Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1890-02-27
Father s ephan Arrives In NOrtl,
Dakota on u Mission Of
Mercy,
Commissioned by PhilanthrO-
ph. SITS to Supply the Wants Of
Destitute Indians.
He Expresses his Views upon
the Education of the Ma.
tons Wards.
Relief for Indians.

Stephan of Washington, stepped fro
the Northern Pacific overland tram Mo
day morning. He proceeded to the Gla
stone for breakfast and from them
went to the residence of Bishop Shanle
where he was called upon during tt
morning by number Of old friends an
acquaintances, among them an Alel
reporter. who was graclously receiver
Father Stephan is direct fro1a Washing
ton. He comes to visit the Turtle lnoul
tain Indians and determine the truth
the reports OF destitution now said {
exist among them. There seems to t
no doubt that these reports are tru,
Private .advices and official telegram
nom Agent Cramsie Of the Ft. Tote
reservation, all indicate that many OF tt
Indians now need food and clothin,
Father stephan is not on governme1
mission, but is commissioned to reliev
the necessities Of the Indians in questio
by Mr.. Edward Morrell of Philadelphi
whose wife was Miss Louisa Drexel, or
Of the three Drexel sisters, who persona1
visited the reservations in Dakota D
company with Father Stephan about to
ye ,rs ago. The Misses Drexel have &C.
G.5uted most literally to the Ture
n 'untain tribe among others,and to tlir
. orts and charitable gifts are due 10
sue 'ess which now attends the Cathic
N ssiun school at this reservation, wish
M nbers 14O students and whose ork
In their b, half is highly spoken Of b all
Who know o: its thorough characteand
good results. or the three Drexe'girls
vino We're in North Dakota, tv have
since been married and are wing in
Philadelphia, while the third ser, Miss
Kate, has entered a cgnyen as Sister
Katrina and is devots her life and for
tune to educational HI charitable pur-
suits.
Father Stephan II proesed direct to
the reservation hway ofLeeds or Fargo
and thence ;er the M lnitob., and is
authorized taxpend $1,000 if necessary,
in purchasinlsupplies for the Indians
needing the sne. This will be, of course,
indepenuerof any sum that may be ap-
propriate by the general government.
There ha9 been $500 sent to Agent
Cramsie Or this purpose already and
Represenve Hansbrough has stated that
there is 8 rong probability of congress
allowing $4,000 in addition, bill
for which has been introduced and
passed the ssate.
Father StepaD is thoroughly inform
q on the relanas Of the Indians with
the government an,equally we'll posted
On the needs and chracteristlcs Of the
In lians themselves. long life among
them, as agent at St,uins Rock, and
later as counsellor and lend in charge
Of the Catholic mission Ork in all the
tribre, has rendered him nusually CON-
petent to Judge fairly n matters Of
doubt or policy. He is no ore pretended
lulu " Cl1O Iuubout flit hAAoWS AlOIu
long experience that insictors sent by
the government to lnvesgate the con-
dition of the tribes do ut thoroughly
do the wo,k. Ins lead going from
tepee to tepee, as his custoiis and has
been, the special agents Ymries often
rest on information furni ed by parties
only Interested in supplies lad contracts
and who do not know r,al condition
OF the tribes. These rsaits, based on
such information, are coel the only
basis upon which iportnt depart
mel htal action is taker
sume Unpublished History.
1t (may be nVs to mlny, but 1t is
stated to- be a.act, that a general mas
sacre OF ahlone white setters within O
radius OF 10 miles of the turtle Noun
tain reservaion was most fortunately
averted by til personal efforts Of Father
Stephan, not lager than three years ago.
The governusnt had been dickering with
the Indiansfor their land, and tho pro-
Ject was or foot and approved by the In
dams, of emoval to the Chippewa res
ervatiopAn northern Minnesota. At that
time tle Indians we're assembled in big
powyow near the Canadian ]lne All
the ctefs were present, and many intlu-
ential Indians from Manitoba. The Sun
Dance ws on and the chiefs had made
stirringpeechee, reciting tie wrongs of
the tr'e and condemnina the greedy
policy1f the government in the pending
negohtions. It had been decided to do
sonShing desperate and the Canadian
chks had added every Incentive to the
projtted cruelty. This was no less than
a ge gal massacre of the white settlers
in t's rsgion. Three Indians we're to
be signed To cut The thfpats nf each
whfs. The plan had been quietly ma
.turd and fully understood, but fortu