The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-07-14
CHAPTER II.
A Letter From Altar.

Letter From Altar.
.r,bouch Father Beret was for many
missionary on the Wabash.
of the time at Vincennes, the
w. ,bst no mention of him can be
,,'g1d in the records is not stranger
pun many other things connected
..s the old towns history. He was,
We rearIv all the men of his calling
n.ss+ d4v. a self-enacing and modest
suuarently quite unaware that
Iesarved attention. He and Father
I'll whose name Is so beautifully
1,bI,. connected with the stirring
Elements Of Colonel George Rog-
clark we're close friends and often
o,cauious. Probably Father GibauI+
-seIf whose fame win never fade.
lid have been today as obscure as
TIC Beret but Cor the opportunity
-, him By Clark TO fix his name an
rixr of heroic patriots who assisted
ginning the great northwest from
h English.
-yf1rennes. even in the earliest days
-, as history. somehow kept up COM
.,nicatIou. and, considering the cir
Instances. close relations, with New
cleans. It was much nearer Detroit;
-, the Louisiana colony stood next to
rance In the imagination and longing
= Driests. voyageurs, coureurs de bois
IA reckless adventurers who had
,ssin blood in their veins. Father
set first came TO Vincennes from
~ orleans. the voyage up the Mis-
--inni Ohio. and Wabash. in a pi-
me lasting through a whole sum-
~5- and far into the autumn. Since
nd arrival the post had experienced
nv ,-icissitudes, and at the time in
,li-b our story opens the British gov
,-0mept claimed right of dominion
aver the great territory drained by
,sa Wabash. and, indeed, over large,
i-jefnitely outlined part of the North
American continent lying above Mex
i-,. a claim Just then being vigorously
,rastioned. hintlock in hand, by the
Anglo-American colonies.
m rour.e the handful of French peO-
,rs AT Vincennes. so far away from
ererv center of information, and who'll
lr occupied with their trading. trap
Ming ard missionary work, were late
finding out that war existed between
England and her colonies. Nor did Ii
really matter much with them, one
vav or another. They felt secure in
their lonely situation. and so went on
selling their trinkets, weapons. domes-
lie implements, blankets and intoxicat-
inc H0rors TO the Indians. whom they
held bound to them with a power
never possessed by any other white
dwellers in the wilderness. Father
Beret was probably subordinate to
Father Gibault. At all events the lat
Ter appears TO have had nominal
charge of Vincennes, and il can
scarcely be doubted that he left Father
Beret on the Wabash while he went to
live and labor for a time at Kaskaskia
beyond the plains of Illinois.
Il is a curious fact that religion and
The power of rum and brandy worked
together successfully for a long time
m giving the French posts al
most absolute influence over the
Wild and savage men by whom
they were always surrounded. The
good priests deprecated the traffic
IN liquors and tried hard TO control
& but soldiers of fortune and reckless
traders were in the majority. their in
terests taking precedence of all spir-
itua demands and carrying everything
along. What could the brave mission
aries 10 but make the very best of a
peril0ss situation?
In those days wine was drunk by al
most everybody. its use at table and
as an article of incidental refreshment
and social pleasure being practically
universal. wherefore the steps of re-
form in the matter of intemperance
were but rudimentary and in all places
teset by well-nigh insurmountable diff
fculties. in fact the exigencies of
frontier life demanded perhaps, the
very stimulus which. when over in
dulged in. caused so much evil.
Malaria loaded the air, and the most
ciHcaciOuS drugs now at command were
then undiscovered or could not be had.
lnt0Nicants were the only popular
specific. Men drank to prevent con-
tracing ague. drank again. between
rigors, to cure il, and yet again TO
brace themselves during GONZALES
cence.
But il the effect of rum as a bever-
age had strong allurement for the
white man, il made an absolute slave
OF the Indian. who never hesitated for
a moment to undertake any task, no
natter how hard. bear any privation.
even the most terrible. or brave any
danger. although il might demand
reckless desperation, if in the end a
ven hlei bottle or jug appeared as
his reward
~ course the traders did not over
COX such source of power. Alcoholic
liquor became their implement of al
most magical work in controlling the
l1es. labors. and resources of the In
llans. The priests with their captiva
ing story Of the cross had a large in
Nullee M SotteninE savage natures
ana averting MANY an awful danger;
oU when everything else failed. rum
always came to the rescue of a threat
eaed French post.
We need not wonder. then. when we
are told that Father Beret made no
'l-n % distress or disapprOval upon
,e.Hg informed of the arrival of a boat
-odlel with rum, brandy or gin. 1t
vas Rene de Ronville who brought the
. " The. same Rene already mem
"on'd as having given the priest a