The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1900-07-07
DEATH OF FATHER josef
FAMOUS INDIAN MISSIONARY

about fifty had remained at the mission
in the midst of winter, and Father 10
sets time was fully taken up with nu
merous catechetical instructions t
them, and teaching the many hymns
they now sing. Wishing for a few
weeks quietude after the ardous la
bors of the ministry, especially a
Christmas tide he gave the children {
vacation with permission TO join thell
parents on their midwinter hunt, bu
desiring them to return within montf
or five weeks. All was quiet at the
mission for some time after their eX-
odus but on the night of the fifteenth
day of their departure he was awak-
ened by light tapping on his door, anc
looking out he found there the children
whom he had sent to their parents
standing at the outer dor. They had
walked all the way from the camp to
the mission on snow shoes. They had
got lonesome for the 'Koadolks'' (black
| gown and had come back for instruc-
ton.
That his influence was great even as
early as 1858 may be well attested by
the fact that it was owing almost en-
| tirely to his prudence and tact that the
Indian troubles of lS57-5S, in which Cen
eral Steptoe and his ammunitionlesS
command were killed, was quelled. The
! Coeur d 'Alenes, melted by the Spokane
Indians had risen in arms, and goaded
on to fury by the representations of the
! SpokaneS, had surrounded General
! Steptoe's command on the lone noun
! tain near Palouse City, since called
! Steptoe Butte, and mercilessly massa-
! cred them all. Inflated by what they
called their great victory" they made
several pillaging raids, and coming
| of General White, who, with a fresh
| nearer home, they heard of the arrival
regiment and plentiful munitions of
war, had been sent to end the trouble.
A great council of war was held, but,
| disregarding the sensible advice that
was given them, and listening rather to
the taunts and boasts iof the Spokanes
the Occur d 'AleneS decided to continue
Ever since his arrival, General White
had been in constant communication
with Father Josef, who constantly
strove to show the Indians the folly of
resistance against the United States
government. Finally General White
and staff came to the Mission, and
conference was held in Father Joset's
room. There were present on that oc
casion the general and his officers, all
the principal war chiefs of the Spo-
kanes and Occur d d'Alenes and Father
Josef, he acting as adviser and inter-
prefer. After interminable harangues
on the futility of the war and the folly
of resistance had been made evident
to all, the Indians still held out for
war. Evidently they were not going to
be talked into peace Finally General
White arose and addressed them, tell
ing them they had drawn the war and
its miseries on themselves, since now,
when they had the chance, they still
held out against all amicable settle
ment. Then he proceeded strategicaI-
ly. He asked them if they had guns,
with lead and powder enough; if they
had not he could spare them all they
needed He could even lend them
cannon or two, if need be- and ended
with an offer to show them the use of
the new patented gun sight. He then
took his seat and watched the effect
his words might produce. 1t did not
take long in presenting itself. A chief
arose and pronounced it his intention
to be a friend of the man whose guns
spoke so loud Others followed his
example, and within a short time Faith
er Josef had the pleasure of seeing the
he had proposed have the
desired effect. The end of it was the
hanging of seventeen leaders of the
trouble and the shooting of 200 pack
animals the Indians had captured from
General Steptoe.
Father Joset's powers of endurance
were marvellous. OF course, his daily
food, at it's best in the early days, was
the dried meat and CamaS bread of
the Indians, but occasions arose when
even these could not be had. Once he
entered a deep forest and lost his way.
1t was dusk, and the approaching
darkness served but to bewilder him
the more. He wandered about for four
or five days, living on soup he made
from the bearded moss of the black
fir. cattle trail led him to an Indian
and he was at home.
Though Father Josef spent nearly
all of his time among his beloved In
dians (and they fairly worshipped hin),
still he was a great favorite among the
early white settlers. From the neces-
sity of being alone for days, weeks and
at a time, he had acquired the
habit of resting his head on his chest
and meditating or praying quietly
amidst the grand silence of the forests
primeval, giving free rein to his faith
full pony. And so in later years, when
driving through the unpaved streets of
Spokane deep in meditation, he al
lowed the horse to go whittier he listed
the teamsters in the city would see the
old bowed head, and saying, Its the
old father" would drive out of the way
and let him pass.
All stages and conveyances carried
him free, and he was a guest at the
hotels of Spokane. Coeur d'Alene and
in the mining towns. Perfectly re-
gardless of his own ease and comfort,
he made every sacrifice that others
might not suffer. Numerous touching
are told by his religious
brethren with whom he dwelt, of his
charity to them in any i'll |
ness or misfortune Though priest and |
superior of the mission, he laid aside |
his sacerdotal dress in case of need |
and ran the grist mill or supplied fuel |
to the cook when others were sick or
unable to work. He allowed no one |
10 wait on him, and put himself to ex- |
IRENE inconvenience that no one. else |
would be discommoded.
Father Josef has ever shown himself |
! true, faithful laborer in his masters |
AS a religiouse he was ex- |
act to scrupulousness. Jealous in his |
ministry, he was ever ready to start |
)f on the most distant mission to aty |
end any sick call, to adjust any diff |
iculty. The news of the death of this |
sanity priest will bring many twinge |
If sorrow and regret to many a heart. |