The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1886-08-18
THE kooTENAi NnlANs.

Contrasts In Morals aad Manners Of sems
OF the British Columbia Abori iglnes.
Il is the end of my first Sunday here
We have just been to the Indians wor-
ship. They are Roman Catholics, be-
eause think, they like the pictures Of
the saints, the ceremonies and the
priests care. Their worship was @
surprise to us and an education. These
Kootenais are eonfessedly the lowest
and flthiest of the ish-eating Indians.
bat it is q marvel to see how they rise
above nature in worship No civilized
congregation presents such contrasts
The darkened windows Of the painted
chapel, the vapor and odor of the in
cense. the chants, tho simple cere-
monies and the rapt attention of the
worshipers materialized for US the
ghost Of Chateaubriand. We breathed
again the sentimental atmosphere of
.AtAla' and The Genius of Christi
anity."
Leon Faucet, the priest, II shrewd
and devout French Jesuit. As he ex-
pressed it, he has ruled these Indians
with main de fer. His name, through
out this region, is feared and respected
rs il it were the name of . demi-god.
They have many stories of his miracu-
lous paralyzing of arms raised to strike
him and Of sudden dumbness seizing
tongues that dared to profane in his
presence. His laws form code which
penetrates all details of their simple
savage life.
Their religion is strife and . COM
promise between the principles OF right
and their savage education. repem-
ber Mt our first encounter, when had
10 treat with them for canoe transport
tation for myself and party, that the
negotiations lasted from two in the
afternoon until noon the next day.
Ten they were broken of. aid had to
be renewed from other points of attack.
and when at last concluded, the sum
ayreed for was less than that at first
proposed. We thought we knew the
kootenai river pretty we'll. but when
they set out with US. one in each canoe.
with two paddlers. they took us through
sluggish bayous and inlets we had never
heard of, finally striking the crooked
river again at an angle which had saved
leagues of travel and shortening the
journey by hours. Thcn we saw the
justness Of their bargain. We agreed
that we knew of no Christian white
man whom we would think capable of
such mercantile propriety. But on the
outskirts of one little settlement we
passed moveless figure. an old wOm-
An crouched forward. her arms about
her shins, her head between her knees.
She stirred not nor looked a. We fitted
by her, although IN outstretched paddle
would have touched her. By her side
were food and drink. ! asked my
nearest Indian what she did there! He
grunted in reply gutteral word which
translated means ITO die" These two
incidents suggest the Indians religion.
There are two clans or towns OF
Indians. the Upper" and the Lower
Kootenais. about 475 in all. They have
never made a treaty with the United
States, and never received aid from the
Government Charles j. Woodbury., IN
~ y Post
The Allentown, (Pa.) Register
says: '.On the farm of Reuben Upde'
grove, at Shanesville. Berks County,
while the harvesting was being done,
the men were assisted in binding the
wheat by these three aged ladies;
Elizabeth Trout, 90; Maria 'Updegrove,
80; Maria Trout, 76. 1t is rcmarka-
BILE fact that each of them bound the
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