St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-04-07

with q sack of flour upon it, another
carrying a large basket full of provis-
ions. 1t was tiresome, of course but
how gladdened we were when we met
our poor ones! How grateful they
were for the relief How their cour-
tenances glowed with joy as we sat
down and conversed with them for
half an hour or more on cheerful
topics; for the time ignoring their Suf-
feringsi How proud the mothers were
to see us take kind notice of their chill
dren, specially cleaned up for our visit
We went home, happy and joyous as
though it was midsummer instead of
midwinter. What a change between
1857 and 1885? OF the charity it would
not become me to write That is a
subject for our reverend pastors, but
of the humility, it is a public matter,
and, fear, it has left us. In 1857 every
man and woman was willing to carry
basket or parcel; but, in 1895, few gem
tlemen or ladies would condescend to
do SO. 1t may be all right, but, fear
1t is all wrong.
Returning to the memoirs of Mgr.
Ravoux we find in continuance of
above where he wrote of his affection
and difficulties, the following:
In March, 1857, received from the
Most Rev. P. R. Kendrick, archbishop
of st. Louis, a letter which begins as
follows: The affecting but not unex-
pected news of the death of your late
sanity and devoted bishop has been
received here with profound regret by
all his friends, and by none more SO
than myself. In the same letter he ap-
pointed me administrator of the do
cese, esede vacante. From this mo-
ment 1 saw myself invested with great
responsibility before man, and more so
before God, the witness and supreme
judge of all our actions, even of our
most hidden thoughts, as also of our
eternal destiny
"Of the many urgent duties incum-
bent on the administrator
OF THIS DIOCESE.
none appeared to me more pressing
than the continuation of the building
of the cathedral, however difficult it
might be. The room used for divine
service since 1851, could, indeed, scarce
ly contain the third part of the con-
gregation. AT the death of the bishop
the walls of the new cathedral were
| only UP to the water table: the dimen-
sions of the building were 173 feet by
20; the price of days labor for masons
50, for carpenters at least So for a
team of horses S.. The pecuniary crisis
of 1857 was on the point of breaking
out, money was scarce, interest on Dor
roWed money excessively high, and I
could not expect to collect in ST. Paul
much over $1,000. In fact, all colIec-
| tons made after the death of Right
! Rev Bishop Cretin up to the arrival in
st. Paul Of Right Rev. Bishop Grace in
1859, amounted only to S5,37270
"All these difficulties were weighed: :
! so was also the great necessity of hav-
| ing a church spacious enough for the
whole congregation, and I then took
the determination of continuing the
construction of the cathedral. and not
| to stop the work so long as I could
nave funds to defray the expenses; and
to discontinue it so soon as I should
nave no more money. I never was
much in favor Of contracting heavy
debts, knowing full well, from my boy
hood, that it is very easy to create
them, and often very difficult to have
them discharged, particularly if they
have been increased by heavy inter-
ests. How many happy families have
become very unhappy, because the
heads of those unfortunate families
were regardless of this principle of
prudence"
ION the 14th of June, 1857, was begun
the work which did not cease till the
cathedral was under roof; and on the
18th of June, 1858, though unfinished
and not even plastered, it was opened
for divine service. The collection or
that day amounted to $42S. The same
summer the basement of the cathedra,
was plastered. and it was used for di