The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-06-12
THE PASSION PLAY.
A Remarkable Religious Spec
tacle on Fraser River.
TWO THOUSAND RED MEN.
Some Of the Most Eminent Of the Cath
Ollie Clergy Present-An Emo
bling Representation.

VANCOUVER, Il. c., June 6-lSpecIal. +
Oberammergau has its Passion play, but
for which it would not be known to the
world. Chicago tried to have one and
failed, but the Roman Catholic mission
aries OF the province of British Columbia
know no such word as fail, and when they
decided to get up a Passion play among
their Indian proteges it was as good as
done. But it took long and weary months
OF patient training to bring the Indians to
that condition of perfection necessary.
The news that this preparation and train
ing was in progress spread throughout the
land, and from far Eastern Canada came
church dignitaries to view the finished
work
The place selected for the representation
Of TINS calling back of the life of the Saw
Tor was st. Mary's mission, which, pref
tily situated, on the boldly sloping banks
of the mighty Fraser, nestles among
wooded hills that close it in like an amphi-
theater. 1t was just the situation to
awaken the romantic and religious in
ones nature. The time was the latter end
of spring, when the wild flowers gave
their perfume to every passing breeze and
Dame Nature clothed in her prettiest garb
smiled on the landscape. To this place at
this time went expecting to see bur-
lesque-how greatly was mistaken and
how agreeably 1 was disappointed can
hardly express. I found gathered there
what can be fairly estimated at 2, 800 of the
wards Of the nation who have been con-
verted from heathenism. The tribes rep
resented were Shushwap and Thompson
river, Father LIE Jeune in charge; Fraser
river, Father Peigtaran; Squamish and
Seachelt, Bishop Durieu, and Stickeen and
Douglass, Father Chirouse, the priest
whose arrest. conviction and sentence for
whipping an Indian girl caught in
fiagrante delicto with young buck of
another tribe caused such a widespread
feeling of astonishment and regret re-
Gently. Their tepees, some sixty in num-
Der, looked quite picturesque pitched at
the level ground below the hill upon
which are situated the convent and col
lege. Each of the tribes had its own
camping ground, which was designated
by flag upon which was inscribed a re-
ligious device. 1t was pretty sight. The
stolid old men. the toddlng youngsters
and the squaws gay in orange. purple and
scarlet, with bright handkerchiefs tied
over their heads, moving among the tepees
presented picture to charm the heart of
an artist.
As l stood admiring the scene in general
and few pretty squaws in particular, the
booming of cannon and the music of the
bands announced the arrival of the Pacific
express with the ecclesiastical dignitaries
in their private car in charge of that pion-
Ger missionary, Father Lacombe. of Fort
Macleod, whose work among the abort
gines east of the Rockies stamps him as
| a remarkable man, filled with true religi-
Gus fervor. In the great Northwest with
| which his labors have been bound up he is
ldolized. 1t was entirely through his ex-
| ertions that the Crees and Blackfeet were
| prevented from joining in the late rebel
| lion. The party comprised: Archbishop
| Duhamel, of Ottawa; Bishop Lafiache, of
| Three Rivers; Bishop Lorrain, of Penn
broke; Bishop mcdonnell. of Alexandria;
| Bishop Brondel, of Montana; Vicar-Gen-
| eral Hammel, of Quebec, representing
| Cardinal Taschereau; Vicar-General Mari
| chal, of Montreal representing Archbishop
| Fabre; Cannon Rouleau, representing the
| bishop of Rimouski; Very Rev. Father
| McGuckin, rector of Ottawa university /;
Very Rev. Father Leduc, of Calgary;
| Fathers Laclerc, Auclaire, NORM, Gen.
| dreau and Seguin, of Montreal; Fathers
| Collett and Vezina, of Quebec; Father
| Marchand. of Three Rivers, and Father
| Belanger. of Ottawa. Mr.. Justice Routh-
| Ter, of Montreal, one of the commissioners
| in the Caron investigation, with Miss
| Routhier, was with the party as historian.
| They had with them photographer, who
| took views at the different points touched
| en- route. Among Others present were the
| Right Rev. DIR. Lemmens, bishop of VAN
| couver island and Alaska; the bishop of
| New Westminster, and Father Fay, of
| Vancouver. At the station an address of
welcome was presented in Chinook to the
prelates by the leading chiefs, which was
replied to in the same dialect by Bishop
| Brondel.
| After luncheon the chiefs were assem-
| bled in front of the convent, upon the
steps of which stood the dignitaries, with
| Ermine Skin, chief of the Crees, of Bear
| Hill, y. W. T.. as the central figure. Near
| him stood Alexander Stonyman, chief of
| the Assiniboines, from St. Albert. \. W.
| T. Both are fine looking men, the former
| particularly so, being patriarchal in APP
pearance and dressed in the panoply of
| his tribe. Chief Henry, of the Squamish,
was the spokesman of the Coast Indians
4 conversation then took place, speeches
/ would perhaps be tue pest WORD TO express
| it. between Ermine Skin and Henry.
| Father Marshal, of Okanogan, translated
the addresses into French, Father Chirouse
| into chinook. and Father Lacombe into
| Cree BY this means ali were able 10 I'M
| derstand what was being said. The Cree
| chief told how anxious he had been 10 see
| his brethren in British Columbia, and now
that he had seen them his heart was glad
The good missionaries of the Catholic
| church " ho had done so much for his peo-
| pie had not labored in vain here
for he saw that they were pious
! and we'll behaved. Indeed he wished
the Indians across the mountains were as
good as they were. In language of this
! kind, eulogizjng the fathers ami bringing
message of peace and friendship from
| the Indians of the Northwest TO those of
this province he spoke for long time
| with power and feeling, his gestures being
as finished as the ablest of orators could
lay clam 10. for they were natural and APP
| propriate. Chief Henry replied, recipro-
eating the kindly sentiments Of Ermine
! Skin. praising the priests, and concluded
| by saying that if they never again met on
earth they would meet in heaven.
And now came the crowning event o!
the day. the feature that had drawn the
! Greatest heads Of the church in Canada