School Draws Near a Close

Once in a while when doing research there is a surprising juxtapositiion. I’ve always been intrigued by a photo of a classroom in William Farr’s photo album of the Blackft, partly because this classroom was on the top floor of the J.H. Sherburne house, next door to the T.E. Scrivers. In the Sixties there was a fire up there, and I helped to carry out the desks, maps and books that had been there since before 1914. The roof was fixed and the downstairs continued to be habitable. When a friend found the document below in the Denver archives of the Agency records and sent it to me, I realized that these were the same children. The teacher was J.H. Sherburne’s nephew. This is mostly of local interest, but a lot of teachers are writing end-of-the-year reports right now.


Browning, Montana
June 15, 1914

To my Successor:

Dear Friend, As my school draws near a close and I sit at my desk and look over these bright little workers which have been the clay in the potter’s hands (myself) for the past nine months and as I look back retrospectively and compare the beginning of the year with the present and see the new forms and shapes the bits of clay have changed to, I cannot do so without some little pride and a great feeling of satisfaction steals into my heart when I think of the wonderful progress we have made together, of the difficulties we have met and overcome, of the joys and sorrows we have shared together and lastly a lump rises in my throat and my heart beats faster as I think of one smiling face which left us at Christmas time to the land where there is no sorrow, to a land where no cruel teacher will sit at the desk to deal out punishment or reward as the case may be and then as I look forward and see that within a few days I must part from these little friends that have grown near and dear to me I turn the thought from my mind with a shudder but thinking that during these nine months of work and play and association together I might have learned some of the peculiarities of each individual that might be of some value to my successor I shall try and give it to you in the few lines that I shall set opposite each name.

I shall take each pupil as they appear on my year register:

Sidney Brown (2nd grade) Slow worker, should enter the second grade for 2 or 3 months. Excitable nature and should not be scolded too horribly.
Francis Billedeau (1st grade) Very nervous. Willing worker but must have continual encouragement for good work.
Melvin Billedeau (1st grade) Good disposition, good work, but somewhat slow.
George Croff (3rd grade) Troubled with nervousness. A very willing worker and will do his best at all times. Very trustworthy.
Douglas Roy (2nd grade) Fair worker, tender-hearted, and fairly trustworthy.
Fetters, Joe (1st grade) Slow, poor worker, and somewhat mischievious. Not mean disposition.
Gerard, Charles (first grade) Left at Christmas and I cannot say much as he was not in my care very long.
Howard, Henry Left at Christmas for boarding school.
Howard, Joe Left at Christmas for boarding school.
Henderson, Edward Promoted to adv. room. See Status Report
Hagerty, Daniel (first grade) Poor worker, very untruthful and a troublemaker on the playground, loves to fight.
LaBuff, Henry (2nd grade) Promoted to adv. room. See Status Report.
Lemieux, Andrew (1st grade) A very desireable pupil, good worker and will work hard with a little encouragement.
Lemieux, Walter (1st grade) Very willing and obedient.
Merchant, Frank (2nd grade) Not very industrious and mischievous but not mean.
Moore, Perry (4th grade) Good worker, obedient and usually truthful.
Powell, Henry (1st grade) Good worker, truthful and obedient.
Powell, Jessie (Deceased)
Schmidt, Perry (1st grade) Left early in term.
Steele, Ray To advanced room. See Status report.
Van Lender, George (4th grade) Fair worker, trustworthy and does best work with continual encouragement and boosting.
Walters, Lincoln and Sylvan (See Status Report)
Walter, James (1st grade) Good worker, easy to give up.
Walter, Arthur (1st grade) Quarrelsome disposition, liable to play “hookie”.
Monroe, Charley (2nd grade) Good worker, usually trustworthy and will do as asked if requested but cannot be forced.
Schmidt, Leonard. (Adv. section or 3rd grade) Near-sighted, truthful, good worker and trustworthy.
Willets, Frank. Fair worker if watched but will forget to work unless watched. Not unruly but must be kept busy.
Willets, Willie (4th grade) Trustworthy, good worker and can be trusted.
Falconer, Andrew (1st grade) Slow.
Haron, Hall (1st grade) Poor attendance. Cannot pass.
Hamilton, Robt. (Adv. 1st or 2nd grade) Fair worker. Poor attendance. Trustworthy at times.
Brown, Angeline (1st adv. or sec primary) Nervous disposition, mischievous but trustworthy, good worker, but must be kept at work.
Brown, Sarah (3rd) Promoted to advanced room.
Brown, Hazel (2nd grade) Good worker, kind and loving, truthful but unless kept busy will get into mischief.
Cooper, Mary (3rd grade) Promoted to advanced room.
Croff, Emma (4th grade) Fair worker, trustworthy at times, if encouraged will do excellent work.
Croff, Stella (4th grade) AN IDEAL PUPIL. Cannot say anything against but all for her.
Douglas, Grace To advanced room.
Gerard, Mary (1st grade) Left early in term. Had promise of an ideal pupil.
LaBuff, Mary (2nd) Left on account of sickness. Fair.
Gormley, Lyda (4th grade) Good worker. Truthful and trustworthy. Obedient at all times.
Goss, Grace Went to Boarding School.
Goss, Irene Went to Boarding School.
Hammer, Pearl (3rd Avd. or 4th) Willing but slow, easily discouraged.
Livermore, Alma (2nd grade) Willling, obedient and very trustworthy.
Hammer, Lillie (1st or 2nd) Loving dispoisition, easily offended and discouraged, good worker.
Merchant, Ethel To advanced room.
Powell, Helen (2nd grade) Must be watched as to personal conduct.
Schmidt, Gladys (3rd gr) Good worker, obedient at most times.
Schmidt, Florence (2nd gr) Excellent worker and aspires to promotion at all times.
Schmidt, Ethel (4th grade) Good worker, trustworthy, but very bashful and hard to get to recite. Ideal disposition, very near-sighted.
First One/Russell, Louise (2nd grade) Good worker, trustworthy and obedient.
First One/Russell, Virginia (1st grade) Fair worker, very bashful. Obedient and trustworthy.
Walters, Laura (1st grade) Not ready for school.
Walters, Edna (1st grade) .Not ready for school.
Rutherford, Annie (3rd grade) Trustworthy at all tiimes. Fair worker and good disposition.
Henault, Marion (4th grade or 3rd advanced) Good willing worker, with encouragement will do good work.
Hamilton, Clara (1st grade) Fair worker, good disposition, but stubborn at times.
Wolftail, Agnes Good worker, trustworthy, fair worker but bashful.
Barnes, Virginia (4th grade) Good worker at times. Trustworthy.
Gormley, Gertrude (1st gr) Ideal worker and pupil.
Billedeaux, Myrtle (2nd gr) Very nervous. Willing, trustworthy.
Billedeaux, Mamie (1st gr) Good worker, quick and trustworthy.


Note: the grade under or following the name is the grade that they should enter at the beginning of the term. Of course, this cannot be followed exclusively, but will give the succeeding teacher an index to the children who have been here in the primary room. Wishing you just as pleasant a year’s work in 1914-15 as I have had in 1913-14 and unbounded success, I am sincerely,

Your Predecessor,
E.L. Chase



The class that Chase is describing is pictured in the photograph book called “The Reservation Blackfeet, 1882, 1945.” by William Farr. Two of the white faces would have been Willets kids -- Willets was Thad Scriver’s partner in the earliest days of the Browning Mercantile.

(Note: There were a few kids that the teacher plainly didn’t like. I’ve done a little editing to protect them. These were small children and their immediate descendants are still with us.)