The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-10-05

advantages for tho grazing Of their
was, winter and summer, the favor
To resort OF other tribes. Hare the fathers
bnilt the mission, which has grown 70 bs
and kootsnais hAys all sinos on
tered without, psrhaps, . single exception
the Lords fold. They arc good Christians
and the largest portion Of them greatly adj
vancsd In civilization. ~ y plainly shown
BY the United States agents In their oii1clal
reports TO tho government. Ihsir onr'sa-
wards the white peopls, were likewise put
10 4 severe test, al in the case Of the Fiat
heads when tho Neg Psrcss, stained with
blood, rich with plumber and breathing
vengeance against the whites, were passing
through Montana. Runners came, ana
tempting offers were made a. we'll a. savage
thrsnts. But all to no purpose. In the
history Of our Indian wars never WAS,
my knowledge, no over likely will be, the
instance Of one being brought about by
Indians trained by the Catholic church.
"While tho writer OF this sketch was stay
ing at 81. Ienatius an old Indian, by name
would give you the distance between v
places by the number of r~osaries he was in
the habit of saving in going from ono to
the other, was fishing day ut Flathead
Lake, when of q sudden he saw something
that seemed. as he said. to take with has
UTe0bu III ScKy uO0i AWAY AhoAn AsHs sS
dropped his line and away he started for
the mission. On entering the room he said
abruptly to the writer: i saw sinze CHI
tass.' This was the Indian name OF good
Brother Vincent Magri, a favorite with the
Indians at st. lgnatiuu, whore no had ilveo
= number Of years, but who was thsn ssa T.,
Idaho. Il saw him. continued the Indian,
raising his o, o. and pointing with his hand
to the sky, riding in r most beautiful
thing The only description he could give
was that ii resembled a chariot, but exceed
ingly beautiful, and that he had never seen
anything like IL. Several days after We
received letters with the news of the demise
Of the brother, which had occurred some
400 miles away from st. Ignatius. BY com
pairing dates No were forced to Che Conolu-
sion that the good Indian had known more
than any Of w and had his news brought
him by some other faster than Uncle Sans
the Vineyard had been rspaying his faith
full servants many and toilsome tramps
through these mountains by giving good
| Brother Magri a glorious chariot ride
through tho skies.
"There are at st. Ignatius two hourishinR
schools for Indian children, one for boys
conducted by the Fathers, the other fol
girls under the charge Of the Sisters OF
Providence, from Montreal. These good
and nobfe sisters have been at the mission
since 1864. They came all the way from
Walla Walla on horseback across the rugged
| Cnur d'Alene mountains, camping out likt
the sturdy pioneer in search of gold, and
they have been hard at work ever since I'm
proving tho condition of tho daughters OF
the forest.
astonishing as it may seem, here at st
Ignatius. by the Mission press, has beer
issued a large octave of 700 pages. 1t Is {
complete Indian English dictionary OF tn
wonderful Kalispell language, which \
spoken by the Flatheads and some fourteen
other tribes west of the Rocky mountains
The work was commenced about forty-nln'
years ago by Father G. Mengarini. I
thorough Indian scholar and author OF
grammar of the same language published
years z by tho Smithsonian institute
The dictionary was published excluslvel,
for the use of the missionaries, with tn
exception of some fifty copies reserved TO
the larger libraries of Europe and America
Passing on, the third on the list Is st
Peters mission, which was established b.
Father A.. Hoecken in 1859, though Fathe
N. Point may be said to have laid its foun
dation as early as 1886. 1t was established
for the object of bringing under the savlnI
and civilizing influences of Christianity tn
Blackfeet and other Indian tribes roamin!
in the northern part Of Montana.
Missions have also been establlshe
among the Crows in eastern Montana.
Infants embroidered cashmere cloaks at Ih
Bee Hive for $3.50; worth double.