The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1919-09-11
| MANCHESTER GIRLS WORK
AMONG THE INDIANS

who was pastor mere ~ Years ago,
will be interested in the following ex-
tracts from some Of her letters. She
is now the wife Of Rev. Arthur T..
Paterson, assistant superintendent OF
Indian Missions at Elbowoods, North
Dakota.
1--WE went down to Armstrong Fri
day morning and made our head
quarters in the one-room log hut OF
our good friends, Lawrence and Stella
Howlingwolf, but we slept on frag-
rant new bay bed in the church We
took down our blankets and were very
comfortable, except that my slumbers
were disturbed by church mice! We
had taken down few food supplies
which we "pooled" with Stella's re-
sources.
Saturday we spent making a house
to house canvass Of our church mem
bers there, getting 500 pledged tow
ards the $156 annual budget which Mr.
Paterson has gotten the church to
adopt with the monthly envelope sys-
tenn. We were cordially received
everywhere and ! was particularly
glad to call on Mrs. Beauchamp. Her
husband is the native worker there
and she is white woman who helped
the Halls in their missionary work for
a while.
Sunday we had 40 at church. After
church we all went to Stella's for a
business meeting and then we three
went to late dinner at the Wildes.
Mrs. Wilde is partly white and has had
unusual educational advantages. She
was field matron there at Armstrong
once.
"One white family living just off the
reservation had heard that Mr.. Pater-
son was to preach in Armstrong and
had come thither eight strong. We
hope we can call on them some day
when we have Ford car.
"Next Sunday Mr.. Paterson is due
at Crows Heart. We may drive down
to Armstrong, cross on the ferry at
Rec and call at that end of our field
for a day or two before Sunday
James Holding Eagle has offered Vi
the use of vacant frame house on his
land six miles north of Rec and we car
live in that.
In another letter Mrs. Paterson
writes.
Friday we walked down to the fail
grounds where all the Indians from
practically the entire reservation wer
encamped for the celebration Of thu
Fourth of July. 1t was a very pictur
esque sight and l wish you could hav'
seen the tents and the Indians in thei
gala attire. Races and contests were
going on, but it was very hot and WI
did not stay long.
Sunday at 1890 we all went to thu
grounds and had service in the exhi
bition hall, where about rs had gath
cred, and we had good meeting a
which both DR.. Hall and Mr.. Paterson
spoke and Goodbird interpreted theil
talk into the Gros Ventre language
Then we all had dinner together il
true Indian style.
'"Two weeks ago we had our confer
ence here and organized the Drak'
association. After the conference tw'
auto loads of the delegates left to g
home via Armstrong where our peopl
were kept from the conference by al
Indian patriotic celebration, whicl
was given in honor of Joseph Young
Hawk, just back from the war, minu
leg. His father was one of Custer
scouts who escaped and the 26th is tn
, anniversary Of the battle--so the
, were honoring the old soldiers, tn
, scouts, in the afternoon, and had sup
per and good time for the young sol
der in the evening.
r 81 enjoyed the ladies who attende
: the conference very much. 1t wa
/, good to have some people like myseI
E around even for couple of day
Wednesday we plan TO take Dixie an
' the single buggy, cross the river fiy
miles above here on the ferry an
e spend week or so camping out an
D doing pastoral work at Crows Heart
: "The drought here has been yer
5 serious and DR.. Hall is quite alarme
r over the school fund prospects. Mr.
e Hall has canned almost nothing TIL
summer and our potatoes and veg'
: tables are not amounting TO much.
. only we could have had some Of you
Y surplus rainw
G At a later date Mrs. Paterso
r writes:
e "We got home last night from
r very interesting and worth while tri
across the river among the Mania