Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-12-19
Bishop DE- Grandin's Experiences.

BiSnOp ut URANIUM experiences.
Twenty-Five years ago the Count de
Grandin, then young man and belong
ing to an excellent family in France,
received the orders of priesthood, left
his home for the new world, and, fol-
lowing the leadership Of companion,
entered upon the duties Of missionary
among the Indian tribes OF British
America. He settled at a point in the
British possessions about so degrees
north latitude and l34 degrees west Ion
gitude. This place was called st. AL
bert, and there q mission was estab.
lishel. The young priest was accom-
panied by few associates, and the
material for their spiritual work consist.
ed of numerous savage tribes with
which the country abounded. The OIL
ject of the mission was to exert a civil.
izing influence among the Indians, to
teach them peaceful pursuits, and to
lead them to the Roman Catholic faith.
The work advanced slowly, but within
five years the fruits of their labors were
sufficient to warrant the establishment
of bishopric at st. Albert, aud the
Count de Grandin was selected for the
office, which he continues to hold. The
mission has since been extended to an
archdiocese presided over by an arch
bishop and five bishops. st. Albert has
grown from q mere settlement to be q
town of ono thousand inhabitants, com
posed of Indians and half-breeds.
Early in the present year Bishop de
Grandin, accompanied by his vicar gen
eral, Father Leduc, visited France,
whence they arrived in New York re.
Gently on their homeward journey, &C.
companied by six young French priests
who have entered tho missionary SER
vice. The party left this city next day
by the Pennsylvania railroad; but pre-
vious to their departure a brief talk
with Father Leduc revealed some inter.
esting points respecting the character
of their work and some incidents of
their mode of life.
1--WE have many hardships," said
Father Leduc, "but we are advancing
steadily with our work. There are now
about SO, 900 Indians in the diocese who
have been converted to the Catholic
faith. In the f1st place we tried 10
settle them and get Thorn to abandon
their wild life, We taught them how
to pillow and to cultivate the ground.
They take up claims consisting of three
hundred and sixty acres of land and go
to work. We have found it hard to
convert them, of course, but they have
never been hostile to us. There are ten
different languages spoken by the sew.
eral tribes under our charge, and the
priests are obliged to learn these Ian
guages. In st. Albert diocese, which
alone has an area of territory twice as
large as that of France, we have TWEEN.
ty-four priests. During the greater
part of the year we travel on sledges
drawn by dogs; and in going from camp
to camp in winter we have no place to
sleep but on the snow, and frequently
with the thermometer fifty degrees be-
low zero. We live with the Indians all
the time. When they have nothing to
eat we share the same fate. In one in.
stance that I recall, which happened
four years ago, q missionary Yves sent
out to one of the far-of tribes accom-
panied by an Indian guide. They
reached place where they could get
nothing to eat, and after suffering for a
long while, the Indian finally killed tho
missionary for food. In st. Albert
diocese',we have fifteen missions. There
nre three good schools in which the
children are taught by eighteen sisters.
These sisters are what are known as
gray nuns, and come from Montreal.
In the town of st. Albert we have an
orphanage in which thirty.five orphan
children of the different tribes and in
the diocese there are three orphanages
with one hundred orphans. At St. AL
bert we have, also, a fine cathedral,
eighty feet long and thirty-two feet
wide, with q gallery all around. It is
there Bishop de Grandin ofticiates.
We have also nuunery in which there
are at present eight nuns. Our food
consists mainly of Buffalo meat and
fish, of which latter there are many in
the little lakes around us. For ten
years we had no bread, but during the
last three years we have succeeded in
raising wheat, and have now good bread.
We built a mill with water power at st.
Albert last fall. Our houses are all
frame. We are comfortable. but, of
course, we have to endure many hard
ships"
Father Leduc added that within the
last few years a number Of Canadian
immigrants of different religious faiths
had come among them, and that the
prospect of q thorough civilization of
the various tribes is very promising.
He has been fifteen years engaged in the
work with Bishop de Grandin.-N. Y.
Tribune.
A FEARFUL PROSPECT. "A CORE.
spondent of the Philadelphia Times
says: 81 called upon friend on Sun
day evening and found him surrounded