New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-08-29
INDIANS OF VI MINNESOTA.
.,spop wHlrpLE's WORK AMONG THEM.

CHIEFS WHO WE'RE READY TO MAKE ALMOST
,xy sACRIFIrE 10 sECCIE CHRISTIAN
rY,cHrR-PITUEgsQU INCIDENTS OF THE
JOURNEY.
n,v Az oc- ,sIovAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
T,pRAuLr. Mnn. Aug o0.--On his summer Wis
;.a,;on to the Indians this year. Bishop Whipple
oceompaned by the Rev. George b. Whipple. of the
cathedral OF Our Merciful Saviour. the Rev. +. :.
wilson of the Seabury Divinity School. and the
pev.J A. Gillian. superintendent OF the Indian
,rss;ons and resilient at White Earth. The Journey
Law through the lake region of Mnnesota-that is to
say the northern part. have heard it repeatedly
so,d that there are more than seven thousand lakes
in Minnesota: and thus | can well believe. for
,ncing a the map there are portions of the State
tbiekly dotted with them. and vet from actual
,ravel through large part of this lake region,
have learned by observation that there is not more
than a twentieth part of them put down Oh the
man Only the largest are noticed at all, while
great numbers of smaller ones. many of them in
sight at once fash back the sunlight and break the
u,onotony OF the pine forests.
The Indian missions are located. IN the order OF
.our travel at Lsech Lake Red Lake. Wild Rice
River and White Earth. The combinations at all
these places numbered seventy thirty-nine If which
were at one place This large class presented
bg the Rev. Edwin Benedict at Lcech Lake; two of
the number white people, the sub-agent and
his one was the n3ll-Dfee0 interpreter; q lew
were of mixed African and Indian blood. and the
uainder were ful-blOod Indians. About half the
entire number were the fruitof a CONGREGATIONAL
mission now given up by the Congre gauonalists to
the care of Bishop Whipple.
Tie incidents Of the Bishops visit to Leech Lake
were full of interest. The lake itself is most beau
niul Not over thirty or forty miles in length, it
vet has over three hundred miles of coast. The
water is clear and cold and full OF fish. Among In
dams. the women are the fishermen. We saw them
Going ont in their canoes at evening to set their
petss IL the early morning we them come in
with their fish. Ga the arrival Of the Bishop and
his party the Ipdians assembled IN large num-
bers and in what, among whites, would be called
holiday attire. They had prepared for joyful re-
eeption. With an anvil instead of a cannon. they
fred forty fifty rounds But the great as
sembly was on the next day. The little
Church of the Good Shepherd" the dying gift
OF a devout Christian girl in New-York. was conse-
Grated The en- ire service was translated into Ojib-
way by the Rev J. A. Gillian. superintendent of
the Missions. The officiating clergy we're those IL
charge Of this particular mission. the Rev. Edwin
Benedict and the Rev Charles Wright. full
hooded Indian. After the confirmation the Holy
Communion was celebrated and the communicates
crowded 10 the chancel-rai something after the
manner of old and settled parishes in the East
In ABORTION TO the Christian Indians, large num-
Der OF heather Indians were present, some OF them
CAV with paint and feathers After dinner they
sent word 10 the Bishop that they would like to say
something 10 him. The Bishop consented and went
where they were. Their council held in the
open air on the shady side of Government build
ing. They were all squatted on the ground gravely
smoking An Indian always smokes when he isn't
asleep. After good deal of urging upon one another
to speak first. chief. bo.der than the others,
takes his life in his hand and without more ado APP
breaches the Bishop. His speech is translated
sentence by sentence by the Interpreter. And now
is the time when the American Indian vndlcates
that poetic conception of his character which is SO
RAPIDLY coming TO be thought unreal Historians
and other novelsts may take courage. The facts
are substantially with them, however much an in
creduous public may steel its heart against them
The barbarian, in all ages and everywhere, is for
NAL dlgnifed and reticent The speeches Of bar
baran chiefs recorded in the writings of classic
tjoutv are essentially true An Indian chlefs
speech is a. formal and as artistcally constructed
as if he had studied the best models OF oratory
undera great master and in a great school 1t has
its nsinuating and pleasing Introduction lis cogent
and formal presentation of facts. Its lucid argu-
mcnts ana D0ld differences, its flights OF rhetoric
and its CLOVIS of passion, its stately summing up
and Its impressive perorAtion. The only mistake
about IL all Is iHdt pEo ht"Ao ~ Hi"'"
of it. All of the chiefs have TO speak,
and all of tins oratorcal pageantry has
70 be- gone through with by every one of them.
As the IDEAS in all the speeches the same
begins 70 fidget and wonder how long this thing Is
going to last.
The Ojbway Indians regard Bishop Whipple as
their most powerful friend. If they have any
quest TO make of the Government they make it
through him. and they believe that his intercessOn
is all-pOweriul. On this occasion they presented
first their Governmental grievances and requests.
III the second place they showed great desire for
the instruments and appliances of civilization.
Everywhere that the Bishop Went there was a
council held. and in every one of these councils they
asked for schools. agricultural implements. for
seed-grain and for cattle. new spirit has GER
tainv come over the Indian need no longer
look to China and Japan to find heather stretching
out their hands to us. The heather at
doors and their clamOrous entreaty fills our ears.
A HEATHEN's LONGING FOR CHRISTIANITY.
One circumstance in this council at Leech Lake
deeply impressed me. The council had apparently
ended and no mention had been made of Chris
tanty although there seemed 10 be
drift in all the speeches thet way.
There a long pause; then there was
aconsultatIon in low tones in one quarter and a
reckoning TO various individual chiefs to JOIN the
group. After little while one OF them spoke up
said that they had at length persuaded their
wisest say few words. Upon this an Old
man with suuken chest and thin features stepned
forth. His appearance most venerable; his
countenance showed integrity and depth of charae-
ter He seemed like a man weighed down with the
response blites of his station and with the gavest
aDprehensions for his people. His speech differed
from all the others The Indians had certainly es-
tmated him anght. He was indeed their
wisest man. He spoke of what had been
accomplished among the partly civilized Indians at
White Earth. intmated IN rather circutous way
that Christianity was the real spring OF their pros