The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-12-30
Humble BEGINNINGS
Made in Early Day
Haze Gro1H FQst


visit the colony Of her sisters at the
Indian mission at st. Ignatius. While
working in the kitchen at the mission
she fell backwards through q trap
door and broke her right arm.
b. This untoward occurrence, compelled
Mother Caron TO pass the whole OF that
winter at st. Ignatius. and her long
land forced stay at that untoward spot
made her feel more and more alive to
the lonesomness Of her sisters and the
many drawbacks attendant.
Land Bought for Church.
The writer, at the time in. charge Of
the mission. fully conceded with
! Mother Caron's views about the mat
ter. Entering into the project in real
earnest. Mother Caron laid the mat
ter before Father ,Giorda, the superior
OF missions. The former fully APP
proved the plan, whilst the latter.
without disappearing it. thought Its
| execution premature.
However. look of hopefulness
seemed to light up the plan and it
was deemed advisable to secure a
suitable site for use when the proper
s'IuO SpO0Au SOIuC. <AVCOIuAu6lY tlc
writer betook himself to Missoula and
purchased of w. J. Mccormick and
wife parcel of ground. equivalent to
two and one.half blocks. With the
ground went also a good frame build
ing.
Twe Sisters Sent Here.
Having then resolved to proceed with
her project Mother Caron named the
sisters whom she destined to start
the Missoula branch house. They were
Sister Mary Victor. her travelling COM
panion. and Sister M. Edward, trans
,ferred from st. Ignatius. the first
named being placed in charge. :
"Povsrty's Own Homs."
On April IS the sisters took pos
session Of their home. Apart from
two small boxes, such as are used for
packing in small sized window panes.
there was not In the whole house u
single stick OF furniture and Poverty's
own home could never be richer in
wants than this new abode.
A settlement still new, as Missoula
at this early date. could not but lack
many OF the conveniences Of older
and larger communities. Kerosene
lamps and tallow candles still fur
nished the light. AS to water. there
was any abundance in the river run
ming along the south side and In the
creek. called the Rattlesnake. skirting
| the east end OF the town. But for do
| nestle, uses 1t had to be fetched In
the old primitive fashion with pail or
bucket. The sisters in this regard
were worse off than anyone else of
the town people: they stood farthest
away from the creek, and though close
enough to the river. 1t was no easy
task to get water therefronl, the river
banks being here both high and steep.
| The First "Watsr systsm.'
This drawback was partly renedied
during the summer. G. p. Higgins
had brought water on the town flat
for irrigation purposes. He kindly al
lowed the sisters the use Of his water
right. But the water had to be taken
from point near the present brewery
stretch between the two points was as
yet mo mans land" Hence It was
comparatively easy to run a surface
ditch on q bee line with pair OF
horses and a pillow. This was done
the writer pointing out the course by
walking ahead OF the team. whilst
some sQuaws followed the man at the
pillow and cleaned out the furrow with
hoe and shovel.
|, 81, Patrick's Establishes.
Drawbacks Notwithstanding, the
sisters soon had two private rooms
land a small ward ready for patients