Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-01

Miles has recommended its Abandonment as q
military post. There are but two companies In
this garrison at the present time the one belong
ing to the First cavalry, commanded by Captain
Hunter, and the other is a company of the
Second infantry, commanded by Captain Drum.
a nephew OF Adjutant-Genersl Drum. u. s. A.
Both of these officers are popular In the army,
and possess fine qualities of head and heart
AT this remote station our social enioyments
are not numerous, but still very delightful for
all That The afternoons are given to promenad-
ing, horseback exercises and to games OF cro-
quet, and the evenings are enlyened by musical
entertainments at the officers quarters. Fishing
III the summer and hunting In the winter are q
popular antdote for tedl,mi rit1. All the officers
OF the post are accustomed TO attend divine ser
vice In the chapel. and all the children of proper
age belong to the Sunday school All in all. We
nave here the elements of true social. Intellectual
ana moral excellence. minus the formaty and
discrimination Characteristic of older and more
pretentious communities.
me climate is simply superb. II is dry. bright.
ana pracing to the whole system. The mercury
sometimes rises into the ninetes at noontide
out the nights are always cool and charming
Oyercoats are comfortable after sunset. and the
ladies' don their heavier shawls at this hour of
the day. am inditing these desultory thoughts
Del ore blazing fire, and my bed is never with
cut duplicate of waril blankets. Our water
IS Drought TO Us every morning from a crystal
stream gushing from the mountain side and is
far more sweet and refreshing than mixtures of
melted ice. At a. m. appear the purple bushes
of the morning. and at 9 p. IN. the last light of
departing day fingers and plays upon the noun
talns What an unspeakable felicity to the citi-
Zens OF your great capital if they could be sud-
denly transferred from the eXhausting heats OF
tle summer into this clear, crisp. and invigorat-
ing atmosphere. This conSummation so deyoutly
to be wished could only be realized by trip in
the golden chariot drawn by the steeds of the
sun, ana then the effects Of still hotter climate
would have to be encountered
The virtues of humanity bloom in this vast
Wilderness and its vices attain a vigorous and
luXuriant growth. Mortal men and women are
found here, and yet it must be admitted that ig-
norance, with its attendant evils. throws black
shadow over society. Intemperance is the giant
vice which holds the multitude in its deadly
grasp. Drinking is the rule and abstinence the
exception.
The surrounding population is chiefly COM
posed of half breeds. combining MANY OF the
traits of the Indian with few of the features Of
the white man. The fine gentlemen of the old
HUDSON Bay company were the first foreign
settlers OF this country, and finding no white
women here, and acting on the scriptural idea
that lit is not good for man to be alone" they
chose the WifehOod of Squaws in preference to
the lonely sorrows of celibacy; and the result Of
these social bargains and sales is a mongrel race
or beings without much intelligence and enter
prise; Degustitus non dispotdndcena. Such is
stlll the distressing scarcity of females of the
pure Caucasian type in this part of the territory
tilat large importation of them from Europe
and the east would prove highly promotye OF
the cause of civilization. Young and intelligent
ladies are preferred. but old maids and widows
under nfty would be amenable to matrimony.
The prevailing religion in this region is the
Roman Catholic faith. The fathers of the Romish
church founded a mission among the Indians in
this vicinity as far back as 1871. Father J. De
Semet, Belgian by birth. traversed this valley
more than forty years ago, ana preached TO two
thousand red men and baptized one hundred
ana eighty persons a majority of whom were
adults. In 1866 the seat Of the mission was
transferred to its present locality. nine miles
from this fort AID four miles from the Columbia
rails. There are about two thousand Indians
under the pastoral care of the fathers at this
place. one of whom visits them annually and
spends the winter among the kalIspelis. the
Oklnagans, the Skeeyelpis. and other tribes.
1nere are Two day schools connected with the
Colvlle mssion-one for boys and the other for
girls, where these Indian children are taught the
principles of knowledge and religion The gov
ernment makes an annual appropriation Of a. 600
to support these schools. the fathers and sisters
giving their services gratutously to the work of
secular instruction. On last Thursday the writer
was present at the celebration of the feast of
corpus Christi where five hundred of these I'M
tutored children of the forest were collected
from the circumference of a circle Of three hun
dred miles i'll extent to profess their faith in the
crucifed One 10y partaking devoutly of the holy
eucharist. Though Protestant to the core,
was profoundly impressed with the solemnity of
the occasion and the magnitude Of the work of
the Romanists among the Indians. Would that
Protestant christendom would assume more
aggressive attitude in relation to the unevange-
lied millions of America and all the nations of
the earth w.