The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1901-12-21
The Old and
New in Montana

Twelve acres of land, comprising
tveIve-fouTteenths Of the historic ole
Roman Catholic mission OF st. Mary's
at Stevensville, were transferred by
purchase TO David J.. Kennon of Ste
VensvilIe, says the Missoula Missoulian
The price is not stated and the rea-
son for the sale as given by those who
are in position 20 know is that the
extra land about the mission was rath-
er more Of a burden than benefit to
the institution, since in these modern
days large parcels OF land are not
necessary adjuncts to mission churches.
BY this transfer Mr.. kennon comes
into possession Of the most famous land
connected with early missionary work
among the Indians.
Father Palladino calls the mission
'the cradle of. Christianity Of the
Northwest" and says that from here
radiated ali the later and larger work
among the redmen of Montana, Idaho,
Oregon and California.
st. MaTy's mission was established 81
Years ago by Father p j. De Smet, d
Jesuit priest of Belgian BIRTH
He was accompanied by two other
young missionaries Us energetic and
jealous as himself. Father Gregory
Mengarini, a Roman, and Father Mich
olas Point, a Nendean, and three Law
brothers Of various nationalities.
Their adverse nationalities seem 10
have foreshadowed the cosmopolitan
character Of the population of the
state Of Montana.
FATHER DE SMET ARRIVES.
Father De Smet and his companions
made their return start for the Mon
tana missionary fields from St. Louis in
the spring If lS41, and arrived in the
Sitter Root valley, where the mission
was TO be located, ii the faH OF that
year.
They had assembled the Store Of the
mountains. recrossing the main divide.
and 10y the Deer Lodge pass had de-
seconded into the valley of that name
and followed it down to the Little
Biacktoot, just Where Garrison is to-
day. The stream, which has since been
called by the ominous name Of the
IieIls Gate. was christened by Father
De Smet the St. Ignatius river.
The travellers followed the course of
these waters down to the present site of
MIssoula. and thence ascending the
Butter Root valley some twenty-eight
miles, arrived at the spot which now
Hes between the present townsite of
SieyensVille and old Fort Owen.
This was to be the end of their
Journey and the location OF the first
mission IN all the northwest.
FIRST FLOUR MILL.
The first -four mill in Montana was
started at st. Mary's mission by Father
i'aNalE. who was not alone an excellent
MISSIONARY, according to Father Palla-
ulho an able physician and a good art
lSt, but an expert mechanic. who could |
handle with skin the tools and imple |
ments OF almost any trade
Flour was 4 scarce article I'm those 4
days. and what little they had was |
brought from Vancouver or Fort Col (
vile, exclusively for altar purposes.
and more than once there had not been
enough to supply them with mass bread
the year round.
Father RaValli's mechanical skill and
ingenuity soon supplied the deficiency.
and he soon had built up and running
Srist mill
Until the great new smelling works
at Anaconda are at work reducing to
metal the ores from Butte is only a
matter Of a few days. The plant. con-
'isting of six immense separate de-
}artmentS. each occupying its own
besides 4 number Of subsid-
airy departments, vas begun in the
summer OF last year and has cost sew
raj million dollars to complete. The
act that 10000 carloads of material
we're used in its construction gives some
dea OF its magnitude. Not only is it
he greatest building enterprise ever at
empted at one time ia Montana. but is
" far the greatest work now going on
nywhere in the west The greatest
melting plant in the world. it VIII have
material effect or commerce in every
ountry where copper IS used, and that
lcanS every country on the globe.
. {
To build the new Anaconda works
lore than 10000 carloads of material l
we're used. $
OF these LOCO carloads were Of brick. S
Twenty million feet of lumber were f
sed in the buildings, and 100000 more c