While looking for information concerning Chauncey Archiquette’s time at Haskell, I came across a newspaper article unrelated to him (I think) that seemed curious. The fact that this reporter seemed to have no qualms about making statements that Indians were lazy, implies that it was a common belief and was not a controversial position at that time. If it is accurate that the 40 Haskell students were football and baseball players, it is likely that several of them also attended Carlisle Indian School at some time. If they were good players, they probably made it a point to go east.
Indians Who Actually Work
It has always been a theory among westerners that, an Indian—a fullblood—would not work. But all this summer 40 Indians from Haskell institute have been at work for the Santa Fe [Railroad], near Emporia. Side by side with them a gang of Greeks has been employed, and the railroad bosses say the Indians excel the Greeks in every way. Indeed, it is acknowledged that the Indians made the best workmen of any engaged on the road, and there are gangs of several nationalities employed near Emporia. All summer these Indians, many of whom belong to the football and baseball teams at Haskell, have kept up their practice in these games. They never seem too tired to play a game of ball, and they have beaten all the teams in the neighborhood.—Kansas City Journal
Tom Benjey's Weblog 
Leave a Reply