The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-06-01
MEMORIES OF EARLY DAYS
William p. Murray Narrates His Reoo''
Lotions of the Pioneers OF
ST. Paul.
MGR. RAvoUx AND BISHOP cRETla
Though Protestant He Pays a Grand
Tribute to tho Catholic
Missionaries.

to the priests who mlnlSLered 10 tue edA :
ly settlers of St. Paul. Among those OF
whom he makes special mention are
Mgr. Ravoux and Bishop Cretin, and OF
the former he says: In Catholic homes
every now and then, would meet Faith
er Ravoux, the man, who in fact, is the
founder of the Catholic Church in Min
nesota. 1t is true, Father Gather ex-
.plered the country, and indicated that
St. Paul was better name for village
than Pigs Eye, yet that old priest Kew.
Augustin Rayoux, who have known for
near half q century, laid the corner stone
of the Catholic church in Minnesota. 1t
may be said that Father Ravoux did all
the work until the arrival OF Bishop Gre.
Z tin. Day after day, as | would Vls1t
Father Ravoux in his little cabin at the
corner of Second ard Minnesota streets,
in a room not less than II feet square,
no carpets, little pine table, Two ola
chairs. a little wooden bench, he would
fold his hands and tell me the story OF
his life, the hardships, the toll, and the
cross and of his duties to his church
From those days to this, no one has ever
stood higher in my regard than Father
Ravoux. | realized the fact that he was
not only Christian but gentleman.
AS you enter the capitol in Washington
City you lind a wide hall or corridor, in
which may be seen busts and statutes OF
the founders Of the republic, of men, who
as soldiers, heroes and statsmen, men OF
whom we read and talk about, men who
created the republic, men who in 1872
won great victories, men who, in the war
of the great rebellion, led our armies to
victories and success; there, too, is one
Of Abraham Lincoln, the martyred pres
ident.
I trust that the commissioners in
charge of the erection of the new capitol
will so instructS their architects and men
who draw their plans that there shall be
a main hall, in the sides of which shall
be inches or recesses where may be plac-
ed busts or statues Of the pioneer men
who laid the corner stone and gave birth
to the imperial state of the Northwest,
In one of which want to see placed
statue OF the Rev. Augustin Ravoux as
I knew him 40 years ago, man whose
life has been one of daily sacrifice aud la
Dor TO make men better. No one ever
came to him in want of food and went
away hungry. Who could do more?
Father Ravoux, up to the second day
of July, 1881. was bishop, the priest, in
fact everything which related to the
Catholic church in Minnesota, here to-
day, at St. Paul tomorrow at Mendoza,
the day after some where else on the
frontier. After the arrival of Bishop
Cretin, while the bishop outranked him
in clerical honors, it was to Father Ra-
.Y1oux that the bishop looked for counsel
and advice, the log church had become
so small there must be a larger and a
better building for church purposes.
The old brick church, which stood on the
site where now stands the building oc-
cuped by Schuneman e Evans on
WabaSha street, was the outcome OF
their deliberations and many confer
ences. In those days every. person in st.
Taul was poor--no nlillionaires then
and the church was poor. Where was
the money to come from, was the cues
tion. Father Ravoux, full of expectation
to build new church, suggested that, we
have four OF the old pioneers each exc
cute a note for $4,000. payable in one
est due, and after maturity at the rate of
2 per cent month until paid. He
thought that the bankers and moneyed
men at st. Louis would jump over to get
hold Of such paper. AS a matter of fact
the church was to pay the principal, the
makers to pay the interest. The scheme
was a good one, but it did not work. The
notes were sent to St. Louis for discount.
Up to the time they had look at the
notes, with strong church influence in
favor of their discount, as the makers
owned at least two-thirds Of the city Of
St. Paul, hut when the old bankers and
brokers made an inspection of the notes,
and found that each and every one had
a signature. with his mark. it struck
them that the banks OF st. Louis were
hard pressed; and in fact did not have
the amount Of money necessary to ac-
commodate their customers, much less
make discounts on outside papers, losing
little just as ST. Paul bankers do when
they think the paper is not gilt-edged.
They could not understand how man
who could not write his name was good
kor 81 900, although it was tried to be i'm
pressed upon their minds that the ear
~lier kings Of England always made their
mark or signed official papers with
stamp, that writing was mental work
and that it was only fellows who were
educated for scavengers who ever at
tempted to write, the story did not work.
The notes we're not discounted, but were
returned to the makers by Father Ro-
voux, and he and might tell story in
this regard. The Father. however, was
disguised. The church, however, was
built and paid for all the same, and
Grant, on his entry into Richmond, was
no happier or felt more elated than Faith
er RavouX on the date of the holding OF
the first divine services in the brick
church, which has now passed into his
tory as one OF the things of the past.
On the second day OF July, 1851, the
Right Rev. Bishop Cretin arrived in st.
Paul There may not have been as grand
a display OF music, fireworks and public
demonstration as n celebration of the
laying Of the first Atlantic cable, or the
completion Of the Northern Pacific rail-
way across the continent, yet it was a
great day. protestants alike with Cath
olics were at the leTee to greet him. The
appointment of a Catholic bishop; it was
an era. II indicated that the Northwest
was being peopied and that westward
the star OF empire was vending its way"
Father RaTolN on that occasion looked
and no doubt thought that his life work
was over-fronl the wigwam to q higher
civilization. The frontier priest might
rest from almost life time of toll; rest
from his labors More than 40 years
have passed. Yet today he, with more
than three score and ten years Of age, is
doing the work of his Master; trying day
by day to impress upon the minds of his