Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-09-21

three lay brothers. At Fort Hill on the Snake
river in August he met by an advance party
of Flatheads. Passing through the site of Mis-
soula, they went 80 miles into the Bitter Root
valley, arriving September "a There and then
De Smet began work on st. Marys mission.
De Smet in the spring of 1912, made journey
of inspection as far as the mouth of the Columbia
That fall found him again in st. Louis. In 1S43
he solicited for the mission south to New Orleans
and east to Boston, and took three recruits and
supplies to WestpOrt and started them west
Then he set sail for Europe After visiting the
principal cities of six countries he embarked at
Antwerp December r. 1843 with four fathers, Il
lay brother and six sisters and supplies The
voyage was around Cape Horn. They nearly
wrecked on the Columbia river bar, but landed
safely July 81, 1884, and went at once to the Bit
ter Root mission.
These Bitter Root Flatheads by the way seem
to have been too good to be true. All explorers
traders and travellers bear witness to their high
moral character and attractive ways. De Smet
says of them:
81 not able to discover among these people
the slightest bameworthy act, unless it was their
gambling, in which they often venture everything
they possess. These games were unanimously
abolished as as | had explained to them that
they were contrary to the commandment of God.
. . l have often asked myself: is 1t these
the name of savages?"
De Smet then passed two strenuous years in
exploring, visiting tribes and establishing missions
He arrived at st. Louis December TO- 1886
What had he accomplished in the seven years
since he first hit the Oregon Trail? For one thing
his labors, travels hardships and perils belong in
the first rank of similar exploits He had travelled
nearly $4,000 miles in every sort of conveyance
and in every kind of climate. AS he wrote {:
10 In, ,toip
ing bread, salt, coffee tea, sugar was for years
without roof without bed. l have been six
months without shirt on my back and often
have passed whole days and nights without a NOR
sci of anything to eat"
These arduous labors had at least this reward !:
He had become a great power among the Indian
tribes. All knew him. either personally or by rep
utation. Also he was perhaps the one white man
whom all trusted SO trusted was he that the
United States government at least five times
asked his services as mediator with various
tribes.
The ordinary, usual settlement of the Bitter
Root country began in 1864 at Missoula-now n
modern city of $1,000, which played host last sum-
mer to the National Editorial association The
Flatheads are it's near neighbors on reservation
they have occupied since 1891.
The 1922 equivalent of De Smets establishment
in 1871 of ST. Mary's mission in the Bitter Root
valley is the MISSION OF SI. lRnatluS ana the Sis
tiers of Charity Of Providence at st. Ignatus in
the present Flathead reservation lying between
Missoula and Flathead lake. The original St
Marys in the Bitter Root valley is now Stevens
vile. There stands St. Mary's church. built by
Father Anthony Ravalli in 1866. This kind good
priest and friend of all mankind" arrived at the
mission in 1916 and for forty years mnistered to
all alike, Indian and white man, Roman Catholic
and Protestant His tombstone stands in the GEM
IF In,
the Jocko valley, bears his name.