The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-03-05

FREDERICK BARAGA.
Continued from page one.

FtEDChlCh bAhAGA.
Continued from page one.
The colonel gives the literal trans
lation, which in their simple Ian
guage is a pathetic appeal to the
Saviour, and the utterance of faith
in His mercy. He continues: 1.-The
Indians that remained on the island
were, no doubt, the most improved
in all respects. l believe they we're
from L'Arbre Croche, about twenty
miles west of Michilimackinac. The
Ottawas of L'Arbre Croche have
been for many years the most inn
proved Indians in these regions, and
upwards of fifty years ago supplied
Michilimackinac with corn and other
articles of subsistence.
in religious belief Colonel McKen-
ney was Presbyterian; his testi-
mony as to the Ottawas on this ac-
count is all the more valuable. He
may have been posted by Governor
Cass, who was a warm friend of
Father Richard, which friendship
originated before the pusillanimous
surrender by Governor Hull, of De-
troit, and its dependencies to Gen
eral Brock during the war of 1872.
After the exit of Very Rev. F.
REESE, in 1881, Father Baraga com
menced his apostolate among the
Ottawas in May OF that year.
The high-born Carniolan priest
came as missionary among a race
of people such as he had never
known before. but he conceived a
paternal affection for these Indians,
which grew warmer as he learned
the honest and simple nature of
these descendants of a great race of
warriors; while they, in turn, re-
ciprocated his affection by filial
obedience, by love, esteem and
veneration.
Appleton s Encyclopaedia of Ameri-
can Geographic" has this to say of
the family of Frederick Baraga:
His family, a younger branch of
the house of Hapsburg, was the
most distinguished in Illyria. This
would give princely rank and the
prestige of the blood of the imperial
family of Austria to the Baraga who
became a priest, who devoted his
life to the evangelization of the
Chippewas of Lake Superior and
the Ottawas of Lakes Huron and
Michigan. If this account of his
lineage be authentic, and while the
biographies given in Appleton S are
generally reliable, have heard that
in Detroit during the "forties "
where Bishop Baraga, while yet q
priest was well known, such was the
general belief as to his birthright.
1t was a good kind of blood, how
ever, that gave life to Frederick
Baraga, who first saw the light of
day in his fathers castle on June
20, 1897. The home of the Baraga
family was in Carniola, Kingdom of
Illyria, in the Empire of Austria,
while the family domain was in
Treffen, Unterkrain. AS the family
was wealthy, Frederick Baroga was
instructed in the castle by private
tutor until he was nine years old,
at which early age he was sent to
the neighborlng college of Laibach,
for preliminary course of studies.
He was the only son and heir to the
family estate. The other children
were two daughters. His father
evidently intended he should succeed
to the family honors and perpetuate
the Baraga line, and his education
was shaped accordingly. When he
had finished his course at Laibach,
still youth, he had al
ready become an accomplished
scholar. At that early age his ca
pacity for pathological study was
evidenced by the fact that before he
left Laibach, he could speak fuently
his native Slavonic, the French,
German, Italian, Latin and Greek
This was in 1916.
Since he had been born, the star OF the
first Napoleon had shined brilliantly
over all Europe, and then had paled
IN the cloudy exile on st. Helena.
All Europe had felt the power of the
great soldier, and especially the
Empire of Austria. When the |
Bourbons had been restored and the
of peace returned, brill
liant career seemed to await young
3araga Such, seemingly, was the i'm
preston of his father, for he sent
Frederick to the University of Wen
la for FIVE years course of law
md political science. When he |
graduated in 1921 his father must
lave believed that he would leave
successor who would bring renown
o the family name. Great was his
disappointment, however, when
Frederick announced his intention
If entering the priesthood. The
act was, that while gaining univer-
ity honors, the young student had
,ecome convinced that his career
vas not destined to be worldly
me; his true vocation appeared to
lin to lead to the sacred ministry,
nd he followed the light. He com
nenced his theological studies at
he Ecclesiastical Seminary of
in 1921. He was ordained
priest September 81, 1923. He
vas then 26 years old. III his father
,y.O I;can,n;nfnI - not 10 ,,;,,,. Ia