The Holly chieftain., 1922-09-21
Unique History of MbeR


River valley, or in Perre's Hole under the Tetons II
Four braves volunteered to carry the request for
Blackrobes to st. Louis There were Blackrobes
at this outpost Of civilization. Their presence
there Is story in itself. The restoration of the
Society of Jesus in 1914 after Al years Of suppress.
sion. found few old Jesuit priests at Whitemarsh
Md. who had established there the first novitate
In the United States. In 1923 an offer of land at
ST. Louis was made to them. Twelve set out for
St Louis April IL, 1923. They walked allxhe way
CARRYING their goods in wagons. Among them was
young De Smet who had come from Belgium in
lsZl at the age of twenty. In 1927 he was or
dained priest. In 1881 the Missouri mission was
made Independent. In 1884 the petition of the
Second Provincial council at Baltimore that the
indian Roman Catholic missions of the United
States be confined to the Society of Jesus was
granted at Rome. Thus the Jesuits entered upon
virgin field of labor of more than half the area
of the United States.
The four Flatheads Joined the 1881 return
train Of William L. Sublette one Of the famous
Rocky Mountain Fur company's traders and
reached st. Louis October /. They presented their
petition to Bishop Rosah Two of the Indians fell
Ill. They died and were buried in the Roman
Catholic cemetery. The two survivors left st.
Louis the following spring. but never reached
home. They may be the two Indians George Cat.
lin painted-Nos. 2O7 and 2O8 In his gallery of
Indian paintings.
This unique request from the Flatheads gained
nationwide publicity. sympathetic account was
published In the Christian Advocate. In 1888 an
editorial in the Christian Advocate pronounced 1t
a call to the Christian conscience of the world
and exhorted the Protestant churches to take 1t
up in earnest In those days, to the East the name
Flathead included all the tribes In the vast area
from Montana to the mouth Of the Columbia and
northward into Canada.
The Methodists raised funds and in 1884 started
a missionary expedition under the leadership of
Jason Lee of Canada. The party kept on past
the Bitter Root country and began operations neaf
the mouth of the Columbia.
The Presbyterians in 1895 sent Marcus Whitman
to Oregon. He returned, reported, and in 1886
went back with his wife and party to begin his
labOrs Mt Wailatpu among the Cayuses.
Thus the net result of the first Flathead expe-
dition TO St Louis for BackrObes In Montana was
Protestant missionaries In Oregon.
The Flntheads of Montana tried a second time
to get Blackrobe. In 1885 Old Ignace with his
sons Charles and Francis went to st. Louis and
returned the following spring with the promise
that Blackrobe would be sent in time
In 1887 the Fiatheads started their third deputa
tion In consisted of Old Ignace, three Flatheads
and Nez Perce. All were massacred by Sioux
en- route to ST. Louis.
Not In the least dlsheartened by these three
failures. the Flatheads sent to ST. Louis fourth
time. The two petitioners, Young Ignace and
Pierre Gaucher. Travelled safely by canoe down the
Yellowstone and Missouri and arrived October 81
1881 Blshop Rosau promised them BlackrObe
the following spring Gaucher Immediately set
out with the good news. He arrived in the Bitter
Root valley early in the spring-a most remark
able journey.
Father De Smet volunteered for the arduous
mission At Westport (Kansas City, he Joined
the 1S40 expedition of the American Fur company
to the Green River rendezvous. There De Smet
found Gaucher and ten Flatheais to meet him
They went to Pierre's Hole, where were encamped
the main body of the Flatheads, who had come
500 miles to meet him, together with bands of Nez
Perces Pend d'Oreilles and Kalspels-about 1000
in all. He baptized and instructed postponed his
visit to the Bitter Root and reached st. Louis by
way of the Jefferson and Missouri rivers Decem.
ber 81 1S40.
He was then Informed that there were no funds
for the promised expedition. So he went out and
raised funds. The spring of 1871 found him on
tire Oregon Trail, accompanied by two priests and