The Bozeman courier. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1919-1954, 1926-05-28
Founding St. Peters MissiOn--Trial
of Jesuits In The Piegan Territory

send to the miners who flocked into
the Sun River valley, in the winter
of 1865, on the report that gold had
been discovered there. The cold was
intense that winter, which is said to
have been the worst Montana has ev-
er experienced. Many Of the miners
were terribly frozen, and but for the
aid extended them by Father Raval-
Ii, would have lost their limbs, and
in a number Of cases their lives.
The coming Of the whites into the
territory the Indians claimed as their
own, led here, as elsewhere under
similar circumstances, to what might
have been expected, trouble between
two races, and a guerilla warfare en-
sued. The whites were the invaders;
the Indians were making a desperate
effort to retain what was theirs.
From the latter part of 1865 to 1870
the struggle continued, eliminating
in the Baker massacre following the
murder of Malcolm Clarke.
When the whites began to settle
in the Sun River valley, the Indians
demanded a new site for the mission,
and it was removed to the foot of the
Bird Tail divide.
Before the change was affected
Father GiOrda had another trying ex-
p~erience, which is narrated by Faith
er PalladinO:
Father GiOrda had here a very
narrow escape from drowning. He
was crossing the Missouri on the ice
one evening toward dark, when the
icy crust gave way under his feet.
Instinctively, in the act of sinking he
spread his arms, which caught on the
ice beyond the break, and kept him
from being carried off by the swift
downstream current. He remained
thus suspended by his arms, head
and shoulders above the ice, the cur-
rent forcing his lower limbs against
the nether-surface of the crust. In
this most critical position, he shouted
for help to his companions, two
brothers and a Blackfeet Indian, who
were still within hearing distance.
They FASTENED to the rescue, but
found it impossible to reach him, the
ice giving way under their feet as
they attempted to move toward him.
Upon this, the clever Indian advanc-
ed as far as the ice would bear him
up, and by means of a long lariat,
brought the father out, saving him
from what seemed almost inevitable
death. Realizing that after God, he
owed his life to the Blackfeet, Faith
er GiOrda made on that occasion a
VOW to devote the rest of his days
should his superior allow him, to the
salvation of the Blackfeet."
It was not far from the last site
of St. Peters Mission that some
whites were killed by Indians as was
also one of the mission hands. This
alarmed Father GiOrda for the safety
of those at the mission, and removing
them to the west side of the river
the mission was abandoned for g
, short time.
The next year Father GiOrda wal
called elsewhere, and st. Peters Mis-
sion was attached to that of Helena
} with Father ImOda in charge of the
( Blackfeet. He went there once {
year ordinarily, but during a small
= pOx epidemic, the father remained
there until it abated. Once while OF
= his way there, he and his companion
were left without food, their horses
} and provisions having been stolen b,
| the very Indians they sought to bene
? fit.
{ Others of their order besides Faith
- er GiOrda met with unpleasant eXper
fences. During the early days Of tn,
mission, the fathers were forced t.
be content with buckskin trousers, a
were the trappers, and some of the pi
IOneers. One disadvantage of thes
= was the difficulty of keeping then
&c. III L.-w,o-w~r -r0T-1n n-E 5000
when the fathers were taking extend
= ed Journeys through the wilderness
= that was then Montana. Says Fathe
PalladinO: con his way from For
Benton to St. Peters Mission, Faith
er Menetrey woke up one morning t
find himself a s~ans-culatte. Either hi
mount, a clever government mule
that had Jared poorly during the day
or some coyote, equally hungry an
not less clever, had quietly nibble
under the tent and made a meal dun
ing the night Of the poor Father
garments"
"The country" continues the stOr!
appears to have been a rather il
suspicious one for Father Menetrel
Overtaken by a binding snOwstOrl
on another occasion, he lost his wa,
and Travelled around Square Butt
the whole night in his own track
When daylight came, the storm ha
partially abated, and taking now h
bearings, he discovered to his amazl
ment, that a whole nights jOurne
had not brought him a step near'
the mission, which he reached tn;
evening completely exhausted"
Old TrappeP Dies