Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-05-11
SO YEARS WITH
The N.D.INDlANS
Veteran Missionary at Elbowoods
Celebrates Anniversary Of
Arrival, l5t

Elbowoods, N. D., May 10.-Times
were hard among the Indians Of the
Fort Berthold reservation in Dakota
in the spring of the year, 1876. The
grasshoppers had cleaned their fields
the Sioux had driven their game far
away; the agents Of the Great Father
had stolen their goods . And then
came-a young missionary and his
bride.
Rev. Charles l. Hall, D. D., Elbo.
wods, n. D., is today celebrating the
39th anniversary of his arrival at this
station as missionary to the Indians.
He is a representative of the Congre-
gational church. He is hale and
hearty in spite of his 81 years and he
enjoys every minute of life. He works
just as hard as ever, both on his mod
ell farm and in the church work. Many
of the Indians come to this sanity old
man, not only for spiritual guidance
but also for advice as to farming and
stock raising. .. .4,.,..->,~,G
Rev. Mr.. Hall was really the first
missionary to the Indians on the Ber-
thold reservation, although rather De-
Smet passed through Berthold prior to
the coming of the Congregationalist.
When They Landed.
One of the first Dakota entries in
Rev. Halls diary is the following:
I'VE arrived at Fort Berthold on the
9th of May, 1876, landing at the lower
end of the bend where the Agency
buildings, newly built by Major L. R.
Sperry, were located. Two or three
days afterwards our lumber for the
new house and our household goods,
all purchased at Yankton, arrived by
a river boat"
When the youthful missionary (Mr.
Hall was % years old when he arrived
in Dakota) and his bride stepped from
the boat and walked up the hill they
stepped into the scene of their life
work. Three Indian. tribes lived in
that countryside Mandans, the Gros-
ventrcs and the Arikaras-and all
three tribes were at the landing to
see what the boat brought them.
The Indians were hoping for food,
clothing and firearms. They hoped for
all the goods the Great Father had
promised them and which had never
come. And what they got was a
young couple, poor in these worldly
goods but rich in faith and strong to
tell them Of a better life.
Came From New York.
In 1866 a journey to Ohio was con-
sidered a long one; Illinois was on
the frontier and Dakota the other end
Of the world and infested by blood.
thirsty Indians and buffalo. 1t was
a jump into the dark journey into
the mysterious, to go to Dakota in
those days. Rev. Mr.. Hall in telling
+ his mental struggle before finally
deciding to give UP a business career
to become "a missionary to the Dakota
Indians says: "My psychological bat
tie was fought out in New York when
l was a member of the Broadway Tab
'ernacle church! We had started the
Bethany Mission and l was giving
much time to9it. Finally in 1870, at
% years of7age, ! gave up and began
to prepare for the ministry. l had
graduated at the age of 10 QS66)
from the City College, in the scienti-
fc course, and three years later was
an NJ. S. l took a year to study Greek
and so on. Then | went for a year. to
the Union theological seminary of
New York and then took the rest of
the theological curse at Andover,
Mass. At q (1S74) l was through at
Andover and the next October land.
ed in Dakota"
Rev. Halls parents were just com.
fOrtably fixed. He was the first re.
cruit of his generation to the Mission
field, all other missionaries having
come from missionary families. On
February Is, 1876, just before coming
to Berthold, Rev. Mr.. Hall was united
in marriage to Miss Emma M.Calhoun
at Yankton, Dakota. Mrs. Hall was a
splendid helpmeet and passed away
all too soon, on Easter day, 1881. Five
years later DR.. Hall was welded to
Miss Susan Webb at Weymouth, Mass.
and she still shares his :abors and his
joys.
Indians Make Threats.
As scon as DR.. Hall started to build
his house Crows Reilly, the chief OF
the G%rosvantres, came and threatened
to burn it down. But a big feast was
given and the work was talked over
with the indians and Son Of the Star,
the Rec chief; Crows Breast, a Gros-
ventres chief, and Red Cow, the Man
dan chief, promised to protect the
missionaries and give them land to
build on.
1t was at this big feast that Hard
Horns, a Grosventres, made the FOL.
lowing speech: you have talked
we'll, now l will. Did the President
send you here? When you came you
brought sickness, grasshoppers and
crying and there has not been mucn
rain since they planted. Now you
have paid the chiefs and are building,
| wonder how it will be when it is
done? l thought you had come here
to have e on us. The missionary
before (DeSmet) he brought rain
the people killed Dakotas, and SICK
people he raised 20 life Al
When the Custer massacre was
heard of at Berthold many of the In
dams we're inclined to be ugly. and
insolent bit no outbreak occurred al
though the missionaries had many
nights of anxious watching and wait
ing for fear that the Sioux returning
from the massacre might attack the
village.
First the Halls visited the lodges
OF the Indians and helped to alleviate
suffering and care for the dying. The
first winter they had twelve pupils In
their little mission school. They had
no bell to call the Indians to worship
.T- ~ ---1 ~ -o1~son- Aor Hlyhion