Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1929-08-01
Pioneer Nurse
Compares Old
Days Withheld

HNOlJEtlN nurses WIN q D IN
which to work, clean and sanitary
- tools and material, and every
modern convenience with which to adj
minister to the sick and wounded were
given an account Of the methods used
by the pioneer nurses of the north
west in administering to the Indians
and white men by Sister John Gabriel
at the nurses convention at Great
Falls last week.
THE earliest nurses in the north
west" said Sister Gabriel, were bands
of sisters who crossed the continent in
covered wagons and stopped at each
settlement and Indian village along
the way to care for the afflicted. Often
in the Indian villages we had to COM
pete with the medicine men who were
opposed to our methods, and ingenious
methods had to be invented to over
come their resistance.
Weather Proved Obstacle
"All sorts Of bad weather had to be
contended with in our travels and we
had many close escapes. All were
members OF the order of charity with
our headquarters in Montreal from
which we started, travelling all the
while in covered wagons. After see
ing much of the west we finally set
tied at what is known as the ST. Ig-
natius mission and there we started
a school and opened a hospital for
both white settlers and Indians. We
also had cabins scattered over the
country in or near settlements and
these were also used as hospitals.
Il had received my nurses training
in the Columbus hospital here in Great
Falls and graduated with the class
Of 1908. From 1900 to 1911 l was To-
pDtnH in Craot Jo lie on1 nc 7 vo,,n,,
Der, the hospital was always filled with
patients. In the early nineties there
we're only eight or ten nurses in train
ing and IL sisters with a few gradu-
ate nurses. The lecturing staff con-
sisted of DR.. A. F. LongeWay, Earl
Strain, F. j.. Adams and John Sweat.
I'm those early days of hospital adj
venture when both the hospitals that
are o so well established in this
city were struggling, it was found
necessary to keep a worker from each
Of these institutions in the field in
order to educate the public to the need
support. 1t was the present president
Of the northwest division, Miss E. Au-
gusta Ariss, who held at the time and
still retains the position of superin-
tendent OF the Deaconess hospital, and
myself, though unconscious Of each
others presence, travelled this section
of the country through mine and
smelter, sparsely settled town and In
dian village, spreading the gospel Of
charity, education and service as we
went.
Since that time the Deaconess and
the Columbus hospitals have grown in
leaps and bounds and today could well
deny their humble origin, but their
purpose is ever the same and together
they work in unison to serve the pub
lie, to do the good they can and to
educate the young nurse. Both are
now standardized institutions and both
maintain accredited schools, and as o
coincidence both are at this time in
the process of constructing new adj
ditiOnS."
In Charge Of Schools
At present Sister Gabriel is in charge
OF the 16 schools Of nursing maintained
by the Sisters of Providence in Mon
tana, Washington, California and Brit
ish Columbia and visits each once q
year.
At present Sister Gabriel has her
headquarters at Mount st. Vincent con-
vent at West Seattle, Wash, and Is
travelling with Sister Mary Magma, SUI
p~erintendent of nurses at Providence
hospital, Seattle, Wash. They have
just returned from Montreal where they
attended the international council OF
nurses and prior to that the national
convention of nurses at Atlantic City
where Sister Gabriel represented tho
Washington state league of nurses.
They plan to return 500 to their home
converts,