The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1872-04-02
Death OF Rev. l.. II. Wheeler.

, The recent death OF Rev. Leonard III
Wheeler for twenty five years missionary
} to the Ojibway Indians on Lake Superb
or aud for the last five and half years
resident of Beloit, and known to many
through his church and business relations,
seems to call for some notice of his life
and character through your paper. Mr..
Wheeler was born at Shrewsbury, Massa-
chusetts, April 18th, 1911. His mother
dying during his infancy he was left in
charge of an aunt, who with his father
soon after removed to Bridport, Vermont,
where the father still lives.
At the age of seventeen he went first
from home to reside with an uncle at
Middlebury, Vermont Here he was
converted and entered the church in ad-
vance Of both his father and uncle His
conversion was of SO marked character
and was the occasion of such an awaken
ing and putting forth of his mental and
spiritual faculties that he and his friends
soon began to think of the ministry as
his appropriate calling. With this in
view he entered Middlebury College in
1882, and soon found home in the fam
lily of christian lady with whom he
continued to reside till his graduation.
For the kindly and elevating influences
of that home, and for the love that fol.
lowed him afterwards as if he had been
a son, he was ever grateful. After his
graduation he taught for year or two
before entering the Theological Seminary
at Andover During his theological
course the marked traits of character
were developed which seem to have de.
termined his future course. One was a
deep sympathy with the wronged and op-
pressed the other was conscientious care
tulness in settling his convictions and an
uncalculatiug and unswerving 6rmness
(under a gentle and quiet manner) in
following such ripened convictions.
These made MIN staunch, but not Il
fanatical, advocate Of the enslaved, long
before anti.savery sentiments had become
popular. And thus was he moved to Of
fer his services as missionary to the In.
dians-relinquishing for that purpose his
original plan te 60 on mission to Cey-
Ion. The turning point of his decision
seems to have been the fact that for the
service abroad men could readily be
found, while few or none offered them
selves to the more selt.denying and unro-
mantle business of civilizing and chris
tianizing the wild men within our own
borders. He found in Miss Harriet
Woods of Lowell, Massachusetts, spirit
kindred with his own in these self denying
purposes and labors of love. They were
married April 26th, 1S4l, and in June
of that year they set out, and in August
arrived at La Point-a fur trading post
on Madalne Island in Lake Superiorl
They spent four years in learning the
language, in preaching and teaching, anA
in caring for the temporal and spiritual
welfare of the Indians and half breeds at
that station. Their fur trading friends
held out many inducements to remain at
La Point, but having become fully salts
fed that the civiizing Of the Indians re-
quired their removal to some place where
they might obtain lands and homes Of
their own, they secured their removal to
Odana on Bad River. Here the humble
and slowly rewarded labors Of the islands
were resumed with increased energy and
hopefulness, and continued without seri-
Gus interruption for seven years. Then
the white mans greed which has often
dictated the policy Of the government to-
ward the Indians, and oftener defeated
its wise and liberal intentions, clamored
for their second removal to the Red Lake
region in Minnesota, and by misreprcsen-
tation and forged petitions an order to
this effect was obtained. Mr.. Wheeler's
spirit was stirred within him by these in
iquitous proceedings, and he set himself
calmly but resoutely to work to defeat
the measure, even after it had been so far
consummated. To make sure of his ground
he explored the Red Lake region during
tho heat of midsummer, and becoming
fully satisfied that the temptations to in
temerance and other evils there abound.
ing would prove the ruin of his people,
he made such strong and truthful repre-.
sentations of the matter (not without haZ-
ard to himself and his family that the
order was at last revoked. Rut the agi.
tation and delays thus occasioned proved
well nigh the ruin Of the mission. For
two years Mr.. Wheeler, without help
from government, stood between his peo-
pie and absolute starvation and had at
last the satisfaction of knowing that his
course was fully approved. The year OF
1858 found the mission at Odana almost
PROSTATE again by unusual lahors. Mrs.
Wheeler was compelled, by order of her
physician, to return to her eastern home
for indispensable rest. Mr.. Wheeler
worn by experimenting the erection OF
buildings in addition to his preaching
four times Sabbath and his other necessa
! ry cares and labors, also undertook Il
) journey to the east to bring back his fam
lily and partly as a measure of relief IL
himself. He started in March on snow
shoes, and travelled nearly 200 miles il
. that way. Ga his way he fell in with IL
: band Of Indians whose lands were just
about to be sold in violation of solemn
treaties. He undertook their case and
did not abandon it until he had visited
= Washington and obtained justice in theiI
behalf He reached Lowell on his re
:, . turn from Washington worn in body and
: mind and with severe cold firmly set
tied upon his lungs. Trusting to n'iror
: constitution to right itself he kept OF
= preaching and visiting among his Easter
friends. He then set out to returr
to his loved people and his western home
trusting to find In quiet journey b,
n water the rest which had now becom,
e imperative. But he was not thus to b,
h relieved Soon after reaching home h,
o was taken with violent hemorrhage, an,
e was ever after this broken man. One
@ and again he asked to be relieved and
stronger man sent in his place. But thi