The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1904-12-15
HaHey's Bluffs.
By ". 0. ArKEsoN.
CnAPrKR l.

Az NNe NHftHh Va ANoA btNeNNN
band Of men and women, and some
children, assembled at Pittsburg,
Pa, thence to take a long aud per-
ilous journey into the west-to the
very limit Of civilization at that
time. They were missionaries from
Boston, and the New England states
going out under the auspices of the
"Americsn Board OF Commissioners
for Foreign Missions" Some time
prior to this a delegate from the
Usage Indians of western Missouri
had visited Washington, d. c., aud
il was learned that his people desir-
ed the missionaries TO come among
them: and as the spirit OF missiona-
~ work was intense at that time in
the New England states volunteers
were sooR found ready to 60; and
under the direction OF the BOARD
the little band had assembled at
Piusburg, A more heroic, self
sacrificing. and devoted eongrega-
ton OF fathers, mothers and chill
dren than these devout Congrega-
tionalists never met in communion.
They prepared for a long, slow.
and laborous journey. They pur-
chased common keel-boats, stored
them with provisions, and when all
was ready showed out into the beau.
tiful Ohio river. Friends on shore
waived them goodbye in tears, and
more than one of the occupants of
those queer old keel-boats wept at
what they realized would be = long
separation from friends and home if
indeed. they should be spared to re-
turn. Down the Ohio, pas, the viii
lagos, towns and cities-to Cairo;
pleasant enough in the main, but
before they reached the mouth of
the Ohio one of the party, a brave
souled mother, sickened and died;
and her body was laid to rest on a
pretty mound ear the shore, there
to sleep until the last great call.
Thence up the Mississippi &C the
mouth of the Missouri-,he ''Big
Muddy" the food way of the niyu-
lets tueklIng down from the snow.
capped Rockies on their way TO The
psaeeiul Gulf Of Mexico: thence up
to the mouth of the Usage river
the most tortuous stream known &c
the geography Of the nation; thence
up the Usage, by slow and labonou,
man power, the keei-boats with theil
precious cargo OF human life anC
provisions were pushed with lonE
poles day after day, and week after
week. But Il was n brave band.
No, a heart grew faint. They haS
q work to do; and not more reso.
lutte the Pilgrim fathers iron
whose loins they had sprung thar
they.
The journey occupied about si'
months, and on the 9th. daY of Au
gus, ISsI, they dashed their boats
Side by side, to an over-hanginl
water. birch a few yards from thu
village of the Usage tribe. Thir
was about three miles up the Maraii
dss Cygnet I'VE from It's junction
with the Usage in the extrems ives
tern part of Missouri.
Here these devoted missionarie.
established "Harmony Mission,'
and began teaching and preaching
and here they patiently lsbored 70.
the Master until the Mission wa.
abandoned fifteen years later, wher
the osages. Dslawares and Kawi
moved out into the limitless prairie.
Of the further west. The teachers
met with much apparent sueeess an'
the little Indians learned Englisl
readily, and many Of the older one.
were converted by the simple preach
ing Of the Word.
CHATTER ,.
About the time the missionarieI
left Pittsburg a young Frenehmar
left France for New Orleans, L. S.
A, lie was a scion OF the old no,