (1832-1842), 1,820 survivors and 3,018 widows. The war with Spain left a legacy of 20,548 invalids, 1,145 widows, and 510 nurses, drawing pensions. Besides these there is the great army of Civil War pensioners.

If the government would, at least twice each year, publish in each county the names of persons receiving pensions, the amount paid, and the alleged cause of disability, it would bring the blush of shame to the face of many a liar who now draws a handsome sum from his government. The money is largely paid into the United States Treasury not by the rich of our country, but by the laboring class of men and women.

Patriotism which requires a lifelong stipend is of doubtful color.

Soldiers of the Spanish War at the time of their discharge were obliged to sign papers declaring any disability which existed. Then each soldier was examined by the surgeon and his company officers, and these again certified either to his perfect health or to his disability. It was found that the health of many had been greatly improved by exercise in the open air, free life, and plain diet.

Eleven years after the Civil War only six per cent. of the Union soldiers and sailors had applied for a pension; it was found only a little over three years had passed since the close of the one hundred days' war with Spain, yet more than twenty per cent. of the soldiers and sailors of that war had applied for pensions.

The great majority of those mustered out had declared over their own signatures, and that of the surgeon and commanding officer of the company to which they belonged, that they had no disability whatever. Yet thousands of these very men applied for pensions, and in their applications have set forth in minute detail the large number of disabilities acquired in the service. One man within forty-eight hours after his discharge as a sound man discovered ten physical ills, any one of which should suffice to secure the bounty of a generous government.

I submit the following extract from Commissioner Evans' last report:

A good object-lesson in this regard is furnished by the history of a volunteer regiment which was recognized as one of the "crack" regiments in service during the war with Spain. Its membership was notably a fine body of men, and its officers were men of experience and ability and skilled in military matters. Few regiments had as good a record for service as this one. It was at Camp Alger for a time, then at Camp Thomas, then at Tampa, Fla.; thence sailed for Santiago de Cuba, where it was placed in the trenches and did good service until it returned to Montauk. From there it was returned to the place of its enrolment, and at the expiration of a sixty days' furlough was mustered out of service.

This regiment had a membership of 53 commissioned officers and 937 enlisted men. There were no battle-field casualties, but 1 officer and 22 men died of disease while in the service. _The published report of the medical officer on the muster out of this regiment shows that 1 per cent. of the men of the regiment were improved by military service; 5 per cent. were in as good physical condition as at time of enlistment; 24 per cent. were but slightly affected, and, as a rule, the troubles were not traceable to military service. Of the remainder (70 per cent.), or 528 men, the general condition was as follows:_

Irritable heart, due to fever 365

Mitral regurgitation 4

Chronic bronchitis 214

Acute bronchitis 47

Phthisis 3

Gastritis 158

Enlarged or congested liver 116

Enlarged spleen 316

Inflammatory condition of intestines 53

Irritability of bladder and incontinence of urine 76

Nephritis 5

Hemorrhoids 11

Varicocele 61

Inguinal hernia 3

Rheumatism 26

Myopia 19

Slight eye strains 29

Slight deafness, due to quinine 17

Chronic nasal catarrh 9

Sprain of back 3

Old dislocation, right shoulder 1

Gunshot wounds, left forearm 2

Badly set Colles fracture 1

Secondary syphilis 2

Suffering from pains in the muscles, especially the calves of the 471 legs and lumbar region, loss of weight from 10 to 30 pounds, accompanied by more or less debility

Relapses of fever continuing to recur up to January 4, 1899 87

Up to June 30, 1901, 477 claims for pension have been filed in this bureau on account of service in said regiment for disabilities alleged to have been contracted during the brief term of its existence.

I am fully convinced that a small pension of $6 or $8 per month for alleged obscure disability, such as diarrhea, piles, rheumatism, impaired hearing, bronchitis, etc., is conferring a misfortune upon a young man—in fact, a lifelong misfortune—for the reason that it puts him to a decided disadvantage in the race for a livelihood always thereafter in the way of securing employment.