The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1922-09-29
ga93qa : HISTORY of the II

and from the annual rendezvous in the croor
hVer valley or in Pierre's Hole under the Tetons
four braves volunteered to carry the request for
blackrobes to st. Louis, There were Blackrobes
at lhis outpost Of civilization Their nresanoo
mere Is story in itself. The restoration of tho
society OF Jesus in 1914, after Al years of sunnros
sioh' Iound Few old Jesuit priests at Whitemarsb
MI, VINO nad established there the first novjtia+a
Ia the United States. In 1923 an offer of land q,
o. Louis was made to them. Twelve set out for
81 Louis April II, 1923. They walked all tbe yyav
carrying their goods in wagons. Among them was
young DE Smet, who had come from Belgium in
lo1l at the age of twenty, In 1927 he was or
u''iHeu priest In 1881 the Missouri mission was
maze 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 Fatheads joined the 1881 return
train of William L. Sublette one of the famous
Rocky Mountain Fur company's traders and
reached ST. Louis October l. 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 painted-Nos. POT and POS 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
call to the Christian conscience of the world
and exhorted the Protestant churches to take II
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
Jason Lee Of Canada. The party kept past
the Bitter Root country and began operations neaf
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
abors at Waiilatpu among the Cayuses.
Thus the net result of the first Flathead expe-
dition 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 Blackrobe would be sent in time.
In 1887 the Flatheads started their third deputa-
ton In consisted of Old Ignace, three Flaheads
and Nez Perez. All were mastered 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 lgnace and
Pierre Gaucher travelled safely by canoe down the
Yellowstone and Missouri and arrived October q,
1899 Bishop Rosati promised them Backrobe
the following spring Gaucher Immediately set
out with the good news. He arrived n 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 iS4O expedition of the American Fur company
m the Green River rendezvous. There De Smet
found Gaucher and ten Flatheads TO meet him.
They went 10 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
parcas Pend d'OreilIes and Kaispels-about l6.o
in all. He baptized and instructed, postponed his
yIsit 70 the Bitter Root and reached St Louis by
nav of the Jefferson and Missouri rivers Deem
Der 81 1870 -.
he was then informed that there were no FUNDS
for the promised expedition. So he went out ana
raised funds The spring OF ls4l touhu MN oh
tha oregon Trail. accompanied by two priests and