The Anaconda standard., 1895-12-15
LAST OF THE HURONSI
A Story Of zacharie, a Descendant Of
the lroquois.
ABoRIGINE AND ARTS
He Painted Pictures OF Merit and
Drank All the Whiskey He Gould
Get, Although He Knew IL
Was Bad Stun.

From the Montreal Witness.
Al the monthly meeting of the Mon
treal Folklore society recently DIR. w.
George Beers read a paper entitled fhe
Last of the Hurons." The central ngure
in the paper was Zacharie Vincent. alias
Telariolin. a Huron of Ancienne Lorette.
born in 1s0S. a pure-blooded example OF
the great Huron Iroquois stock. His faith
or and grandfather had been Hurors.
from Huron mothers; his mother was q
Huron-Iroquois or Iroquois descent
DIR. Beers prefaced his accounts OF the
gifts. character and achievements of his
hero. for in spite of his failings, there
was something heroic in Zacharfe-by
contrasting the two main sections OF the
Huron-IroQuois race The points OF diff
ference that marked off the Iroquois from
the Hurons in the days of Champladn and
Frontenac and Montcalm, and under the
British dispensation. have continued to
distinguish their descendants, changed
though they be, from the formidable war
rlors of old. DIR. Beers illustrated this DIFF
ference by traits that had come under his
personal observation He then related the
tradition of the original home of the HUI
rons and outlined their migrations since
Carriers visit to Hochelaga (the Beaver
dam).
The legend rhat they had come out OF
a mountain between Quebec and the
great sea had been explained to DR..
Beers by an Okla chief to indicate the pc
riod during which the Hurons were hid
ing from the tomahawks of their warlike
kinsmen. the Iroquois. Zacharie did JUS
tice to his full-blooded origin in that
from childhood he was a vagabond OF the
woods and waters. Long before he could
use a gun. or load a gun to use. he pur-
sued feather and fur. and even fin, with
a bow and arrow. To the end he loved
the outdoor life of mis- fathers. He also.
alas loved whiskey blanc, though he
was quite aware of its mortal badness.
In his philosophic moments he said: 1T
was de ribber OBJ de debil; not deep. but
she drown all de same; bad for Indian
and bad for white man." DIR. Beers
thought the white man was responsible
for a good share of the Indians wrong
doing and he therefore sought to atone
for 1t in some degree by trying to rescue
this gifted Indian from his enemy. He In
vited him up to Montreal. intending to
send him a railroad ticket If he accepted.
hut Zacharie and his son Cyprien or Ia
wenron (straight. like stick'' suuue..s
made their appearance before MIN, nav
sng tramped the whole distance. For TWO
yaars che lived In Caughnawaga, coming
- snvn now and then to sell a picture or
n niece of wood carving. When ne pesai
m fail and his end seemed near Dr' beele
sent him back to Lorette. He went 70
the Marine hospital. Quebec, ana soon az
terward died. In mis- sotn Year. " x,-oo,,
sxhibIted a portrait of Zacharie vincent
nainted by himself a picturesque heao,
with the gray hair running out on eitner
side from the natural parting In the CEN
ter. ..,.,, n,
the French on seeing the hrst Wyan,
dots. "Quelles hures" (what poars
a.T
.,bristling ridges" in which they wore
their hair. and thus those lakeside IN
a,ana won a new name-the Hurons. AND
the last of his race was. On this respect
a true Huron He was, however, very
particular about his person. he never
wore flannel until seven months pefore ne
died. His winter attire was coat, under
a. another coat. under that a third coat,
and then nothing. DIR. Beers exhibited
a n,ct,re of Mercy" which Zacharie
had painted entirely by memory from tne
ORIGINAL of a New York artists, as well
as a number of sketches. He gave a pa
ahetic and impressive description OF phe
Huron artists mode OF life constant
fight for existence for the most part-the
happiest portion of It being the vagabond
life of the woods. Several times he was
badly frozen, many times he was nearly
drowned, once he had a hand-to-hand
tussle with a boar, which he killed with a
knife.
No promise of comfort could induce
him to settle down permanently in the
villages of Lorette. He liked the free-
dom of the bush and communion with ma
ture better than village gossip. The
trees. the air. the sky, were full OF a
mystic company with which, In tmagina-
tion, Ihe held intercourse. DIR. Beers then
described Zacharie's methods of work.
the character of his inspiration, ais de-
votion to his art. his preference for GER
tain colors and objections to others. In
lsis he painted a portrait OF Lord Elgin
and sold II to htrn. and in Lorette church
are some of his religious works. He new
er painted anything low or vulgar. His
language was alike free from blasphemy
and he was not without religious emo
tions. His one vice was made up for by
many virtues. and among these was
self-respect that kept him from begging
in all his hardships. DR.. Beers spoke at
some length of the artistic faculty In the
native races. OF which Zacharie's gift
was a conspicuous example. He men
toned Catiin's record of his life IN the
wilds and indicated the rich decorative
art which makes the work of some east
ern races inimitable In the west.