The Montana courier., 1922-09-20
gael@pao History Of Mek7I

and from the annual rendezvous in the Green
River valley, or in Pierres Hole under the Tetons
Four braves volunteered to carry the request for
Blackrobes to St Louis. There Blackrobes
at this outpost of civilization. Their presence
there is story in itself The restoration of the
Society of Jesus in 1874 after Al years of suppress
sion found few old Jesuit priests at Whitemarsh
Md, who had established there the first novitiate
in the United States. In 1923 offer of land at
st. Louis made to them. Twelve set out for
st. Louis April II, 1923 They walked all the way,
carrying their goods in wagons Among them was
young De Smet who had come from Belgium in
1921 at the age of twenty In 1927 he
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
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 companys traders. and
reached ST Louis October 1. They presented their
petition to Bishop Rosati. Two of the Indians fell
ILL., They died and 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 palnted-Nos. 207 and 208 in his gallery of
Indian paintings.
This unique request from the Flatheads gained
nationwide publicity A sympathetic account was
published in the Christian Advocate. In 1888 an
editorial in the Christian Advocate pronounced it
a call to the Christian conscience of the world
and exhorted the Protestant churches to take it
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
missionary expedition under the leadership of
Jason Lee of Canada The party kept on past
the Bitter Root country and began operations near
the mouth of the Columbia.
The Presbyterians in 1885 sent Marcus Whitman
to Oregon. He returned reported, and In 1886
went back with his wife and party to begin his
labors at Waiilatpu among the Cayuses
Thus the net result of the first Flathead expe-
diton to st. Louis for Blackrobes in Montana was
Protestant missionaries in Oregon.
The Flatheads 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 a Blackrobe would be sent in time.
In 1887 the Flatheads started their third deputa-
tion In consisted of Old Ignace, three Fatheads
and Nez Perce. All were massacred by Sioux
en- route to ST. Louis.
Not In the least disheartened by these three
failures, the Flatheads sent to st. Louis fourth
time. The two petitioners, Young Ignace and
Pierre Gaucher travelled safely by down the
I IL,
1839 Bishop Rosati 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 1910 expedition of the American Fur company
to the Green River rendezvous. There De Smet
found Gaucher and ten Flatheads 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 dOreilles and Kalispels-abOut 1000
N 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-
,er 81 1840
He was then informed that there were no funds
or the promised expedition So he went out and
.aised funds. The spring of 1S41 found him on
the Oregon Trail, accompanied by two priests and