The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1908-04-11
To Form an Active League Of Patriots Who
Will Explore Their Own Land
Before Going Abroad.
The Scenery Of the Mountain State Surpasses
That of Switzerland or Other
Foreign Nations.

'photographing the workers and the
lodge during the course of erection.
We remained throughout the ceremony
and saw the dancing from it's incep-
tion. You know the dances must go
on day and night for three days, the
performers stopping only at appoint
ed intervals for a little breathing
space, but taking neither food nor
sleep. Nothing which Kipling has
written exceeded the wierdness of the
dance by torchlight, especially towards
the end of the rite, when the dancers
were haggard as ghosts and looked
about to die Of exhaustion. Frequent
ly the poor, deluded creatures do die
from the exertion, but fortunately no
such tragedy happened while my
guests were among the spectators. We
We're allowed also to see the distri-
button Of gifts. In the old days the
various tribes exchanged the maidens
for horses. ponies and gay blankets.
Now the Indians are not permitted to
give away their girls, but the array of
presents makes quite q showing. These
gifts are displayed and presented with
great ceremony, and now firearms
compose the larger part of the bounty.
But an equally interesting part of
Indian life may be seen in the mis-
sions. To visit the missions is one Of
the most entertaining pastimes of
which know, and besides it's interest
it contains quite a salutary lesson. st.
Peters Mission was founded by the
Ursulines. is an exquisite spot nestled
high i'll the mountains and visit now
does not make manifest the heroic
work of the missioners amongst inde-
scribable hardships, physical and NOR
al. 1t would not make very amusing
reading to describe the labors of these
gentle women in inr,t,ating the saw
ages into the mysteries of civilization.
Their first contact with the noble red
man and his consorts was among
scenes of degradation, in tents where
misery and it's attending spirits, vice
and lack Of cleanliness, were suff1.-
cient to make the stoutest heart fail.
To these people, the use Of comb,
brush, knife, fork, broom and mop were
mysteries deeper than the signs Of the
stars. Now, a smiling picture greets
the sight. A neat village, a church, in
dustrial schools, nurseries, sewing
schools, in fact, every modern method
of improving heart, soul and body. A
visit to the day nurseries is enjoyable,
for the papooses look entirely incon-
gruous in their regulation attire. The
kindergartens are we'll attended and
the little ones are delighted to have
visitors and show off as skillfully as
the most cultivated Of their Eastern
sisters.
1.-THE traveller on the North Pacific
Railroad. which passes for miles
through the F1athead Reservation,
may look from the car window on
comfortable houses. cultivated fields
and herds of well-kept horses and
cows. which are owned by Indians who
received the first missionary to this
region. Father De Smet. 1t speaks
eloquently for the man who came here
in 1850 to redeem the wilderness and
to plant the cross that the seed he
sowcd has yielded so grand harvest
Of the material harvest, abundant ev-
idence shows on every side. The In
dams now own and work sawmills and
flour mills. They build their own
houses substantially and with many
comforts and they are adopting every
modern device of farming. Senator
Vest has many times borne eloquent
testimony in the Senate of the United
States of the success Of the Jesuit In
dian missionary. and those who are
skeptical should visit st. Ignatius' or
some of the adjacent missions. think
1t was Senator Vest who used to ill.,
lustrate one way in which the Jesuits