The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1905-10-14
Like Other French Missionaries He Knew
How to Treat the Indians and Live
With Them in Peace.
Among the Pioneers of the New World His
Name Stands Forth as One of the
Purest and Bravest
and ilndian tribes.

Ill Apl4l, 1ofi, IIOIc lIluIl tlIcc ituu
a half centuries ago, De Soto, in his
adventurous march, discovered the
majestic Mississippi, not far from the
border of the State of Tennessee says
the Catholic Union and Times. No
white mans eye had ever before be-
held that grand flood. whose fertile
banks are now inhabited by busy mil
lions. The Indians Informed him that
all the region below consisted of dis
nal, endless, uninllabitcd swamps. DE
Soto died upon the banks OF the river.
In its fathomless depths his body
found burial.
A century fingered slowly away,
while those vast solitudcs were pep
pied only by wandering savage tribes.
In the year 1G41, some Ercnclmcn
from Canada, seeking to open friendly
trade with the Indians, penetrated the
northwest of our country us far as
Falls of ST. Mary, near the outlet of
Lake Superior
Eighteen years more passed away,
over the silent and gloomy Wilderness
when, in 1869, Il little band of French
explorers in their frail canoes, with
Indian guides, padded along the
shores of Lake Ontario, asccndcd the
Niagara River TO the falls, carried
thpir ihni. T.,
the rapids, launched them again on
Lake Erie, trnvcrscd that inland sea
over two hundred ana fifty miles, en-
ftered the magnificent Strait, passed
through it TO Lake st. Clair. crossed
that lake, asccnded the ST. Clair River
to Lake Huron, and, travcrsing its
whole length, a distance OF three hun
drcd miles, reached the Falls of ST.
Mary.
Here, at the distance Of more than n
thousand miles from the least vestiges
of civilization, these hardy men passed
an incement winter. In the spring
the men returned to Canada, bringing
such reports of the dOcillty and amia-
bility of the Indians as to inspire a
desire TO established missions among
them, Five years passed away, when
Father Claude Allouez, with small
band of heroes. penetrated these wilds
To proclaim the glad tidings of the
gospel. Two years after, he was fol-
lowed by Father Marquette, a noble
man, whose name will never die.
The Marquette family had been illus
trious in France from time immemori-
al. Generation after generation, many
OF it's members had obtained renown,
not only for chivalric courage, but for
every virtue which can adorn human
ity. The armorial bearing of the fam
lily commentaries deeds of heroic en-
terprise five hundred years ago. Our
own country is not without it's obliga-
tions to the valor of the Marquettes
three Of whom died here in the French
army during the revolutionary war.
odMcS MdIuueI@c WAS UOFH III lHe
city of Laon, France. in the year 1887.
His mother was q woman Of fervent
piety and of unusual strength and cul-
ture of mind. Her brother, st. John
Baptiste de Ia Sale, was the founder
Of the Brothers of the Christian
Schools. At the age Of seventeen this
noble young man, resisting all the al
lurements of the world opened to one
OF his wealth and rank, consecrated
himself to the service Of religion by
entering the Society Of Jesus.
Fourteen years OF character build
ing-of retreat, study and teaching
passed away, and he was invested with,
the sacred dignity of the priesthood.
Taking st. Francis Xavier as his pat
ron and model, he ardently sought
foreign mission, to convey the glad
tidings OF the gospel to those distant
nations. Canada and its savage tribes
were then attracting much attention
In France. Wonderful stories were told
of the st. Lawrence River and Of the
series of magnificent lakes, spreading
far away into the unknown interior,
and whose shores were crowded with