Office Indian Agent
Nez Perce Indians
Lapwai, Idaho Territory, March 14^th 1877
Rev’d J.C. Lowrie D.D.
New York, N.Y.

Rev’d and Dear Sir:
I am in receipt of yours of the 13^th ultimo, together with a note from Dr. E.R. Geary. I cannot understand how the Department can find fault with Miss McBeth’s school. About the 1^st of Feb’y I received a letter from the Hon Com. calling for a more full report of her school from me as also fuller reports monthly from her.

I made a special and full report of her school also of the two boarding schools, under date of the 6^th Feb’y 1877. As to the use of the Bible in Miss McBeth’s school, you will remember that in the controversy with Messrs Spaulding and Cowley, one of the charges made against me was: I had thrown the Bible out of the schools. All I did at that time was to insist upon the use of the books in these schools that are used in all public schools. I think Dr Lindsley was against me at that time, wanting the Bible to be used in the place of ‘Readers." You will remember that was Messrs Cowley and Spaulding’s idea and even now, as in times past, Dr Lindsley is in favor of making Miss McBeth’s school a theological school. That was evident from the fact that it was his wish to have Presbytery meet here and take the school under their care and in one of his letters he said "if the Dept decides against Miss McBeth, I will see that she receives support from some other quarter."

Although Miss McBeth devotes most of her time to Bible instruction to her scholars she also instructs them in reading, writing, geography, and arithmetic. I consulted Dr Lindsley in regard to Miss McB’s school supposing he represented the views of the Board more fully than any other member of the Oregon Presby. While the Commission was here last fall, Mr Stickney did not seem pleased that I did not expend all the money appropriated for the schools. He said it did not look well to return school money. I replied that I did not think it was right to expend the money unless I could see that some good would come from said expenditure, that I used enough of the funds to carry on the boarding schools. The commissioners wanted me to start a day school. I said ‘in my opinion it would be throwing the money away, as it would be utterly impossible for me, or the teacher, to make the day scholars attend regularly, that they would attend one day and them remain away three or four. I had the Commissioners submit the matter to the Indians, which they did and it resulted in not getting one to say he would keep his child in attendance at a day school.

I will instruct Miss McBeth to abandon her theological school and open more of a day school and take in more scholars. As to transferring Mr Cowley to the Puyallup Agency the same meets with my hearty approval. I would say that I am unable to account for the Department thinking that Mr C and self are not on good terms, as I have never intimated anything of the kind in any of my correspondence. Mr Fee administers the sacrament at Kamiah but as that station is 60 miles from the agency, he cannot come here in the winter to administer the same to the church members here. I would add that the Department has instructed me to pay Mr Cowley for only three quarters of the present fiscal year instead of four.
Very Respectfully

 Jno. B. Moneither
U.S. Ind. Agent