The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-05-14
FREDERICK BARAGA.
Interesting Biography of the
Great Indian Mis-
siOnary.
HIS LIFE AMONG RED MEN.
The Deep sympathy With Which
Father Baraga Regarded the
Unfortunate Chippcwas.
Continued from Last Week.

Since his advent into the mis-
sionary field among the red men oil
the upper lakes, Father Baraga had
lived with them, and he had at times
partially starved on their upinvit.
ing, unsavory, and scanty food. AS
/ have stated, when one of these un-
fortunates, the most miserable
wretches, probably, living among
the human race, was apparently
about>tolyield to the inevitable, the
black gown" was sent for to i'm
part to the dying Indian the ines
timable gift of immortal life. He
did not hesitate when the messenger
came to his cabin, whether. it was
day time or night, whether the
temperature was mild or many de-
grees below zero The call upon
which, perhaps, depended the future
fate of an immortal soul, was prompt
ly responded to, and ut times at the
risk of his life, which / have des-
cribed. such as few mortals would,
knowingly, have had the courage to
face
Father Baraga deeply sympathiz-
ed with the unfortunate Chippewas.
He knew their race instincts but
too well. and while much of his time
was devoted to their spiritual needs,
as well as to the conversion of the
more obdurate Pagans among them,
his leisure hours were occupied with
the study oftheir language, which,
as have explained, was his great
est recreation
Nearly twenty years of his mature
life had been spent among the OF
tawas and Chippewas of the lakes.
After he had evangelized the tribes
OF the former nationality, after he
had succeeded in reforming their
social condition and partially restor-
ing this fine race TO the status of
economic independence which had
made them prominent among the
nations OF the red men of the west.
Prior to the collapse of the grand
scheme Of their distinguished leader
Pontiac, to establish Indian control
over all the territory west of the
Ohio the failureof which sent them
demoralized and miserable to their
former homes on the shores and
! Islands of Michigan waters Father
shown, the results of his most sue
cessful work among the Ottawas in
terfered with, and to \ great extent
nullilied by the eXpatration of these
| tribeS-Chrlstian as most of their
constituency were, but Christian
and Pagan alike-to the distant re-
gions west OF the Mississippi This
result was fatality common to
most of the American Indian races
who had been domiciled in the
states whose territory had been en-
croached upon by white civilization.
1t may be said to have been newt
able. Intelligent rs Father Baraga
was, while he may have dcplorcd IL
result which he probably 'forcsaw
would beNd3trimental to the spiritual
welfare of his neophytes, he bowed
to the will of God, satisfied with the
part he had performed in the reror-
nation, of, perhaps, the finest Of the
Indian races Of the west
The advent of the whites, and in
such numbers, into Chippewa ter
ritory, even while Father Baraga
was absorbed in missionary work
among the people of this nation, but
not before he had secured u home
for his spiritual followers at l. Anse,
must have been an intimation to the
venerable missionary that the same
inevitable fate awaited the Chip
pewas of Lake Superior which had
overtakcn the Ottawas
| If Father Jackcr bad been spared
he might perhaps have shed some
light upon the effect of this result
upon the mind of Father Baraga
for he above all others had shared
the confidence of his venerable chief.
: Interested as the great missionary
was in the spiritual and temporal
welfare of the 'Chippewas, such light
might enable us TO appreciate more
fully his angelic nature in accepting
a situation which apparently either
gave menace 'of calamity or pos
sibly hope for the improvement of
the temporal condition of the people
of the Chippewa tribes.
AS result of his missionary ex-
perience, Indian life with all its as
4 fsnuutnnad IN napp four.