The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-10

sionary work. He, too. was sent TO the
Huron village of Lorette. where he ac-
quired the tongue and in the following
year was sent to assist the founder or
the last mission OF the Hurons. He
took charge of the Bots Blanc mission
md eventually succeeded the venerable
founder in full control.
In IL years from its establishment the
success of the mission was so marked
that the Huron cantons about the Tort
and Detroit were nearly all concentrate
ed at the mission. Father De La Rich
ardie was growing old M paralysis
had already marked him. He retired
from the mission in a few years after
his assistant arrived. went 10 Montreal
and there died in 115S. The mission
| continued successful until the outbreak
Of the French and indian war. OF the
effect OF that conflict on the labors Of
the worthy priest In charge the writer
says:
"A colonial war was provoked. which
finally became a national contest be-
tween England and France for SUI
premacy.
During this war the Indian tribes on
the strait sided with their French
friends. and many war parties were
organized n took the trail for Can
ada. French officers came to Fort
Pontchartrain and recruited the flower
of the habitant youth. h were
formed into companies and sent by way
of Lake Erie to Montreal. Among the
d~eplorable results OF this unfortunate
contest affecting Detroit may be in
GUIDED the loss of the best hunters of
the Huron. the Miami. the Ottawa and
the Pottawatomie nations. who had
their homes in the vicinity of the post.
The young Indian hunters could not
resist the attractions of the war path.
The economic results were soon Sc
..---l ia T. ~ H. -...~Il
and in the community. which depended
so largely upon the fur trade for bust
ness and support. The Indian no long
er vent to the hunting field, for he
was on the war path in Canada. and
there were no packs for the trader to
barter for; this prolific source of trade
was suspended. .
THE Hurons on Bois Blanc island
had become FESTIVE that the sub-mis-
sion could no longer be continued.
while la ferme de la mission on the ISL
and had to be abandoned. Its live stock.
seed and implements were transferred
to the 10 or more acres of cultivable
land which had been inclosed in the
vicinity OF the mission near the Point
de Montreal. which thereafter became
the mission farm. In a few years il
became unsafe for the semi-annual
conveys to traverse Lake Erie, n
commercial intercourse by way of the
Georgian bay and the Ottawa river.
between Detroit m Montreal. had to
besumed. The business at the store
house of the mission declined from the
causes stated: shipments from and TO
Montreal became of small account.
The transfer from French to British
rule on the north and south littorals
OF the Detroit had no serious effects
on the habitants. who probably were
guided by the advice of Father Boo
quet on the north N of Father Potter
on tse south. But in many homes
there was mourning for sons whose
forms Law u-nrecognized under
the soil OF the plains of Abraham and
OF other battlefields in far distant Can
The burden of grief. however,
fell upon the mothers. who's religion
became their consolation. The records
Of Ste. Anne n Of the Assumption
show. by the many votive masses pro-
vided for, the aid invoked through this
medium for the souls OF the cherished
The writer then discusses the great
of Pontiac. As Is well
known the q chieftain won owe
the Hurons to his project and the local
of the mission I'm relation to the
Is of exceptional interest.
writes OF he historical game of la
at the fort at Detroit and the
stories concerning the failure
~ the ruse to capture and murder Ma
Ior Gladwfn and the garrison. He ad-
the theory. well supported by
TO show that the British
was warned not by an Indian,
'ut by Father Potter. the aged mission
iry to the Hurons. He says:
How might Father Potter have OBJ
aimed knowledge of the chiefs plans?
rhe scope of the latter's conspiracy was
N wide extent. The adhesion of each
indian nation had to be obtained
through diplomatic nvoys accredited
With war belts OF wampum to the sa-
councils had to be convened, to
whose directors other war belts were
q be delivered by the ENJOYS; Indian
'tatecraft exhausted much time before
conclusions were reached. We
the time required for the per-
OF his plans by the conspiring
'hief to have exceeded two years. This
expense. the principal item of
which was for the black wampum beads
the war belts. without which
10 Indian diplomacy could proceed.
such "A large supply of wampum
at the time could be obtained only
Il the storehouse of the Huron mission.
md the sale OF such ar unusual guam
ity could not rave passed unnoticed by
Jay Brother La Tour. Ammunition was
Ilso needed by the four nations at De-
roit: to secure a large supply
must be had to the mission storehouse.
saw OF h barrels OF the rifles of
warriors required the use of
Inc tempered steel files: these could not
e obtained OF either side of the strait
kept at the mission s~torehouse. There
5 proof of this in the transactions de-
allied in the Liver de Compile. But
rom whom and by whose direction did
he timely warning come to Major
BALDWIN?
Father Potter had been the honorei
'uest on many occasions at the table
{ the commandant. How could his
soul contemplate without hor-
or the Intended massacre of his chiv-
lric host. of the young officers whose
ociety he had enjoyed so often, of the
and of the women and children
Iomiciled within the Enclosure of the
ort?