The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-05-07
Interesting Biography of the
Great Indian Mis-
siOnary.
HIS WORK AMONG MINERS
During the Early Development
of Lake Superior's Copper
and Iron Industries.
Continued from Last Week.

Father Baraga was thus situated
when the irruption of the white
population rapidly followed the dis
covery of great mineral wealth in
the Lake Superior peninsula. This
irruption came so rapidly that Fa-
ther Baraga was confronted with
situation which soon overwhelmed
him with priestly duties he had
probably never contemplated, and
which were destined to tax the
physical powers he was en-
dowed with, frail indeed as these
were, to the uttermost extent The
mining towns were at first located
in the Ontonagon, the Kewcenaw
and the Marquette ranges of the
peninsula, and their constituency
comprised different races of hardy
men, with different creeds, having
considerable percentage profess
ing the Roman Catholic faith. 1t
was during the initial years of the
development OF copper and of iron
mining in the localities mentioned,
that some Of the hardest work ac-
complished during his career as
missionary was performed 10y Fa-
ther Baraga. The fact that Il saint
l., 4
soon became well known to the
Catholics in the respective mining
communities. This knowledge was
consoling to many. who were as
surred that Il message would surely
bring this priest promptly to the
bedside of the sick among them, or
to minister in his dying hours to
the victims of accidents, which were
not at the time of unfrequcnt oc-
currcnce.
This hopeful consolation was well
founded. During the comparatively
brief season of Lake Superior navi
CATION, but in fair weather only, the
shortest approach to most of the
mining localities could be made by
means of Father Baragas S small
boat from ESQ central a location as
was L'Anse. But during more than
half year trip by such a little
craft was impracticable.
No disciplined soldier could have
been more prompt to obey the CON-
mand of his superior than was Fa-
ther Baraga to respond to sick
calls, come from whatever di-
rcction they might. If the journey
could be made by his boat, so much
time, always precious to him, could
be saved; under any circumstances
he felt bound to bring the consola
tions Of his sacred ministry to the
bedside of those in danger of death,
by the shortest method available.
Brave soldier Of the cross that he
was, he did not hesitate to
sling his knapsack on his
back, and sometimes with an at
tendant, but often alone, on urgent
occasions this scion of noble house
who had been reared in "a castle in
Carniola, set out upon journeys
which were, as Mr. White describes
them to have been, full of hard
ships and often attended with peril.
During the frigid season the
march had to be made on snowshoes.
1t was generally continuous. for
there were no wayside inns, not
even inhabited cabins, where food
and shelter could be obtained. For
tunate did Father Baraga esteem
the chance, if on some such journey
a deserted cabin or an abandoned
wigwam was met with in the soi-
tude of the forest, which might af-
ford shelter for the night or tenn
porary refuge during the worst
raging of a Lake Superior storm;
while usually during midwinter the
temperature ranged below zero.
On some of these journeys Father
Baraga passed the night wrapped
in his blankets in q snowdrift.
For years this kind of missionary
life continued; it was only when
churches had been built in the min
ing centres and resident pastors
provided for them, that Father
Baraga was relieved of much of the
hardest Of such work. Had this
venerable missionary been gifted
with robust frame, his great en-
durance would still be marvellous.
But his frail proportions, his
delicate moulded feet, his slender
arms, his small, soft hands, his face
more like that of a young girl than
OF a man, made up an ensemble ap-
parently untitled for the endurance
Of any kind of hardship. :, Such, how
ever are the cold historical fnctS