St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-01
it became the well-known and we'll
promising st. Paul of to-day.
Lucian Galtier was born in France,

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Department of Ardches, A. ID. 1911.
From an early age he destined himself
for the priesthood, and was student of
theology in the seminary of his native
diocese, when Bishop Loras, the then
newly-appOinted bishop of Dubuque,
arrived in Europe, in quest of labOrers
for the immense region con-
tided to his spiritual charge. The
missionaries whom he persuaded
to follow him to the wilds of Western
America, were Rev. Joseph Cretin, aft
erwards first bishop of st. Paul; Rev.
Mr.. PellamourgueS, now vicar-general
of Dubuque; Rev. A. RavouX, now
vicar-general of st. Paul; Rev. Messrs.
Coss and Pebol, who have since returned
to France, and Rev. l.. Galtier. MeSsrS.
Galtier. RavouX, CosS and Pebol, who
had not yet completed their studies, pro.
ceeded to EmmitSburg college, Mary
land, where they remained about year.
They were ordained in Dubuque Jan. 5.
1910, being the first Catholic priests ever
ordained on the northwestern side of
the Mississippi river. In the summer of
1889 Bishop LOraS arrived at Fort Smell
|elng in company with Father PellamOur-
CUES, to see what could be done, if any
thing, for Catholicity in that portion of
his diocese. They remained some time,
the st. Peters trading post, Men
dota, and the bishop. before
leaving, promised the few soldiers and
the employees of the American Fur COM
pany, who protested the Catholic
religion, that he would have as soon as
possible priest permanently located
among them. These were not days of
frequent steamboat trips, so the bishop
was obliged when returning to Dubuque
to confide himself to
A LITTLE INDIAN CANOE.
The first night after leaving the fort,
he rested on the river bank beneath
DaytOn's bluff, and often afterwards he
spoke of the sore bliSters which the I'M
usual labor of rowing inflicted on his
hands. One day in the spring of 1910,
the bishop heard the whistle Of the first
boat from st. Louis, nearing the wharf
of Dubuque. He was told it was bound
for Fort Smelling. He remembered his
promise to send there priest, who
since the time of his ordination had re-
sided at the cathedral. In an hour the
latter was ready and on board the boat.
We quote the following from letter
written by Father Galtier to Bishop
Grace, and dated Prairie du Chen. Jan.
4, 1864. ''There was no st. Paul at this
time. There was on the site of the
present city but single log house, oc-
cupied by a man named Phalen, and
steamboats, never stopped there.
The boat preferred to abOve), landed at
soned by few companies of regular Sol-
dierS under command of Maj. Plimpton.
The sight of the fort, commanding from
the elevated prOmontOry the two rivers,
the Mississippi and the st. Peter,
pleased me; but the discovery, which
| soon made, that there was only few
houses Oh the st. Peter side, and but
two on the side of the fort surrounded
by a complete wilderness, and without
any signs of fields under tillage, gave
me to und erstand that my mission and
life must hencefOrth be a
CAREER OF PRlVATION,
hard trials and suffering, and required
of me patience, labor and resignation.
The reverend father then goes on to
tell the story of his experience and la
bOrs at the fort, and the difficulties he
encountered in spreading his holy in
fiuence. We will pass these events by
and come at once to something of more
impOrtance-the selection of a suitable
site for church for the little settle
ment that had been formed two lies
below the fort.
among the occupants of this
ground" says Father Galtier, "were
RondO, who had purchased the only
cultivated claim in the place, that of
Phalen; Vital Guerin, Gervais and
his brother and P. Bottineau.
1t became necessary to choose suit
were offered. The first was La Pointe
Basse on Point Leclair NOW, on account
of sand bar in its vicinity, commonly
known as Pigs Eye barr. l objected to
that place. 1t was the extreme end of
the settlement, and being low ground,
was exposed in high water to inunda-
ton. The idea of one day having the
church swept down to st. Louis did not
please me. Two and half miles further
up, on his claim, Catholic named
Charles Mousseau offered me an acre of
his ground, but neither did this place
suit my purpose. | was truly looking
ahead to the future as W. II as to the
present time. Steamboats, could not
stop there; the bank was too steep, the
space on the summit too narrow, and
communication difficult with the places
of the other settlers up and down the
river. Messrs. B. GervaiS and Vital
Guerin
TWO GOOD, QUIET FARMERS,
owned the only spot likely to suit.
They both consented to give the ground
necessary for a church, garden and a.
small graveyard. | accepted the eX
IRENE eastern part of Mr.. Vital's claim,
and the extreme west of Mr.. Gervais'.
In the month of October, 1S41, had,
on the abOve-stated place, logs cut and
prepared, and soon poor log church
that would remind one of the stable of
st. Paul was formed. On Nov. 1 |
blessed the new Basilica, smaller in
deed than the Basilica of st. Paul, in
Rome, but as we'll adapted as the latter
for prayer and love to arise to arise
therein from piOus hearts. The church
was thus dedicated to St. Paul, The
name of St.Paul applied to town or city
seemed apprOpriate--the monOsyllable
is short, sounds well, is understood by
all denominations. Hence, when an at
tempt was made to change the name of
the place, / opposed the vain project
even by writing from Prairie du Chen.
When Mr.; Vital was married l pub
lished the banns as being those of "a
resident Of st. Paul" An Anne rican
named Jackson put up a store, and a
grocery was opened at the foot of Ger
VaiS' claim. This soon caused steam
boats to be landed there. Henceforth
the place was known as st. Paul Land
ing. On the Doth of October, 1912, the
little bell of st. Peters chapel Men
dota) was blessed. On the 25th of MAY,
1874, / was leaving to better hands the
yet
BARREN FIELDS
of MY first mission. not without feeling
deep regret-not without leaving friends
behind me-"
Father Ireland, commenting on the
above letter, says: 1.-The church in st.
Peter (MendOta) is yet standing. The
one In st. Paul was taken down some
years ago. The logs are secure, and it
is the intention to put them together as
they formerly were, and thus to have
the old church preserved. This church
fronted on Bench street, and was built
on one of the lots of what now is called
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