The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-12-19
the FLAG AND The CROSS.
They Were Both Planted in the Great
Northwest By Catholic
Priests.
T0RIC MACKINAC ISLAND.
The Island Of Giant Fairies and How
1t Became so
Celebrated.


1t Became so
Celebrated.
Mr.. j. NJ. Duffy contributes this de-
lghtful sketch Of q spot made famous
BY the Jesuit fathers, to the Chicago
Herald: Up at the very head Of the
Lake Michigan the great green covered
Island Of Mackinac-"lsland of the
Giant Fairies'-the people Of the
Northwest find in this legendary spot
the rarest Of resorts. The whole atmos-
phere there is permeated with the past.
Nature has there performed plethora
of her miracles. The annihilated red
sman, now only "reminiscences. has peo-
pied every nook and ravine with strange,
supernatural beings, and has twined
round every spot some rom antic legend.
The poet has been there and has woven
the history Of this beautiful spot into
tuneful verses, and the novelist has ex-
pended her energy in romantic stories
of some Of the islands inhabitants.
Hence, the practical dwellers from the
city, on pleasure and novelty bent, find
there all things seemingly arranged for
their especial interest. The island has
borne the flags of three nations. the
lilies Of France, the cross Of England,
and at last our own colors, which to-day
stream idly over the ramparts Of the
queer old fort, with its whitewashed
walls.
The island of Mackiuac is of triangu
lar shape, and. from its high elevation,
rare situation and natural beauties, Is,
Of course, easily first among the sur
rounding resorts. To the south Of the
island, across the straits. Is the point of
the lower peninsula of Michigan, with
OLD Mackinaw CITY buried among the
pines, while to the west lies the upper
peninsula. and spread along its eastern
shores from the heights Of the island
one sees the thriving town OF St. Ig-
nance and here finds mint Of history
deposited in as beautiful a country as
the sun shines on.
The spot st. Ignace now, is ancient
Northumberland. and, though the term
was by no means confined to the pre-
sent town, but applied to the whole PEN
insula and island. it gradually became
restricted. then finally to the island
alone, where it was at length contracted
to iss present form. The first lnhabi-
tants, say the close students of the re-
gion's history, were the ancient miners.
who were similar to the Mound build
ers of the great valley below them. OF
the white men the first to come were
the French, and the Individual French
man to whom the honor Of being the
first s'pale face'' to visit the straits is
given, history records as John Nicolet
and the date of his visit as 1884. But
Nicolet left no traces of what he saw.
He was followed by Nicholas Perrot
and many other voyagers and traders,
who, for the most part, left few II any
memoirs, till those pioneers Of the
New France" as the French Jesuits
were called, arrived on their hazardous
mission. They were not passing visl-
Jors. They came, most Of them, to
yield up their very lives. eiJher at the
hands OF barbarous savages or to tie
rigor Of the terrible northern climate.
The break in the ranks was instantly
filled by some new hero, who under
went the same martyrdom of either the
stake, the tomahawk or the scalping
knife. Wonderful to tell, they recorded
what they found, saw and did, and
these records, forwarded by Indian
messengers over long and terrible jour-
neys, were preserved in the houses of
the order in Canada, and to-day, scant
though they are, supported by the marks
the missionaries left behind them.
remain the living authentic history OF
the Northwest. ~.
\ Father Claude Allouez. Sd. was the
first Jesuit to reach this wild spot some
time ia the early part OF 1870 Father
Allouez did not tarry long at ST. IR-
Hace. but pushed on to the present
site Of Green BaY; and, following il1
his footsteps the next year, came Father The
Dablon, his superior. who selected the
present site Of Sc. Ienace as the place
for the first misai O. A few Ct the the
Indians, it is related. and at least one
Jesuit, wintered there. but Il remained
FOR that ssintrepid soldier sof Che cross s. s.