Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-02
4ccal 21lnifers.


fbs Aeoompti N
Editor Of KeHRste< yoEysaI:
A. on saod., morning We hear the church
bells siEsisg their invitations. and zee tAs
people ~essiins their vsy 70 tb~is various
places Of soesnip, We csg only family eoa~
csive tbs eof uas, bet seen the seene and ilss
one she, public religious services vere Asss
held within the niis 0: Augusta. tvo hu.-
dsed snd forty three yssrs ago. tn n - nos.
indeed, ID. besatifni keaneo~c 6oved ses>
ward, meeting tie ocean tides ss this place.
but lie rarfens had nos been impedsd BY
dams, s.- spsna~.t BY bfsdses re bank.
we're bst syd b. The psthi~ss wilderness. and
the terraces shrre the busy city nos s.sats
we're tho sly covered vIsh thu ,hsssy forsss
priasevsi On tn. plateau by the eastsfH shoss
vss IN I'll eIssris q. sad IN IL stool s,lsts
ny buildi, 4 Of logs IL vss the rock-neuss
Of the Ply moath Colony then occgpissI . psrt
Of the ysar By an aseat asd two or three as
sociates arssssd IN the ta.h'on Of that FASiv
time Up fhe river . fourth Of . mile the
fat, low -IzBdr deserib~d by the nr.t hits
visitors ,iirt, -nihe years before. stiii quietly
rsyosed amid the rushing ssfers, and con-
t.nusd t. produce ifs great store Of grap-s,
both ret sui .hi,e: good hopps. - alec
chibalis sud 9sri.ks" Beyond the island
about = i.ssse, IN The eastern shore, vss
sigvSm village Of the Csnibss Indiana.
sbo H.6 4 and hssted along the river valley,
and vbo by rode cultivation raised little
eorB and po.-ibfy .oms sourc like fruit from
the mslIo~ iat~rvsI soil which there lies On .
gently nn iais.ins plain. These indiana like
the other Abvnskts tribes, we're ssvages. . no
lived elos~ ~ nature and foraaed their cub
sistence from the harsh wilderness. Their
sIsht COT TACT With the vhts had not served
IN eniiglien their 10 sds or improve their
desrai ed cooditi,n. IL sss 70 obtain their
rich fuss that the Pilgrims had sought their
friendship and built . barter house in their
neigbborhood.
There came to this sqaai,d village In Sept,
1916. by canoe and portage from Quebec.
over the same route that was Travelled by
Arnold one hundred and twenty nine yssrs
later, Gabriel Draiiisuss. the pioneer ME
sionary T. the caribss indiana. lie sas .
Prenchnpan. and a devotee In the great
crusade ~h,eh the Jesaits had undertaken In
the ne~ world under the patronage Of the
statecraft of Frasce in It's dream Of empire
The French crown then Owned Acadia and
claimed that t. western boundary sas the
kenBebsc river The missionary supposed
that he had come to the territory Of Acadia
and was careful 10 M bic mission on that
eide Of the river.
Great must have been the wonder Of the
savsges when the psle-fsce stranger from
the north, IN his novel hat and ioos black
robe. with rosary and pendant crucihx, hrst
appeared among them In his poverty h.
brought neither scrip nor presents, but only
ab I containing the enblems necessary for
the eel. bfation Ut the sssram-Gt OF the
mss. The natives received him kindly
and shared With him their humble abode-
and .csMy, UNI xIatsbts fool He
aIsnf,d htu.plF h.4rn iraliy Ia, fhptF
primitive mode OF ifr. AID Nth
compassion, psii.Lee ani TIC. in
the nursing OF the .cx. the eonsoirs Of
the dying snd the bqptzing and comforting
Of the living. soon tner am ration AMI
warm Att,Ghdeht
During til. autumn he made az 'Icur-ou
by boat 10 Gas inc. virtins on the way sevet
or eight English trailing post. that we're then
scatter d no0s the cosst He visited ,he
Cspuciu Mission at tastin", receiving cor
d al greeting from Father Isnscr, the
superior
lie soon returned to his labors at ks..in.
mock. and lmme lately. under his .udae..
his Indian beoph,tes built for him II liitle
chapel (une petite ch.pclie). which he dedi-
Gated probably with all possible cere
mouy. AMI gave to il the rame
of The Mission OF he Assumption,
Mission .e fAssonption). This structure
could not not hav' b. Ell either elsbo- ate
or imposing II was built 10 the usual iodian
fashion and consisted Of stakes hx,d In the
ground fur y frame, the walls covered With
sheets Of bark torn from the largest trees,
aud the roof thsichei with the same rustic
material. The Hl'sr for the holy vessels and
embcms vas sheet If bark or slab Of
wood. fred On stakes in the form Of . rude
table, while the furry skin Of some wild
beast stretched against thu val served ~ =
sufficient background The csa,iles were
colt Of bireh bark - urst-i with pitch frvm
the coniferou. trees
The Father with great real and faith
labored for the salvation of his fo~ly people.
and 1t 10 PHEASANT To koos rom his record
that he fcll IN his heart some mes.ur. of
reward lie lsbored vt the Mission
until Janusty when he accompanied u hunt
ing part, to Moo..head lake rh.y returned
to the Mis-,"r. ard ~ III. latter part of May.
the priest departed Tor q ,ebec where he AR
rived June IL. lJ45. and reported the suc-es'
of his mi-sion Ia the superior
Father Dfuilrt,es afterwards came twice
To ths Mission OF the Assumption. In sept
1860. he left Quebec 18th NOEL N.gambAmat
a conys rfcd chief aud arrived at the Mic
sion in about two weeks He met Thu
winsiow at he trading post who he says,
treated h ~ wiih n,u''h kinGnrss Druil' cites
bore a m. ssage fr m tn. Governor at Quebec
to the Governor At Boston proposing an al
lisncc against the lroauois and for
the Protection of the Abenakis. Wins
low at his own Inconvenience made the
dibculi foot journey with the priest
TO Merrvme.,ing Bay he I'D not 20
with him to boston, A. has been stated, but
gave him a letter that would procure him
MT. IA H..
On the % h of September the prlest rm-
barked on = vessel from Dsmsriscove. lie
WAS received with great courtesy by Gov.
Endcou and others; he went TO Plymouth
and saw q v. Bradford. and also to Roxbury,
where he lodged With The Apostle Eliot At
that time there WAS q Lac fosb,iiing the
presence In Boston of papi.t, snder pen
atty Of death for the second o6ense, but the
Father being an envo, from another govern
meat. was excepted from its operation
Though pleased With his personal treatment,
he was disappointed At the refusal Of the
Boston Government 10 join the Union which
his own Gosttumt hu solicited
lie re- turned TO the keI neb,e su1 spent
the next months in the york of argel
izing the savag.s. He says he WAS more
and more astonisbsd at their admirable de-
position" He often refers u thsm al h en-
thuslatn. sni however io'ti ms prsise II 10
given vita sppsreat sincerity In January
he sgsin sent with hun,ins party 10 Moose /
head lake. They ie,arucd 70 the Mission in
the early spriug. from wh'ca he took leave
In May. and rVscaed Quebec in JuIe. 1851 I
Ho~ev,r hard and psrilous hal been his
four preceding journeys between Qreh"c /
and the Mission OF the Assumption has last
two jDurneys seve ,ly nxed HI
physical powers of eaiurs'ce. which !
from his wonderful career, must
have beeu very great. After q
rect of only fifteen day. he scsin
started from Quebec With HI. faithful NJ.
gambAmat and . fe~ others Tor III. kennc-
bee. They took new route, rot Lost, and
finally found Themselves o. tt. Msda~aska.
They were out of food In til ir gced H. /
Iess, says thu record, the Missionary took /
refuge in God He offer, d the oil sacrifice /
Of the mass IN the midst of The immense
forest, for the Lord TO .-rd heip Tie h,a
no sooner ended the ceremony tnau one of
the party came with the joyous news that he
had killed three moose The Father con-
sidered this 1.-The visible protection OF God. '
After painful journey Of more tn three
weeks the party reached Norridse~ock. and
there the priest found an encampment Of
his old friends. The chief. UmAmsnraiok.
showed his JOY at the return Of the Father BY +
embracing him. The priest proceeded to the
Mia.i,n - A..u ~ h.