Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-06-10

preached to the Nez Perces whenever
they requested him to do so, and con-
tinued these services internationally
until Christmas, and the tribe was pre-
pairing to go on a buffalo hunt. Meek
made ready to accompany them. But
first, he. suggested to KoW-e-So-te that
he would not be averSe to having q
wife.
you already have one" replied the
chief.
"That is true enough" said Meek,
but she won't live with me, and &C
cording to the white mans law,
could get divorce"
Still the chief was only half con-
WINGED. If what Meek affirmed were
true, why did the missionaries compel
the polygamouS converts to put away
all their wives save one? Meek was
equal to the test and cited David and
Solomon, together with various other
Jewish patr1archs in support Of his
position on the matrimonial question,
and the discussion ended after 1t had
endured two weeks, with Meek trium-
plant, as might have been expected,
and he was given young wife, whom
he named Virginia, after his native
state.
The buffalo hunt was a successful
one, and at its close, Meek and his
wife returned to the Nez Perez village,
where they remained until spring when
Meek resumed his trapping. Before he
went he told Kow-e-So-te that 1t was
customary to pay preachers and he felt
he had earned reward for his long
and faithful service in the religious
field.
Kow-e-so-te recognizing the justice
of Meek's claim, notified his people,
who promptly gave their pastor sub
stantial donation party. He received
10 horses, sheepskins, buffalo robes and
many packs of beaver skins. On the
whole Meek considered that with his
young wife, he had made pretty good
winters work of It,"
But how about the Indians? Were
they the better for the instructions
given them by this lovable Scapegrace?
Hardly, yet through similar experiences,
they grew to weigh the white men In
their own scales and found them want
ing. Meek respected Mrs. Whitman and
would have done his best to save her
from the horrible fate which awaited
her. He respected her, but not her re-
ligion, for he evidently had none him
self, and 1t Is possible that his tenn
porary enaction of the preachers role
may have contributed to hasten her
death and that of her husband.
The trappers were shrewd judges Of
human nature, but they could not fol-
low altogether the child-like reasoning
Of the Indians, nor see what must be
It's inevitable result. The Indians had
4 super abundance of faith to begin
with, but once lost, it could never be
regained. Their observation soon taught |
hem that the majority of white men
we're liars and so they judge them TO
be today.
While the missionaries were engaged !
n trying to turn the Indians from the |
error of their ways, they did not over
ook the opportunity to convert the
mountain men, who surely stood In as
much need of their ninistrations as
he natives. The mountaineers, being
white men, appeared to these earnest
workers to be more hopeful material for
than the Indians, as the
after were likely to backslide at the
'irst opportunity, and to tell the truth, !
mad done so on many occasions, to
he manifest disbursement Of the
The Methodist missionaries were es-
1eciaIly importunate in their attempts
20 win souls, and often urged the
to pray. Mrs. Victor says:
The American mountaineer was not
likely to be suddenly surprised into