EDWIN RUTHVEN SHAPARD (Chapter 12) 1879-1880, New Hope

CHAPTER 12

NEW HOPE: 1879-1880

                   New Hope Female School commenced its term on September 22, 1879, and closed for the summer on June 23, 1880. The health of the students and faculty had been very good, and there was less sickness than any year previous. However, during the year, a type of measles made its appearance, which was successfully managed by Dr. H.W. Fannin’s care of the afflicted students. Mrs. Shapard was again in charge of the culinary department. Mrs. S.E. Nickell continued to instruct the pupils in sewing, knitting, crocheting and embroidering. She also was responsible for the student’s conduct beyond school hours, as well as, caring for the sick in Dr. Fannin’s absence. Miss Julie Holmes had returned for a second year and was the principal teacher. The assistant teacher vacancy left by Dora Rankin was initially filled by Miss Anna DeWees who was sent by Bishop G.F. Pierce; However, after a semester she was transferred to a different Indian school and Miss Virginia “Jennie” Wendell assumed the position. During the year, Miss Holmes and Miss Wendell faithfully performed their duties as teachers with a true missionary spirit. The advance of the pupils had been more rapid and more thorough than in years past. This could be attributed to a great extent to the stringency with which the rule had been enforced regarding the pupils only speaking the English language. During the school year, a religious feeling had pervaded the scholars and a number of the girls had voluntarily asked to be received into the church. 
                   Many of the students had learned to cook exceptionally well, and preside, if necessary, at the table. The food this year was in abundance, and the school’s garden provided ample lettuce, onions, peas, beans, and potatoes for cooking. The barn held many hundreds of bushels of corn, which not only fed the school, but also helped to fatten the horses, mules and hogs.  All the clothing of the school was made by the students with quality materials; while in knitting, the raw material of wool or cotton was carded, spun and knitted by them. Rev. Shapard tried to teach them economy and industry. They washed and ironed their own clothing, by use of a furnace, kettle and excellent wash water procured from the fresh water spring at New Hope. 
                   Once again, the Choctaw Nation was delayed in payment to the Superintendent. In his annual report to the Choctaw Council, Rev. Shapard reported that $2,600 was the amount still due to the school by the Nation. Of that amount, Rev. Shapard was indebted to different persons $1,785.13. In response, an Act for the Relief of New Hope Seminary was passed by the General Council of the Choctaw Nation on November 5, 1879, due to the fact that the Nation was one year delinquent in paying the annual $5000 to Superintendent Shapard. The Act allowed for $2500 to be paid immediately to the Superintendent through the Royalty Funds which had accrued under the unfinished business from the National Agent. Steps were also taken to ensure prompt future payment in order to run the school more efficiently. The funds from the Mission Board of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, had always been dependable, and they furnished the school with their annual appropriated amount of $1,150 from the Missionary Treasury. After paying for all repairs and other expenses about 1,000 bushels of corn was expected to be harvested from Fort Coffee Farm, as rent, which was enough to fatten the pork and supply the school for the next term. 
         Thus far, during the eight years that Rev. Shapard had been Superintendent of the school, he had invested $2,500 into improvements and repairs upon the school buildings and grounds. This had been made without any extra expense to the Choctaw Nation or the Mission Board of the church, but by money saved from the regular appropriation by Rev. Shapard’s through careful management of the funds. 
               

The 34th Annual Indian Mission Conference, which was presided over by Bishop George Foster Pierce, was held at Double Springs, in the Choctaw Nation, on September 10-14, 1879. The Conference was held in the woods amid a large gathering of full-blood Indians, half-breeds and a few whites. There were many hundred Indians present for the religious services and the ministers marveled at the number of horses, mules, ponies and dogs that roamed the campground. There was also a large number of visiting ministers from other Conferences who preached and exhorted to the Indians. Accommodations for the ministers were very rough and they slept on blankets laid upon the ground. The Indians camped in tents, wagons or in the open air. One night there was a severe storm with heavy rain and wind. Rev. E.R. Shapard was in attendance and elected as the Conference Recording Secretary. E.R. Shapard, J.H. Walker and W.F. Folsom were appointed by the Bishop as the Committee of Pubic Worship. Rev. Shapard was also part of the Committee on Publishing House, with J.F. Thompson, J.H. Walker and Samuel Checote. At the end of Conference, Rev. Shapard was appointed as the Presiding Elder of the Choctaw District and as the Superintendent of New Hope Seminary. 
               During the year, Rev. J.T. Pittman, the Circuit Rider for Skullyville, had been accused of immorality. At Conference, Bishop G.F. Pierce appointed a Committee of Trial to hear his case; consisting of Revs. Shapard, Thompson, Sevier, Derrick, Fishburne, Walker, Bryce, Checote and Coward. On September 13, 1879, the Committee found Rev. Pittman guilty of immorality. He was suspended from the ministry for twelve months. The following year at Conference, after his punishment had expired, the Bishop transferred Rev. Pittman out of the Indian Mission Conference and into the Tennessee Conference. 
     

         After Conference, Bishop George F. Pierce visited the New Hope Seminary and wrote, “We moved on to the New Hope Academy, in the Choctaw Nation. Found hearty welcome from Rev. E.R. Shapard, the Superintendent. This school is doing a great work for the rising generation. It is a school for girls only…The girls are taught cleanliness of person, neatness in apparel, propriety of manners, learned to cut and sew and cook and keep house in order.” 
      On May 9, 1880, Rev. W.F. Folsom became ill and was unfit to preach at his appointments. Rev. Shapard removed the burden off his old friend by preaching for him at the Harrell Chapel in the morning and at Sugar Loaf in the evening.
               On August 3, 1880, Edwin and Jennie’s son, Edwin Ruthven Shapard, Jr., was born at New Hope Seminary. As an adult, he had blue eyes and black hair and was of medium build and stature.