The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-03-12

him at Mackinac few days later.
Procuring passage in an Indian S
canoe he arrived at Arbre Croche
May 18, 1881.
This locality may be easily found
on map of Michigan; it is on the
south shore, at the head of Little
Traverse Bay, in the waters of Lake
Michigan. It's old name has been
changed to Harbor Springs, and on
the map it is in Emmett county. It's
Ottawa name, Wa-gan -a-kis-si,
translated into French. is L'Arbre
Croche, "The Crooked Tree.
ut was a fourishing out mission
of Michilimackinac, says r. r.
Elliot, during the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries, and on this
account it is classic ground in the
missionary annals of lancien regime.
During this period, the Hurons and
the Ottawas were the elite of the
Indians of the west. The Ottawa
cantuns had from remote centuries
existed on the shores and islands of
Lake Michigan and the straits of
Mackinac, but in an evil hour for
their welfare, their tribes were in
1902 to great extent induced to
leave their homes ION the lakes, by
La Mothe Cadillac, founder of De
troit, and to build their cantons on
the south shore of the strait, OPP
posite where Detroit now stands.
But the habits of industry and tribal
thrift which had long made them
happysgradually disappeared. The
British, through Sir William John
son, sought to conciliate them, and
they were paid an annuity. The
payment of this annuity was con
tinued after the war of 1912, and
down to modern times; while the
American government by treaty
made them yearly payments in
money and kind. Before the end of
the eighteenth century the Ottawas
of the lakes had become, what Fa-
ther Richard had found them in
1899, demoralized people. The vi
cinity of Il trading post, as was on
the Island of Nackinac, where the
product of one days hunt would
purchase enough raw Ohio whskey
to keep an Indian drunk for week, |
was temptation to which they
yielded. (N.Y Col. Doc TX, p. SSS.)
Tribal rule or human influence
failed to wean them from their hab
its of debauchery, with its immoral
and degrading accompaniments.
The supernatural aid invoked in
their behalf by the sanity men who
sought to win them to Christianity
and to reform their habits, was alone
effectual. IL was the spectacle of
their transformation from brutaliz I'd
to pious, sober and in
dustrious Christians, which moved
the heart of Bishop Fenwick to the
extent he described in his letter,
which was written just before the
advent of Father Baraga.
In his missionary life, FIR Baraga
adapted his daily wants to the situa
ton; he partook of the same simple
food the Indians used. The people
lived in bark cabins, while the young
missionary, who had been reared in
a castle, was content to live in u
cabin which afforded but poor pro
lection against the elements; while
he, who had been accustomed to
have valet within call, found from
necessity the way to prepare his
own moderate meals. He adopted
the same mode of life which had
been his rule while serving as u
parish priest in Carniola. He rose
early and devoted the morning hour
to meditation and prayer. He soon
found the Christian elements of the
population, and led them to the
practice of Christian life. AT 3
O clock the little bell of his rude
chapel rang out the Angelus; again
at noon and at O'Clock in the
evening. At the early morning
mass there were prayers recited by
some of the Christians. The ser
vices attracted the attention of the
unbelevers, but when any among
them were found to be inclined to
listen to the explanation of the
Christian ceremonies they witnessed
Father Baraga sought them out, in
structed them, and by prayers and
perseverance prepared them for
baptism.
The presence of such man as
Father Baraga in sthe Ottawa com
munity, his sanity personality, his
simple and abstemious mode of liv
ing and his devotion to missionary
work, was not without its effect up
on the minds of those he sought to
win to Christianity. While his
work was laborious, his nourish-
ment poor, and his dwelling but
poor protection against rain or
snow, he still persevered.
Among the places he visited was
Manistique and Beaver Island. 1t
is not my intention TO give an ex-
tensive account of the great work OF
this great missionary among the