The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1904-02-06
PIONEER NUNS HoNoREp AS QUEENS.

the past.
PIONEER NUNS HoNoRED AS QUEENS.
The story of every early institution, educational
and charitable, one of privation and suffering,
patiently borne and later rewarded b. Almighty
God IN the development and the support of these
same institutions. The spirit of co-operation
shown in those early efforts was credit to the
times and guarantee of the future that we now
look upon as the past The best men in San Fran
cisco took off their coats and with picks and show
els worked hard at clearing the sand hill for the
asylum ON Market street, built in 1854 This same
spirit was not wanting III the building of later in
stltut1ons, such as the Lake convent in oakland
/ and every rural parish proudly boasts the same
manifestation of good will in these latter days.
The chlvalry that characterized the California
pioneer IN ms dealings with women was empha-
sized when 1t was question Of the first religious
orders OF women to work in our midst Many a
conversion was indirectly due to their noble ex-
ample. These pioneer nuns we're honored as queens
during their life-and the largest funerals that this
metropolis has ever witnessed were those in which
the entire population, headed by the most promi-
nent people of the city followed their dead bodies to
the grave. And it rightly so. Sister Francis
McEnnls OF the Sisters of Charity. Mother Baptist
Russell of the Sisters of Mercy Mother Teresa Co.
mertord of the Presentation Nuns. and the other
pioneer religious were i'll every instance women to
whom the church and the commonwealth owed
-
he hardshlps of those early missions and mis-
slonarles are apt TO be overlooked bv ns IN +baGe
days OF more comfort and easy conveyance Tho
epldemcs OF early San Francisco its fires. its fam
lne OF 1852, its commercial panic of 1854 with ite
sequel OF poverty, its recognition of uellinp It's
mob violence and defiance of constituted law and
order' even to attempts upon churches these and
other causes i'll early San francisco interfered
with the work of the church and her bisbon and
priests. anu
~ Outslde the city mining the great industry
lhe population followed every lead And the nriest
followed the people The strikes on the Frazer river
ana Later IN the Comstock caused an exodus in each
instance greater than lately seen towards Tonopah
because miners were virtually the entire population
OF those days. There were no railroads and boo+s
ascended the Sacramento river only for q certain
aslahce. 1t was principally a matter of the stage
Tor men and women alike. Picturesque. daredevil
drivers with sawed-off shogns stuck in their right
boot tore along the rough mountain roads al
tnese numbering vehicles, while the timd held their
breath or shut their eyes In anticipation of cala
y. Ihere was always possibility of "stand I'm
oetlcal bandits, as was Black Bart in later de-
cade and eut-throats like Vasquez lay in wait for
Ine stage at most unexpected times and places Rut
the respect that even these outlaws had for +bo
Catholic priests and nuns invariably led fbn 70 a.;
various courtesies regarding their baggage. annor-
ing 10 the others less fortunate at the moment bnt
later admired. Sister Francis and Sister Scbolos
tea OF the orphan asylum had more than one sInb I
experience. ' u'li
PRIESTS OF EARLY DAYS.
once priest was located in the mountains ba
laa simply made headquarters for himself for his
i'n9r9 cI hnuence, to use modern expression ex-
tended tor often radius of 100 to 200 miles S;I
calls often meant days of muleback r;d;no aaoh
way, with the possibility of snow-blindness loss Of
me trali ana death from exposure. The late Fatbor
Dalton of Grass Valley twice narrowly escaned
death III this way e'''peu
When the Grass Valley vicariate was formed !,
le6i many of these more distant r,r;ae+s 80
brought back to the present diocese inSf - were
lone later on the erection of the SacraToer+o Ia
Salt Lake sees '1i'-i'o anu
OF the priesthood of that early day no words of
praise are too fulsome. The old type is passing
way, ana 1t Will be missed Father Gallaobor
.angols Maglnnis Croke. Dalton Cotter G;6no+'
harrington, ETC., are no more. but tbe ,non,nr af
helr zeal and self-sacrifce are no mean bar;too -
ur people. lhey live III their works which rema;n
, lhere are not many living links to connect ne
lth the early days of the archdiocese whose inb;le
nov colnnelnorated. Few indeed are left who
ere factors III the story of those bv-pone dors a.
y one the pioneers, priests as well as LEVINE, ~
tnelr Well-earned rest. Father King of Oakland
goiden lubllarlan, is the sole survivor of sl,a ,
'rIy epoch. tie. like Father Croka. yeS ordained
II the oregon mission, but after two years serr
: dllioiig the chnooks and III the Yakima war he
Curned here III 1856 and for the last fortrsaa
1PS has been part of the diocesan history. Fatb-
fendergast, the venerable vicar general has baa,,
instantly on duty in San Francisco for alnnost t
rtS,1our years Compared with these even Fatber l
'anian seems late arrival 'i'- }
Archbishop Alemany. whose personality served 70 Q
splre both priests and people to their best corts
= 1a not often met in life He had the
Tue not only OF the Spaniard but of the Catalo-
an Soy Catalan, he would always saw R,i+ cn,,
"a with thls spirit of the cabaierro was the bu.
llty OF the saint. He was considered one Of tto =
est horsemen of early California He was KIM
me saddle, and only the breaking of his leg on +,
ed him TO give up his favorite mode
Ia ia!est day. and age never seemed to take a,va1 e
pTlsNness OF his step With his hands tucked IN {,