F. T. CHEtfHAMi TA06, NEW MEXICO BANCROFT LIBRARY THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHERS PONZIGLIONE, SCHOEN- MAKERS AND OTHER EARLY JESUITS AT OSAGE MISSION. SKETCH OF ST FRANCIS' CHURCH. LIFE OF MOTHER BRIDGET. BY W. W^GRAVES, 1 S COPYRIGHTED 1916 BY W. W. GRAVES. PUBLISHED BY W. W. GRAVES, ST. PAUI^ KANSAS. b t BANG HO FT LIBRARY TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. FATHER PONZIGLION& A Royal Missionary, Born a Real Count, Deported by Revolutionists, 4 His Troubles in Rome, 6 Hfe Journey Westward, 7 His Labors Among the Osages, . . . . 10 His Labors Among the Whites, .... 14 Celebrates His Jubilee, ....... 19 Jubilee Poems, 23 Father Paul Leaves the Mission, .... 30 Active Life in the North, ...... 33 Fifty Years a Priest, 35 Interpreter Aids in a Confession, 33* Encountered the Benders, 37 Preached Strong Sermons, 39 Slept With Ranchmen, 42 Lost on the Prairie During Blizzard, . . 43 Kept "The Faith" Alive, I ' 45 A Bogus Nephew, 45 Mistaken for a Spy, 46 Narrow Escape from Drowning, . i . . 48 First Pastor of Ottawa, 48 Largest Sunday School in the World, . , 5 Newspapers Notes, 53 CHAPTER II. THE APOSTLE OP SOUTH EASTERN KANSAS, In the Wilderness, 58 Looking Backward, 61 Father Paul's Missionary Work, .... 65 CHAPTER III. A NON-CATHOLIC'S COMMENT. John R. Brunt's Comment on Father Paul, 71 CHAPTER IV. AN APPRECIATION. Personal Recollection by Miss Lizzie Berry, 74 CHAPTER V. MR. BREWSTER'S ADDRESS. 'An Address Before The Kansas Historical Society, . 7^ CHAPTER VI LETTERS OF FATHEE PAUL. Origin of the Osage Catholic Mission, . . 93 A Mission Desired, 94 Manual Labor School Established, ... 94 A Presbyterian Mission, 95 Osages Settle in Neosho County, . . . . 95 Another Presbyterian Mission, .... 96 Catholic Mission Established, 97 Manual Labor School, . 97 Convent Established, . . , 98 Enlargement And School Built, ... 98 Indian Agency Removed, 99 Annuity Payments and Feasting, ... 100 The American Fur Company, .... 100 Benefit and Results of Mission School, . 101 Osage Scholars, 102 Osages Again Remove, 102 A Town Started, 103 Pioneer of 1851 Relates Experiences, . . 103 Kansas Church History, 108 St. Patrick's Celebration, 109 Osage Indian Question, 109 Some Reminiscences, in Letters to Miss Berry, 116 CHAPTER VII. THE OSAGES. Brief History of Osages 125 Father Schoenmaker's Letter, 131 Interview with Father Paul, . . . . . 132 CHAPTER VIII. ANTECEDENTS OF THE MISSION Events that Led to its Establishment, . . 139 CHAPTER IX. WESTERN INDIAN MISSIONS. An Article From The Kansas Magazine, . 145 CHAPTER X. FATHER DE LA CROIX. Biography cf First Missionary 160 CHAPTER XT. FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNK. Biography of First Jesuit Missionary, . 163 CHAPTER XII.* FATHER VERREYDT. The Predecessor of Father Schoenmakers, 177 CHAPTER XIII. FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. His Early Days 180 Leaves for the Osages, 182 Opens the School, ........ 183 Quapaw Indians Admitted to School, . . 186 Drouths and Grasshoppers, 188 Troubles During the War, 192 Charters St. Francis' Institution, . . . 190 The Court of Last Resort, 200 Erects Substantial Buildings, .... 204 The First Postmaster, 205 Organizes a Town Company, .... 206 Seldom in Court, 206 Retires from Active Duties, 209 Fifty Years a Priest, 210 His Last Days, , . 213 A Man of Modesty, 217 A Man of Courage, 217 His Introduction to the Osages, . . . . 218 A Letter to The Big Chief, ..... 219 CHAPTER XIV. FATHER JOHN BAX. Biographical Sketch, 221 Father Bax's First Letter, 222 Father Bax's Second Letter, ... . 233 Father Bax's Third Letter, < 243 Death of Father Bax, 245 CHAPTER XV. PRESIDENTS OF ST. FRANCIS INSTITUTION. Father Adrian Sweere. 254 Father John Kuhlman, ........ 254 Father J. R. Ros winkle 256 Father B. A. Shaffel, 256 CHAPTER XVI. OTHER EARLY JESUITS. Father Adrian Van Hulst, 257 Father Theodore Heimann, 257 Father J. Logan, 257 Father J. C. Van Goch, 257 Father J. L. Settles, 258 Father Phillip Colleton, 258 Brother Thomas O'Donnell, 260 Father Van Der Hagan, ....... 260 Father Joseph M. Rimmele, 261 CHAPTER XVII. >ST. FRANCIS CHURCH. History, Magnitude, Etc., 262 Father Paul Writes of St. Francis Church, 265 The Old Log Church, 271 CHAPTER XVIII. SISTERS O LORETTO. Sisters of Loretto Among the Osages, . . St. Ann's Academy Established, .... CHAPTER XIX. MOTHER BRIDGET. Biographical Sketch, 280 John Brunt's Tribute, .1 282 Margaret Hill McCarter's Tribute, ... Father Paul's Tribute, . ILLUSTRATIONS. Father Ponziglione, Opening Home of the Jesuits at Osage Mission, . . 12 The Old Log Church, 60 St. Francis* Church, Monastery and School, 76 St. Francis' Institution, 108 St. Ann's Academy, 124 Father Schoenmakers, 189 Mbther Bridget, 204 College Hall, St. Francis' Church and Monastery, 1890, . . . . j, . . . 252 St. Francis' Church, , . 2f> This picture is made from an oil painting made by Edgar Leon, of Chi cago, for St. Paul's Council No. 760, Knights of Columbus, and donated by the Ccuncil to the Kansas Historical Society. The painting is in the Art Gallery of the Society at Topeka. INTRODUCTION. . .- j "For min - own part, I shall be glad to learn of noble men!' SHAKESPEARE. The pages of history teem with the achieve ments of military men and of statesmen, but it often happens that men who have done greater work for humanity are given only passing notice. The mission of the military man is to destroy. His work characterizes the animal nature of man. The statesman has to do with the political and business side of life which is more or less con structive and commendable. The humble mis sionary deals with the spiritual and more elevat ing features of life. He substitutes the Cross of Christ for the rifle and bayonet. He flies nq flag. He sounds no bugle call save that of his own voice. His uniform is the plain black robe of his order. The battles he fights are battles for peace, light and eternal happiness. He goes about his labars quietly, without the "blare of trumpets," roar of cannon, or the "pomp of state," seldom attracting attention outside of the limited field of his labors ; but who can say that his is not the noblest calling of all and that in the final reckoning his will not be the greatest re ward ? Who can say that mankind does not reap greater benefits from the services of the humble but sincere missionary than from those of either the soldier or the statesman ? These missionaries have blazed the way of civilization, raised men out of savagery, out of the "slough of despond," and "made straight the paths" mankind must tread. The effects of their labors reflect far in to the future and generations after generations reap benefits therefrom, and many a man has thereby been enabled to pass the portals of the "pearly gates" who otherwise would have travel ed the other way. It is in an effort to give one of these mission aries, Rev. Paul M. Ponziglione S. J., his true place in history, that I have compiled this book. He was truly a "noble man," yet one of the humblest among men. He labored without pay or desire for or hope of earthly reward, yet no man did a greater service for Kansas in its pioneer days. The Osage Indians as well as thousands of white people today are enjoying blessings resulting from labors he so quietly performed that historical writers know not of them. No doubt many important events in his life are not recorded because only few knew of them, and in his humility he did not record them himself. In compiling this book, I feel I cannot do him full justice, but as abler writers have not under taken it, I have done my best during the few hours I could spare from my newspaper work. I have searched all records available and have written many letters of inquiry in an effort to> get accurate information, and I am thankful to all those who gave me assistance. I have added a number of articles written by others which have a bearing on the life of Father Ponziglione or give an insight into the conditions of the country at the time he was doing his great mis sionary work in Kansas and what is now Okla homa. I have also added extended references to some of his co-laborers here in Kansas and to St. Francis' Church. His labors were so closely as sociated with others and with this church that his biography cannot be fully told without telling something of them. I knew Father Ponziglione personally, and re member him as a man below average height, but rather stoutly built. He was an old man when I knew him, his hair being almost snow-white, but he had an elastic step and a cheery smile that made one forget his age. He accosted the rich and the poor, the Christian and the sinner, the friend and the stranger alike with the same pleasant greeting that made for him a friend of everyone. Altho he wore "purple and fine linen" in his boyhood days, his attire in after years was always plain and in keeping with his calling. He was always doing good to the needy and worthy, yet he did it quietly and sought to avoid pub licity or praise. He was truly a true follower of the ''Lowly Nazarene," and is now reaping an eternal reward for ihis fidelity and for his great work for humanity and for God. The memory of his friendship will always be cherished by the writer. Yours truly, W. W. GRAVES. St. Paul, Kansas, 1916. "Brave men are they who push and climb Beyond all formulas, While the plodding ranks that serve old Time Pull back for Time's old way; Strong men are they who hold their own On the outposts of the new, 'Till the world hath to their stature grown And seen that false was true." THE JESUIT MISSION. Just as the sun went down, they heard a murmur of voices, And in a meadow green and broad, by the bank of a river, Saw the tents of the Christians, the tents of the Jesuit Mission. Under a towering oak that stood in the midst of the village, Knelt the Black Robe chief with his children. A crucifix fastened High on the trunk of a tree, and overshadowed by grapevines, booked with agonizing face on the multitude kneel ing beneath it. This was their rural chapel. Aloft thru the intri cate arches Of its aerial roof, arose the chant of their vespers, Mingling its notes with the soft sursurrus and sighs of the branches. Silent, with heads uncovered, the travelers nearer approaching, Knelt on the swarded floor, and joined in the even ing devotions. But when the service was done, and the benediction had fallen Forth from the hands of the priest, like seed from the hand of the sower, Slowly the reverend man advanced to the strangers and bade them Welcome; and when they replied, he smiled with benignant expression, Hearing the homelike sounds of his mother-tongue in the forest, And, with words of kindness conducted them to his wigwam. There upon mats and skins they reposed, and on cakes of the maize-ear Feasted^ and slaked their thirst from the water- gourd of the teacher. LONGFELLOW. The Life and Letters OF= REV. FATHER PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE S. J. CHAPTER I. A ROYAL MISSIONARY. "Seek out the man who has God fpr his guide; Nothing to blush for and nothing to hide; Be he a noble or be he in trade, This is the gentleman nature has made!' N. L. O'D. Rev. Paul M. Ponziglione S. J., (pronounced Pon-zee-lo-nee, third sylable accented, long o.) was one of those pioneer Jesuit missionary priests who had their home at Osage Mission, (now St. Paul,) Kansas, and who labored among the Osage Indians aind the early settlers in south eastern Kansas and the Indian Territory more than half a century ago. A desire to carry the gospel of Christ to the Indian aborigines of the plains was the spirit that impelled him to leave the palace of his truly "royal" family in sunny Italy to take up his abode in a log hut in the wilderness of the prairies where members of his race were few and far apart, but where Indians, yet untrained in the ways of civilization roamed at will, hampered only by fear of the wild beasts which then dominated the plains. Few men vol unteer to make such sacrifices as to give up a palace for a hut, riches for poverty, ease and 2 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. pleasure for much labor and many hardships, and yet still fewer men have accomplished as much good for the world and left behind such a record of noble, heroic deeds, such a record of achieve ments. His efforts brought countless blessings to these, to him, strange and foreign people, which will continue to result in their good for genera tions yet to come. The white man too shared in the fruits of his labors and was thereby strengthened to face the battles incident to the "blazing of the way of civilization," and the transformation of the wilderness into homesteads. Even now, seeds sown by Father Ponziglione continue to bear fruit that add materially to the welfare of peo ple who never knew him or even suspect the identity of the sower. BORN A REAL COUNT. "Hands that the rod of empire might have sway ed, Or waked to ecstacy the living lyre." GRAY. Father Ponziglione was born February II, 1818, in the city of Cherasco, the Tusculum or fashionable summer resort of the upper classes of Turin, in Piedmont, Italy. His father was Count Felice Ferrero Ponziglione di Borgo d'Ales. His mother was the Countess Ferrero Ponziglione, nee Marchioness Ferari di Castel- nuovo, of the Royal family of Italy. The bap tismal name given Father Ponziglione was Count Paul Ml Ferrero Ponziglione di Borgo d'Ales. Besides being a Ferrero and a Ponziglione, he was also a Guerra, his father's mother having been the Countess of Guerra, the last represent ative in a direct line of that ancient noble family. There are male descendants of the Ferreros still LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 3 living in Italy, but Father Paul was the last male representative of the Guerras and Ponzigliones and the direct titles of both of those ancient and truly noble families died with him. On his moth er's side, he belonged to the Ferrari, another well known historic family of Italy. Marchioness Adelaide d'Omera, who resided for years in the palace d'Omera in Turin, was his oldest sister. It is said that her son Marquis d'Omera signed his name d'Omera Ponziglione in order to pre serve the latter name from extinction. Another sister was Baroness Philomena Oreglia di Santa Stephano, whose brother-in-law, Cardinal Oreglia di Santo Stephano, now deceased, was Cardinal Dean or Senior Cardinal during part of the reign of Pope Leo XIII. Father Paul, as he was familiarly known to- the people of Kansas, was educated as became his nobility, according to the customs of his- country in those days. He was first sent to the. Royal College of Novera, and later to the Col lege of Nobles, at Turin, both conducted by the Jesuits. At the end of his college course he pre sented himself before the royal board of examin ers of the University of Turin and won the de gree of bachelor of arts. The education of a young nobleman in those days was not considered complete until he had won the laurels of doctor utrisque juris, so Count Paul studied jurispru dence at the University for more than a year. While at the University he became convinced that he was called to be a priest and a Jesuit, and he set about at once to begin preparation for his future labors. To become an humble Jesuit meant the sacrifice of very much for him, as the world goes. At that time his father was still very wealthy and the family, in all its branches, was among the most influential at court. Indeed 4 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. there were evidences that Count Paul might be come one of the rulers of his country. Count Paul realized all this but he relinquished his patrimony into the hands of his father, turned his back on worldly allurements and prospects and entered the novitiate of the Society of Jesus at Chieri, not far from Turin. He was received into the Jesuit Order February 27, 1839. Here he was given the ordinary training of young Jesuits, and from the beginning enjoyed that happiness which characterized his life and which was to be to all whom he would ever meet as gladdening as laughter and as cheering an>l warming as sunshine. DEPORTED BY REVOLUTIONISTS. "Now my co-mates and partners in exile Hath not old customs made this life more sweet Than that of painted pomp? Are not these plains More free from peril than the curious court?" From Chieri, Father Paul was sent to the Jesuit college at Genoa and he was stationed there at the time the revolution of 1848 broke out. Three strong factions were each striving for control of Italy in those days. One faction wanted a republic, another wanted a confederacy with the Pope at the head, while the third want ed a constitutional monarchy under the rule of the King of Sardinia. Austria, then as now, was recognized as an enemy of all Italy. The leaders of the revolution in Genoa began their brilliant exploits on the night of February 28, by arresting eighteen defenceless old Jesuit Fathers and marching them in triumph to the palace of the governor. Father Paul managed to be left behind at the College to nurse an old AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 5 lay-brother who, on account of his infirmities, could not be moved. The revolutionists were not yet sure of their course and this is said to have also influenced them to hesitate about laying hands on a Guerra-Ferrero-Ponziglione, but the next day the governor went over to the side of the revolutionists and soon after Father Paul was marched under heavy escort to the palace. At two o'clock on the morning of March I, the Jesuits were conducted by a strong military guard to the sea coast and put on board of the San Michele, the largest man-of-war of the King of Sardinia, which had been put at the disposal of the governor to aid his faction of the revolu tionists. The prisoners, including Father Paul, were kept closely confined for three days in a narrow, dingy space like a cellar, in the hull of the ship. They were next transferred to a ship bound for the gulf of Spezia. The revolution ists had sent word ahead to their confederates at Spezia to give the Jesuits a warm reception, and it was given by a howling mob armed with sticks, stones and clods of dirt. Father Paul was struck by a stone and severely injured in the head but managedj by the aid of his companions to escape into the Dutchy of Modena. The rabble followed them to the line, but dared not pur sue them farther, for Modena was dangerous ground for revolutionists. After resting a while at Massa Carara, the Fathers scattered into the mountains, leaving young Paul to shift for himself. Having, some months prior to the revolution, offered his service as a volunteer missionary to Rev. Anthony Elet S. J., then superior of the western Jesuits in the United States, which offer had been duly accepted, Father Paul decided to go to the United States. But he had not yet 6 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. taken all the steps in his ordination to the priesthood, and he set out for Rome to complete his preparation for his life work in what was soon to be his home across the sea. HIS TROUBLES IN ROME. Professor Paul, ?s Father Paul was then call ed, experienced great difficulty in passing over into Tuscany, but on reaching the city of Pietra Santa he met a good friend who put him on board a steamer at Livorno bound for Civita Vecchia, and provided him with ample funds for the journey. He arrived in Rome just at the outbreak of the revolution there. The success of the revolutionists in France who had just driven Louis Phillipi from the country, gave im petus to the revolutionary spirit in Italy. Pope Pius IX issued his Statute Fundament ale March 14, 1848, in an effort to reorganize the temporal government of the papal states by enlarging the liberties of the people and especially of the press, but it failed to have the desired effect. Up to this time, the pope had shown no particular sym pathy with the Jesuits, but he endeavored to pro tect them against the measures brought forward for their expulsion. This angered a strong ele ment among the revolutionists and added to their fury, and was one of the things that led to the assassination of Monsignore Palma, the pope's secretary, whom Father Paul knew quite well. During this stormy period the father general ordered Father Paul and several other junior Jesuits to repair to St. Andrea, the famous Jusuit novitiate at Rome, there to prepare for the re ception of holy orders. Father Paul was or dained priest on March 25, 1848, by Constan- AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 7 tine Patrizi, then the cardinal vicar of the Pope in Rome. Toward the end of May, 1848, Father Paul- visited Pope Pius IX, received his blessing and departed on his journey toward the land of his adoption. His first stop was in Turin, no doubt to settle his family affairs. He next went to Paris where he arrived in the terrible days of the barricades, but managed to reach Harve-de- Grace without mishap, where he boarded the first sailing vessel bound for New York. "No luxury or ease was there To lap the traveler into rest, But staunch it bore the pioneer On toward the West." C. M. HARGER. HIS JOURNEY WESTWARD. Ocean vessels in those days were not the float ing palaces which we now have and which cross the ocean in a few days. And it was not even the best one of the times in which Father Paul embarked. It was a wretched craft and the sea was stormy during much of the trip. The trip to New York required forty-eight days, and they were wearisome days too. To add to the troubles of the passengers, smallpox broke out among them. These trials and dangers were met by the young priest with "unfailing cheerfulness and unfaltering courage." They were but hard ening him for other hardships which he was to experience on the western prairies. Father Paul spent his first few days in America in New York City, after which he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and spent a month at old St. Xaxier college. About this time nearly a hun- 8 LIfE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. dred other Jesuits, exiles from Italy and Switzer land, arrived in America, and about forty of them, including Father Paul, were invited by Rev. John A. Elet S. J., who had been in stalled as superior of the vice-province of Miss ouri, to join the Jesuit colony at the St. Louis University. The invitation was accepted. After a short stay at the University in order, to familiar ize himself with American ways, customs and language, Father Paul was assigned to duty for a while at Bardstown, Ky., where the Jesuits had just opened St. Joseph's College. A few months later he was transferred to missions in Missouri. The records do not show at what points in Missouri he was stationed. Father Paul left St. Louis on May u, 1851, for the country of the Osages. Rt. Rev. Bishop Miege, who had just been consecrated by Arch bishop Kendrick and assigned to the diocese of Leavenworth, was his traveling companion on the journey. Modes of travel were quite different when Father Paul made his first journey to Osage Mis sion from what they are now. We may now take breakfast in St. Louis and eat supper in St. Paul (Osage Mission) the same day. Father Paul made his journey up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers to Kansas City Landing in a, boat. From the boat landing the remainder of the trip was made on horseback over the trail made by the freighters and Indian traders. All supplies at that time were hauled to the, Mission from Kansas City Landing by ox wagons, and as many days were required to make the trip as it now takes hours. No railroad had then pene trated this section. The boats on the big streams were much slower than those of today, hence the trip Father Paul had to make to get to the AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 9 scene of his future labors was a weary one and required several days. But the welcome which awaited him on his arrival was a most agreeable surprise. The news of his coming had preceed- ed him, and while he was yet several- miles away, Indian couriers met him to welcome him and escort him to his new home. Father Paul reached Osage Mission July 4, 1851. Bishop Miege accompanied Father Pauli to the Mission to look into conditions, for all of Kansas was then part of the Leavenworth dio cese over which he had just been placed in 'charge. Their coming on this Independence day meant much the same for the Indians as another impor tant event of this day meant for the colonists of America three-fourths of a century before. .It meant the coming of one who was to liberate the natives from the bondage of savagery and bring them to the ways of civilization, Christianity, peace, happiness and plenty. Good Father Schoenmakers and his small band and the few Sisters of Loretto who were here joined with the Indians in prayers of thanksgiv ing for their coming, for there was much work to do and few to do it. The above and a few scattered traders were the only whites in this sec tion then. Father Paul's coming was like pene trating the wilds of an unknown land. The scenes were far different from those of a royal household, but this was ,the country he sought when he left his native land, and he set about his work among the Indians with a will and with that happy smile upon his face that was for years so familiar to the people of Kansas. "He tried each art, reproved each dull delay, Allured to brighter ^vorlds and led the way." GOLDSMITH. 10 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. HfS LABORS AMONG THE OSAGES. "'Tis time Nezv hopes should animate the world, new tight Should dawn from new revealings to a race Weighed down so long." Father Paul soon learned the language of the ''Children of the Prairie" and they soon learned to love Father Paul. His services and advice were sought by all members of the tribe. No event occurred among them but he was soon informed of it. No feast was held without him as a guest of honor. He was always asked to partake of the "fruits of the chase" when the braves had returned from the hunt. He was called upon to administer comfort in times of sadness, and to share their happiness in times of joy. When he went on journeys they accom panied him to protect him from the perils of the then wild prairie, and from the wild beasts that lurked in the tall prairie grass. He was known in every camp of the Osages, far and near, and it is said that in all his relations with the Osages they never distrusted him nor offered him any bodily harm. On the contrary they looked upon him as a leader, guide, and adviser. He obtained this good will by his kindness, his goodness, by always doing his utmost for their good, and by never betraying the confidence they imposed in him. It is true that during the perilous times at the opening of the civil war Father Paul, with Father Schoenmakers and the other members of the Jesuit order, were obliged to leave the Mission for a time and seek safety at St. Mary's, Kansas, but this was made neces sary by the perfidy of whites rather than by the Osages, altho the Osages were then divided LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. II among themselves, some siding with the south, and some favoring the Union. Most of the boys in the Mission schools above the age of fifteen, joined the Union army. After an absence of eight months at St. Mary's, the Fathers returned to their home at the Mission in March, 1862, and were later instrumental in persuading the Indians from the south to not only spare the Mission but also spare Humboldt and other towns farther north which the southern Osages, and some Cherokees, who had joined them, had decided to raid and destroy. The close of the war brought quieter times, and the old order was resumed. Father Paul continued his work among the Osages, administering to their wants, both spirit ual and temporal, until 1870, when the Osages, giving way to the westward march of civilization, sold their land to the government and moved to the Indian Territory, locating in the vicinity of their present home. Even then, Father Paul did not give up his labors among the Osages, but visited them in their new home at frequent in tervals to look after their spiritual wants and to instruct and educate them. Thru his influence they continued for years afterwards to send their children back to the Mission to be educated. Father Paul's team of ponies and white top bug gy was known to every member of the tribe and to thousands of other Indians and white people whom he visited on his journeys. His guiding hand turned many an erring Indian as well as many a pioneer white man in the right direction and saved him from threatening dangers. To this day traditions among the Indians tell many incidents in the life of Father Paul, and every child in the tribe knows much of his history. As an appreciation of his great labors, and those of good Father Schoenmakers, in their behalf, the 12 LIFE: AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. Osages contributed liberally toward the expense of erecting the magnificent St. Francis' Church which stands at the east edge of St. Paul as a lasting monument to the early efforts of these two pioneer Jesuits. The first time Father Paul's name appears up on the records of the Mission church in an of ficial capacity is at the baptism of three Osages on September 16, 1851. The first person baptis ed by him at the Mission was Pelagic, daughter of Manshasemani. His name was signed to this record as Paulus Marie Ponziglione S.J. Howev er he had on August 6, 1851, baptised Charlie Moquete, a French boy, in Coffey county. The first funeral at which he officiated was that of Francis Alexander Tinker, on September 17,1851. Beginning with 1852 Father Paul entered ac tively in the parish work, it having taken him a few months to master the Osage language. For about three years he officiated at most of the baptisms, marriages and funerals at the Mission. During these years he began his regular visits to the various towns of) the Osages, and other Fathers would care for the local parish during his absence. His records show he baptised per sons in the towns of the various bands of the tribe, some of which are given here : Papin's town or Nartze Waspe, Briar's town or Vacaca Ougri, Little town or Mantzeeacke Tonwa. These were towns of White Hiair's band on the Neosho. Clairmont, Black Dog, Big Hill or Tanwas- hieshie town, Tale, Tei-teio-anco. These were towns of Clairmont's band of Big Osages on the Verdigris. Little Bear, Numpewale, Citopa. These were towns of Little Bear's band of Little Osages on the Timber Hills. [ I S s o < w N t^; < W K O cc LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 13 Other Indian towns visited by Father Paul, mention of which was made in his records were as follows : Cally's town or Sanze Vagrin, Fail- ly's town on the Verdigris, Woipoka town of the Little Osages on Big Creek, Wolf's town of Black Dog's band, Tishohanka town, and Little Osages' Big Chief's town. He baptised many Quapaw Indians during the early years of his stay ^t the Mission, but as many of the Qiuapaw children were brought to the Mission school it is quite probabk that most, if not all of his work among the Quapaws was done at the Mission. The records show that several members of the Quapaw tribe were bur ied in the Mission cemetery. In 1855 he visited the Little Osages then lo cated in Bates county, Missouri, and other scat tered bands of Indians north of the Mission He speaks of visiting the Sac and Fox agency in 1867 and the Kaw Reserve in Morris county in 1870, the Cheyenne Agency on the North Fork and the tribes around Ft. Sill in the Indian Ter ritory in 1871. He records visits to the Kaw reservation in the Indian Territory in 1877,1880, 1881, 1882, 1884 and 1885. In 1879 h e was among the Creeks and speaks of baptisms per formed at Muskogee and Ft. Gibson. In 1880 he made two trips into the Indian Territory. His records show he was as far south as McAlester and Savanna, I. T., this year, and he mentions having been at Vinita and Eufaula. The Osages, however, were the favorites of Father Paul and he gave them his closest atten tion, not only while they resided in Kansas, but after they moved to the Indian Territory he made regular visits to them every year prior to his departure for Milwaukee in 1889. He men tions specifically having been on Birch creek, Big 14 UFE AND OTTERS OF FATHER PAUL. Cana and Hominy creek and at Deep Ford on the Osage reservation in 1877. Father Paul contributed liberally to the liter ature of the Osages. He spoke their language as fluently as he did English or Latin, and he wrote many articles in that language. Wilder in his Annals of Kansas, says: "Father Pon- ziglione wrote an Osage prayer book; it is own ed by Dr. J. G. Shea, at Elizabeth, N. J." HIS LABORS AMONG THE WHITES. "His down-bed a pallet; his trinkets a bead; His luster one taper, that serves him to read; His sculpture the crucifix nailed to his bed; His paintings one print of the thorn-crowned head; His cusions the pavement that wearies his knees; His music the psalms, or the sigh of the breeze; The delicate noble lives mortified there, And the feast is forgotten for fasting and prayer." The presence of the Jesuits and the Sisters of Loretto and their schools at Osage Mission caus ed the early settlers in Southeast Kansas to clus ter around the Mission. This was especially true of those who were Catholics. The Mission became the "trading post" of Southeast Kansas, and the country around settled rapidly. While continuing his labors among the Indians, Father Paul did not neglect these early settlers. He ministered to their spiritual wants, did great work in helping to lighten the sufferings and hardships incident to pioneer life on the prairies, and likewise assisted Father Schoenmakers in educating their children. Nor did he confine his LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 1$ labors to those who settled near the Mission. As the settlers began to dot the prairies far and near, he made regular visits to them. Often he would gather together a few Catholics in some settler's home and say Mass for them and look after their general spiritual needs. It may be said that his parish at one time extended north almost to Kansas City,, west far out into the plains country, and south almost to the Texas line. In time he established regular routes and covered them at regular intervals. On one visit he would tell the settlers when he would be there again, and it is said that he was remarkably prompt in filling these appointments. His white top buggy became as familiar to these settlers as it was to the Indians and its coming was al ways hailed with joy. As the settlers became more numerous, he began helping them to build churches that they might have better facilities for conducting their services. He continued to visit these churches as often as he could until, in time, resident priests were found to take charge of the work. In this way Father Paul did a wonder ful work for his church in Kansas in the pioneer days. It is on this work that Humboldt, Ottawa, Neodesha, Winfield and many other towns base their claims to him as their first parish priest, which in fact he was. His records mention vis its in 1857 to Big Creek, in Coffey county, Bur lington, North Fork of Pottawatomie Creek in Anderson county, and Bourbon county "on the creek called Little Pawnee. "In 1858 he speaks of visits at Miami Town, Kansas Territory, Prairie City in Douglass county, Cherokee Neutral Land on Walnut Creek. In 1859 he speaks of visits on Little Osage in Bourbon county, and at Co- fachigne in Allen county. In the early Sixties he mentions several visits l6 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. at LeRoy in Coffey county, Humboldt, Fall Riv- er, Emporia in Breckenridge county, Allen coun ty about Osage City, Ft. Scott, Mount City in Linn county ; also Owl Creek in Woodson coun ty, Mackee-chee postof^ce in Coffey county, Ot ter Creek in Coffey county, Barnsville in Bour bon ic.oimty, Diamond Creek in Chase county, Timber Hill in LaBete county, Dry Creek in Wilson and Woodson counties, Big Walnut in Butler county and Coyville in Wilson county. In the Seventies he mentions visits at several of the above named places and the following: Parkersburg in Montgomery county, Ladore in Neosho county, Cedar Point in Chase county, Wichita, Fredonia, Neotisha, Independence, Neosho Rapids in Lyons county, Grouse Creek in Cowley county, Bird Creek and Turkey Creek in Butler county, Morgan *in Montgomery coun ty, New Ark township in Wilson county, Sand Creek in Wilson county, Irish Creek in Mont gomery county, Parsons, Chanute, Longton township in Elk county, Potato Creek in Labette county, Thayer, Bolton and Cedar in Cowley county, Center and Sedan townships in Howard county, Winfield, Salt Spring in Greenwood county, Cherryvale, Salt Creek in Chautauqua county. From 1876 to 1880 he mentions visits at Cof- feyville, Oswego, Wild Cat township in Elk county, Howard City, Longton, Elgin, New Al bany, Elk Falls township in Elk county, Altoona, Erie, Neosho Rapids in Kansas, and Muskogee, Ft. Gibson, Eufaula, McAlester, Savanna, Kavv reservation and Osage reservation in Oklahoma. Father Paul also did considerable missionary work in Missouri. In 1859 he mentions being at Granby in Newton county, and also as being in Jasper and Vernon counties. In 1861 he visit- AND OTTERS OF FATHER PAUL. I/ ed various points in Jasper county and in 1866 was at Neosho Town, in 1868 at Carthage, and 1875 at Harrisonville. From the above list of places it may be seen that he covered a wide range of territory in his missionary work. He visited many of these points at regular intervals for several years, quitting only when relieved by resident priests; while to some of these he continued his periodi cal visits up to 1889, when he left Kansas. The names of places are spelled here just as they appear on his records. Some of them are still known by the same name, some by a differ ent name, and some by the same name different ly spelled, while some have ceased to be known. The old log church at Osage Mission became too small to accommodate the people who de sired to worship there, and Fathers Paul and Schoenmakers set about to provide a more com modious place of worship, and together they laid the plans for the present spacious and beautiful St. Francis church. Much of the work of raising the funds for the construction of this church fell upon the shoulders of Father Paul. Having charge of the parish work, he therefore had charge of all the festivals, fairs and entertain ments that helped to raise money and about fif teen years were required to bring the building near enough to completion that it might be used foi church services. Good Father Schoenmakers did not live to see the new church more than half completed, but Father Paul had the proud satis faction of being the celebrant at the Solemn High Mass on the day of its dedication, May n, 1884. The writer had the pleasure of being pres ent on this auspicious occasion. Father Paul took a deep interest in the schools and gave them close attention in all his work. 1 8 LIFE AND LETTERS Of FATHER PAUL. When St. Francis Institution was incorporated he became secretary of the board of trustees and served in that capacity for several years. On his trips over the country he was ever alert for stu dents for the Mission schools. Many boys and girls, Indians and whites, were sent to the Mis sion schools thru his solicitation. He was also a frequent visitor at the schools and delivered many lectures to the students. A man of remarkable energy, fine ability, an earnest, tireless worker, was Father Paul. He bore hardships and exposure that would have broken an ordinary man. He knew what it was to ride for days at a time across the prairies in the severest storms of winter or in the burning heat of summer. He knew what it was to sleep on the open prairie with a laprobe for his bed and the canopv of heaven for his cover. All these did not seem to effect his health or his disposi tion, for in his old aee he retained a splendid youthful face that did not seem to grow old. Only once do we find a record of him being seri ously ill. In the Osage Mission Journal, January 26, 1876, the following was printed: "Father Ponziglione was taken suddenly and seriously ill while celebrating Mass at Independence last Sunday, and reached home Tuesday in an alarm ing condition. We are informed this is the first illness the Father has had for nearly a score of years, notwithstanding he had endured great hardships during that time." One of the most remarkable points in the eventful life of this remarkable man is that in the midst of his roaming life he managed to keep up his studious habits. He was regarded as one of the finest Latin scholars and writers in the Society of Jesus which is noted for its men of great learning, many of them of world-wide LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 19 fame. Father Paul wrote much Latin prose and verse, and some of his historical sketches are pre served in the archives in Rome, A number of his articles have been published in magazines, and much of the history of southeastern Kansas is based on articles he wrote. .-1 CELEBRATES HIS JUBILEE. "A bright, cheerful, happy s&ul; a tentative heart, a tem-perment open to emotion and im pulse; and all this elevated, refined by the touch of heaven" such was Father Paul, "winning followers, riveting affections, by hi>s sweetness, frankness and neglect of self." One important and happy event in the life of Father Paul was celebrated in Osage Mission, February 26 and 27, 1889. It was the fiftieth anniversary of his admission into the Society of Jesus. St. Francis Institution and St. Ann's Academy were at their zenith in those days and the pupils joined with the people in the program; of this festive occasion. The pupils of St. Fran cis' parish school had charge of the program in the' forenoon of the first day, and the pupils of St.. Ann's Academy tendered the Rev. Jubilarian 31 most fitting reception in the afternoon. A public reception was given in College Hall in the even ing. A band and an orchestra furnished the music. The decorations were elaborate and the illuminations were brilliant. About forty visit ing clergymen were present, and the big hall was filled to its capacity with people. Speeches of eulogy were numerous, and the presents valuable and appropriate. Among the presents was a cope from the Osage Indians of the Indian Ter ritory. Presents were also received from the 2O LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. parishes at Winfield, Parsons, Independence and Cherry vale, where he had served as pastor before resident priests were obtained. An intensely interesting part of the program was the reply of Father Paul to the congratula tions, and his acceptance of the presents tendered him. His stories and reminisences of "Ye Olden Times," caused much laughter, at the same time conveyed important historical information of pioneer days on the plains. The religious part of the jubilee took place on the second day, when Father Paul was the celebrant at a Solemn High Mass in St. Francis' church. Rev. Henry Moeller S. J., rector of the St. Louis University, delivered a very appro priate and eloquent sermon containing allusions to the life and work of Father Paul which sent thrills of emotion thru those who had been wit nesses Or sharers of the "heats and labors of the day." Pope Leo XIII sent the following message thru his cardinal secretary, which was read by Rev. Fr. J. R. Roswinkle S. J. : "Rome, February i, 1889. "Rev. and Dear Father: "P. C. "The Holy Father very willingly grants his special blessings to Father Ponziglione S. J., for his Golden Jubilee and to all those present on the celebration day. "I join my heartfelt congratulations and rec ommending myself to your holy sacrifices, I re main, "Yours in J. C. "C. CARDINAL MAZELLA." A writer signing the article "T. A. D." wrote LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 21 the following for the Neosho County Journal, dated January i, 1889, relative to the Golden Jubilee of Father Paul: "Forty-two years ago there knelt at the feet of that grand Pontiff the illustrious Pius IX a young man in the garb of a Jesuit ; there he knelt with bowed head and tearful eye to receive the blessings of heaven from that venerable Pontiff, and to listen to the affectionate outpourings of a heart that could fully appreciate the secret grief of the soul, from his own intense sorrow. There he knelt drinking in the sweet words of consola tion ere he departed an exile to home, country and friends ; banished from fair and beautiful Italy, because, foresooth, he was a religious and doubly banished because he was a Jesuit. That young man was Rev. Paul Ponziglione, S. J. "Born in the little village of Cherasco, a few leagues from the great metropolis of Turin. Father Paul passed his happy childhood under the paternal roof till the age to enter college, where he spent ten years in solid preparation for the great hidden life before him. ''After a very successful course in the classics and sciences he left his renowned Alma Mater, to seek in the Jesuit Order, a life, not of ease and comfort and honor, but a life of toil, privation, aye and even exile, for soon the fierce persecu tion of the 'Carfonari' drove not only him and his humble colleagues from their homes, but even the revered Pontiff whose paternal benediction he had so lately received. And now bidding one long, sad farewell to the land of his birth, he seeks on other shores that hospitality denied to him on his own, and thus 'Sunny Kansas' be comes to him The Gem of the World.' "Forty years ago in company with Bishop Miegs also a Jesuit he entered the State of 22 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. Kansas and made St. Mary's their first episcopal see. On July 4, 1851, the Bishop and. Father Paul entered Osage Mission, and were greeted by Fathers Shoenmakers, Bax and Hiemans, who were then the only secular priests in that vast region. From thenceforth Osage Mission be came the center of his great work and the re sults are wonderful. Sixty missions which he established all over Kansas, and even in Missouri and the Indian Territory, testify to the indefati gable zeal and energy of this renowned pioneer missionary. Many of those missions are today the most flourishing of our cities. Besides this great record of building up religion and churches, in totally unknown regions, he can add to his laurels, the distinguishing honor of having assist ed at the foundation of as many more missions. From an ably written article in the Topeka Com monwealth of last week, we extract the f ol 1 ow ing : ' 'The record of this man's life is his noblest panegyric. Mere words of praise would fall flat after the recital of such self denial, such hard ships as these records suggest. Father Pon- ziglione still retains the vigor of youth, altho 71 years of age. In spite of the many harships he has passed thru he has scarcely known the mean ing of the word sickness, as far as he is himself concerned. The great monument of his life, in which is his greatest pride, is the magnificent church and college at Osage Mission. The lat ter is always crowded, and each year many stu dents are refused because of lack of room. The old church which was torn down last summer was the first one erected in Eastern Kansas, It was replaced by a three story building for col lege purposes/ ' * * * AND LETTERS OF TAT HER PAUL. 23 Poems of the Golden Jubilee of Rev. Father Paul M. Ponziglione S. J., read at the celebra tion: SALUTATORY. (ANONYMOUS.) Thou hast not vainly tilled a thankless land Nor hast thou aimless turned frbm side to side; Thou hast not built upon the moving sand. Nor cast bright seed upon the flowing tide. Full fifty stars that light the flood of times; Full fifty hymns that rise in strains sublime Out vf the happy past; full fifty isles 'All steeped in Beauty's glow and bathed in smiles. From kindly Heaven; full fifty Angels fair, Crowned with soft lilies and sweet violets rare, These are the symbols of thy Rosary Of yeans the type of things that guild thy Jubilee. LITTLE GIRLS' GREETING. (MISS MAGGIE BARNES.) As He called "the blest" babe in olden days "The little ones come unto me" So our voices are first to strike tuneful lays Upon this, thy own Jubilee. Likewise may we please and a moment beguile, E'en tho words do so feebly speak, How happy we'd be to gain only your smile Your blessing we graciously seek. 24 UFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. O, long may your pathway beside ours remain As pledge of God's goodness given; Until wafted home we relinquish our claim, In the hope we shall meet in Heav'n. HAPPY HEARTS. (ANONYMOUS.) Happy heart and none more happy, Than the heart we loved and knew, In our childhood's guileless moments, And when yet our years were few, When each hour ivas like the ripple, Passinq o'er the ivoodland stream, Brightened unth the sun's own splendor. Naught reflecting but his beam. Faithful heart and none more loving, Than thfo heart we've later known; Heart by Jesus' ow-n heart cherished, Next to Jesite' all our own. Angels looking down from Heaven, See no spectacle more fair, Earth has not mid all her treasures Aught with thee that can compare. Happy hearts of fondest parents, Now in Heaven among the blest; Plappy as their eyes this morning, On their dear son proudly rest. Joyous now as life is waning, 'Ere his numbered year's are gone, Honored 'mongst the ^Lord's anointed, Lol they see their vested son. Happy heart, fond as a father's, Grateful hearts of children dear, LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. Gladdened on this feast returning, Bringing in the Fiftieth year" Fifty years how swiftly vanished! 'Time's veiled hand hath graved thy brow, Happy hearts if thou art with us, Many more as thou art now. "JUBILEE POHM." (MISS MAGGIE BARNES.) Not so bright in setting the sun appears, Than the glories of your well-spent life now shine. For full five decades of full golden years, Around your heart in peaceful memory twine. O priest among priests who from great Pius won, The blessing prized the boon from childhood's friend; A benediction gii/n to Ignatius' son, To guide and guard you safely unto the end. Wert destined in alien climes to roam, Lo! here your aged presence preserves, While younger hearts lie still within the tomb, And keep the vigil of the Vale of Tears. S>o may Heaven we pray, still spare you long, And shed new joys upon your hallowed way, Redoubling years like some sweet r\ythmic song, Glad, ling'ring echoes of your varied and almost inexhaustible fund of knowl edge made Father Paul's "stories" so fascinating to the young. He had a peculiar love for chil dren especially "his little boys" as he called them, but his fondness for them never encouraged any familiarity which might lead to disrespect to wards him. He invariably carried in his pockets a supply of little holy pictures, medals, Agnus Deis, etc., to distribute among the children whom he would meet on his rounds of visits. His smiling face and fatherly pat on each little head with a "God bless you," coming like a fervent prayer from the heart, won their love. Father Paul was not fastidious in dress. He wore (74) LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 75 coarse clothes, heavy boots, a low black felt hat, in winter flannel shirts and something like what is now called a sweater under his coat and knit ted wristlets, the last a yearly gift from good Mother Bridget. This attire is not to be wonder ed at when we consider the mode qf travel in early days. For many years he traveled on horseback, often sleeping on the bare ground with nothing but his saddle-blanket for a pillow and no other companion but his horse fastened somewhere nearby. In later years he drove a team of ponies to a little covered wagon. He generally carried a few provisions with him, as he would sometimes travel whole days without getting anything to eat. He told this story after returning from one of his journeys. It was a hot day and he had traveled many hours without taking any refreshment. He became very thirsty and rejoiced when he came in sight of an Indian tepee and was met by a friendly squaw. He kindly asked for a drink of water. She was glad to show him this hospitality and took a cup, or whatever kind of a drinking vessel she had, and carefully wiped it out with her long black hair before filling it with water. He could not over come the nausea caused by this sight, so he merely put the cooling liquid to his burning lips and by a quick movement drew her attention away from him. She remained ignorant of the strategy, for an Indian would never forgive an abuse of kindness. She was happy under the impression of having allayed his thirst. The In dians are naturally dirty and lousy, therefore it should not produce a shock to a sensitive nature nor provoke a feeling of disgust to know that Father Paul could not at all times come in con tact with so much filth and not become infected ; rather it should send a thrill of admiration for 76 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. the heroic sacrifice of his life which might have been spent in the luxurious rooms of an Italian palace or roaming thru its sweet-scented gar dens, instead of going from wigwam to wigwam among the savages of the forest. There were a few Catholic families in a small town sixty-five mites from Osage Mission, now St. Paul, and Father Paul visited them at stated intervals, al ways staying at the home of one particular fam ily while ministering to the spiritual wants of this little flock. On one occasion he went there and as usual the hostess arranged the spare bed-room with everything for his comfort, and as it was late in autumn when the nights were cool, she took out a fine pair of white wool blankets and placed them on his bed. Before re tiring to rest that night Father Paul spent some time chatting and inquiring about all his friends and what had transpired since his last visit, he appeared a little restless after his tiresome jour ney. The following morning the small congre gation assembled at this same house, and as was his custom, he celebrated Mass and administered the sacraments to them. He did not tarry long after his priestly ministrations were accomplish ed, but journeyed back to the Jesuit home in Osage Mission. After the guest departs the tidy housewife usually proceeds to clean and air the room he occupies during his sojourn. According ly this one in question went about the work and soon found she had a hard task before her, for her beautiful soft blankets were infested with ver min. Father Paul had spent the previous night at an Indian wigwam and was not yet fully aware of the presence of the vermin on his clothing. Father Paul endured all inconveniences and hardships silently and patiently, because his hap piness sprung from within himself and was in- LIFE AND LETTERS Otf FATHER PAUL. 77 dependent of external circumstances, for he had that inexhaustible good naturie whjich; is the most precious gift of Heaven; spreading itself like oil over the troubled sea of thought and keeping the mind smooth and equable in the roughest weather. The, Indians loved Father Paul and manifest ed their friendship for him in many ways. Yes, he even owed his life more than once to their loyalty. In a letter written while out on a mis sion among the Indians in St. Stephen's Mission, where he labored nearly a year, he narrated this incident: He was riding in a lonely and deso late part of the country where there was not a sign of human life visible. He had missed the trail, losing the direction in some way, so he attempted to cross a stream but when about mid way, he encountered a rapid current and deep water so that he lost control of his pony and found that he could not save himself from drown ing. With a fervent prayer from his heart he resigned himself to the Will of God. Suddenly, as if an angel came from Heaven a friendly In dian appeared upon the bank and leaped to his rescue. Few men ever embodied more greatness. He had every accomplishment and every quality man kind reveres and strives for. He was a great writer, a great scholar, but above all he was a great, true priest, winning the immortal crown of victory after a long life of more than four score years. CHAPTER V. MR. BREWSTER'S ADDRESS. On December 6, 1904, Samuel W. Brewster, of Chanute, Kansas, delivered an address before the Kansas Historical Society at Topeka, Kansas, on the life work of Father Paul. Below is quot ed all that part of his address which is not too great a repetition of what has already been said in this book. Mr. Brewster dees not hold the religious belief of Father Paul, hence what he said may be taken as an appreciation of the real personal character and work of the great mis sionary. Mr. Brewster spoke as follows : Love always expresses itself in service. He who lives forever in the minds and hearts of his countrymen has loved humanity. Thru humble, daily service, in kindly deeds to the unfortunate of earth, men become truly great. History is not an impartial critic. By reason of material prosperity, one may be considered great in his day and generation, but such great ness "is oft interred with his bones." Croesus is remembered but for one thing wealth. In his tory, he is a cold proposition. The name Nero produces a creeping, cringing sensation which time never can obliterate. But to be lovingly reverenced by all generations, one must be a Buddha, a Socrates, a Savonarola, or a Ponzig- lione. It often happens that, after great institutions are founded and immortal characters are built, the suggestive thought back of it all is forgotten. (78) LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 79 Oftener it is unknown to the world. In consider ing Osage Mission and the life-work of Father Paul M. Ponziglione, as missionary among the Indians, one would hardly anticipate a suggestion coming directly or indirectly from the great statesman, John C. Calhoun. In the year 1823, when Calhoun was secretary of war under President Monroe, the Right Rev erend Louis Dubourg, bishop of Upper and Low er Louisiana, consulted the president and secre tary of war in regard to devising means for the education of Indian children within his diocese. Mr. Calhoun suggested the advisability of asking the Jesuit priests of Maryland to furnish mem bers of their order to assist in such work. At White Marsh, Prince George county, Maryland, there were a number of young priests who, in 1821, has come with Rev. Charles Nerinckx from Europe for the purpose of devoting their lives to missionary work. Rev. Charles Van Quick enborne, a Belgian priest from Ghent, was then master of novices at White Marsh. He had come to the United States in 1817, hoping to become a Jesuit missionary among the Indians. Bishop Dubourg conveyed Mr. Calhoun's sug gestion to Father Van Quickenborne, at White Marsh, who at once saw the great opportunity of realizing his life hope to be a missionary among the Indians. On making known this newly suggested plan to the young priests who had come to the United States with Father Nerinckx, six of them, Bel gians, immediately' volunteered to accompany Father Van Quickenborne on his distant mission ary journey to the West. Bishop Dubourg generously offered to donate to these Maryland Jesuits a rich farm at Floris sant, near the Missouri river, and to put them in 8Q, LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. possession of his own church and residence in St. Louis. In 1827 Father Van Quickenborne left his Jesuit home in Missouri and made his first visit to the land of the Osage Indians in southern Kansas. He made two other visits to the Osage s in 1829 and 1830. But the noble work of the Jesuits among the Osage Indians took on per manent and lasting character in the spring of 1847, when they built a chiuch and established schools at the place where Father Van Quick enborne first acquainted these untutored savages with the virtues of the Christian religion. For nearly half a century this place was known as Osage Mission. Then, without regard for historic association, thru an unfortunate and mis taken notion entertained by some of the leading citizens, the name was changed to St. Paul, April 12, 1895. The town is located in Neosho county, Kansas, about ten miles southeast of the geo graphical center of the county near the beautiful Neosho river. There is a beautiful legend (which can hardly be called a legend, for want of age to make it such) that Father Van Quickenborne was the "Black Robe chief" of the mission where Long fellow's Evangeline, ''Just as the sun went down, . . . heard a murmur of voices, And in a meadow green and broad, by the bank of a river, Saw the tents of the Christians, the tents of the Jesuit Mission." "Under a toweling oak, that stood in the midst of the village, UFF, AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 8l Knelt the Black Robe chief ivith his children. A crucifix fastened High on the trunk of the tree, and overshadowed by grape-vines, Looked with its agonised face on the multitude kneeling beneath it. This was their rural chapel. Aloft, thru the in tricate arches Of its aerial roof, arose the chant of their ves pers, Mingling its notes with the soft susurrus and sights of the branches/' * * " * -;-- * * * * * It would be impossible to give a fair sketch of Father Ponziglione and his work among the Osage Indians without mentioning two very im portant personages connected with him in his labors Reverend Father John Schoenmakers and Mother Superior Bridget Hayden the first, a young Jesuit priest from Holland, and the sec ond, a nun of the order of the Sisters of Loretto, from Kentucky. ********** While Father Schoenmakers was the actuav founder of Osage Mission, he had been preceded, as said heretofore, by Father Van Quickenborne, in 1827, who in turn was preceded by Rev. Charles de la Croix, in 1822. The particular incident recorded of Father de la Croix's visit to the Osages was the baptism of two Indian children, James and Francis Choteau the first within this state. The first marriage ceremony of record within the state was that of Francis Daybeau, a half- breed, and Mary, an Osage woman, performed by Father Van Quickenborne in 1829 both the baptism and marriage ceremonies occurring where Osage Mission was subsequently founded. 82 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. Father Schoenmakers died July 28, 1883, at the age of seventy-six. His death caused univer sal sadness thruout both Catholic and Protestant communities, for he was loved and reverenced by all who knew him. He was buried in the Catholic cemetery at Osage Mission, where a simple marble slab marks his grave ; but his noble life stands as a lasting monument for genera tions to come. Mother Bridget Hayden, the co-worker with Fathers Schoenmakers and Ponziglione, was born in 1815. October 5, 1847, she arrived at Osage Mission with a small band of Sisters of Loretto from Kentucky, and at once established a school for the education of Indian girls. This school grew very rapidly, and with the settlement of the country, its privileges were extended to the white girls. Soon an academy, or boarding- school, was started, the first boarding-school for girls in Kansas. The popularity of this academy extended beyond the borders of the state, so that, in a few years, several states and territories were represented on the roster of the school. This in stitution was maintained until September, 1895, when the buildings were destroyed by fire, and never have been rebuilt. The Sisters of Loretto having left the mission after the fire, other sis ters started a day-school ; but only the pictur esque ruins remain on the site of this once popu lar and famous academy. Mother Bridget continued in charge of the girls' school for about forty years, and until the day of her death. She was a most lovable char acter. Eminently practical, her generosity knew no bounds. Her hand was always outstretched to the weak and needy. Many a poor girl, with no way or means of acquiring an education, was AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 83 lovingly helped by Mother Bridget thru St. Ann's Academy. In 1870 Noble L. Prentis visited Osage Mis sion. Upon the death of Mother Bridget, some years later, Mr. Prentis, recalling this visit, paid a tender tribute to this saintly woman in an edi torial article, from which the following extract is taken : "It was at this visit that the writer met, for the first and last time, Bridget Hay den, known to the world as Mother Bridget. Born in 1815, her hair was white in 1870. She had passed thru, in her earlier years in the wilderness, quite enough to change its color. She was a woman of com manding look, and spoke in a firm, resolute but quiet way, as one should, accustomed to impress herself on human creatures brought to her as wild as any bird or beast in all their native prai ries ; this she had done and more she had gained their affections. The conversation which she held at once took a religious turn, and the listener would be very ungrateful if he did riot remem ber that Mother Bridget, as well she might from the privilege of her years, spoke to him like a mother indeed, not of churches and creeds, but of the necessity of personal righteousness." It is easy to do good when no sacrifices are re quired. Too often the best preacher is 'called" to the best-paying place. Biit the greatest mani festation and supreme test of religious worth and nobility of character is when the preacher or priest renounces once and forever all the allur ing fascinations of position, wealth and honor to cast his lot with the less fortunate of earth's children, and devote his energies and abilities to the uplifting of humanity. There seems to have been with Father Paul an inhorn, manifest destiny for the priesthood. 84 UFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. A religious instinct controlled him from the earliest years of his life. As a small boy, play ing with his little sister in his father's palace gardens, he was accustomed to don ,the vestments of the priest. This seems to have aroused the childish jealousy of his sister, and to all his grave arguments that only boys and rr.en could be priests, she turned a deaf ear. In this connection Father Paul once related a pathetic incident to a friend in Osage Mission. When a boy, in representing himself as a priest, Paul would assume the serious, severe attitude, in contrast to the little girl's laughing joyous dis position. And in after-years, when the sister had entered a convent adjoining the monastery where her brother was preparing for his priestly call ing, the echo of her girlish laughter, vibrating thru the sacred stillness of his surroundings, often fell harshly upon the ears of the young novice engaged in his devotions. As yet, with the overzealousness of youth, he could not under stand how a heart devoted to God could harbor any but solemn, religious thoughts. So, upon one occasion, he reprimanded his sister, in the presence of the mother superior, for her light- heartedness ; but in turn, he was reprimanded by the mother superior, who, by reason of many years of experience, comprehended religious life from a different standpoint. But there came a change, a brief sickness, and the lovely spirit of the young sister passed out from the gray con vent walls into the pure delights of the city beautiful. Now, after more than half a century, the aged priest, broadened by years of loving, consecrated service fto humankind, longed to hear again the echoed music of that girlish laugh ter. ********* LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 85 While still in Italy, he had determined to spend his life as a missionary among the American In dians, and in pursuance of this resolve he had of fered himself as such to the Rev. Anthony Elet, S. J., superior of the western Jesuits in the United States. Soon thereafter Father Elet sent him word that the general of the Jesuit society had assigned him to their mission in Missouri. Upon leaving St. Xavier's College Father Paul) proceeded directly to St. Louis and reported to Father Elet, who immediately assigned him to missionary work in Missouri and Kentucky. He spent two years in this field and then returned to St. Louis. Now begins the realization of his early hopes the commencement of his real life-work among the Indians. In March, 1851, accompanied by the Right Reverend Miege, S. J., bishop of Leav- enworth. Father Paul left St. Louis for his far western mission . While his home was to be at Osage Mission, and his particular charges the Osages, his missionary labors extended from Fremont Peak, Wyo., to Fort Sill, I. T. Father Paul M. Ponziglione was now a young man thirty- three years of age, a little above me dium height, of slender build, and possessing an attractive personality. Much has been said of the personal beauty of the man. His features were aristocratic, of the distinctly higher Italian type. His large, well-shaped head was crowned with a luxuriant growth of close, jetty curls ; the forehead, high and broad, betokened great intel lectuality ; the eyes, tho dark and penetrating, were mild in expression, and tempered with a bare suggestion of sadness ; his nose was some what of the Grecian type, and the thin, firmly closed lips slightly drooped at the corners. The 86 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. chin, tho prominent, was in symmetry with the rest of his face. Every one who knew the good Father, speaks of the radient kindliness of his greeting smile, which was but the "outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace." Upon his coun tenance at all times dwelt that "beauty of holi ness," far surpassing any earthly beauty. * # # * # * # * * During the first .twenty-five years of Father Paul's life among the O sages they remained in southeastern Kansas. This was one of the bright est periods in their history. And these were golden days for Father Pon- ziglione. He was working out among those wild people, in what was then called the "Great Ameri can Desert/' the ambition of his youth. From the time he was first met, many miles from the Mission, by Indian couriers, sent to conduct him to his new home, to the day of his death, he was their loving father and counselor. He was the court of last resort for their individual and public grievances. He was their honored guest upon all occasions of feasting and merrymaking. He bap tised their children, and was "a light unto their feet" in all the w?.vs of education and righteous ness. He united their young: men and women in marriage. He ministered alike to their physical and spiritual needs. He watched by their death beds and administered the last sacrament. There was no road too rough, no distance too great, no weather too hot or too cold, no vigil too long or lonely, when suffering 1 humanity called Father Paul. Well mig-ht he have said: "The deaths ve have died I have watched beside, And the lives ye have lived were mine." Tne particular scope of Father Ponziglione's mission work in 'Kansas extended from Cherokee AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 8/ county north to Miami county, thence to Fort Learned, Pawnee county, and so on thru the counties along the southern state line back to the home mission. He was first to spread the Gospel in thirty of the counties of the state in cluded in the circuit just mentioned. He also penetrated the wild regions of the Indian Terri tory, and established missionary stations at the Indian agencies and military posts as far south as Fort Sill, near the Texas line. So this noble father and his self-sacrificing co-workers, start ing from the mother church at Osage Mission, within forty years established 180 Catholic mis sions, eighty-seven of which were in southern Kansas and twenty-one in the Indian Territory. The great reverence in which Father Paul was held by all Indians from his first acquaintance with them, and the extent of his reputation as their friend, is shown by the following incident : In the early fifties he was overtaken by a band of wild Indians near where Fort Scott now stands. Not knowing him, the savages held a short council, and then prepared to burn him at the stake. When he had been firmly bound and all things were ready to carry out their purpose, an Indian woman came and gazed intently upon his face for a minu,te. A flash of recognition passed over her countenance, and she threw up her hands in dismay. Then turning to his cap tors she spoke a few quick words, and they as quickly released him from his bonds. Then they had nothing too great to offer him, and, in their uncouth way, made every demonstration of frendliness. ********* In 1870 the Osages withdrew forever from Kansas into the Indian Territory, but Father Paul never once relaxed his watchfulness over 88 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. his red children. It was his unvarying custom to meet personally every member of the tribe once a year. His dun-colored ponies and white- canvass-topped spring wagon were a familiar sight to thousands of people. * # ****** * That beautiful edifice in Osage Mission, wide ly known as St. Francis' church, and the most im posing structure of its kind in the state, with the exception of the Catholic cathedral at Leav- enworth, is one of the many evidences of Father Paul's indefatigable energy and untiring devotion to the Catholic faith. Without accident, the sacred building will stand for centuries. The masonery of the 'building is unsurpassed by any in workmanship and solidity. The walls, which are of sand-stone, two and one-half feet thick, rise thirty-two feet at the lowest point, and sixty- seven feet at the highest point, from the level of the floor. The belfry tower, twenty-four by twenty-four feet, is of stone, and it is seventy feet to the top of the masonry on which the beH rests. All this is capped by thirty-two feet of wooden structure, making the complete height of the tower 102 feet. One hundred and twenty car-loads of sand and plaster material were used in the construction of the building. The founda tion cost $7,000; $23,440 were paid to mechanics for wages; the doors and windows were $5,800; then came the great altar, the side altars, the heat ing apparatus, the immense pipe-organ, and oth er furnishings, making the entire cost of the building, as it now stands, $90,000. Owing to the great liberality manifested by Catholics everywhere, even the full-blooded Osages, then residing in the Indian Territory, contributing, this magnificent church was abso lutely free from debt when, on the nth day of LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 89 May, 1884, it was solemnly dedicated to St. Francis de Hieronymo, by the Right Reverend John Hogan, D. D., bishop of Kansas City, Mo. On February 27, 1889, Father Ponziglione celebrated his golden jubilee at Osage Mission, the occasion being the fiftieth anniversary of his admission to the Jesuit society. Many hundreds of people were present. Men of national- repu tation and high church connections came great distances to pay tribute to one of the most gen erally beloved characters in the American Catho lic church. ***** ##** In the spring of 1889, there was much trouble with the Crow tribe on their reservation in Mon tana. It was thought that Father Paul might be able to do more with them than any one else. So he was asked to go there and use his influence as a peacemaker, which he did with marked re sults. But his leaving the home Mission cast a deep sadness over southern Kansas and the In dian Territory; for, owing to his advanced age, every one felt the improbability of his ever re turning tc Kansas. Father Ponziglione left Montana to become historian of St. Ignatius' College, in Chicago, in 1891. It is remarkable that thruout his life as an Indian missionary he always maintained his high degree of scholarship, and to the day of his death was considered one of the finest Latin scholars in the Jesuit society. He was an able writer of both prose and poetry in Latin composition. In connection with his work at St. Ignatius' s College, he was assistant pastor at the Jesuit church. He heard confessions, visited the sick, and it is said that in the singing of High Mass his rich tenor voice rang out clear and strong as 90 UF AND LKTT&tS OF FATHER PAUL. in the days of his youth, tho now an octogena rian. But his great sympathetic soul always turned to the weak and helpless. Added to his other work in Chicago, he became chaplain of St. Jo seph's Home for Deaf Mutes, and organized two sodalities among them, one for the young men and the other for young women. He prepared sermons, psalms and prayers for -them in the sign language. Outside of his own parish, he also did active work in the Visitation and Aid Societies, and for nearly ten years he preached the Gospel to the inmates of the Bridewell, in Chicago. On the 25th of March, A. D. 1898, Father Paul celeb rated, in the city of Chicago, the fiftieth anniversary of his priesthood. It was a notable occasion for a notable man. A Jesuit priest's religious and educational training is so long and thoro that but few ever live to have a golden jubilee. The wonderful character of Father Pon- ziglione as count, priest, Indian missionary, his torian and writer made the event extremely in teresting, and it became one of national church importance. Just two years later two more full years of unceasing service for Christ and humanity and the venerable father passed peacefully on to the higher realizations of spiritual truth. After a short sickness with bronchial pneumonia, Father Ponziglione died, at St. Ignatius's College, in Chicago, on Wednesday night, March 28, 1900, a little past his eighty-second year. No great and good man belongs exclusively to any particular religious, social or political or ganization. Influences, for good must extend to all humanity, and the noble character of Father Paul stands like "the shadow of a great rock in AND LETTERS O F FATHER PAUL. 91 a weary land," offering peace and comfort to the heavy-laden and distressed. Whilst always he was a most ardent Roman Catholic, his soul was too great to be circumscribed, and he was the father, friend and priest to every one who knew him. This was Christlike this was Pon- zigl-ione. In considering the character of a state or na tion, we are apt to look at the purely social and political, and to lose sight of the moral and religious factors. Who can estimate a strong man's influence for good? Who can measure the worth of Father Ponziglione in the formative period of this state? In one of his last letters to a friend he wrote: "If, during a period of forty-nine years, the Osages, as a nation, did not take up arms against the United States government; if they did not make a wholesale slaughter of trains and cara vans while crossing the plains; if they did not ransack the country along the border of both Missouri and Kansas'' if, in a word, they did not turn hostile to the white people, this is due, in a great part, to the influence of the Catholic church, exerted over them thru her missionaries." While true in general of the church, it should be more particularly applied to Father Ponzigli one himself; for his wonderful personality and Christlike character predominated at all times, in all places, and over all people, for the univer sal and perpetual betterment of social and po litical conditions. His character so thoroly impressed upon the thousands of students educated at St. Francis* College and St. Ann's Academy, in Osage Mis sion, stands also as an imperishable monument to his greatness. So endeth this life's work of Father Paul M. 92 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. Ponziglione, the last representative of the noble houses of Guerra and Ponziglione, who left friends, wealth and nobility in Italy to become an humble Jesuit priest and missionary among the western American Indians, and whose life was so pure, whose human sympathy was so great, that to know him was to feel the impulse of his righteousness. The influence of his unpretentious life, coming thru quiet channels, are so pure and simple, so great and lasting, as to make the name of Pon ziglione worthy to be inscribed forever upon the pages of Kansas history. "What is excellent, as God lives is permanent." CHAPTER VI. ORIGIN OF THE OSAGE CATHOLIC MISSION. Published in The Osage Mission Journal, July 1,1869: Osage Mission, Neosho Co., Kansas, June loth, 1869. Publisher of the Osage Mission Journal: In reply to your kind favor of the /th inst, I have to say that the occupations imposed upon me by my ministry do not allow me time to become your correspondent. However, I am willing for this time to comply with your request, and shall forward you what few facts I know concerning both the origin of this Catholic Mission, and the establishment of the Osages in this county. So likewise I shall give you my opinion about their moral improvement, especially so far as it has reference to this Osage Catholic Mission, of which I am a member since 1851. If you think the publication of these might be interesting to your readers, use such as you deem proper. Yours respectfully, PAUL M. PONZIGLTONI?,, S. J. * * It is a difficult thing to state when the Osages for the first time pitched their camps on the beau tiful banks of the Neosho. However, we can record some few facts which might one day prove interesting in forming a history of the early set tlement of this part of the Neosho Valley, now known as Neosho county. (93) 94 UFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. A MISSIONARY DESIRED. In 1820, the Osages being in the vicinity of St. Louis, sent a delegation of their leading men headed by one of the chiefs of the nation, to Rt. Rev. Dubourg, Roman Catholic Bishop of New Orleans, then visiting the State of Miss ouri, which formed at that time the northern part of his Diocese. The object of this delegation was to obtain some Catholic Missionary to visit their towns and teach them the ways of God. The Bishop was very much pleased with this delegation and promised that as soon as prac ticable he would send them a missionary. Rev. Charles La Croix was, after a few days, appoint ed to that mission. He visited the Osages re peatedly, baptised a good many of their children, and was going to build a chapel among them, when, exhausted by his labors, he was taken away by death. MANUAL LABOR SCHOOL ESTABLISHED. Rev. Charles La Croix was succeeded in his mission to the Osages by Rev. Father Chas. Van Quickenborne who not only visited the Osages in their towns, but used all his energy in provid ing for the education of their youth. For this reason, in June, 1824, he established the first Manual Labor School that ever existed among them. He collected the boys in the residence of St. Stanislaus, not far from the town of Floris sant, in St. Louis county, and placed the girls in the convent of the Sacred Heart, in the town of St. Charles, St. Charles county. The two places not being very far the one from the other, he could without much trouble, provide for the wel fare and instruction of both. The work of edu- LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 95 cation was now proceeding prosperously, and promising a good deal, when the Osages, having made a new treaty with the United States Gov ernment, obliged themselves to vacate the State of Missouri, and withdrew into Kansas, then generally known under the name of Western Indian Territory. This new arrangement frustrated the plan of Father Charles Van Quickenborne ; and the school so prosperously commenced came to a premature end. A PRESBYTERIAN MISSION. The Osages having removed to this new terri tory, a school was provided for them by a Board of Presbyterians. This school was located near the Western line of the State of Missouri, on the left bank of the Marais des Cygnes, some three miles north of Papinsville, in Bates county, Miss ouri. Tho Father Charles Van Quickenborne had now no school among the Osages, he yet continued to take care of them. He visited them regularly at their new Mission, which was called Harmony Mission, and baptised several of their children in the Mission House, where the Presbyterian ministry most kindly and liberally allowed him a room to use as a chapel. OSAGES SETTLE IN NEOSHO COUNTY. In 1827, Father Van .Quickenborne from Har mony Mission, came to visit the Osages on Neo- sho river, in this very county, where they had just begun Jto form permanent settlements. These, however, were not confined to this county, but were in two great divisions one we might call 96 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. of the Neosho, the other of the Verdigris, each containing from six to nine Indian towns, each having its respective Chief. But as the head Chief of the whole Osage Nation resided on the Neosho and had his house built on what is now called Auguste creek, and his people were form ing their towns sometimes on the west, and at others on the east side of the Neosho on the very identical spot where nor rises our beauti ful town, so this place was considered from the earlier days of its existence as the place of busi ness. The Indian towns of the first division extend ed from the confluence of the Labette with the Neosho to that of Owl Creek into the same riv er. Those of the second division extended from the junction of Pumpkin Creek to that of Che- topa Creek, both with the Verdigris river. The half-breed settlement was mostly located between what is now called Canville Creek and Flat Rock Creek. The mechanics allowed to the Osages under their late treaty with the United States, were located on Flat Rock ; and the prin cipal establishment of the American Fur Com pany was on Canville Creek. But as the Agency was located for a considerable time not far from the mouth of Flat. Rock, so our present town site was considered the most important settle ment on the Neosho. ANOTHER PRESBYTERIAN MISSION. About this time the Presbyterian Board of Missions established another school at Saline in the Cherokee Nation, for the education of those Osages who were living on Verdigris. But this school, as well as the other at Harmony Mission, after a few vears' existence could not be con- AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL, 97 tinued and were both given up. After the break ing up of those schools the same Missionaries tried to get up another one in this county. For this {purpose they erected a large house on the left or east bank of Four Mile Creek, about one- fourth mile from its junction with the Neosho. They lived and preachea in this building but some difficulty prevented the successful opening of a school at that place, and the Missionaries seeing that they were losing time and could do nothing with the Osages, gave this place up like wise and abandoned the whole Osage Nation and so they were without any school. CATHOLIC MISSION ESTABLISHED. Father Charles^ Van Quickenborne having died in 1828, the spiritual care of the Osages was transferred to the Fathers of St Mary's Mission among the Pot tawatomie Indians, then located on the Big Sugar Creek ID Linn county where now rises the town of Paris. These Fathers visited the Osages as regular as they could from 1829 to 1847; when the Osages having requestei Rt. Rev. Peter R. Kendrick, Bishop of St. Louis, for a Catholic school. Rev. Father John Schoen- makers was appointed as 1 superior of this Mission, and reached this place on the 29th day of April, 1847- MANUAL LABOR SCHOOL. Father Schoemnakers took possession of the two buildings, yet unfinished, which had just been put up for the use of this new Mission by order of the Indian Department. Meanwhile, while Father S. was having these buildings com pleted, his companion, Father John Bax, went 98 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. about visiting among the Osages, speaking to them with great zeal on the importance of be coming civilized and embracing Christianity. They were pleased with him and having offered him several of their children that he might give them a Christian education, he promised he would return after them soon. On the loth day of May, the houses being finished, he collected a small number of Osage children and brought them in and so began on ,that day the Osage Manual Labor School, on the very spot on which it now stands. Of the two buildings, one was used for the Indian boys, the other was kept for a female department. CONVENT ESTABLISHED. On the 5th day of October, 1847, several Sis ters of Loretto having come from the State of Kentucky to devote themselves to the education of Indian girls, the present Convent was opened and has been flourishing to this day. ENLARGEMENT AND CHURCH BUILT. In a short time these two houses became too small to accommodate the pupils who were brought in, and it became necessary to enlarge the buildings, and next to multiply them. So Father Schoenmakers went to work and first building a nice church, he by degrees added other houses which gave this institution the ap pearance of quite a town. The church was dedicated to God in honor of St. Francis of Jerome, and was soon looked upon as the terminus of a Holy Pilgrimage which most of the Catholics living in a circuit of 50 to 80 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 99 miles, would once a year perform to comply with their Christian duties. The Fathers, who with Father John Schoen- makers, attended this Mission, visited the ad jacent tribes of such as the New York Indians, Miamis, Peorias, Sacs and Foxes, Quapaws, and others residing south of the old Santa Fe road, and established among them as well as among the white Catholic settlers scattered here and there, over a wide extent of country some 200 miles in diameter, several Missionary sta tions which they visited from time to time. But this Osage Mission was always considered as the Mother House, from which all other Stations were supplied. The church in which I have this day officiated is the same one first built, and which with its additions forms now a building 30x93 feet in size, and yet is by no means suf ficient to seat the number who attend Divine service therein. INDIAN AGENCY REMOVED. A few years after Father John Schoenmakers had established this Mission, the Osage Agency was moved from here to the Quapaw Nation, some four miles from ,the south-east corner of this state, on a small brook called Lost Creek. This, however, did not seem to detract from the value of our property or place, as the United States Agents would come every year to visit us. Sometimes to call the Osages in Council, then to examine our Indian children, and would general ly make rich presents of flour, beef, etc., to the Indians, more particularly when payments of their annuities were being made. IOO LIFE AND LETTERS OP FATHER PAUL. ANNUITY PAYMENTS AND FEASTING. Every year the time of paying annuities was a time of great merriment with our Indians. The Nation would on such an occasion come here and build their camps around us; and nearly every season some other tribe would come to pay a visit to the Osages. Sometimes you would see the Sacs and Foxes, sometimes the Kaws or Otoes, at another the Kiowas and Commanches. The object of these visits was ,to renew their old friendship, which they did by smoking the Calu met, playing war dances, anjd running horse races, to the great amusement of their white visitors, who used to be present in large num bers. The time of payment was likewise a time of rendezvous for traders and travelers of every description, all would come to the Mission which really was an Oasis in the desert, for no settle ment then existed nearer than Fort Scott, 40 miles away ; and all who came stopped with us, either to rest their teams, to repair their wagons, or to supply themselves with provisions. So it is that this Osage Mission can in truth be called the cradle of civilization in the Neosho Valley. THE AMERICAN FUR COMPANY. In former days the American Fur Company in bringing up their goods from Fort Smith on the Arkansas River to the Osages, began a main Southern Route of which this Mission was the terminus; for at that time the Osage Indian trade did not extend farther north, but having come here from the far west, went down the Neosho to Fort Gibson and Forth Smith in pirogues and flat boats which the half-breeds con- LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. IOI structed in the timber on the banks. By degrees the trade of the Fur Company having extended north of this place another main rou,te was open ed to the Missouri River, striking it at Kansas City and near Leavenworth. The pioneer settle ments were nearly all established along these routes, after a while small towns sprang up, and now beautiful cities occupy the ground where one day poor but adventurous trappers cooked their scanty meal, and took their slumber always uneasy in fear of losing their scalps. BENEFIT AND RESULTS OF MISSION SCHOOL. Whether the labors and expenses undertaken by this Mission for the civilization of the Osages have really been in the past, and will in the fu ture prove beneficial to them, we do not now enter to discuss. We know this much from the persual of an cient history, that to bring aborigines from their state of barbarism to a degree of civilization, and next make of them good Christians, has never been the work of a few years only, but of cen turies. However, we dare ,to say that the Mission established by the Catholic Church among the Osages in 1820 and continued to this day, has been of great benefit to humanity at large, for it has kept them from ravaging the neighboring settlements, gave them an idea, at least of hon esty and righteousness, inspired in them respect for religion, and inculcated upon their youth the importance of Christianity. If during a period of now 49 years the Osages as a Nation did not take up arms against the United States Government, if they did not make a wholesale slaughter of trains and caravans while crossing the plains, if they did not ran- IO2 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. sack the country along the borders of both Miss ouri and Kansas; if in a word, they did not turn hostile to the white people, this is due in great part to the influence the Catholic Church exert ed over them thru her Missionaries. OSAGE SCHOLARS. The school of this Osage Mission has gen erally been a success, even during the late war, which proved detrimental to so many institutions of this kind. The number of pupils in attendance has al ways been large the number of such one year being as high as 236. Great many are those who at sundry times have visited this school and ex amined the pupils at their pleasure ; and all found to their satisfaction that the children of the Osages are capable of acquiring an education as well as any other children, and become as good scholars as white children. To be convinced of the truth of this assertion, it is sufficient to open the Annual Report given by the United States Agents to the Indian Department concerning this Osage Mission Manual Labor School. And tho in candor, we are bound to acknowl edge that a large number of pupils who have been reared at this Osage School after having left this school and returned to the Indian towns, have resumed the Indian customs, and in some instances become very bad, yet we cannot deny that a goodly number have succeeded very well, become industrious, and earn their bread hon estly, t OSAGES AGAIN REMOVE. By the Treaty of September 29th, 1865. the LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 103 Osages having ceded this part of their country to the United States Government, again remov ed to the Verdigris river, leaving a good many of their children at the Osage Mission School, where they yet are. A TOWN STARTED. No sooner did the white people come in this part of the country than they seemed to like the location of this place better than any other, and began to talk of building a town. Father John Schoenmakers, seeing their desire donated for this purpose a quarter section of land to a Town Company. They laid out ,the town and went to work without delay, and have been very success ful, for tho great has been the opposition made to Osage Mission yet it has flourished greatly, and in this day is one of the bes t towns of South ern Kansas. PIONEER OF 1851 RELATES EXPERIENCES. St. Ignatius College, Chicago, III. July 21, 1895. Neosho County Journal: In reply to your kind circular of the 6th inst, I must say that since the time I came to Osage Mission, now St. Paul, in 1851, your country has gone thru a wonderful, change, and this for the better. In 1851 Kansas was a regular des ert, not a single white man's house could be found between Ft. Scott and Denver, Colorado. Father John 'Schoenmakers' old Mission house, few half-breed's cabins, and here and there some di lapidated Trading Posts, were th e only marks of an incipient civilization. The Neosho River was looked upon as -the "Ultima Thule," and those IO4 UFE AND BETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. who would dare to go as far as the Verdigris would never engage in such a voyage without a good escort. To venture farther west, would have been considered a foolish temerity. The very name of the Osages was a terror all over the land, and not without a reason, for strag gling warriors would frequently commit heavy depredations on caravans bound for the Pacific coast, and the generally poor settlers living on the borders of the state of Missouri, were always in dread of the Osages. Whether really the Osage Nation was responsible for such continued Indian raids, I cannot tell, all I can say about it is that more than once good Father Schoenmak- ers, having found out that parties were being organized to go to Missouri to rob and massacre the settlers, would send for the leaders and by sound reasoning would try to make them change their minds. As soon as the Father would per ceive his words were producing some good im pressions on their wild nature, he would sympa thize with ,them, acknowledging that really they had been badly used by the white men, but he would say, this does not give you right to re venge yourselves on helpless settlers. At last he would conclude by saying, now my friends, be good boys and let those settlers alone; come on with me, and going to the field he would give them a calf or a cow to eat and feast on during the night and this always proved to be the best argument, for once they had their belly filled tip and had slept a good night over it, they would give up their murderous plans and return tr> their villages. By such acts of genuine Christian charity, the Father succeeded in saving the lives of many innocent people and this was altogeth er the principal good that our Mission was do ing in those prehistoric times. To what concern- LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. IO5 ed ourselves in particular, considering that we were quite isolated among the Indians, having no army to defend ourselves and being 40 miles distant from the nearest white man's settlement, some might think that our condition, especially that of the Sisters of Loretto, who had charge of the Osage girls, must have been a terrible one, nay rather critical, but it was not so, for as the Indians got acquainted with our way of living, they became very familiar with us, but in regard to the convent, they always did show a great respect for it and in their dealing with the Sisters, they were remarkable for their re serve, and if at any time there would happen to be any reason to fear that some incursion might be made against us by wild Indians from the plains, the O sages would watch the convent by day and by night, and the Sisters were never exposed to any danger. In fact, no accident of any kind ever interfered with them. The fol lowing event, tho not of much importance, will show with what solicitude those wild Indians were watching for the safety of the Sisters. Some time in the summer of 1853 several In dians of the Little Osage town, located where stands the city of Chanute, had come with their Chief, Strike-Ax, to pay us a visit, when just at noon, a horse-hunter of theirs comes in a great hurry, reporting that a band of Sac Indians had been seen on Coal Creek, but a few miles from town, driving away Osage ponies. At hearing this Strike- Ax uttered a tremendous war- whoop. At the sound of it all his men sprang on their horses and all the warriors of our In dian town joined their friends and in a few minutes a large company was formed ready to start on the war path. Strike-Ax, fitly proud, seeing himself at the head of so many Braves, 106 UFi AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. called Father Schoenmakers, told him not to be uneasy or fear the Sacs, "for," said he, "I have men enough to route them all out of the country." He next said,"please go and tell the Sisters and our daughters not to be troubled for we will make a short job of this expedition and before night we will settle the matter by taking about a dozen of our enemies' scalps." It was just about one o'clock when they ail dashed away, as if their ponies had wings, so quick were they all out of sight on the large prairie now covered by the town of St. Paul. Hardly two hours had passed since their de parture when we were called to witness a scene quite new to us. And lo to our surprise we no ticed about fifty old squaws with half of their heads covered with mud, as they use when they are in mourning. They marched out of their wigwams in a long file, singing a wailing tune, each one carrying a switch in her hand. They passed before the convent and went to squat? about two hundred yards from our premises and turning themselves toward the side from which the Sacs might come they began ,to beat the ground with their switches, accompanying every stroke with invectives against their enemy, call ing on the Great Spirit to protect the convent and be hard on the Sacs. Our children, who at the appearance of the squaws, had all come out of their rooms 'to look at them and were having a good time laughing and gesticulating. When we asked them why those women were beating trie ground they replied they were fighting the Sacs. The poor creatures kept on with their ceremony for half an hour, till their switches \vere broken to fragments and they themselves were so exhausted that they had to go home to rest. . AND Li;TTRS OF FATHER PAUL. ID? By this time Strike-Ax and his warriors had got in sight of the Sacs, who well knowing how quick the Osages are in taking up a scalp, far from showing fighting, abandoned at once the Osage ponies they were driving and ran for their life, the Osages pursuing them till they saw them way off out of reach. Now that the expedition was over, Strike- Ax called on one of his sons, by the name of Alexander, who had been at our school for a while and could talk very good English, bade him hurry to our Mission and in form Father Schoenmakers of the good result they had and how they had recovered all their ponies and put their enemies to flight. Next he old him to be sure and go to the convent and tell the Sisters and the girls not to be uneasy or have any fear for there was not a Sac Indian left in the country. This is certainly an act of gallantry that we would never have expected from the Osages had we had to judge them from their wild appearance. Of such events I could write a book if I had nothing else to do. In those days, which I can truly say were the goldea era of Osage Mission, we seldom saw any white men, except in caravans passing by, on their way west, and oh ! how happy were these in finding our place, after having traveled for days and days thru the forlorn prairies of Kan sas, always in dread of being attacked by Indians. Since Kansas has been opened for settlement, we moved with the people and with them went thru all the tips and downs to which the country was subjecjt, especially during the war. We saw Kansas in all its phases, such as Droughty Kan sas, Grasshopper and Chinch-Bug Kansas, we< saw Bleeding Kansas and happily passed thru the clays of Gen. Jim Lane, John Brown, Price and Marmaduke, and after all our experience, 108 LIFE AND BETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. I think I can pronounce my verdict namely, that, Kansas after all, is as good a country to live in, as any other in the U. S. of America. Respectfully, PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. KANSAS CHURCH HISTORY. Osage Mission, Kas. June 8, 1876. C. H. Howard, Sir: As I know you wish to be correct in all your statements, especially in regard to dates, so I take the liberty to make some remarks about an article in your issue of June 7th, 1876, under the head of "Kansas Church History/' If such article is intended to speak of the Kansas Protestant Church History exclusively, then I have nothing to say on the subject, but if it concerns Kansas Church His tory in general, then I beg leave to be allowed to state, that from the records of our church kept at this institution, it appears that Rev. Father Charles Van Quickenborne, S. J., in his capacity of a Roman Catholic Missionary, as early as 1827 visited the Osages, then having a large settlement on what we now call "Four Mile Creek," about one mile from its confluence with the Neosho River. Father Charles Van Quickenborne was the first who suggested to the U. S. Government the idea of educating the Osage youth. The Government having approved his plan, he himself, opened the first school for the Osages in our house at Florissant, St. Louis county, Missouri, in 1824. Not long after that time the Osages left the State of Missouri and came to locate on the Neosho River, in Kansas, tho now they were a great distance from* St. Louis, still Father Charles LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. IO9 Van Quickenborne kept coming to visit them to give them an opportunity of complying with their religious duties. According to our records, in August, 1827, he baptised 17 Osages in the set tlement of Four Mile Creek. Respectfully, PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. St. PATRICK'S CELEBRATION. From the Journal, March 15, 1876: PROGRAMME. Next Friday, the feast of St Patrick's, there will be High Mass at St. Francis' church. Mass being over, the congregation will march in pro cession thru the Sodality garden. After the procession, a dinner will be served in St. Fran cis' Hall by ,the ladies of the congregation. En trance fee will be 50 cents for each person. In the evening at 7 o'clock, a drama will be given by the students of St. Francis' Institution, ac companied by select music from the young la dies of St. Ann's Academy. Admittance fee 25 cents each person. The drama will be given in St. Francis' Hall. PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. OSAGE INDIAN QUESTION. From the Journal, August n, 1875: St. Francis' Institution, Osage Mission, Kas. August 10, 1875. C. H. Howard, Sir: As you are anxious to know something positive concerning the where abouts of Rev. Father John Schoenmakers, who one month since went to visit the Osages in the Indian Territory; I will tell you that he is en joying good health: He was on his way home IIO LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. when on the 3rd inst., having mqt Generals Ewing and Blair on the Big Cana, he accom panied them to the Osage Agency. Generals Ewing and Blair did not intend to visit the Agency, as their object was ( to go thru some few Osage settlements, and hear what complaints they had against their present agent, Isaac T. Gibson. But when they came on Big Cana, they found that the Osages living in that section of their country, were in a state of great excitement, and insisted that both Generals and Father Schoenmakers should go to the Agency and see with their own eyes, the unanimous dis like of the Indians against their agent, Isaac T. Gibson, and at the same time they could see their unanimous love and preference for a Catholic school. The investigating committee had not got in at that time, but was daily expected. The Osag es are in a very bad humor, and tell many hard things about their agent, Isaac T. Gibson; but I am confident that Father Schoenmakers' in fluence will keep them from all hostile depre dations. They have been wironged ifn their conscience by this agent, who for over five years has tried all in his power to make them abandon the Roman Catholic church, which they love and esteem; and has tried to make them join the Quaker Institution, which they despise ; more over, this agent has also wronged them financial ly, for during these last five years he has gen erally squandered their money in useless ex penses profitable only to his personal friends who indeed, are receiving big salaries, and meanwhile the poor Osages are suffering in many instances being left without bread or shel ter. " It is difficult to say what will be the result of AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. Ill the investigating committee, but in my opinion even in ease it would fail in doing justice ,to the Osages some good will come of it, namely: It will expose to the sight of all, well authenti cated facts of robbery and oppression, and im partial history will show -to the -whole Christian world how poor helpless Indians the former owners of this beautiful county were cheat ed by those who, claiming to have come to them as teachers of Christianity, did nothing else but enrich themselves at their expense. Respectfully, PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. SOME REMINISCENCES. St. Ignatius College, Chicago, 111. August 28, 1899. W. W. Graves, Dear Sir: Your weekly is always a welcome visitor on our premises, and its number of the loth inst, recalled to my mind sweet -.occurrences bf 1851, as well as the few 1 , years that preceded the civil war. History will forever show how the war did put an end to the old patriarchial government prevailing to that time among the full blood Osages, and began a new era in their life by opening up their res ervation to the white settlers. In those days, which I might as well call pre- adamitic, the Osages were having their golden age. And why not? Their poor wigwams scat tered here and there around the Mission log- houses, were forming the largest settlement in southern Kansas. The brilliant cities of Ein- poria, Burlingiton, Ft. Scott, Chanute, Erie, Par sons, Oswego and Chetopa were not as yet even dreamed about. The Osage Nation, under the great Chief, George White Hair, and the Mission 112 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. schools, under the management of Father John Schoenmakers, were the only points then consid ered of any importance by the Indian Depart ment whose commissioners frequently visited us. The Osages, who then numbered a little over 2,000, were a power in the west, and were at peace with the whole world. Tho they .'were neither farming nor working under any contract system ; tho you could not meet in their country with prospectors either after gold or lead, or coal, or gas ; tho no railroad cars freighted with hun dreds of people were as yet crossing what in those days by many was thought to be the Ameri can Desert, the Osages were nevertheless abund antly provided with whatever they needed by St. Louis merchants, who in their turn were re paid fwith large percentage they were making on the exclusive trade they had on furs and peltry procured to them by the Osage hunters. And no wonder if they took life very easy for the 60 or 70 thousand buffalos they every year were killing besides an extra amount of smaller game such as bears, deer, antelope, and like, they were getting on the interminable plains extending from the western line of Missouri to the eastern line of Colorado, supplied .them with plenty of food and a rich amount of buffalo robes as well as smaller peltry for trade. The few log houses of the Mission were looked upon as great palaces, and the wells, one east and the other west of the old church, were furnishing an inexhaustable treasure of fresh water to a couple of Indian villages, forming as it were the suburbs of the Mission. The annuity payment was the only time of some excitement we used to have every year. On such an occasion thousands of dollars, hun dreds of 'head of cattle, dry goods by the car LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 113 load were distributed among the Osages by the U. S. agent. During that time numbers of strangers would come to smoke the Calumet with our Indians. Of the neighboring nations the Kansas were always most friendly to the Osages ; but some of their young Bucks were mischievous and on returning to their reservation would have no scruples of driving away with theirs, also a few of the Osage ponies, a thing which of course after a while would cause no little trouble be tween the two nations. A remarkable instance of this kind, which took place in, those early days, will show how acute an Indian can be when he puts up his mind to steal a nice horse : An old Osage Indian, known all thru the res ervation by the name of Basil, had a very beauti ful young mare, the only riding nag in his pos session. The very day the annuity payment of 1852 was over a band of Kansas boys notified their friends that they would leave that night for their home. As the road they had to travel- pas sed not far from Basil's settlement, a friend of the old man came to let him know about it that he might be on the lookout. Thankful for the warning received, Basil simply remarked that he knew how the Kansas boys were very quick at picking up ponies but this time he would make them find out that it was no easy job to drive away his filly. Evening coming, he hitched the beast to a sapling close by his wigwam. Next he hangs a bell at her neck, sure that if any of the Kaw boys would come by in the night the animal, alarmed at the sight of the stranger, would try to evade the aggressor ; the result would be, that in the excitement which was bound to arrive, the bell would ring again and again, and hearing it he would at once come out to protect his property. The old man's calculations were 114 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. very good but he never suspected that the young Buck would be so smart as he proved himself to be. The Kaw boy seeing from a distance that the filly was hitched close to Basil's wigwam, leaves his riding nag far off on the prairie and advances very slowly, as if he had been one of the neighbors, comes close to the beasit. After caressing her for a while takes the bell from her neck, hangs it to a slender limb of the same sapling at which the mare was hitched, and at once springing on her back, off he goes with her. As the night was stormy and the wind was shak ing the sapling at times rather violently, it fol lowed that the bell now and then would ring for a few minutes. Hearing the alarm, Basil would raise his head and listen carefully, but as the ringing would soon stop he would say to him self, "All is Tight with the filly. I see the flies are hard on her," and turning himself on the other side would resume his sleep till morning. You can easily imagine what his surprise was. when on coming out of his wigwam -the next morning to see his filly, he saw indeed the bell was there but the filly was gone. Such and like anecdotes were things of almost daily occurence in those olden times. As there were neither police nor lawyers, courts nor jails, the whole matter was brought before Father Schoenmakers who, after listening to both par ties and having given a good lecture to ,the boys in general and especially on the evil practice in which they were indulging, would oblige the guilty parties to restore the stolen property to its owner. With this all questions were settled. PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. T. * * The new Catholic church of Osage Mission will be solemnly blessed by Rt. Rev. John J. Hogan, LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 115 Bishop of Kansas City, Mo., on the nth day of May next. The ceremony will begin at 7:30 a. m. The blessing will be followed by High Mass and sermon. In the afternoon Vespers will take place at the us.ua! time, and at 7:30 p. m., a lecture will be given by Rr. Rev. Bishop J. J. Hogan. Admittance and seats will be free. The collection of the day as well as of the evening will be applied to the paying of the debts of the new church. The newspapers printed in towns within a radius of forty miles from Osage Mission are kindly asked to publish .this notice. PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. Pastor. Journal, April 23, 1884. * # Marquette College, Milwaukee, August n, 1889. John R. Brunt, Esq., Dear Sir: Yesterday I received your Journal and I am very thankful to you for your kindness. My new home is a nice one but Oh, the cottage Good Father Schoenmak- ers had built ! When I saw that land-mark fall ing down I felt that some bad luck was in store for me, but I am only joking, Mr. Brunt, the fact is that I am well and happy. However, I must confess that my body is here, yet ever and anon my spirit is hovering on the banks of Flat Rock calling on the name of my dear old friends, but alas! Many of them are sleeping and never will answer my call. Please remember me to my friends. PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. * * St. Francis' Institution festival for the finish ing of the new church, will be held on the i8th, igth and 2oth of October, 1883. The rooms will Il6 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. be open from 2 p. m. ,to 9 p. m. Supper at 25 cents for each person will be served by the ladies of the congregation. Fancy articles will be sold. PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. * * The blessing of Father John Schoenmakers' memorial bell will take place on Saturday, the 8th of December next. The ceremony will be gin at 2 130 p. m. in front of the new church. As the ceremony will be very interesting and new to many, all are invited to come and assist in it. Parsons, Oswego, Girard and Walnut papers are requested to copy this notice. PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. Neosho County Journal, November 21, 1883. *"--^ LETTERS TO MISS BERRY. In the early Sixties the D. D. Berry family resided at LeRoy, Kansas, and Father Paul, on his trips up that way, always made it a point to stop at the Berry home. It is not therefore sur prising that a warm friendship should spring up between him and the Berry family. The Berry family later moved to Osage Mission and lo cated not far from the church, where some of the surviving members still reside. After leav ing the "Mission" Father Paul did not forget these friends and kept up a correspondence wfth members of this family as long as he lived. Part of his letters were preserved and were kindly loaned to the writer for use in this book. The letters were addressed to Miss Susie Berry and with the exception of some purely personal mat ters, were as follows : Marquette College, Milwaukee, Wis. ; September 5, 1889. Dear Friend : Yours of the 2nd inst. with its LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. 1 1/ contents came to hand. I will offer one Mass ac cording to your intention on the 8th inst. I can find no better day for it than that of the Nativity of the Mjother of God. From the persual of the Osage Mission Jour nal, I saw that your father was very sick, and I felt very happy when on the next Journal I found that he was getting better. May God preserve him to you for many years to come. I am glad to see that your mother is all right. Please remember me to all my friends. May God bless you all. Respectfully, PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. Marquette College, Milwaukee, Wis., December 15, 1889. Dear Friend : Yours of the Qth inst. has come in due time. * * * I am afraid your sister Lizzie studies too much. Tell her to take care of her health, for as long as she will be well she will be able to do something, but if she gets sick, what will she do then ? You say you have very pleasant weather, and so we also can say, for so far we have no winter. People are pleased but they fear they will have to pay for it next spring. Milwaukee is a magnificent city, growing every day in wealth and beauty. Our Catholic popula tion is getting larger every day. The Catholics number something over 60 thousand, and we have twenty-five- churches in the city. The parochial school children number over 4,000. I am well pleased with the good news you give me about little Charlie (Shields). I do not doubt that his brother is also doing well. When you will write to them, send them the two small pictures you will find enclosed, and tell them to Il8 LIFE AND LETTERS OF FATHER PAUL. study hard and behave nicely. Do not forget to remember me to their mother and father. I wish you would give my love to as many as ask you my news. Tell them that I have them always present in my mind, and I daily pray God to bless them, and this I shall more par ticularly do during the coming holy days of Christmas. I hope your father and mother are both en joying good health. Tell -them I wish them a happy Christmas and a happy New Year, and this is my prayer to God for them that they may be granted to see and enjoy with you all, many such holy days. Please pray also for me, and you may be sure that I will do the same for you. Respectfully, PAUL M. PONZIGLIONE, S. J. * * Marquette College, Milwaukee, January i, 1890. Miss Susie Berry P. X. Happy New Year! Your package came aJl right. I thank you very much. Your present is very acceptable. We continue to have a very nice weather. What little snow we had some weeks ago did not remain with us over 24 hours. The lake is open to navigation as usual. Everyone is wondering at such a winter, which is no winter at all. We had a lovely Christmas in all the 25 Catholic churches of this town. There "The $9.000,000 Osage trust fund was the re sult. 136 THE OSAGES. 70 congressional townships comprising the county were visited by some of the early Catholic missionaries, and the famous Washing ton Irving traveled thru southeastern Osage county in 1832. "Father De Smet was here 70 years ago ; Father Ponziglione administered to the spiritual wants of these Indians during many years* Fath er Felix de Grass, of Sacred Heart, Okla., often came to this place and united Mr. and Mrs. John F. Palmer in the bonds of matrimony. "About 800 members of the Osage tribe are Catholics. Many of the 650 full-blooded Wash- ashies are nominal Catholics but they are still believers in the heathen superstitions of their savage forefathers. They wear blankets and moccasins, the squaws carry their $50,000 pa pooses on their backs ; they howl over their dead. Many of the fullblooded adults belong to the Wah-ho-peh secret order ; they believe in spooks and adore the turtle dove. "Nearly one hundred Osage girls, mostly mix ed bloods, are taken care of at the Catholic Sis ters' building in this locality. That large edi fice was constructed about 25 years ago by re quest of Sister Katharine Drexel, who paid all the expenses and has done much to keep the institution going ever since. "It appears that the government school here is a failure. Only about 50 or 60 Indian boys at tend it. The others go to the public school and to the Sisters' school. "Many of the Osages are in favor of abolish ing the Osage agency school. The agency ex pended $40.000 of Osage money last year. "Several of the mixed bloods are pretty good farmers and stock-raisers. Messrs. John Linn, William Leahy and others are good Catholics, THE OSAGUS. 137 good Indians and good citizens. Mr. John F. Palmer, the noted lawyer, orator, tree planter, horse-raiser and scholar is a fullblooded Sioux, but was adopted by the O sages when a young man. He is married to an amiable lady' of the Osage tribe who, however, is apparently a pure Caucasian. "This city is a beautifully located metropolis. Being in the valley of Bird creek, it is encircled by lofty hills that are deposits of good building stone and brick shale. Natural gas is so plenti ful here that factories can buy it for 2 cents a 1,000 feet. "About 900,000 acres of Osage county, Okla., has never been touched by plow or hoe." # * An incident in the life of Chief Whitehair, as told by Julia Captain, an Osage, illustrates the good influences Fathers Schoenmakers and Pon- ziglione exerted over the Indians : Chief Whitehair was the son of Little White- hair, a distant relative of George Whitehair. He was born in Neosho county in 1834 and lived there until 1867 when he moved to the "dimin ished reserve" on the Verdigris. His parents married him at an early age to two women ac cording to the Osage custom. When our good missionary rebuked him for the way he had done, that he wished him to become a good Christian but that he could never do so and live with two women for it was against the laws of Christian ity, he said: "Father, it is so; I have done so thru the will of my parents and if 1 have the misfortune to lose one of them I will marry the other one according to the Christian law, fulfil* your wishes by becoming a good Christian." But as misfortune visits where it is least expected, it likewise visited Whitehair's family. It took both 138 Til 1C OSAGES. of his wives and all of his children except a son who still lives. He mourned their loss according to the rules of his people, when he was baptised and married again according as he promised to- one wife and lived with her until his death. A few hours before he expired (December 24, 1869) he called his friends together and told them that God had made all mankind to die, and that his time had come ; that he wished that his stepson should rei.gn in his place. He wished his own son to remain at school and grow up an educated man. He told them they had many troubles before them, but they must live friends and unite, and he hoped they would overcome all. Whitehair was no warrior. He had been taught at an early age by our good missionaries that God was the great avenger of all wrongs, and that it was wrong for us to take revenge even from an enemy, which good advice he was al ways willing to take. CHAPTER VIII. ANTECEDENTS OF THE MISSION. Christianity has carried civilisation along with it wherever it has gone. HARE. Events which had a bearing on the establish ment of the Osage Mission may be traced back to the early years of the nineteenth century. The Osages themselves appear to have been greatly responsible for it, altho at that time their home was in eastern Missouri. In 1820 a delegation of Osages called upon Rt. Rev. William Louis Dubourg, who had been con secrated Bishop of Upper and Lower Louisiana, in Rome September 24. 1815, and asked him to send some "black gowns" to teach their people. The seat of the See over which Bishop Dubourg presided was seated at New Orleans but be cause of unsettled conditions in New Orleans, he made his headquarters in St. Louis, which at that time was also the home of a considerable number of the Osages. He therefore knew the conditions and needs of the Osages and set about to gratify their desires. Bishop Dubourg applied to Father Anthony Kohlman, then provincial of the Jesuits in Mary land, to send some Fathers to establish a school among the Osages, but Father Kohlman had not the priests to spare and was not then able to com ply with the bishop's request for help. Early in 1823 Bishop Dubourg went to Wash ington for the purpose of consulting President (139) 140 ANTECEDENTS OF THE MISSION. Monroe and Secretary of War, John C. Calhoun on the subject of devising means of educating the children of the Indian tribes within his dio cese. He was kindly received by thes*e Courteous officials and during his interview with them Mr. Calhoun suggested the expediency of inviting the Jesuits of Georgetown, Maryland, to furnish members of their order to assist in that work. The bishop then laid his plans before Rev. Charles Neale, who had succeeded Father Kohl- man in the office of provincial, and offered him a fertile farm near St. Louis as an inducement. The offer was readily accepted, for other events had transpired which enabled Father Neale to do what Father Kohlman could not.. In 1820 Rev. Charles Nerinckx, founder of the order of the Sisters of Loretto, went to Europe on business connected with his missions in Ken tucky. When he returned to the United States in 1821. he was accompanied bv a number of young men, most of whom were natives of Bel gium, who came to America with the intention of devoting their lives to priestly and missionary employments. P. J. De Smet, Felix Verreydt and J. A. Elet were among them. Six of these young men were admitted as novices in the Jesuit no vitiate at White Marsh, Maryland, October 6, 1821. The master of novices at White Marsh was Rev Charles Van Quickenborne, a Belgian priest who had come to the United States from Ghent in 1817, and with the view of becoming a missionary among the Indians. In 1823 Father Neale and Father Van Quickenborne decided to transfer the novices from White Marsh to St. Thomas' Manor, in Charles county, Maryland, because of the impoverished conditions then pre vailing at White Marsh. It was at this juncture that Bishop Dubourjg, acting on the suggestion ANTECEDENTS o THE MISSION. 14! of John C. Calhoun, applied for the second time to the Jesuits for help in the western missions. It was an opportune time and the proposition met with the favor of the provincial, Rev. Charles Neale, who proposed the wish of the bishop to Father Van Quickenborne and expressed his own desire for the pious rector of White Marsh to be the leader and superior of a band, includ ing such of the novices as might volunteer to ac company him, and that with them and a few old er members he should start for Missouri as soon as necessary arrangement could be made. Fath er Van Quickenborne quickly recognized this as an opportunity to gratify his desire to become a missionary among the Indians, and readily as sented. All six of the young Belgian novices volunteered to accompany him. Two priests, seven aspirants for the priesthood, three lay brothers and three families of negro servants composed the party that set out for the west from White Miarsh, April u, 1823. The trip to Wheel ing was made on foot and required eighteen days. At Wheeling two flat boats were purchas ed and on these they made the trip down the Ohio river to its mouth. From there they made the remainder of the journey on foot, reaching the site of East St. Louis, May 31, 1823. They arrived at Florissant, Mo., their destination, June 3, 1823, and established the headquarters of the Jesuits in the west. The Jesuits still maintain a novitiate at this place. The little band of Jesuits opened a school for Osage Indian chil dren in 1824, and the young men studying tor the priesthood devoted part of their time to teaching the Indian children. This school flour ished until the Indians moved to the Neosho when the Jesuits turned their attention to teach ing the children of the white settlers who were 142 ANTECEDENTS Ol? THE MISSION. coming in, and soon after established the St. Louis University, now a flourishing institution. Shortly after the Osages applied to Bishdp Dubourg for a "black gown/* Rev. Fr. Charles De La Croix was appointed to devote his time to the Indian Missions, and the records of St Francis' church at St. Paul, Kansas, show that Father De La Croix baptised twelve Osages in 1820. Ai; these records were sent to the "Osage Mission" church for preservation, it is quite probable that these baptisms were performed on what is now Kansas soil, or just across the line in Missouri. In May, 1822, Father De La Croix is known to have visited the Osages on the Neo- sho in the vicinity of where the Osage Mission was later established. Here on May 5, 1822, he baptised Antone Choteau. Kansas historians say this was the first baptism performed in what now comprises the state of Kansas. This would in dicate that they did not know of Father De La Croix's first trip west, or that they did not be lieve he came as far west as the Neosho. Father De La Croix was preparing to build a chapel among the Osages on the Neosho when his health became poor from exposure, thus com pelling him to return to Missouri. Father Van Quickenborne prepared to take up the work of Father De La Croix without delay. He began active work personally among the Osages near St. Louis soon after his arrival there. His first trip west, however, was not made until 1827 when he visited the various villages of the Osages on the Neosho. Verdi gris and Marmaton rivers. He made a second trip to the Neosho in 1829, and another in 1830. It was on this trip that he performed the mar riage ceremony for Francis Aybean and Mary, an Osage woman, that is said by Kansas writers ANTECEDENTS OF THE MISSION. 143 to have been the first wedding ceremony per formed on Kansas soil. He made a fourth vis it to the Osages in 1834. Father H. G. Allen or Aelen, S. J., succeeded Father Van Quickenborne. This Father bap tised a large number of Osages in 1841 and 1842. The records at the ''Mission" give his name plain ly as "Allen," but as the Jesuits claim there was no member of their order at that time named Allen, it is quite probable this was Father Aelen, who at that time was first assistant to Father Christian Hoecken at St. Mary's Mission among the Pottawatomies. Father F. L. Verreydt, S. J., succeeded Father Aelen. He, too, came to the Osages from St Mary's Mission. The records of St. Francis 7 church show he baptised Osages on the Neosho in 1843 an d 1846. He was the immediate pred ecessor of Father Schoenmakers, and may have been his companion to the Neosho when the lat ter made his first trip to his future home in 1846. Prior to 1845 the Indian Department of the United States government was planning to es tablish a school among the Osages west of Miss ouri, but no definite action appears to have been taken until April 25, 1845, when the sum of $3,456 was placed in the hands of Major Harvey to be used in erecting two houses and the neces sary out-buildings, one of the houses to be used as a school for the Osage Indian boys and the other for the Osage girls. These houses were to be of sufficient dimensions to accommodate twenty pupils each, with the teachers. Major Harvey entered into a contract with Father J. Van De Velde, who had, on September 17, 1843. become vice-provincial of the Jesuits in Missouri. This contract provided that the Jesu its take charge of the school, that the govern- 144 ANTECEDENTS OF THE MISSION. ment furnish the buildings and pay the Jesuits $55 per year for board and tuition of each pupil attending the school. A clause of the contract specified that "in virtue of this contract, no more than thirty-three boys can be admitted into the school for the first six months, beginning with the 1 5th of April, 1847." Major Harvey was empowered to allow an increased number of boys to attend the school as the funds at his disposal would permit. The present site of St. Paul, Kansas, was se lected for the school and work on the buildings was started as soon as arrangements could be made. Father Van de Velde selected Father John Schoenmakers to take charge of the school there to be established. In 1846 Father Schoen makers made a trip to the Neosho to make the preliminary arrangements for the establishment of his future home. After a short stay, he re turned to St. Louis for supplies and to await the completion of the buildings. On April 29, 1847* Father Schoenmakers arrived on the Neosho to make his permanent home and to open the school for the Osages. Thus the "Osage Mission" was established. CHAPTER IX. WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. The following article appeared in the Kansas- Magazine for June, 1872: A few days after Easter of the year 1851, the news reached the Mission that Pius IX had erect ed the Indian territory into an apostolic vicariate, comprising Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado, and that the Right Reverend John B. Miege was al ready on his way to his arduous missions. Bishop Miege left St. Louis in May, 1851, with Rev. Paul Ponziglione and two lay brothers, went first to St. Mary's of the Pottawatomies, and after a few weeks, in the company of Father Durink, Superior of St. Mary's, Father Ponzigli one and the brothers, went across the vast prai ries, and reached the Osage Mission on the 26th of June. The joy felt by the Fathers was equal ed only by that of the Indians. They came in groups to see the Tapusca-Watanka (the priest- lord) and pay him their homages. The bishop remained a few weeks at the Mis sion .acting as a simple missionary, preaching, baptising, visiting the wigwams and instructing the Indians, Before leaving, he solemnly admin istered the sacrament of confirmation, leaving Father Ponziglione at the Mission. But things were too prosperous ; some afflic tions were at hand. The time of trial came in October. The health of Father Schoenmakers failed to an alarming degree. No doctor being at hand, he was taken in a common wagon to (145) 146 WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. Fort Scott, and placed under the care of the doctors at the fort. Never will the kindness of officers, doctors and soldiers be forgotten. They all vied with each other to relieve the pains of the poor sufferer; while Fathers Bax and Pon- ziglione visited him weekly in turn. Thanks to the kindness shown Father Schoenmakers, he could return to the Mission in January, 1852, in good health, perfectly recovered. About the time, of the return of Father Schoen makers, George White Hair, who had been ailing for some time became very sick. The Indians left their towns and came in great numbers to see their chief. The "Medicine-men" also offer ed their services. The venerable old chief knew them, thanked them kindly for their attention, and requested them to leave him in peace and abstain from performing superstitious rites around him, for he was a Christian and desired to die a Christian. After this, he placed himself entirely in the hands of Father Bax by whom he had been instructed and baptised. Soon after, he received the last rites of the church, and the 23rd day of January he calmly expired to enter a better life. The death of White Hair was a terrible blow. The wild Indians, as was to be expected, became furious because their great chief had died with out a medicine-man attending him. They dis liked to see him buried as a white man. He was a brave, they said, and he must be buried as a brave. They found fault with all the attentions lavished upon him by Father Bax. Why did he talk in secret to their chief? Why did he anoint him, except to perform a bad charm upon him? What did he give him to eat that he called communion, if not to poison him? They went about sowing dissatisfaction among the ignor- WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. 147 ant, saying that the fathers were going to put their chief in a hole like a dog instead of burying him with all the honiors due to such a chief, a brave killing his horse on his grave and hanging around the scalps of his enemies. They went so far that they accused the Fathers of killing him by inducing him to abandon the worship of his nation to adopt a strange one. "What did bap tism avail him ? "He displeased the Great Spirit, and that is all," they would say. Hence they concluded it was useless to follow such a belief, and that they should stand by their old ways. Sev eral who were preparing to receive baptism were discouraged; all the braves mourned for their chief, and all the ceremonies of pagan worship were put to use. This was disheartening; but it was not enough. A Quapaw Indian went from his country to visit his daughter who was at school^ He fell sick on the way, and when he reached the Mission he was in a dying state. His sickness was the meas les. The man was kept in a secluded room, but it was to no purpose. The infection spread around and soon one-half of the children were down sick. The Mission was a hospital. All, care was taken, but a few died. When the In dians heard of the epidemic, they were frantic ; they rushed for their children and took them home, for they found fault that they were not treated as Indian children ought to be treated. "You know nothing about Indians," they would say. Thus the parents took their children and brought them into the Neosho to cool their fever and wash off the sickness, and, as could be ex pected, almost all died. Children dying so fast in the camps of the In dians moved the heart of Father Bax to follow and baptise them. He went, traveled constantly, 148 WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. 111*! lived in all the dirt of the Indian wigwam and was satisfied with their fare, poor and dirty as it was. Thus he baptised many before they gave up their lives. But this very thing caused the bitterest rage of the medicine men. The medicine-men were and are still a set of crafty men, who, mixing sorcery with cunning, act as doctors, and sometimes perform wonderful tricks. This is the way they make a living. These men fearful of the presence of Father Bax, and seeing the number of their dupes diminishing, went about slandering him, accusing him of kill ing children by baptism. As in all times of ex citement, the foolish accusation is believed, Fath er Bax is refused admittance, he is abused, he is called a murderer of children, and even illtreated. It was expected that the Mission would be de stroyed. The crisis, however, took place when adults be gan to be attacked with the epidemic. Not only the measles, but also the scurvy was making frightful ravages. Its malignity was unprece dented. Over eight hundred Osages died during the spring. Many having died who were not baptised, the survivors noticed the circumstances, and soon they returned, begging forgiveness for saying that baptism had killed them, since so many died who were not baptised, and they were the first to laugh at their own terror. In consequence of the incessant visits of Fath er Bax among the Osages, attending the sick and the dying* of the rough life he led, of the dirt he had to encounter, he contracted the sickness that was decimating them, the scurvy. In May of that terrible spring, he gave evident signs of the disease. He, however, continued his missionary excursions until he could go no more. Then, and then only, he gave up, was brought to Fort Scott, WgST&RN INDIAN MISSION. 149 and was attended most carefully by the liberal commanding officer and the doctor. But it was too late ; the disease had made frightful progress, and on the last day of July he gave up his soul to God, after having received the last rites of the church at the hands of Bishop Miege, who had reached Fort Scott the day before. Father Bax was thirty-five years old when death put an end to his apostolic labors. He had an ardent Zeal a particular gift of speech, and the whole crowned with the most exalted virtues and an unalterable gentleness of manner. His delight was to instruct children. From his con stant intercourse with the Osages, he had acquir ed' a great knowledge of their language, and great hopes were placed on him for the future of the nation. Being so amiable and unpretending, he had the confidence of the Indians and the whites. His charity was boundless, and was the cause of his death. Father Bax had desired to be buried among his dear Osages. Hence he was brought to the Mission, and the. rites of the Catholic church were sung over his remains. Father Schoen- makers addressed the people, and feelingly told of the shining virtues of the dear deceased. The congregation gave signs of the deepest sorrow. The Indians, on their way back from a partial) hunt, heard of the death of Father Bax. They made haste and arrived in time. They begged the Fathers to have the bier opened. To please them, it was done. Rut no sooner had they view ed their Father and friend, dressed in his priestly robes, resembling more a person in sleep, than in death, than they raised a loud cry and forgetting that they were in church, began their mourning song, as they have it at the loss of a dear friend. Their excitement was so great that for two J5O WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. hours they walked around the bier striking their breasts, and singing the terrible mourning song. Only then did they give up ; the coffin was closed, and all in the procession carried him to his rest ing place. The 29th of October. 1852, Father Adrian Van Hulst went from St. Louis to fill the place of Father Bax. His help was much needed. The government had allowed the Quapaws to send their children to the Osage manual school, so that the number of pupils had nearly doubled. Besides, the Indians of the six nations, generally called New York Indians, had just settled on a small stream called Little OsaP p e, near Fort Scott, and it became necessary to visit them, as many among them were Catholics. Father Van Hulst went on his apostolic duties with great zeal. The Quapaws, the Senecas, the Cherokees, the Creeks and the Seminoles receiv ed his ^frequent visits. He extended them as far as Fort Gibson at the junction of the Neosho with the Arkansas river. The fruits derived from these visits were immense. But, alas! the hardships he experienced in traveling thru these boundless deserts so impaired his health that his superiors had to recall him to rest for a while. He left for St. Louis on the i4th dav of October, 18*4, having spent two years at the Mission. The half-breeds .grave the Fathers much conso lation, but for the Osa.ee Indians it was difficult to do anv sfood amoner them. They were glad to hear the Word of God. and could well take a rebuke, freauently acknowledging that thev de served it : but when it was a nuestion of Chris- tianitv in practice, of civilization, thev covered their heads with their blankets, kept silence, and as soon as politeness could allow, thev would leave. It was not that they did not understand WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. 15! the importance of Christianity. When sick, they all desired to be baptised; but for the sake of truth, we must say that many on recovering, returned to pagan worship. Human respect and interest did that great evil. The following will illustrate this matter : A brave of the Beaver band of Osages had a nephew at school. The young boy was gifted, and had been baptised and received communion. His uncle went to the Mis sion, and said he should take his nephew home. Father Schoenmakers objected, because it was the epoch of the foolish worship of the Osages. But he would have his nephew and take him to the worship. The Father argued with him and proved to him that he was wrong. The old brave listened in silence, and acknowledged that it was interest that made him ask the like ; that he did not care for Indian worship ; that but few believ ed in it; but that if he took his nephew there he would get a large share of buffalo on account of the boy's father having been a great brave, who died in a war with the Comanches, and as he was a poor man he would have his own and his nephew's share for the winter. During that year, lands in the newly formed Territory of Kansas began to be opened for set tlement* and many families settled about the Mis sion, on account of the advantages of the school. Thus the congregation was much increased. Father Ponziglione, this same year, from the Miamis, went to visit the Chippewas and Otta- was, living near the mouth of Ottawa Creek, near the Osage River. Most of these Indians were Catholics; but not having been visited for years, he had hard work baptising and instructing them. This mission gave him much consolation. In September. 1855. Right Reverend Bishop Miege took to himself Father Hermann, who had 152 WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. now been for six years at the Mission. During this time he had so well organized the schools that the children were the delight of all who saw them. Their modesty and good behavior, along with their progress were remarkable. Twice a year they gave public exhibitions, that were at tended by all Indians and whites. The Mission lost a great help by the removal of Father Hei- mann, who, besides his noble school had attend ed the Germans of Deep- Water. In the summer of 1857, a brother priest was sent from St. Louis to work among the Osages. This was Father Van Lengenhage, commonly called Father Logan. This good man was strong and full of zeal. He set to work at once. But alas ! his conversations with the Indians termin ated as did all such conversations, by utter sil ence, and retiring as soon as possible. Evidently they were .not for Christianity and civilization, and altho they did not believe in Manitou wor ship, yet it paid them better, and they clung to it. At this time, these same Indians had, besides, been imbued by careless white trappers with all the false ideas of scepticism and infidelity. Three settlements of Catholic families were formed on Pottawatomie Creek, Fall River and the Verdigris. These were visited regularly to the great delight of those poor people. They had thus an occasion of performing their Chris tian duties. These settlements were over sev enty-five miles from the Osage Mission. Father Logan worked faithfully among the Osages* and thru his exertions several were con verted and baptised. But soon, altho not a word of complaint passed his lips, it was evident that he suffered, and the kind Father Schoenmakers resolved to bring him back to St. Louis. He had hardly reached there when a severe brain fever WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. 153 set in, and he expired on the 4th of July, 1858, being thirty-two years of age, and passed from this life into the light of heaven. The 25th of August he was replaced at the Mission by Father James Van Gooch. In the fall of that year, Bishop Miege visited tbe settlement on the Pottawatomie, and gave these good people, who were overjoyed, Father Ivo Schact for pastor. To relieve the Osage Mis sion, he was also to attend the Miamis, Peorias, Weas Piangishas, Ottawas and Chippewas. When Father Schact, a year after, was removed to Lawrence, he kept such missions, because they were French-speaking Indians, which language he spoke; and they were left as a legacy to his successor, Father Favre, now Professor of Theology at the Seminary of the Assumption, who also speaks French, and did much good among them. I pass rapidly over the years that followed. A new church was built ; the exercises of a jubilee brought many to church ; many were baptised, and the work progressed as usual. I will say nothing of the measles, which attacked again the children of the school, nor the prejudice that foi l-owed it prejudice so foolish and yet so strong that Father Van Gooch having visited a village of the Little Osages, the chief of the tribe ac cused him of killing children by baptism; and night coming on he was refused lodging and obliged to pass the night upon the naked prairie, cold and famished after a whole day's ride, and that for fear he would perform some great spelt against them. T say nothing of the increasing goodness of the half-breeds, nor the show of a desire of civilization among the wild Indians, who brought to school as many as two hundred and thirtv-five children and occasioned thus the 154 WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. expense of new buildings. I say but a word of the pius death of Gratamantze, successor of White Hair, as great chief of the Osages. This old man had been baptised by Father Van Quick- enborne years before. Taken away soon after, while a small boy, he joined in all the follies of Manitou worship, but as soon as he succeeded White Hair he became a fervent Christian. The chief of the Quapaws Wartishi by name was baptised the same year under the name of Joseph. It is needless to say that in that year Father Schoenmakers, desirous of seeing the In dians at work, offered them regular wages if they would go to the woods and split rails to build fences for themselves. The Father and his men went, and with the rails fenced plots of ground around ,the wigwams, which they plowed and planted, while the Indians were sitting in the shade smoking. When the corn grew, they ate the green ears, and all was over. But let us pass from these tribes .to the hard times experienced by the Mission during the late, war. When, on the I2th of April, 1861, the first gun was shot at Fort Sumpter, it reached all) over the land, and the forest Indians themselves felt it. Placed so near the border, the Osage Mission suffered much from incursions of the military. The fact is, that some demanded all because they were enemies, and the others de manded all because they were friends. Stead fast in his duty toward the Union, Father Schoen makers was in particular the object of the hatred of all the troops of guerillas which pass ed by. Five hundred dollars reward was offered for his head. Hence he left the Mission, and re tired for some months to St. Mary's. The storm over, he returned home. During his absence, Father Ponziglione was throttled to give up WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. 155 the arms that were said to be concealed at the Mission. After a brutal search* finding none, they abused Father Hoecken, whom they met. A dastardly attempt was made upon the life of Father Van Gooch. On his return from Fort Scott, where he had been attending the numerous soldiers professing the Catholic faith, he fell into the hands of a band of robbeis dressed in mili tary. They ordered him from his horse, made him kneel down, their guns leveled the word only was wanting. But the leader, more human than those fiends, said there was no glory in kill ing a man without arms and making no resist ance. He promised to attend to him in due time, and had him conveyed to the house of a friend, whence he reached the Mission in safety. Some speculators, desiring to enrich them selves, came among the Osages and raised re cruits among them. But an Indian remains an Indian, altho dressed in soldier's clothes. They all left the ranks a ad returned home, where they sold their clothes for a dram of whiskey, and went buffalo hunting. They drank freely and Father Ponziglione, not knowing this, arrived at the Osage town of Nantze-Waspe. There he was surrounded, complaints were made against the officers who enrolled them and paid them not, thence against all- the white men; knives were branished around the Father, and poised to stab him. Just then a cry of terror was heard ; Union troops were near, and he was saved. Several tribes of Indians flying from the South came up among the Osages. These more or less demoralized the Osages, as well as those who had been in the army. In vain were they in structed, invited to be civilized and cared for; it was useless. "Father," they would say, "you promised us very great things in the name of 156 WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. your Great Spirit in another land. We are poor now ; why does He not give them here now ? We are bound to work for yon or starve." Thus they reasoned ; for heavenly things they had no relish ; sugar, tea and coffee were better to them. As soon as the spring opened they rushed to their forests, and while the Easter offices were performed at the Mission, you might have heard, one mile further in the woods, the mournful song of the Tcirhi-un. their worship song, accompanied by the drum, and if penetrating nearer you should be able to see them you would find them in their forest recess sacrificing their bird to the Great Spirit, and like the ancient augurers con sulting the palpitations and convulsions of the dissected animal to foretell their success in war or the hunt. In the meanwhile the dangers increased ; both the white settlers and the Indians abandoned the country and the Mission was deserted ; the schools were very full, but no protector was near. The only breastwork was the innocence of the little children. The fact is that several guerilla troops went there to pillage and burn, and yet were restrained from it by the innocence of the little ones, who, having no knowledge of friend or foe were equally kind to all. One band, howevei , took all the provisions, all the clothing to be found in both houses, even that of the children* and retired without more injury. This caused Father Schoenmakers to ap ply to Generals Charles Blair and Thomas Ewing for troops, which request was readily granted, and a company of soldiers was stationed at the Mission, thus checking the constant inroads of robbers, and giving security to teachers and pu pils. The Mission was in great danger when a large WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. I $7 train escorted by soldiers left the place for Fort Smith, but was captured by the Confederates near Cabin Creek, sixty-five miles south. Gen eral Price and his army became formidable; but fortunately, before reaching Baxter Springs, the old general cast his soldiers into the State of Missouri. All the soldiers scattered about, and indeed all available men were mustered into service to defend our State from invasion. Soon after the assasination of Abraham Lincoln peace was proclaimed, confidence was restored, and the settlers returned to their homes. As is always the case after such wars, suspi cious characters remain for the spoils, and steal now in the dark, since they cannot rob publicly as before. Thus in one night all the horses and the greater part of the stock of the Mission were removed* and no tidings were ever had of their whereabouts. The mission lost consider ably during this unhappy war, without the hope of ever receiving one cent back. In the year 1865, Father Hoecken was remov ed from the Mission, and Father John Cunning ham sent to reside at Fort Scott, where Father Ponziglione had finished a good church and form ed a congregation. In the fall of the same year, the United States Government sent its agents to a great council with the O sages. All the chiefs and braves met on the In-sca-po-onshu Creek, and the white men met on Canvilk's Creek. Father Schoenmakers was officially invited to attend, and taking the stand, he explained to the Indians the advantage resulting for them from a treaty with the United States. This treaty was signed by both parties on the spot. As soon as the land was open for settlement a rush was made, and the work increased consid- 158 WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. erably. A church was built and congregation formed st Humboldt. But great confusion fol lowed the taking of claims by men who had no right to such. Quarrels followed among the set tlers, but all were happily adjusted, and the church could not contain all the Catholics. An other missionary was sent to help in the good and difficult work. This was Father John Schoen setters. The distant missions were again visited to the great joy of the Catholic population* Father Schoensetters attended the white popu lation of Carthage, Granby, Newtonia and Neo- sho, in Missouri, and the new settlements on the Quapaw, Seneca and Cherokee lands, also Cow Creek, Spring River and Neosho, in Kansas, and Baxter Springs. The Osages, six months after the treaty, hav ing moved to their new reservation, Father Schoenmakers followed them, in order to in struct them. Starting from the Mission, he fol lowed the Osage trail, and reached first the bands of Clermont and Black Dog, on Pumpkin Creek, in the Verdigris Valley* thence to Big Hill, a large Osage town of one hundred lodges. Leav ing Big Hill, he came into the camps of Beaver, White Hair, Nantze-Waspe and Little Osage, at the junction of Fall River and the Verdigris. During these last years, the Catholic popula tion of the Osage Mission increased so much that a large church is in way of construction ; a coiwent has been built for the Sisters of Loretto and a residence will soon be built for the Fath ers. A large circulating library has been es tablished by Father Colleton, who succeeded Father Schoensetters. So that everything goes prosperously. Many churches have been built and congrega tions established in the neighborhood, and con- WESTERN INDIAN MISSION. 1 59 stantly some of the Fathers are on missionary tours. The Jesuit Fathers of the Osage Mission have been the pioneers of Kansas. They have, accord ing to the text of the Scriptures, sown the seed of the Word of God into those wild countries; others will come who will in joy reap the harvest Perhaps lofty cathedrals will be raised where the poor pioneer priest has rejoiced in raising a small cross. All the good performed will be known at the day of reckoning, when all nations will stand before the throne of God and be judg ed according to their works. JAMES H. DEFOURI. CHAPTER X. FATHER DE LA CROIX. Father Charles De La Croix was the first mis sionary among the Osages in what is now Kan sas, of which we have found any record, and not much is known of his work, aside from what has already been said in this book. Father De La Croix was born at Hoorbeke, St. Corneille* Belgium, October 28, 1792, and was educated at the seminary at Ghent. When Na poleon I, by aid of his military power, appointed a bishop contrary to the wish of the people of the Diocese, the students at Ghent resisted, and as a punishment young De La Croix and his brother were imprisoned in the fortress at Wes- sel, where his brother died. After the fall of the empire he resumed his studies and was ordained at Ghent by Bishop Dubourg, of St. Louis, and sailed for America with the bishop. In May, 1818, he was put in charge of the missionary work at Barrens, Perry count), Mo., and at the same time was assigned the .duties of superin tending the construction of a seminary building for the diocese of Louisiana. On December 3, 1818, he went to Florissant* also called St Ferd inand, near St. Louis. He continued his labors there until about August, 1823. It was while located at Florissant that Father De La Croix made his trips to the Osages on the Neosho. He is known to have visited the Osages in 1820 and the records of St. Francis' church show he baptised twelve Osages on this (160) FATHER DE LA CROIX. l6l occasion, but the location is not stated and pos sibly may have been at Harmony, which was just across the line in Missouri. The church rec ords show more baptisms of O sages by him in 1822. These were most Likely performed some where near where St. Paul, Kansas, is now lo cated, and Andreas History of Kansas says these were the first baptisms on record performed in Kansas territory. Father Paul, in one of his let ters, says Father De La Croix was preparing to build a chapel among the Osages when he was taken away by death. In this Father Paul ap pears to liave_been mistaken, for he lived nearly fifty years after his last visit to Kansas and made a remarkable record. Between his trips to Kansas Father De La Croix laid the corner stone for a new church at Florissant on February 19, 1821. This church was completed thru his efforts in 1823. On August 31, 1823, he helped Father Van Quicken- borne break ground for the foundation for the first building to be erected by the Jesuits at that place* and a few days later he turned the new church over to the care of Father Van Quicken- borne and departed for Louisiana. On August 21, 1818, he established the con vent of the Sacred Heart at Florissant, Mo., over which Mother Philippine Duchesne ruled for several years before she came to Kansas and established a school among the Pottawatomies on Sugar Creek in 1841. This convent later passed into the hands of the Sisters of Loretto who still maintain an academy there. Father De La Croix is classed as a most zeal ous worker both in local and missionary fields. He prepared the way for Father Van Quicken- borne and the other Jesuit missionaries who came to Florissant in 1823. He had built and l62 FATHER DE LA CROIX. paid for a brick church, had started a farm and opened the missionary field for the Jesuits, all of which he turned over to them soon after their arrival. He then became pastor of St. Michael's parish in Lower Louisiana until 1829, when he went to Belgium to recuperate his health. While there he collected funds sufficient to build a new church in his old parish in Louisiana, and re turning} to America he completed the church in 1832. In 1833 he went back to Belgium and became canon of the Cathedral of Ghent, which position he held until his death on August 20, CHAPTER XI. FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNE. "Dwells in his little village, the Black Robe chief of the Mission. Much he teaches the people, and tells them of Mary and Jesus; Loud laugh their hearts with joy, and weep with pain, as they hear him." LONGFELLOW. Rev. Charles Van Quickenborne, S. J., was the second missionary among the O sages in the west. He was the successor of Father De La Croix and a most zealous worker. His labor among the Osages while they remained near St. Louis are told in another chapter. His first trip west was in 1827, when he visited the Osages on the Neosho, Verdigris and Marmaton rivers. Many of the Osages had become acquainted with him in eastern Missouri before they came west and they gave him a hearty welcome. He made other trips to the Osages in the west in 1829, 1830 and 1834, baptising many on each trip. On the records of St. Francis' church, St. Paul, Kansas, appears the following, with a certi ficate that it is an exact copy of the original report made by Father Van Quickenborne : ''The publication having been dispensed with, I have received the mutual consent of and given the nuptial blessing according to the rites of our holy mother, the Catholic church, to the follow ing couples : 164 FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNE. "i. Francis D. Aybean alias Brugiere, a Frenchman, and Mary, an Osage woman. "2. Joseph Brown alias Egttesne, a Frenchman son of Stephen Brown and Acile Giguiere, and Josette A. Aybean, daughter of Francis A. Ay- bean, a Metif girl of the Osage Nation. "3. Basile Vesseur, son of Basile who was a half-breed of the Osage Nation, and Mary, an Osage woman, daughter of Kansa Shinza. ''The witnesses' have been Christopher Sanguin- ess and Louis Peltier, "Done at the house of Francis D. Aybean, near the bank of the Marmaton river in 1830. "Cfis. F. VAN QUICKENBORNE, S. J." All Kansas histories consulted by the writer state the above marriages were performed on the Neosho in 1828 and that Father Van Quick- enborne died in 1828. Indeed Father Ponzigli- one, in one of his letters- gives 1828 as the year of his death. It is apparent that all these are in error. The charter of the St. Louis University was issued on December 28, 1832, to Father Van Quickenborne and four others. In a history of that institution, the following appears: "Dur ing this year. 1827, Father Van Quickenborne went on his first missionary excursion to the Osage tribe of Indians beyond the borders of Missouri, and at an estimated distance of five hundred miles from Florissant. He subsequent ly paid two other visits to this tribe one in 1829 and the other in 1830 with a view of start ing schools and a missionary residence among them." This refutes the statement of Kansas histori ans that Father Van Quickenborne was in Kan sas in 1828, or that he died .during that year. It likewise shows that he must have, on his first FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNE. 165 trip, visited those members of the tribe farther- est west as well as those on the Neosho, if he went as far as five hundred miles west from Florissant. Father DeSmet, in a letter written in 1857, tells of Father Van Quickenborne building a house and chapel in 1836 among the Kickapoos. The history of the St. Louis University also contains the following: "Rev. Charles Van Quickenborne, to whom above all others, is due the credit of establishing the Jesuit missions in Missouri, returned in 1837 from the Kickapoo mission started by him the preceding year, near the grounds of the present Ft. Leavenworth, and he went to recuperate his strength at Portage des Sioux. But the hardships of several years spent by him in border-life among the Indians had so shattered his constitution that no medi cine and no kind attention could revive him, and he died at Portage des Sioux en Thursday, Aug ust 17, 1837. His remains were interred on a little mound in the garden at St. Stanislaus no vitiate, and they are now surrounde.d by those of nearly all his early companions in Missouri. A plain slab for a headstone, with a Latin in scription on it, serves' both to mark his last rest ing place and to record the main events of his very commendable life." From the above it will be seen that Father Van Quickenborne did not die in 1828, but nine years later. The history of Kansas also says the marriage ceremony recorded by Father Van Quicken- borne was the first performed in what is now the state of Kansas, and that it was performed on the Neosho near where the Mission was later established. From Father Van Quickenborne's own record and other evidences the writer con- l66 FATHHR VAN QUICKENBORNE. eludes it was performed not far from where Ft. Scott now stands. It is quite certain, however, that Father Van Ouickenborne paid more than one visit to the Osages on the Neosho. In fact one writer says he selected the site on which Father Schoen- makers afterward located "Osage Mission." His last visit to the Osages on the Neosho was probably in 1834. The Osages owe a deep debt of gratitude to this pioneer. He was the first to establish schools among them, and one of the first to bring the "Gospel of Christ." Civilization, too, owes him much. He was the founder of the great St. Louis University, and pointed out the way for the establishment of the schools later established in Kansas by the Jesuits and by the Sisters of Loretto and of the Sacred Heart. Father De Smet. the noted missionary, and one of the six young Belgians who accompanied Father Van Ouickenborn e from Maryland to Missouri, wrote the following tribute: New York, May 16, 1857. This notice of the Rev. Charles Van Quicken- borne has been based on a sketch of his life, in the archives of the vice-province of Missouri, and I have inserted some facts from my own knowledge. Father Charles Felix Van Ouickenborne was the first Jesuit who appeared in the great valley of the Mississippi after the re-establishment of the Society of Jesus. He was a man full of zeal for the salvation of souls. The conversion of the Indians was, in particular, the object of his predilection and of his prayers. Long will his name be held in benediction, and his mem ory celebrated in the places which had the happi- FATHER VAN QUICKEN BORNE. 167 ness of receiving the fruits of his numerous la bors and of his truly apostolic virtues. He was born in the diocese of Ghent, at Peteg- hem, near Deynze, on the 2ist of January, 1788. Having commenced his studies at Deynze, he went to Ghent to complete thern, and there he embraced the ecclesiastical state. Van Quicken- borne constantly distinguished himself by his talents and his application. Ordained priest, he was sent to Roulers, to teach belles lettres. He remained there four years; that is to say, until the moment that the ecclesiastical, seminary was closed. A short time after his return to Ghent he was sent as vicar into a parish where he had the singular happiness, as he frequently said with pleasure, of finding Mr. Corselis as Dean. The friendship and the distinguished virtue of this venerated priest exerted a very salutary influence over the mind of the young vicar, and made an impression which was never obliterated. About this time the Society of Jesus, in the expectation of its approaching re-establishment, had prepared a novitiate at Rumbeke, neor Roul ers. There, yielding to the impulse of his zeal, Van Ouickenborne presented himself, on the I4th of April, 1815. From that moment he sighed for the mission of America. Scarcely had he finished his novitiate than he obtained from Father Thaddeus Brzozowski. then general, the permission to consecrate him self entirely to the desired mission. He embark ed at Amsterdam. After a navigation fraught with perils, he had the happiness of reaching America, near the close of the year 1817. At the opening of the year 1819 he was plac ed at the head of the novitiate of Maryland, at White Marsh He displaye.d, in this responsible position, all the means which it furnished him i68 FATHER VAN QUICKI^NBORNE. for the salvation of souls. Superior and master of novices, he became, at the same time, farmer, carpenter, and mason. He erected a handsome stone church on the novitiate grounds, and built a brick one at Annapolis. At the same time he attended, as a missionary, a vast district, which during several years, he was to evangelize alon x e, before a companion could second his charitable toil. His labors were precious for Maryland ; but the poverty of that mission was extreme. This led the Rt. Rev. Wm. du Bourg, bishop of both Louisianas, to request that the novitiate to trans ferred to Missouri. The superior of the mission consented to it. Father Van Quickenborne, therefore, set out with two Fathers, seven scho lastic novices, and three coadjutor brothers. Af ter a journey of 1,600 miles, amidst the heat of summer, with continual fatigues and privations, he arrived near Florissant, \vhere he commenced the novitiate of Saint Stanislaus To form this new establishment, he found no other materials than those he drew himself from the forests and the rocky bed of the river. But his ardor for labor was daunted by no difficulty; his inflexible courage was not to be arrested by any obstacle. He was always the first at work. He seemed to multiply himself, going from one workman to another, exciting and encouraging every one by his example far more than by his words. En dowed with an admirable patience, and with a great spirit of mortification, he was never ex acting to any one but himself, listened only to the enthusiasm which inspired him to spend himself without reserve, and never knew what it was to spare his own health or strength. He was near becoming a victim to this self-forget- f ulness. One day he was working p.t the squaring FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNE. 169 of a timber, aided in this labor by a young novice. The latter, not yet versed in the work, used his axe with an eagerness of which he was far from imagining the consequences. Right glad to per ceive the wood yielding under his blows, he only thought of multiplying them. One of thetn ill- directed, struck the Father on the foot. Not withstanding this wound, and the loss of blood, the Father did not give up his labor until he found himself fainting, then only would he take a seat and allow the cut to be bound up with a handkerchief The laborers, meanwhile, were three miles from the farm, which served them as a common residence. The Father endeavor ed to return there on foot; but, on the way, the pain arising from the wound became so violent that he was constrained to yield and suffer him self to be put on the horse that had been sent for him. A burning fever obliged him to keep his bed for several days. As soon as he became a little better he desired to return to his work, but he must use the horse. Thence arose a new accident. The shores of the river are swampy in certain places; the horse sunk into one of these mires ; the Father needed all his calm an but they spoke with him in a timid and embarrassed manner. He understood the cause. In the corner of the room lay a sick child with a fever, and in ex tremities. The missionary asked the distracted mother whether her boy had received baptism. On being answered in the negative, he began to explain the necessity of this sacrament. "God Himself sent me here," added he, "to open to your child the portals of heaven ; you must hast en, for soon he will be no more!'' The mother replied disdainfully, that she would never suffer a priest to baptise her son ; that she did not be lieve in baptism. It was in vain to insist. As the child was consumed with thirst the Father, feigning to renounce his first idea, very kindly attempted to relieve it from time to time, by giving it a little water, and at a moment when the mother, occupied with other things, turned her attention elsewhere, he baptised the child, who soared to heaven a few minutes after. A short time after this* passing near the cot tage, the Father called again and asked to see the mother of the child. This time he found her affable and obliging. She evinced a very great desire to have some information concerning the Catholic religion. Soon she Avowed that all she had heard on the necessity of 1 ci^tism troubled her, and that she deplored it as a misfortune that she had deprived her son of so great a grace. IJ2 KYT11KK VAX OUJCKICNBORNK. "Console yourself/' said the kind Father, "your son received baptism, and he now enjoys the beatific vision. He now intercedes for you with God. Receive baptism, and you will one day share his happiness." These words produced the desired effect. The woman was converted, and, with her whole family, received baptism. Such were the blessed consequences of the ob stinacy of the horse. Strangely enough, on the day after, he followed the other road without any show of resistance. The salvation of souls was, with this apostolic man, an ever-present thought, desire, and neces sity. He had also a wonderful art in seizing occasions and profiting by circumstances. He understood also, by his conversations and nar ratives, how to communicate to others the zeal with which he was inflamed. They were capti vated, so that those who could not assist him by their labors, pledged themselves, at least, to assist him by their prayers. Thus, in order to engage his novices to pray with ardor, he grant ed them a little feast each time that the con versions attained a certain number. The Protestants, we have already observed* m?de efforts to throw obstacles in the path of the man of God, but he had to struggle especial ly with the Methodists. One day he gave a severe blow to the influence of these noisy secta rians. Being on a mission, he heard that they were to hold a meeting in a place named to him. For a long time he had sought an occasion of coming in contact with them. He, therefore, set out for the appointed locality, and endeavored to attract there all the Protestants that he could find. The Methodists were holding their meet ing in the church. The Father, on his arrival, found an immense concoime. His religious FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNE. 173 habit and .his venerable air, at first excited a pro found astonishment in men, most of whom saw a priest for the first time. In their amazement, several cried uot: "What does that queer man want?" The Father answered modestly, that he was desirous of hearing from their mouths some explanations on certain important points which concerned religion, and begged they would allow him to propose a few questions. Then, profiting by the consent which they gave him. he began to interrogate them on the essential points that distinguished the true from the erroneous doc trines. The ministers wish to reply, but no two answer in the same manner. They refute them selves, and contradict each other. The Father insists ; they disagree. The confusion only in creases, to the great scandal of the auditors, who thus have an evidence that those ministers, so habituated to despise the priests in their absence, are incapable of replying to them when they meet them. The Father left these men disputing (to their shame and confusion), and went to make a discourse in the open air on the unity, sanctity, catholicity, and apostolicity of the Roman Catho lic Church, which all sects and all their ministers united can never shake. Such astonishing bold ness, the talents of the preacher, and the solidity of his reasonings, conciliated the attention and respect of all. He had gained a signal victory over the ministers of falsehood and calumny. During a long period* their discourses had no echo in that place. Every time that the Father returned there, they opened the hotel of the town to him, that he might celebrate Mass and preach. His sermons, every time, produced nu merous conversions. On entering the apostolical career, Father Van Quickenborne enjoyed a robust health ; but the 174 FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNE. severe labors and incessant hardships of the apostolale undermined his strength. However, his infirmities never cooled the ardor of his zeal. His charity and his confidence in God seemed to supply the weakness of nature, and God, more than once, seconded his efforts in a marvel ous manner. One day, while he was retained in his bed by a severe, and even serious malady, they came to tell him that a poor Catholic, dying, a hundred miles off* implored the comforts of religion. To the amazement of all, he caused a cart to be prepared, ordered his matress to be laid in it, and taking with him the Blessed Sacra ment and the oils he set forth, after giving to them all his blessing. All received it, as tho it would be the last. They followed their kind Father with fears and regrets. After a few days he reappeared among them quite triumphant; he had administered to the sick man, and was him self perfectly cured. His apostolical zeal inclined him above all to those places in which he saw more spiritual pri vations and more neglect. He ardently desired to go and evangelize the poor Indians, wander ing in the wilderness. He made several excur sions among the Osages and the lowas, and each time the most precious fruits met his expecta tion. In 1836, he succeeded, by soliciting, in collecting some money in the different States. He at once commenced a fixed residence among the Kickapoos ; already he had built a house and chapel. He had visited the neighboring tribes, and formed the most extensive and solid de signs for their conversion, when he was sudden ly arrested in the midst of his enterprises. The Superior of the Missions in Missouri, on paying the visit to his missionaries* found the Father so feeble in health that he judged him incapable FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNE. 1/5 of continuing his labors. As soon as the Superior returned to St. Louis he recalled him. Faithful to the voice of obedience, Father Van Quickenborne quitted his cherished mission. He reappeared at St. Louis with a cheerful counte nance, reposed there some dnys, went to make his annual retreat at the novitiate, and then set out for St. Charles, so as to go thence to the little parish of St. Francis in the Portage des Sioux. There he was to lead a quiet life, assist ed by one coadjutor brother, and only bestow ing his cares on this little flock. But is there any hope of limiting his zealous efforts? He set himself at once to build a church in the neigh borhood, and he was desirous of converting a certain number of Protestant families. These labors were absorbing his whole attention, when he was attacked by a bilious fever which carried him off in some days, resisting all the cares of an experienced physician. Father Pallaison assited him in the hour of death. The man of God was calm until the end, and filled with devout resignation. He received the last sacraments with a deep and touching piety, and saw death approaching without fear. About twenty minutes before expiring, preced ing his last moment, "Pray for me." said he to the Father and Brother who were near him. These were his last words. He expired without agony. His death took place on the I7th of August, 1837. His body, followed by crowds, was borne to St. Charles, and interred with much pomp in the middle of the graveyard, at the foot of the cross. Catholics and Protestants assisted at his funeral, for he was beloved by all. The lengthened labors of this apostolic man, and the churches which he built, suffice to per- 176 FATHER VAN QUICKENBORNE. petuate his memory, were it not already deeply engraven in the hearts of all who knew him. P. J. DE SMET, S. J. CHAPTER XII. FATHER VERREYDT. Hiow brave and earnest the pioneers must have been to follow the trail of the red man and blase the way for us to come in. JESSK L/EE BCK. Father Felix L. Verreydt was born in Belgium Feb. 1 8, 1798. He was the immediate predecessor of Father Schoenmakers as missionary among the O sages, and was one of the six young men who came to America from Belgium in 1820 with Rev. Fr. Nerinckx and entered the novitiate at White Marsh, Maryland. He was also one of the six young men who volunteered to accom pany Father Van Qitickenborne to Missouri in 1823. and he helped to establish the Jesuits at Florissant, Mo., their first home west of the Mississippi river. During the first few months of their stay at Florissant the eight Jesuits were all lodged in one log cabin. Their beds were ''pallets on the floor." Fr. Verreydt helped to cut the log's and erect some of the first buildings at Florissant. He had not completed his studies for the priesthood at that time, but he did physi cal labor during the day and studied his books at night. He also devoted part of his t**me'to teaching the Indian children. Father Verreydt was ordained priest at Floris sant in September. 1827, by Bishop Rosati and was assigned to the church at St. Charles. Later he was transferred to Portage ? des Sioux, near St. Louis. wher e in 18^4 he built a brick church. (177) 178 FATHER VERREYDT. Some time before 1837 he and Father Chris- tion Hcecken were located at a mission among the Kickapoos near Ft. Leavenworth. On August 29, 1841, he joined the Jesuit colony at St. Mary's Mission on Sugar Creek where the town of Centerville, Kansas, now stands. There he organized an anti-liquor bri gade for the protection of the Indians against liquor peddlers. The brigade kept a sharp out look for any liquor that might enter the village and destroyed it. The brigade did effective work for a number of years. In November, 1847, ^ e selected the site on the Kaw river where St. Mary's, Kansas, now stands, as the future location of the colony, and on June 20^ 1848, the spot on which St. Mary's College now stands was chosen by him for the Indian girls school under charge of the Sisters of Sacred! Heart, and on September 7, 1848, Father Verreydt led the little band into the build ing which had been erected for the school. The buildings for the boys 5 school were erected near by that winter, and from these grew St. Mary's College. It was at this place that Bishop Miege and Father Ponziglione arrived Miay 24, 1851, on their way from St. Louis to Osage Mission. They stopped for about a month before proceeding to the home of the Osages. The records of St. Francis 5 church at St. Paul, show two trips lo the Osages on the Neo- sho by Father Verreydt, one in 1843 an d the other in 1846. On each trip he reported a num ber of baptisms. After the missionary work in the west was turned over to Father Schoen- makers he was fciven charges in eastern Miss ouri in 1850 and labored there for years, part of the time at St. Charles and Portage des Sioux, and part of the time at the St. Louis University. FATHER VERREYDT. 179 He outlived all of those who were his compan ions to America from Belgium, and was more than four score years old when he died at the home of the Jesuit Fathers, at St. Xavier's Col lege, in Cincinnati, Ohio, on March i, 1883. ^e was buried in the Jesuit cemetery near the scene of his early labors at St. Stanislaus Seminary, Florissant, Mo. Father Verreydt was a zealous priest, a tire less worker, and a man of marked ability. Truly he left "footprints on the sands of time," in Kansas that will not be obliterated for ages yet to come. CHAPTER XIII. FATHER JOHN SCHOENMAKERS. " Unto a task of seeming lowliness Yet God-like in its purpose, he went forth To bind the broken spirit to pluck back The heathen from the worship of the planets To place the spiritual image of God, Holy and just and true, before the eye Of the dark-minded Indian and unseal The holy pages of the Book of Life!' ADOPTED FROM WHITTIER. Father John Schoenmakers, S. J., has been properly termed the "Father of Osage Mission." He might as truly be termed the "Father of Civilization in Southeastern Kansas/' for he formed the first permanent white settlement in what is now Southeastern Kansas, but at that time known as the Western Indian Territory. It is true he was not the first white person to visit the region of the Neosho, but those preced ing him were either traders or transitory mission aries who remained but a short time in one place. It was like going out of civilization for Father Schoenmakers and his little party to come into this western country, hundreds of miles from a railroad or a town, where there were few con veniences of life, where the ways of the white man were little known and where the dark- skinned rovers of the plains held sway. But "Since the days Loyola lived and taught (180) FATHER SCHOKN MAKERS. l8l There has not blown a wind that did not fill Some whitened sail, bearing to distant lands His earnest sons, to plant the seeds of faith." On the 2oth of November, 1807, there was born in nn humble home in the town of Waspick, Langstaat, province of North Brabant, in Hol land, John Schoemnakers, son of Henry Schoen- makers and Petronella Kamp, both natives of Waspick. In his youth he was a student at the DeNef school in Tournout, Belgium. Mr. De- Nef was a layman but was extremely interested in the American missions and John Schoenmak- ers was only one of the many young men whom he influenced to prepare for American mission ary labors. John Schoenmakers was ordained as a secular priest in 1833, celebrating his first Mass April 16, 1833. He was thoroly imbued with the desire to join the Jesuits and to become a missionary among the American Indians, and to carry out that idea he set sail for New York as soon as he could get his affairs arranged, ar riving in that city on Christmas day, 1833. He proceeded without delay to Georgetown, Mary land, where he joined the Jesuit order, January 1 6, 1834. In June, 1834, he was sent to Floris sant to join Father Van Quickenborne's little colony. At Florissant he had for his companions Father De Smet, Father Verreydt and others who soon after became noted missionaries, some of them of world wide fame. Soon after, he was given a position at the St. Louis University. This place he held until 1837. when he was made superior of the Jesuit colony which then resided in that part of North St. Louis called Lowell, at that time open country. It was also known as the "College Farm" and was used for a sum mer retreat for the Tesuits. At the time he was 1 82 FATHER SCHOKN MAKERS. selected to take charge of the mission to be established among the Osages on the Neosho, he was pastor of the church of St. Charles Bor- romeo at St. Charles, Mo. LEAVES FOR THE OSAGES. Father Schoenmakers' first trip to the land of the Osages, the scene of his future labors, was made in 1846, to inspect the buildings that were being erected under direction of Mia j or Harvey, and to make arrangements for the establishment of his permanent home, after which he returned to St. Louis for supplies and to await the com pletion of the buildings. On April 7, 1847, Father Schoenmakers, ac companied by Father Bax and three Jesuit ky- brothers, left St. Louis, on his return to the Osages. They traveled up the Mississippi and Missouri rivers by boat to Westport, near Kan sas City and from there made their way to the Neosho by wagon. Instead of the fast horses or the automobiles driven by the people of to-day, Father Schoenmakers had two or three teams of oxen which made the trip thru the then wild and uninhabited country a long and tedious one. There were no houses where he might pass the night, and when he and his little company lay jdown at night for a little rest there was no shel ter over them, save one, the broad canopy of heaven. It required seven days to make the journey from Westport to the Neosho, after they had already been two weeks getting from St. Louis to Westport. They arrived on the scene of their future labors, April 28 or 29, 1847, and took up their abode near Flatrock creek not far from where St. Francis' church, St. Paul, Kansas, now stands. The Osages had a small FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. 183 town of about twenty-five wigwams near by and they gave the "black gowns" a most cordial, welcome. They had been awaiting Father Schoenmakers promised return, and were filled with joy when the promise was fulfilled. From that time on he was their friend, their teacher, their counsellor, and their spiritual adviser. OPENS THE SCHOOL. Father Schoenmakers lost no time after his arrival at the Mission. He and his associates began active preparation for opening the school and for looking after the spiritual needs of the Osages. The first official act recorded on the church records after their arrival was the bap tism of Sara, daughter of Shoenka, by Father Bax on May 2, 1847. The first baptism by Fath er Schoenmakers recorded was preformed on May 9, 1847, Etein Shoenka being the person baptised by him. Immediately upon his arrival Father Schoen makers set about to make as comfortable as pos sible the rude quarters furnished by the govern ment for the school and the home of himself and his associate workers. There were no whites among the Osages then except a few roving trad ers. Skilled laborers could not be employed, hence there was much manual labor to be per formed by Father Schoenmakers and the three brothers who had accompanied him west. But they set about it with a will and on May 9, 1847, enrolled Peter Brond as the first pupil in the school. Louis Louison was the second. The school was called the Osage Manual Laboring school and was formally opened on May 10,, 1847, and by the end of the month fourteen were en- 184 FATHER SCHOENMAKKRS. rolled. The total- enrollment the first year was twenty-eight. The school had many handicaps, one of the greatest being the buildings. The govertiment had planned well, and had appropriated a suffi cient sum of money from the funds which the In dians had on deposit with the government, but some of those whose duty it was to construct the buildings and put them in proper condition failed miserably to perform that duty faithfully. Father Bax made a report in writing to Extra ordinary Agent, Mr. Devereaux, which tells of these things. The copy of the report on the church records is not dated, but the text indicates it was written in the fall of 1847. It is as fol lows : "The houses destined for the Mission are un fit to be inhabited. They are unfinished, the plastering of the rooms has fallen off, some of the chimnies have fallen in, the joining of the walls are fallen out. Mr. Harvey directed to have both of the houses weatherboarded which has not been done, the fence around the houses destined for the education of the females is un fit, not preventing the approach of the Indians. The buildings erected are too small to accommo date the children, so it is of the utmost necessity to have adjoining buildings erected. "We opened the school on the loth of May and began with 13 boys and continued until Aug ust when three more came, about the loth of October two more and before they will go on the summer hunt about six or eight will come in. Many have given notice of sending in their boys at that period. There IF no doubt but before winter approaches more will present themselves as we are able to take care of them according to FATHER SCHQENMAKERS. 185 contract. The present boys surpass in every respect bv far our expectations. "We desire very much the government would encourage the O sages their beginning to culti vate the soil, for unless they change their man ner of living we can expect but little fruit from the education we endeavor to impart to their chil dren. Several of the Indians begin to see this as the buffalo becomes more scarce every year. Still the traders encourage them very much for hunting so that we fear some will never change as long as they can find any game. Still we hope that the means the government has afforded for education of the females will hasten their man ner of living." Father Schoenmakers, as head of the institu tion, devoted his greatest energies to the schools. His contract with the government held him re sponsible for the school for the girls as well as the one for the boys and altho the girls' school was under charge of able Sisters, it nevertheless required considerable attention from him. The scarcity of teachers in the school for boys as well as the shortage of assistants in the mission ary work made his duties very numerous and rather strenuous. Supplies had to be obtained from a great distance and were weeks on the road. In addition to the usual hardships, of pioneer life with insufficient and poor quarters, came the drouth, the grassnoppers, the scourge of disease, the war an,d many other perplexing and troublesome propositions which cause one of this day to wonder how he got along so well. Nevertheless his schools were kept open and made good progress except for a short per'od during the measles epidemic in 1852 and again during the early part of the civil war. In the records kept Father Schoenmakers i86 FATHER SCHOEN MAJORS. says : "The branches hitherto taught are per formed in English, viz; spelling, reading, arith metic, .singing, Christian morality, agriculture and domestic economy." When the Kansas department of education a few years ago added agriculture to the course of study required in the public schools of the state, it was regarded as an innovation, something en tirely new, yet this was one of the regular branch es taught in the school established among the Osages ; even before Kansas was organized as a territory. Much the same may be said of domestic economy. Father Schoenmakers taught those branches which he believed would be most valuable to his pupils. There were then no school laws, no prescribed course of study, no school boards to dictate to him. In the spring of 1852 a Quapaw Indian came to visit the school. Soon after his arrival he became sick and soon developed a case of meas les. This started an epidemic of the disease that spread all over the Osage Nation and caused many deaths. Only one pupil in the school es caped the disease. This temporarily closed the school. Caring for the sick also added to the burdens of the Mission, and brought on a most trying time. Father Bax worked most faithfully among the Indians in trying to allay the ravages of the disease, giving little heed to himself. As a result he contracted an ailment from which he died a few weeks later. QUAPAW INDIANS ADMITTED TO SCHOOL. Father Bax did some work among the Qua paw Indians and won their friendship to such an extent that they sought admission for their children to the school. The first baptism of a FATHER SCHOEN MAKERS. 1 8? Quapaw recorder by the Fathers at the Mission was performed September 18, 1848. Fifty-three Quapaws were baptised in 1850. Application for admission to the school was made soon after, but as the funds used to pay the expenses of the school were taken by the government from Osage money in the U. S. treasury, Father Schoenmak- ers required the Quapaws to get the consent of the Osages before admitting the children. The following letter written by Father Schoen- makers to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs tells of the negotiations : Osage Manual School, 2Oth of May, 1853. To The Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D. C., Honorable Sir : In the supposition that a pe tition has been handed to your honor, signed by the Quapaw Chiefs, on the I5th of May, 1853, and approved by the agent, W. T. Morrow, I take the freedom to write to you the following lines, being myself principally concerned in the good results that may be effected by the grant of said petition. At the advice of our agent, I was prevailed upon to yield to the earnest re quests of the Quapaw Chiefs and have taken, on the 28th of Feb., 1853, ten Quapaw children into the Osage school, being myself witness that the Quapaw chiefs have obtained in council, thru the medium of the agent, the unanimous consent and approbation of the Osage Chiefs. It was not expected that many of the Quapaw parents would have consented to send their children some 60 or 70 miles from home, the above men tioned ten Quapaw children being perfectly sat isfied at the Osage school have caused the num ber of Quapaw pupils to increase to seventeen l88 FATHER SCHUKNMAKKKS. and seven girls, there being on this 2Oth day of May, 24 Quapaw children at the Osage school. However great my desir e may be of educating said children, unless I receive $55 per annum for board and tuition of each child I could not con tinue their education, having learned from six years' experience that the Osage school has cost me $800 per year extra of the education fund at $55 per annum for each child. Whilst I am wait ing for a favorable answer to the above named petition of the Quapaw Chiefs I will in the mean time receive no other Quapaw children into the Osage school, expecting that the honorable gen tlemen of the Indian department will authorize me to give education to upwaids of 30 Quapaw youths at $55 per annum for each pupil. I will send this, my letter, to the Indian agent that it may be signed by him and that it may be known to all concerned that I have no unjust views or self interests, but that I wish to satisfy the desire of said Quapaw Indians. Very respectfully your?, J. SCHOENMAKKRS. S. J. DROUTHS AND GRASSHOPPERS. The small allowance of $55 per year for board, and schooling of each pupil, made by the gov ernment was not sufficient to pay the running expenses of the school, and agriculture had to be taken up to supply some of the wants of the community. This did very well until 1854 which was an exceptionally dry year and very little was produced. This necessitated the purchase of all supplies used, which because of the dry season were not easily obtained at moderate prices. In his distress Father Schoenmakers appealed to the .government for help in the following letter: REV. JOHN SCHOENMAKERS, S. J. FATHER SCHOEN MAKERS. 189 Osage Nation, ist of October, 1854. To The Honorable Secretary of the Interior: The great failure of crops in the vicinity of the Osage Manual Labor School places us in the necessity of calling upon the generosity of the government. The usual allowance of $55 per annum for board and tuition and clothing of Osage and Quapaw children are insufficient to defray the extraordinary expenses of the running year. Our loss will amount to some $1,500, not count ing our services. As we do not suppose that it is the intention of our generous government that her officers should sustain similar losses, we hope that you will assist us by presentii.g, if needs be, this petition to congress either your self or thru your means by some competent per son. I certify that the above statement is correct and that the loss will come to no less than $1,500. J. SCHOENMAKERS, S. J., Supt. of O. M. L. School. Osage Council Ground, September 30, 1854. I do most certainly believe that the above statement is reasonable and hope something may be done for the relief of the proprietors of the Osage School. ANDREW J. DORN. U. $. Neosho Div. Agt. In response to the appeal the government in creased the allowance $18.95 f r each pupil for that year and the school was again movine along when grasshoppers destroyed the crops in 1855. Two crop failures in succession brought on most trying conditions, and had it not been for 190 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. outside help in addition to the increased allow ance of the government the school- would have been obliged to close. The Indians too were suf fering and were calling at the Mission for help. In the fall of 1855 the "Mission" was in dire circumstances when Father Schoenmakers ap pealed to the government to have the increased allowance continued for a longer period. At this time he wrote the following letter to the com missioner of Indian affairs, which not only tells of the troubles that beset the "Mission/' but gives a description of the buildings : Osage Manual Labor School, ist of October, 1855. HON GEO. W. MERRIPENNY, Commissioner of Indian Affairs. It will be seen that I have charged for board and tuition of Osage and Quapaw children at the increased rate of three preceeding quarters, my reason for so doing is a total failure of our crops caused by the grasshoppers, Provisions such as corn meal, flour, meat, etc., demand up to this moment high prices. I gratefully ac knowledge my obligation to your honor for the increased allowance at a rate of $18.95 P er an ~ num for each child, made at my request in letter of October, 1854, but so exhorbitant have been the expenses of our school during the last and current years that before the end of 1854, I had been obliged to call upon my superior for the amount of $1,000, and again in the beginning of 1854, I received other donations of $272 to support our schools. This will not seem sur prising if I remark the fact that in ordinary years the allowance of $55 per annum for each child has merely sufficed to defray the expenses of the school. My medicine bills amount yearly FATHER SCHOENMAKRRS. 19! to upwards of $100. Add to this the indispen- sible obligation of feeding the Indians and of making them donations for their daily wants, thereby to gain their hearts, or at least to gain their children for civilization. Since we commenced the Osage School in 1847, but little has been paid out to hired hands. However it has been necessary to supply a year ly deficit of about $800. I must own it would have been much more encouraging to us if we had been enabled to have used the $6,400 in as sisting our young people after leaving school and making our own domestic life more comfort able. The female department counts forty pupils and eight female attendants. For the accommoda tion of this large number, they have one com-' mon refectory 20 by 18 feet, one play room 20 by 22 feet, and one common dormitory for chil dren 20 by 22 feet, 6 1-2 feet high. The play and refectory rooms also serve as class rooms. Above the refectory are also two small rooms 61-2 feet hisrh, the one serves as a wardrobe and the other a sick room. Besides a kitchen 14 by 14 feet and a common parlor, which as late as 1851 served as a dining room of the ladies, at which time a one-story and a half log house was built for their private use. The male department is better accommodated. The government made an allowance in 1849 of $i.ooo with which amount a two-story log house 50 by 2*5 feet was built in 1850 and has ever since been occupied bv the boys and two of the teachers. The bake, wash, store house for the ladies, the weatherboarding of buildings, a welt and the above one and a half story house for the ladies were all made at our own expenses in 1850 and 1851. Permit me to recall vour attention to 192 BATHER SCHOEN MAKERS. a letter of the honorable I. Harthy Cronford to H. Harvey, superintendent, April 25, 1845, "I agree with you that as the measure is one of experiment among this tribe no more money should be expended than will enable us to give it a fair trial. Your recommendation therefore as contained in your letter of the 2Oth of Decem ber, last, that two houses with the necessary out buildings of sufficient dimensions to accommo date say twenty pupils each with the teachers that will be employed, is approved." Most re spectfully your obedient servant, JOHN SCHOKNMAKERS, S. J. In response to the above appeal the govern ment extended the increased allowance of $18.95 per annum for each child to cover the term of school ending June 3, 1855, but this fell far short of expenses, and Rt. Rev. Bishop Miege and others sent donations amounting to $1,300, by the aid of which the school was kept open. Crop conditions were better during the next few years and the schools began to prosper again, and the number of pupils was increased. In 1860 there was another crop failure and more grasshoppers, but the school was getting on a firmer basis and was not so badly afflicted as in 1854 and 1855. TROUBLES DURING THE WAR. The coming on of the civil war brought the greatest affliction on the school in this period; in fact the school was obliged to close for a time and the Fathers were obliged to seek refuge northward at St. Mary's. Father Schoenmakers was an ardent supporter of the north and suc ceeded in keeping most of the Osages loyal to FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. 193 the Union. Most of the Osage boys in the school that had arrived at a sufficient age, en listed in the Union army. Being located so near the eastern and southern borders of the state, scouting parties of southern sympathizers and guerillas were frequently seen in the region of the Mission. Capt. John Mathews, who then resided near the present site of Oswego, was leader of one of these bands. He had previous ly been a good friend of the Fathers and had sent his boys to! be educated at the Mission school. He was a white man but his wife was an Osage woman. He hoped by his relation to the tribe to be able to induce them to join with the south, but he found a strong objector in the person of Father Schoenmakers who was held in greater respect than he was, by the Osag- es. This angered Mathews and he gathered a force of men to capture Father Schoenmakers and break up the Mission. One of the Mathews boys who had attended school at the Mission, was so attached to the place and held its mem ory so sacred he could not bear to have any harm come to it, even at the hands of his own father, and at the risk of his life, he notified Father Schoenmakers, who with his associates made a hurried flight northward during a dark and rainy night. Providence, however, intervened and sent such a rain that when Capt. Mathews and his company reached Flatrock creek, the stream was not passable and he was obliged to give up his evil designs for the present and re turn home. Samuel J. Gillmore, an Indian trader and mer chant, living near the Mission, who later occu pied the famous "Castle Thunder" in the west part of the town of Mission, was related to Mathews my marriage, but he was an ardent, 194 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. outspoken Unionist. This angered Mathews and added to his fury, so Gillmore sought safety by moving to Humboldt. In 1876, Col. Olin Thurston wrote some interesting "Reminiscen ces of Early Days," for publication in the Hum boldt Union, from which the following is taken: "Partisans of the South were active among the Indians in the south part of the State. A good many of the most intelligent and active half-breeds had from the first been in the inter est of the South. Major Dorn, then agent of the Osages, was a graduate of West Point, and a rebel. The major, perhaps, never attempted to use his influence with the Indians in inducing them to take arms against the Union, or to ex cite them to blood on the border. Before ac tive hostilities commenced the major abandoned his post as agent, for the position of quarter-mas ter in the rebel service. The Mathews family of half-breeds were all rebels, and were active in opposing all measures of the Federal Govern ment. The Fathers at Osage Mission, from the very first, used their long experience and great influence with the Indians to keep them loyal to the Government, and to the efforts of these good Fathers we are indebted for the loyalty of these Indians during the war, more than to any other cause. "The Mathews family, referred to above, had, in the fall of 1861, residing at Osage Mission, a brother-in-law named Samuel Gillmore. Gill- more was a good, honest, inoffensive man, en gaged in trading with the Osage Indians. Math ews had some interest in the trading house. Gill- more was a Union man. The organization of an army at Fort Scott, and one at Neosho progress ed, and it was evident that sooner or later the FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. 195 two must meet. Foraging and scouting parties of either army made frequent raids, and Gill- more felt that he was unsafe at Osage Mission, and he determined to change his location. He determined to move to some point further north. Particular reference is made to this man Gill- more, and his movements, not on accourt of the man or his business, but because they produced results of a good deal of importance. It is said that the battle of Waterloo was lost because Napoleon was not aware of a certain ditch, lying between his lines and those of Wellington. Hum- boldt probably never would have been sacked and burned had it not been for the location of this man Gillmore, who did not consider him self safe at the Mission. He gathered his teams and wagons, loaded in his ware and merchandise very quietly, and with his family started north. It was his intention to locate some distance north of the south line of the state. On his way a short distance north of Humboldt he met un fortunately for him and for Humboldt a gen tleman who induced him to return to Humboldt and open out his stock of goods, and go into business. This was some time in August or September, 1861. One of the Mathews boys, it appears, had an interest in these goods. Gill- more's wife was a sister of the Mathews boys." Col. Thurston at the begining of the war, had raised a regiment of soldiers from among the men of Allen and Woodson counties. This was known as the Seventh Kansas regiment and was under the command of Gen J. H. Lane. While these men were away with Lane Caot. Mathews led a band of Missouri guerillas, Cherokee In dians and Osage half-breeds into Humboldt on September 8, 1861. Matbews wanted revenge 196 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. on Gillmore and Father Schoenmakers and he proceeded to sack the town of Humboldt, carry ing off all the valuables he could find in the dwellings and stores. A home guard had pre viously been organized among the old men and boys. These were hastily summoned, and under command of Col. J. G. Blunt went in pursuit of the raiders, followed them to Osweeo where Mathews was killed. Humboldt was raided again on October 14, i86i,.by a band under Col. Tal- bot, and much of the town burned. Chief Big Bear, who is buried in the cemetery at the "Mis sion," had a hand in this second raid. Father Schoenmakers returned to the Mission in MJarch, 1862, and resumed his school work. Gillmore also returned later and became post master in 1864, of Catholic Mission, as the town was then called. Three times after Father Schoenmakers re turned to the Mission, Southern sympathizers invaded the Mission with evil intent. Each time they were persuaded to desist by the most earn est efforts of the good Fathers and by the help of Gen. Blair, Col. Thurston and others. The troubles of the war period were partly told by Father Schoenmakers in a speech he made on the occasion of the opening of the Osage Mission Grist Mill on Flatrock, September 24, 1870, and published in the Leaven worth Com mercial. The speech was as follows: "On Christmas day, 1833, I landed on Ameri can soil at New York, being a young priest twenty-four years old. I had left Holland with the intention of livinp and dying with the In dians. Having reached Georgetown College, my new superior gave me a book, the third in dig nity among pious authors. Having met with a FATHER SCHOEN MAKERS. 197 stimulent of edification, 'a good father having bought a rich farm for his son, but which had been grown over by briars and shrubs, which were to be removed, the youth worked faithful ly in company with his father, but when left to himself the task seemed useless and impossible. The experienced father then gave a small task to his son to be performed daily with a liberal reward for each day. The youth, by persever ance, cleared a large spot within one month, and being encouraged by success, he finished the whole field, and reaped an abundant harvest the following season.' ''Before I reached the field of my labors four teen years elapsed. On the loth of May, 1847, I gathered into our school ten Indian boys, then visited Kentucky, where I obtained the assistance of the Sisters of Loretto for the girls. Before 1860 the number of pupils had increased to 136 boys and 100 girls, whilst no less than fifty Osage families had fenced in fields and raised hogs and cattle. The war deprived the Osages of all their labor and prospects. The youths of our school above the age of fifteen joined the Union army; 500 Osages had gone South ; and of the remain ing 3,000 four companies also joined the army. New trials were now upon us. Major Whitney, a special agent, had brought provisions for the destitute Osages, while John Mathews, my old friend, whose five children I had raised in school, raised an alarm, entreating the Indians to re gard the provisions as poisonous. This occur rence alienated me from my old friend Mathews and I was obliged to spend eight months at St. Mary's in Pottawatomie county. On my return to the Osage Mission in March, 1862, the Osages were much divided. Frequent intercourse with their Southern relatives inceased our dangers. 198 t-ATilKR SCMOKNMAKERS. The Southern Osages accompanied by Cherokees, invaded our Mission three times to sack and burn it, but being associated with old pupils of our school and parents whose children were still at the Mission, their counsel prevailed in spar ing us, and thereby their own interest. Rut our dangers now enlarged on the part of the avarice and b'gotry of pretended friends of the Union, and if Gen. Chas. W. Blair had not been a true friend to the Mission it could not have escaped destruction. Our friends Cols. Thurston, of Humboldt, and Brown, of Tola, checked the mal ice of some ill designing leader, but Gen. Blair had the will and power to save Southern Kan sas. The Osages during these hard times visit- ad me by day and by night. Should my advice to them have been withdrawn, I have reason to believe that Osage City, Humboldt, Tola, Le Roy, Burlington and Ottawa would have been laid in ashe* by the united Osages and Cherokee^. God has spared us all. And in September, 1865, whilst the Osages sold and transferred a part of their land, they have made thousands of homes for white families. As the whites settled first around our Mission, the idea struck me of a Mission town. Gen. Blair was to be renumerat- ed. if possible, and Gov. George A. Crawford wrote me a letter congenial to mv plan. The town took a start, whilst Sam Williams and Ben McDonald brought us a mill. Mission town be ing; started and prosperous T withdrew from partnership from conscience sake, fearing that questions would arise not in conformity with God's law. and which might blast all my past labors. T have been much blamed by our new citizens of Osage Mission town because T had ffiven the ruling influence to the leading: mem bers of Fort Scott ; but may T not trust that they FATHER SCHOSNMAKliRS. 199 will pardon me if they should know what great gratitude is due to Gen. C. W. Bl-air. I have also been blamed for refusing other parties to erect a mill on Flatrock, but my personal ac- quaintence with the present mill company de manded a preference. I knew their capital and energy. They have been faithful to their prom ises, and built the best mill in Kansas, Our friends in Fort Scott have labored hard for our railroad interests and today, while we celebrate the event, our city is being surveyed for the opening of a promising railroad. The briars and shrubs are cleared, and the field is ready for abundant harvests. A library, hall and fe male academy built partly of cut stone, adorns our new city. Ten churches have been erected in this portion of Kansas, within one year, and others are under construction, whilst settlers from every state in the Union make homes around them." CHARTERS ST. FRANCIS' INSTITUTION. The Mission schools began to prosper again before the close of the war, the average atten dance being about 130, altho the Ouapaws had withdrawn their children. The schools continu ed to prosper until the Osages by the treaty of September 29, 1865, ceded their land on the Neosho to the government and moved to the Verdigris. The Osages continued to send their children to the Mission school, but not in such large numbers as before. The deficiency, how ever, was soon made up by the whites who were settling in great numbers on the land vacated by the Indians near the Mission. The attend ance of the whites increased so rapidly that the school was incorporated on May 13, 1870, under 200 FATHER SCHOEN MAKERS. the name of St. Francis' Institution for Boys, with Father Schoenmakers as president and Father Ponziglione as secretary. In the Journal May 25, 1870, this advertisement appeared: "Osage Mission, St. Francis Institution for Boys. This Mission established in 1847, f r tne education of the Osages, is now erected into an educational establishment under the title of 'St. Francis' Institution for Boys/ anl is prepared to receive students. The Institution embraces alt the branches of good English education, such as book-keeping, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, history, grammar, composition and penmanship. Students can be admitted at any time of the year. Payments must be made quarterly in advance. "Terms Entrance fees, $5 ; board and tuition, per month, $15; washing, per annum, $10; bed and bedding per annum, $10; physician's fees, per annum, $5. "Extra Music or drawing, at Professor's charge. "REV. JOHN SCHOENMAKERS, S. ].. Superior." The number of Osages in attendance at the school gradually decreased year after year until 1881, when the writer becam c a student at the school, there were less than a dozen full blood Osage boys present. After Father Schoenmak ers' death they ceased attending the Mission school altogether. THE COURT OF LAST RESORT. Father Schoenmakers was a man of medium height and build and rather quiet in his ways. He was a man of remarkable piety and goodness of heart and far above the ordinary in intelli- FATHKR SCHOEN MAKERS. 2OI gence. These attributes combined to make him a man most fitting to be at the head of an institu tion requiring patience, perseverance, tact and in telligence. He therefore fitted well into the position he found himself placed in at the "Mis sion." His was the guiding hand in all the af fairs of the community, the schools and frequent ly of the Indians. He not only did his full part of the work himself, but he was the "power be hind the throne" directing the work of his as sociates. The Osages held him in the highest respect, as attested by Father Bax in his letters. They placed the utmost confidence in him, and consulted him, not only in matters concerning religion and the school, but also concerning tribal affairs. He became a common arbiter of difficulties. When two Indians had a dispute they laid their case before Father Schoenmak- ers, and his decision was taken as final. There was no appealing to higher authority, for the Osages at that time recognized no higher au thority. He was also the mediator between the Osages and the government in all their business affairs. The government officers and agents were also free to consult him in their dealings with the Osages. Colonel Sheridan, brother of General Phil Sheridan, spent a number of days at the Mission once while on business for the government. Major General W. B. Hazen, the gallant soldier who captured Ft. McAllister, near Savannah, Georgia, while with General Sher man on his famous march to the sea. stopped at the Mission in October, 1868, ,to consult with Father Schoenmakers regarding methods of deal ing with Indians who were causing troubles on the frontier. 'Sometimes government! agients would come here and take Father Schoenmakers with them 2O2 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. on their trip to the Indian settlements to aid them in dealing with the tribes. The good Father was so fair in his dealings that he held the friendship and good will of both parties and was thus en abled to do great good for the Indians, the peo ple and the government. Father Paul tells in one of his letters of Generals Ewing and Blair tak ing him with them to the Osages when they in vestigated some complaints made by the Osages against the Indian agent in July, 1875. In the Neosho County Journal, July 28, 1875, this appears : "Gen. Charles Ewing, of Lancastei, Ohio, was in town Saturday. Gen. E. is a son of old Tom Ewing and a brother of Gen. Tom, both of na tional fame, and himself held an important posi tion during the late war. He is here now on an official visit to the various Indian tribes, under appointment from President Grant, and will re turn in a few days to proceed on his mission, accompanied by Father Schoenmakers." General C. W. Blair was aleo a warm personal friend of Father Schoenmakers and often con ferred with him at the Mission. Gov. Geo. A. Crawford was also among those who recognized the sterling worth as well as the good influence of Father Schoenmakers and was his warm per sonal friend. During the days of the "border warfare." Col. Richard Hinton, the fighter, writer and historian, visited the Father, seeking information and advice. Father Schoenmakers' influence for good was not onlv local, but also state and national. He was a fearless fighter for the right, and this fact did much to widen his sphere of influence amen? the whites as well as the Indians, The O c rv?-^ owe very much of the credit for their pro?n+ v-.?aM-! to r> valliant flsrht he made for FATHER SCHOSN MAKERS. 203 them in 1868. Hon. T. F. Rager, one of the early settlers at Osage Mission, in a speech made at an Old Settlers' Reunion at St. Paul, Kansas, in August, 1898, told of this fight as follows: "Quiet and unassuming, he possessed the qual ities that make the successful man, strict integ rity and great executive ability, coupkd with the rare gift of an even temper and a pleasant dis position. These qualities made him respected by and popular with those who were personally acquainted with him and loved by those who knew him intimately. "With the Osages, among whom he lived and worked so many years his word was absolute verity. It followed that his influence among them was almost unlimited. An opportunity to wield this influence for good, both to the Indian and to the people presented itself in 1868, and was not lost by him. That year what was known as the 'Sturgis' treaty was effected with the Osages. By the terms of this treaty all of the Osage diminished reserve, a body of land lying west of Labelte county in Kansas, containing eight million acres of some of the best land in the state, was conveyed to a railroad company for nineteen cents per acre. "Soon after the making of the treaty, a move ment, was started to prevent its ratification by the U. S. senate. This was no easy task as the evils resulting from the granting of large bodies of land to corporations were not fully realized by the people and the practice had many support ers, Then came Father Schoenmakers' oppor tunity. He went among the Osages and from what he said it soon dawned upon them that they had been woefully overreached in the mat ter and knowing that they could trust him, 2O4 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. did as he advised, sent in a statement of the facts, signed by the chiefs and head men, telling how they came to sign the treaty and why it should not be ratified and protesting against its ratification. "This coupled with the efforts of Sidney Clarke, then representative, had the desired ef fect and the treaty was rejected. "Afterwards they ceded all the lands to the U. S. to be sold to actual settlers at $1.25 per acre and then the settlers swarmed in and occu pied the country. Thus it will be seen that thru the efforts of this one man, thousands of people obtained cheap homes, and the fund for the Osages, instead of being about one and a half million dollars, as it would have been had the 'Sturgis' treaty been ratified, was made some ten million dollars, so that the Indian and the white men were both blest in the result. The only one hurt or out in the transaction was the railroad company which contented itself by down ing Clarke when he came up for nomination for congress." ERECTS SUBSTANTIAL BUILDINGS. The first building of any pretentions erected at the "Mission," was built in 1869. It was a two-story frame building, afterwards knows at St. Francis' Hall. The lower story was first used for a library and reading room. This was the first public library established in Neosho county, and perhaps the first in southeastern Kansas. The second story was used as a hall. Later, this building was used for the parish school for girls, and after the college was sus pended it was used as a local school for boys. It MOTHER BRIDGET HAYDEN, SCHOENMAKERS. 20$ now forms part of the barn used by the Pas- sionist Fathers. The first one of the big stone buildings was begun in October, 1871. It was four stories high, built of gray sandstone and for years was re garded a& the finest building in southeastern Kansas. It was used as the home of the Jesuits, the fourth story being used as a dormitory for the students attending the school. This building was torn down in the spring of 1912, to make room for the present new monastery of the Pas- sionists, The stone college building was erected in 1872, and first used in 1873. Two stories and base ment are built of stone, the top or fourth story being mansard. In this building were the class rooms of St. Francis' Institution. After the in stitution was closed in 1891, the building remain ed vacant until the burning of St. Ann's Acad emy in 1885, when it became temporarily the home of the Sisters of Loretto. At present it is used as a local school building. Much of the money used for the construction of these two stone buildings was derived from the sale of lots in the St. Francis' Additions to Osage Mission, which were platted by Father Schoenmakers on land given him by the Osages. The first work done on St. Francis' church was in 1871. THE FIRST POSTMASTER. The close attention Father Schoenmakers gave to the schools, to church work and to the welfare of the Osag;es did not deter him from taking an active part in civil affairs in the early days. In 1851 he caused a postoffice to be established at the "Catholic Mission," as the settlement was 2O6 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. then called, and he was appointed the first post master, serving until 1864. This was the first postoffice established in what is now southeast ern Kansas, except the military postoffice at Ft. Scott, and was one of the first on Kansas soil. It was likewise the first, and probably the only one in this region the postmaster of which was a Catholic priest. ORGANIZES A TOWN COMPANY. The Osages, in their treaty of 1865, provided that the government should deed to Father Schoenmakers a large tract of land surrounding the Mission, as a mark of appreciation of the many favors they had received from him. Father Schoenmakers, in turn, deeded to the Sisters of Loretto the big farm which they still own. One section of the land he set aside for a town and on it the town of St. Paul now stands. In De cember, 1867, ne formed the town company com posed of himself, Gen. W. C. Blair, Gov. Geo. A. Crawford, S. A. Williams, Benjamin Mc Donald, and John Naudier and established the town of Osage Mission. He deeded to this company the plot of ground which comprised the original town of Osage Mission. When the town was well started he withdrew from the company, desiring to devote his time more closely to his school and his religious work. SELDOM IN COURT. In addition to this land Father Schoenmakers handled much property for the school, the Jesuit institution and for others, especially minors, who had entrusted their property to his care. Not withstanding this, he seldom had trouble with FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. others that necessitated resorting to court meth ods of adjustment. From Judge L. Stillwell, of Erie, Kansas, who was one of the eLrly attorneys at Osage Mission, the following information was obtained : "Father Ponziglione never brought any suit in the District Court of this county. Father Schoenmakers brought five, but none of them were actions that involved any of his own per sonal matters. Four of them were brought by him as 'Trustee for the Society Sustaining the Catholic Mission.' Three of these last named actions were against different county officers of this county, and involved the question of the taxability of certain property, both real and personal, owned by the Father as trustee, as aforesaid. He contended thc>t the property in question was used exclusively for 'educational, religious and charitable' purposes and hence was exempt from taxation under Sec. I, Art. II, of the Constitution of the State of Kansas. Up to the time he brought these actions (which was at different times in 1869 and 1870), our Su preme Court had not had occasion to construe the foregoing clause of the Constitution, or de termine its extent, (nor did it until some years later,) so the Father's contention was then an 'open question/ Two of the cases were dismiss ed, on motion of the plaintiff, but the most im portant one was tried before Judge Goodin in July, 1871, and he decided in favor of Father Scjhoenmakers. In 1877, or thereabouts, the case got into the Supreme Court, in regard only to a certain feature of the judgment. As you may see from the opinion of the Court, it upheld the decree of Judge Goodin only as to the taxes for the one year, those of 1868. But in the mean- 2O8 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. time the Court had considered in other cases, the questions involved in this litigation of the Father's, and their decision were adverse to his position, so he brought no further actions of that character. "As regards the other action brought by Father Schoenmakers in his official capacity, the court records show that it was against the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad Company. The clerk, after deligent search, was unable to find the papers in the case, and there is no other rec ord in his office showing what the suit was about. It was probably in regard to the title of some of the land held by Father Schoenmakers as trus tee, as aforesaid. The records show that he dis missed it. It perhaps was amicably settled. "The last case brought by the Father was 'as assignee of Jacob Funk' against B. W. Lenient and S. S. Lement, for $350, which he also dis missed. It doubtless was settled. "I was not counsel in any of the foregoing cases, but was familiar with all of them at the time, except the last one. I heard the arguments made therein, and they were interesting and able. Among the attorneys who appeared on one side or the other of these various suits were Orein Thurston and J. B. F. Cates, both of Hum- boldt, and C. F. Hutchings, John O'Grady, T. C. Cory, T. F. Rager, W. S. Carroll and John Moffitt, all of Osage Mission. "L. STILT.WSXL." The Chanute Sun, October 12, 1904, published some early reminiscences regarding court affairs in Neosho county from which the following is taken : "The case of Schoenmakers vs. M. Barnes, FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. 2&) sheriff, was an injunction suit against the county sheriff who had been ordered to sell the plain tiff's chattels and personal property to satisfy a county bill against him for taxes. The plaintiff was one of the many teachers of the Osage Mis sion Society and he alleged that the property on which the levy was about to be made belonged to the society which was only supported by the charities of the public, and whose workmen and teachers educated the Indians for no compensa tion whatever, except their board and lodging. Within the next few days after securing the in junction the poor teacher reconsidered, paid the taxes and the case was dropped from the court." RETIRES FROM ACTIVE DUTIES. Father Schoenmakers continued his active life until he had almost reached the alloted span of life, of ''three score years and ten." He was relieved of the position of superior of St. Fran cis' Institution, July 5, 1876, but even until his death he always held an advisory position. The Journal, on July 12, 1876, gives this account of his retirement: "An event of much local importance is the voluntary retirement of Rev. Fr. John Schoen makers from the position of superior of St. Francis Institution here, which he has held for the past 30 years. His increasing years and manifold cares had led him to frequently solicit his superiors for a change here, and that he be permitted to cease the arduous labors incumbent upon the head of the order. This has been re fused until now -but at last consent was given, and on Thursday of last week (July 5, 1876) "Rev. Adrain Sweere. S. J.. from Chicago, arriv- 2IO FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. ed here as the duly accredited successor to Fr. Schoenmakers. "We will add that the latter remains here to assist by his counsel, which from his long and successful management, is indispensable; and that he will continue to receive the respect and good will of all our people irrespective of creed or political faith." FIFTY YEARS A PRIEST. Father Schoenmakers was a very quiet man and disliked publicity. He was letting the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination as a priest pass by when a lot of his friends, Catholic and non-Cath olic alike called on him and provided the program for the celebration. From the Neosho County Journal, of April 18, 1883, the following is taken : "During the past week a number of our citi zens had been quietly at work preparing to give good old Father Schoenmakers a genuine 'sur prise party/ on the fiftieth anniversary of his ordination as a priest, and as an expression of the affection and good will they, in common with all, have for him as an unselfish Christian whose life has been passed in doing good to others. "At an early hour Monday evening a large number of ladies and gentlemen assembled at the corner of Main and County streets and pre ceded by the Osage Mission Cornet Band, wend ed their way by the light of the moon to the residence of the Mission Fathers; where, sta tioning themselves in close proximity, the pro ceedings opened by the rendition of some fine music by the band, in a style highly creditable to them. During this prelude, Father Schoen- FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. 21.1 makers was brought out on the balcony, ac companied by several of his confreres of the order, and was thereupon presented by Hon. C. F. Hutchings, on behalf of the donors, with a fine carpet and an elegant easy rocking chair, with various other articles of comfort Mr. Hutchings in performing this pleasing -duty made the following graceful and eloquent presentation address : " 'Father Schoenmakers : " 'Upon this occasion of the fiftieth anniver sary of the day upon which you first celebrated the sacred service of the Mass, your friends and neighbors have assembled here to express to you their sincere friendship and affection, and to ask you to accept at their hands these simple testimonials of their esteem. Our words, Father, are not the idle compliments which escape from the lips of those who would flatter and please the vanity of one engaged in pursuing the de ceitful allurements of worldly wealth or fame, but are the sentiments which effervesce from the hearts of friends, as an offering to one whose mind and heart long ago purged of the false and illusory ambitions of the world, for more than half a century has devoted a noble life of self- sacrifice to the promotion of works of religion and charity, and to the amelioration of the un happy condition, and the spiritual regeneration and well being, of the lowliest and most humble of his fellow men. The precious seeds of reli gion, charity and virtue which during your long ministration you have, with liberal and unweary ing hand, sown along the pathway of your event ful life, have sprung up and developed, as it were, into beautiful and stately trees, that, rich with their shining fruit, mark your voilsome course of half a hundred years, and indicate to 212 FATHER SCHOEN MAKERS. the living and to thousands that shall come af ter us the way by which they may achieve ine highest aims of good and noble lives. ' 'In these serene and peaceful autumn days of your life, as you behold the golden fruits of your life's work, when you take a retrospective view of your labors, and recur to the day now more than thirty-six years ago, when in the solitude of a primitive world, surrounded only by wild and inhospitable people, you planted here the tiny seed, which, tended and nourished by your constant love, has germinated and grown until it has broken into the fragrant bloom of these noble institutions of learning that surround us, this grand sanctuary now near- ing completion, and in which shall be nurtured the religious and spiritual lives of generations yet to come, how approvingly must your con science speak to you and smile upon your past career. " 'We have interrupted your quiet meditations to tender to you these simple offerings, and as sure you of our friendship and gratitude, and in parting we wish you many happy returns of this day, upon this spot where so many years ago you braved the hardships, the privations, the dangers and the solitude of the desert and the wilderness, to sacrifice your life in the effort to redeem a wild and savage race, may your days long henceforth lengthened out, at last end in peace among us, your constant friends, surround ed by the noble monuments of learning and re ligion which your piety and unselfish devotion to the cause of humanity have here erected.' "Father Schoenmakers, tho oast his 75 years, arose and responded in a voice heard by all. He said : ' 'My Friends : T am indeed deeply grateful FATHER SCHOSNMAKERS. for your kindness and consideration. Thirty- six years ago, when I first settkd here among the Indians, little did I think that civilization would ever reach me, and that I should be spared to celebrate my jubilee among so many highly cultivated Christian friends. You have been very kind to me, and I have received many letters of congratulation, and many have called upon me during the day. I thank you for your kindly expressions towards me, and your con sideration for my comfort in the elegant pres ents you have brought me and I invoke a bless ing upon each and every one of you. Good night.' ' HIS LAST DAYS. Father Schoenmakers led a retired life after he relinquished his duties as superior. He sel dom appeared in public, save only to say Mass, or to preach an occasional sermon in the old log church, or to visit the boys at the school. However, in his retirement he did not lose in terest in St. Francis' church which he had helped to plan and get under way, and which he hoped to see completed during his life. Thru the in fluence of relatives and friends he obtained sums of money from Europe which were spent in erecting this church which, as he viewed it, was to become the pride of Southern Kansas. He encouraged Father Ponziglione to greater en deavors to hasten the completion of the edifice that he might be present at its dedication, but as the finishing touches were being put to the stone walls, his health began to fail rapidly and it soon became apparent that his desire to see the church completed was not to be gratified. His last mo ments on earth are thus described by C. H. How- 214 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. ard in the Neosho County Journal, August 3, 1883: "Altho for some months our community had known that that venerable and beloved man, Father John Schoenmakers, was in poor health, and lately had been perceptibly failing, no one seemed to realize that the end was so near. But on Saturday last he grew so much more feeble, and seemed so weak and wan, that his attend ants knew that the last scenes of his life were drawing to a close, and during the long, and to them agonizing day, they watched and minister ed to him as best they could, while the Angel of Death came down with noisless wing and stood by their side to receive his parting spirit as it should leave its poor mortality. "In the afternoon he seemed to suffer much, but later became easier, and his loving and ever faithful coadjutor, Father Ponziglione, seeing his lips move, bent over his almost inanimate form and caiight the whispered invocation of the dying man: 'In Thee, Oh Lord. I hoped, and I will not be confounded forever.' And at 4:30 o'clock p. m., the soul of the good Father passed forever away from its earthly tenement to an eternal reward, July 28, 1883. "The remains were placed in a casket and removed to the church Saturday evening, where they were viewed by great numbers of people. On Sunday at 4 o'clock p. m.. the funeral ser vices were held at the church, at which an im mense assemblage had congregated variously estimated at from 2,500 to 3,000 people a large portion of whom could not gain admittance to the building. (A special train brought a large delegation of people from Parsons.) Father Ponziglione delivered the funeral discourse. FATHER SCHOKN MAKERS. 215 which was a most eloquent and feeling tribute to the intellectual, moral and social excellencies of the dead Father, with whom he had been so closely associated for thirty-two years. Father Ponziglione's earnestness of manner and great emotion gave evidence of the depth of his feelr ings, and carried the hearts of his audience with him as he rapidly sketched the unselfish nature of the lamented dead before them. After the* ceremony the remains were escorted to the Catholic cemetery, followed by a procession half a mile in length. Here at the grave the short but impressive burial service was performed by Father Ponziglione, the casket was lowered and the earth was placed over all that was mortal of the venerable and venerated priest, known and beloved by all. A solemn dirge was played by the Osage Mission Cornet Band, assisted by the Coeur de Leon band from Parsons, during these last sad ceremonies. At the close, the grave was nearly covered with beautiful tributes plac ed by the hands of women and children, and others who thus testified their love for their de parted .counsellor and friend. "Thus has left us, in the hope and assurance of a blessed immortality, a man singularly free from selfish feelings, whose life had been spent in seeking to do good to others at the expense of his own great labor and discomfort; who knew no enemy, as he was everybody's friend, and spiritual as well as temporal counsellor, and who lived and passed to the grave at the age of three score and sixteen years, loved, re spected, and everywhere honored by all classes and conditions of society ; the rich, the poor ; the humble and the exalted; by Catholic and Protestant alike, each and all uniting to render full tribute to the worth and memory of the kind 2l6 FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. friend, and untiring worker for the good of others." The last official act of Father Schoenmakers appearing on the records of St. Francis' church was the baptisim of Anna or Marriam Agnes Oswell, an orphan girl, in March, 1883. The early settlers in this section owe much to this great tho unassuming man. The hospi tality of his home was open to every stranger who wandered this way, and the settlers were given aid in innumerable ways. He taught the Indians to treat the whites as their brothers and to assist them in their needs. Thus he made friends of those who otherwise might have been hostile enemies, as they were in other localities. He also taught the Indians how to provide for their own wants, and to properly regard the rights of the individual. The fruits of his ef forts in this respect are evident to-day for the Osages, besides being one of the most peaceful tribes, are the wealthiest Indians in America. Many of them are well educated and have bright and happy homes. Kind and generous, he was more solicitous for the welfare of others and of those under his charge than for himself. It was but natural that every one, irrespective of creed, was his friend. Father Schoenmakers' remains rest in the Mission cemetery, the site he selectad for the deceased members of his flock. A modest mar ble slab marks the location of his grave, but it is a spot that is not forgotten or neglected. Altho many years have passed since his demise, ad miring friends frequently visit his grave, there to offer up fervent and earnest prayers implor ing intercession for those left b -hind. FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. 217 A MAN OF GREAT MODESTY. The dislike of Father Schoenmakers for no toriety or publicity is illustrated by this sketch written by C. II . Howard in August, 1883 : "Father Ponziglione showed us last Saturday a photograph of Father Schoenmakers from a negative taken after death, which was as good a likeness as could be expected under the cir cumstances. Father Schoenmakers would never consent to sit for a likeness ; but some years ago by strategy a fairly good negative was taken when the Father was not aware of what was being done. These two photographs will be sent to an eminent artist in New York in order to get from them, thru his skill, a good likeness of Father Schoenmakers as he appeared in life. If successful, some thousands of these will be printed and offered for sale at the Catholic fair which will be held here during the coming fall." A MAN OF COURAGE. C. H. Howard, for many years postmaster at the Mission, and also editor of the Neosho Coun ty Journal, wrote this for his paper August 22, 1883 : "In conversation a few days since with Mrs. Naudier, she mentioned one circumstance that fell beneath her own observation, so well illus trative of Father Schoenmakers' zeal and dis regard of personal danger, that we noted it down for the benefit of our readers. During the civil war, a band of probably two hundred Osage warriors were camped in the south part of town, as this place was their home at that date. These warriors were in the service of the government, and had just returned from an expedition into 2l8 i?ATtiliR SCHOENMAKERS. Missouri, bringing with them some scalps ob tained from enemies who had fallen in battle. At the time mentioned this band of warriors was having a scalp dance, and in the midst of their ogeries word came to Father Schoenmakers that it was the intention of the Osages to place staffs decorated with scalps on the graves in the Catho lic cemetery. Hastily repairing to the Osage camp, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Naudier and perhaps others, Father Schoenmakers ad dressed himself to the warriors frenzied with the savage excitement of the scalp dance, told them. that they 'must not and could not place a single scalp upon a grave in the cemetery,' and bravely and firmly reiterated the declaration while toma hawks were brandished about in the hands of the thoroly infuriated Indians greatly incensed at this interference of the white man. Mrs. Naudier says that for some time Father Schoen makers' friends momentarily expected to see him ruthlessly slain and to their expressions of alarm he simply answered that fears of death could not deter him from the performance of this Christian duty. Suffice it to say that the brave and determined, yet calm demeanor and words of Father Schoenmakers conquered by mere moral force the infuriated passion of the Osages, and no scalp desecrated the graves as had been determined." HIS INTRODUCTION TO THE OSAGtfS. An incident of Father Schoenmakers' intro duction to the Osages on his first visit to the Neosho is told by M, F. Cassidy of Independ ence, Kansas, who came to Kansas in 1869, and heard the Father relate the story himself, as follows : FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. 219 " Father Schoenmakers had employed a Pot- tawatomie Indian to act as .guide for him. They arrived on the banks of the Neosho river in the evening. They prepared a hasty supper and when it was partaken of, the guide at once left the good Father all alone, nor did he return un til daylight the next morning. The Indian then pointed out where the Indian town could be found and at once demanded his pay, explaining that if caught by the Osages he would lose his life as well as his scalp. Father Schoenmakers therefore paid his dusky guide, and taking his little camp equipment ventured into the Indian village." Mr. Cassidy also tells this incident which oc curred shortly after Father Schoenmakers took up his permanent abode at "the Mission" : "Father Schoenmakers brought with him a cow; also a bell and a strap to attach to the cow's neck that she might be more readily found. The first day the cow was turned out she came home minus the bell and strap, but on the fol lowing morning a big Osage appeared with the bell in his hand but minus the strap, remark ing, 'I have found your bell. What will you give me for it? Give me nenihoe (tobacco)/ This was kept up for some time, the cow com ing home without the bell and. 'Father I have found your belli give me nenihoe' The good Father put his wits to work, got a chain and rivited it around the cow's neck, and thereafter there was no more nenihoe paid for the lost bell." A LETTER TO THE BIG CHIEF. Osage Mission, Kansas, Mky 29. 1876. Big Chief, Dear Friend : Your brother, Peter Watzaitan, left our school at Osage Mission in 22O FATHER SCHOENMAKERS. the beginning of 1862, to join the Union army. After being drilled to the use of arms, he ob tained a furlough to visit his relations as the reward of his faithful services. His first visit was turned to his beloved home, the school at Osage Mission, where he spent three delightful days. At the end of his furlough he promptly returned to the army and showed a bravery un surpassed. However, aware of his surrounding dangers, he often thought of the happy hours he had en joyed at school; he therefore sent me his like ness to be mindful of him in case death should overtake him. As no one has a better title to his likeness than his brother, the Chief of Sanzo- genie town, I gladly send it to you. Very respectfully yours. JOHN SCHOENMAKERS, S. J. CHAPTER XIV. FATHER JOHN BAX, "Some men are born, ordained from earliest days, In our own eyes, His servants. On their brows We see His work of Somctity impressed So broad and deep, that foreordained they walk, From childhood until death, His holy will Performing, by right, from day to day." WALTER J. BLAKELY. Father John Bax, S. J., was the companion of Father Schoenmakers on his trip from St. Louis to the Osages, and his co-worker at the "Mis sion" until his death in 1852. He was born in Belgium, January 15, 1817, and joined the Jesu its November 12, 1840. Prior to coming to the Osages, he had been stationed at Florissant and other points near St. Louis, but being a young man he had not been assigned any very arduous duties. At the Mission Father Bax was given active charge of the church work while Father Schoen makers devoted most of his time to the schools. The records of St. Francis' church show that Father Bax was a most active worker. During 1847, Seventy-nine Osages were bap tised, most of them by Father Bax. He visited the tribes at their various towns both on the Neo- sho and the Verdigris, doing much the same kind of work Father Paul did later. In his records he speaks of visits at Whitehair's town over the river, Little town of the Little Osages, and of (221) 222 FATHER BAX. being on the line near the Fort. This was in 1847. In 1848 he speaks of being at Marmonta near the Little Osage river, Sanza Ougrin town, Big Little Osage village, Owlstown, Gremand town, and the village three miles southwest. In June, 1848, Father Bax made a trip to south west Missouri, making visits at Diamond Grove, Shoal creek, Sarcoxie, the Osage Fork of the Gasconade river, on the Niangua in Wright coun ty, Harmony Mission r and on the Marmaton in Bates county. He was absent about a month. He made another trip in Octobei and November, 1848, over much the same route. In 1850 he went as far to the northeast at Calhoun in Henry county, Missouri. The Mission records show 210 baptisms were performed during 1851, most of them by Father Bax. The story of his work among the Osages is best told in his own letters and in the letter of Father DeSmet, which follow this article. Father Bax died August 5, 1852, and was the first to be buried in that part of the cemetery near the "Mission" which Father Schoenmakers had selected for the last resting place of the de ceased members of his household. Some interesting letters written by Father Bax follow : FATHER BAX'S FIRST LETTER TO FATHER DE SMET. Mission of St. Francis Hieronymo, Among the Osages, June i. 1850. Rev. and Very Dear Father : Already three years have elapsed since we commenced the toils of our Mission. I will say nothing to you of the embarrassments inseparable from such an enterprise; you are too well ac- FATHER BAX. 223 quainted with this ground, and are aware, also, that to prepare for its cultivation exacts the courage that Christian charity alone can inspire. 1 will not, therefore, stop to relate the obstacles, the fatigues of every sort, that we en countered in our route. At present the burden is alleviated' particularly since the arrival of a teacher and of a Brother, the affairs of the Mis sion are extending, and wear a much more favor able aspect. I profit by my earliest leisure moments, to sat isfy the desire that you have several times testi fied to me, of having some details concerning our dear Mission of the Osages. I hope, in this way, to offer you a slight testimony of our ,gratitude for the interest you take in our labors and in our success. These marks of attention, on your part, Reverend Father, give us the assurance that, if momentarily you remain remote from your dear Indians, your heart nevertheless sighs continuous ly towards our poor and isolated children of the wild solitude. You are aware, that this Mission was, during several years, in the hands of the Presbyterians. They were obliged to abandon it in 1845. Those gentlemen were forced to come to this resolution by the Indians themselves, who were fully de termined never to adopt the doctrine of Calvin. In the course of the same year, Major Harvey, Superintendent of the Indian tribes, having as sembled in Council the different tribes of the Osage nation, exposed to them, in the liveliest colors, the advantages of a good education ; he added, that if such should prove their will, their Great Father (The President) would send them missionaries to instruct their children. At this proposition, the Great Chie*' replied in the name of the Council : 224 FATHER BAX. "Our Great Father is very kind; he loves his red-skinned children. Hear what we have to say on this subject: We do not wish any more such missionaries as we have had during several years ; for they never did us any good. Send them to the whites; perhaps they may succeed better with them. If our Great Father desires that we have missionaries, you will tell him to send us Black-gowns, who will teach us to pray to the Great Spirit in the French manner. Al- tho several years have elapsed since they have visited us, we always remember the visit with gratitude ; and we shall be ever ready to receive them among us, and to listen to their preaching." The superintendent, a just and liberal man, wished only the welfare of the Indians. Altho a Protestant, he communicated this reply to the Government, and supported and confirmed it with his own remarks and observations. In pursuance with his advice, the President had re course to the Superiors of our Society, request ing them to assume the charge of this Mission. At first, the Father Provincial offered ^ome ob jections, knowing that no one had yet been able to succeed in ameliorating the condition of this people, under the double relation of spiritual and temporal. In the interval, the Indians were in the most painful uncertainty not knowing wheth er the "Great Father" would grant or refuse them their petition. But they were soon satis fied ; our Society accepted the mission. Tn the autumn of 1846, the Reverend Father Schoenmakers quitted St. Louis to go to tr~ Osages, with the intention of rettirryngr. pfter having examined the state of affairs, the houses, etc. He came back to St. Louis in midwinter, and his second departure was retarded until the following spring. FATHER BAX. 225 After Father Schoenmakers had left them, the poor Indians counted the days and the hours un til spring, at which time he promised to return to them ; but they waited in vain ! The year glid ed past; they lost all hope of seeing him again. Nevertheless they were resolved to accept none but Catholic missionaries. When all our preparations were completed, Father Schoenmakers, myself, and three coadjut or Brothers, quitted St. Louis on the /th of April, 1847, an d we arrived on the bank of the Neosho, a tributary of the Arkansas, situated about 130 miles from Westport, frontier town of the State of Missouri. To you, my dear Father, who have many times traversed the great extent, from the States to the Paciiic. who have traveled over the Rocky Mountains and their valleys our pains, troubles, and fatigues must appear truly insignificant. Bu* this trial was very severe to us, who were enter ing, for the first time, into the immense prairies of the Indians, which we had only measured ac cording to the deceptive images of our imagina tion. Truly, the reality appeared to us very dif ferent. We endured hunger, ihiist, and cold. For a fortnight we were obliged to pass our nights in the open air, in the dampest season of the year, each having naught for a bed but a buf falo-hide and a single blanket. About 100 miles from Westport we had a pan ic. Arrived at a place named "Walnut Grove/' we perceived in the distance a large troop of mounted Indians, who turned directly toward us. Unaccustomed to such sights, we were seiz ed with great anxiety which soon changed to genuine fright; for we saw those savages, on approaching us, alight from their horses with extraordinary agility. At once they took posses- 226 FATHER BAX. sion of our carts and wagons, which we fancied destined to pillage. They examined our chests and our baggage as minutely and coolly as old custom-house officers. Happily we recovered from our fright. We presented them with rolls of tobacco. They shook hands with us in token of friendship. Soon after we lost sight of them, congratulating ourselves at having escaped at so trifling an expense. An idea, however, occu pied us : they might repent of their benevolence towards us and attack us and steal our horses during the night. We consequently left the or dinary route, and went and camped far in the plain. These Indians, as we learned later, be longed to the nation of Sauks, and had been pay ing a visit to their allies, the Osages. On the 28th of April we reached our destina tion, to the great surprise and delight of the In dians ; for, as I have already observed to you. they had resigned the hope of seeing us. It would be impossible to paint to you the en thusiasm with which we were received. They considered us as men whom the Great Spirit had sent to teach them the good news of salvation ; to trace out to them the path to heaven, and to procure them, also, earthly peace and plenty. At the first sight of these savages, and finding myself surrounded by these children of the des ert, I could not suppress the pain I felt. I saw their sad condition. The adult had only a slight covering over the middle of the .body ; the little children, even as old as six or seven years, were wholly destitute of clothing. Half serious, half jesting, I thought that a truly savage portion of the Lord's vineyard had been given me to culti vate; but I did not lose courage. The object of my desires, and the subject of my prayers, dur ing many long years, had been to become a mis- FATHER *AX. 227 sionary to the Indians. That grace was obtain ed; I felt contented and happy. On our arrival, we found the houses unfinish ed, very inconvenient and much too small for a great number of children; they were also very badly situated, not being, as they should have been, in the center of all the villages which com pose the Mission. From this resulted an increase in the number and difficulties of our occupations. The population of the tribes (comprised un der the name of Great Osages and Little Osag es), is nearly 5,000 souls, of whom 3,500 reside on the banks of th e Neosho; and the others on the Verdigris, a little river smaller than the for mer, altho the valleys and the prairies that it waters are more favorable to culture. The Osages who remain on the banks of the Neosho are divided into several little villages. The Little Osages form a population of 1,500 souls, and are 22 miles from the Mission. The village of Nanze-Waspe contains six hundred in habitants, at a distance of twelve miles ; the vil lage Ri>chief is composed of three hundred souls, four miles ; the Weichaka-Ougin, of five hun dred, three miles : Little Town numbers three hundred inhabitants, and is thirty miles distant; Rigf-hi!l or Passoi-Ouerin, situated on the Verdi gris, forty miles off, has a population of six hun dred souls ; les Cheniers. or Sanze-Ougrin, amount to nearly seven hundred, fifty-five miles" the Rlark-Doe, or Skankta-Sape, village, sixty miles off .contains four hundred inhabitants. There are. besides, other small villages, dispersed at a great distance from us. The tv/o rivers. on which they dwell empty into the 'Arkansas. The lowlands are in general swampy, but the plain of the Neosho is p.anHv. Formerly the Osqgr? were represented as cruel 228 FATHER BAX. and perverse, addicted to the most degrading vices; calumny depicted them as thieves, assas sins and drunkards. To this last reproach, I am grieved to say they have given occasion; they are passionately fond of intoxicating liquors. The effects of this vice had become so terrible that, on our ar rival, entire tribes were nearly destroyed. In the spring of 1847, i* 1 one village alone, thirty young men, in the prime of life, were victims of strong drink. I have met men, women and children, in a complete state of intoxication, drag ging themselves to their wigwams like so many brutes. This spectacle, my dear Father, drew forth many tears and sighs from those who had been selected and sent to labor for the happiness and salvation of thes e unfortunate beings. ItJ was extremely painful to look at those sons of the wilderness, delivered to the enemy of God and man. Thanks to our Lord, the evil was ex- tripated at its root ; the advice of a kind and very worthy agent of the government, as well as our own efforts, have succeeded so well, that drunk enness has been almost completely banished. Daily prayers are offered that this crime, and all the miseries which arise in its train, may not appear among us. At present, the Indians them selves comprehend the necessity of temperance. Several among them come frequently to tell me, with great simplicity, that they do not fall into this vice any more. These savages exhibit in their stoical resolutions, a degree of courage that should excite a blush on the check of many a white man. Those who call them thieves and assassins have calumniated them. Some bands of thieves, going from the north to the south, cross the set tlements of the Osages, as well as those of the BAX. 229 whites who inhabit the frontiers. It is their trade to steal everything and carry all away, and in such a manner that the Osages have been ac cused of the thefts. We may say as much of the pillages committed on the route to Santa Fe. According to my experience, lucre are few na tions in this region as affable and as affectionate as the Osages. Indeed it may be said that it is natural to them to wish to live in peace and per fect friendship with all whom they know. Peace and harmony reign among them ; no harsh words ever escape their tongues, unless when they are drunk to excess. Now they are at peace with all the tribes , except with the Pawnee-Mahas, whose manner of acting towards them would inspire aversion in civilized people as well as in barbarians. Scarcely are the Osages gone forth to hunt than the Pawnees, who wait this moment, fall on their undefended villages, pillage the wig wams, and steal the horses. The Osages have frequently made peace with this nation; but the treaties have hardly been ratified ere the perfid ious enemy renewed its attacks. I have long but vainly endeavored to put an end to the cruel mania of taking off the scalps of the dead J and wounded. In this project, as in many others, I have been checked by bad coun sels and bad examples of the whites. I should be pleased to be able to tell the savages, with whom I am charged, to imitate the whites, and it would be most agreeable to me to propose them as models of imitation, but my words would J>e ineffectual. Here, as formerly in Paraguay, the Indian derives no advantage from the vicinity of the whites ; on the contrary, he becomes more artful, more deeply plunged in vice, and finding no blasphemous words in his own tongue, curses his God in a foreign language. 2>0 FATHER BAX. To demonstrate to you the evil- effects of the proximity of the whites, I will cite you a little anecdote. The fact occurred about a year ago. I was giving an instruction in a village named Woichaka-Ougrin, or Cockle-bird. The subject was intemperance. I spok? of the evil conse quences of this passion, of its effects on the health, of the rapidity with which it conducts men to the tomb, or separates them from their wives and their children whom the Great Spirit had entrusted to them. I added that the pleasure attending' drinking was extremely short, while the punishment would be eternal. As I was con- cluding. Shape-shin-kaouk, or the Little Beaver, one of the principal men of the Tribe, arose and said to me : "leather, what thou sayest is true. We believe thy words. We have seen men buried because they loved and drank fire water. One thing astonishes us. We are ignorant; we are nojt acquainted with books; we never heard the words of the Great Spirit: ,but the whites who know books, who have understanding, and who have heard the commandments of the Great Spir it, why do they drink this fire-water? Why do they brirftfT it to us. when they know God sees them?" I will now enter into some more particular de- tails concerning our missions and labors. Imme- d.'atelv after 01* r arrival in the spring of 1847, our first care was to prepare a school. It was opened on the loth of May. The scholars were not very numerous at the commencement: some half-bloods and three Indians were the only ones trat r r eperted themselves. The parents, full of prejudices against a "school," gave for excuse, fhnt the children who had been confided to the former missionaries (the Presbyterians), had learned nothing, had been whipped every Hay, J?ATHR BAX. 23 1 made to work continually, and at last ran away. These reports spread far and wide. The most efficacious correction that a father could employ against a child, was to threaten it with being sent to school. I had proofs of this a short time after our arrival. In one of my visits to a village of Little Osages, called Huzegta, having an in terpreter with me, I entered into the lodge of the first chief. On presenting myself, 1 offered my hand in token of friendship. "Who are you?" said he to me. "A tapouska, or missionary, " was the reply. During some moments he hung his head without uttering a word. Then raising his eyes, he said in a bad humor: "The mission aries never did any good to our nation." The in terpreter answered that I did not belong to the class of missionaries that he had seen ; that 1 was a French tapouska, a Black-gown, who had come at their request and at that of the "Great Father." Then serenity reappeared on the visage of the chief and he cried out, "This is good news." He immediately offered me his hand, called his wife, and ordered buffalo-soup, wish ing to feast my arrival. He proposed several questions relative to the manner in which I would educate the ch'ldren, if they were sent to me; he declared to me that he did not approve of whip ping the children ; he asked me, in fine, if we would instruct aged persons. When I *okl him that we came to instruct everybody, to announce the word of God to the whole nation, he express ed much delight and gratitude. As soor as he knew us and learned the object of our visit, his prejudices and his apprehensions vanished. At my first visits, the children would not ap proach me. I dissipated their fears by giving them cakes and marbles, with which my pockets were always filled. They became familiar, and 232 FATHER BAX. in a short time they were extremely attached to me. The first who came to school, ( being very happy, expressed their satisfaction and their de light to their parents, praising the care of the Black-gowns in teaching and feeding them. This news spread abroad. Now the children entreat the parents to suffer them to go to the Mission ; the parents never refuse them, for the Indian is full of indulgence towards his little ones. Before the close of the year, those who were received and those who desired to be admitted, surpassed the number we could lodge. We have ever since been crowded. In a house built for twenty persons only, we were obliged to lodge fifty children. In order to take measures, the nation assembled and requested the agent to petition their Great Father to augment and en large the houses of the Mission. The govern ment acceded to this demand. The chiefs cannot be too much praised for the good example that they have given to the nation, and the ardent desire that they manifest for the education of their daughters. When they first made me this latter request, I found myself singularly embarrassed for the means of realizing so laudable a project. Father Schoenmakers re solved to interest a kind and fervent community of nuns in the education of the Osage girls. With this intention he went to St. Louis ; but he knock ed in vain at the door of several convents of thatj city, for the enterprise frightened every one. He was not discouraged. At length he succeeded in obtaining the good and charitable Sisters of Lo- retto, in Kentucky, for the education of the girls of this remote Mission. In the autumn of the year 1847, four religious arrived to share our labors. Their sufferings, their trials, and their privations were very great. They were obliged BAX. 233 to sleep in the open air. That did not hinder two other Sisters from coming to join them a little after in their heroic enterprise. Their patience, their kindness, their courage, and their persever ance have gained th e esteem, affection, and love of every one. They are succeeding; they have already produced a considerable change, and are doing great good. The talents displayed in the direction of their school, and the rapid progress of the children are admired by all the strangers who visit this community. In order not to pass the limits of a letter, I will leave the rest till another moment, and I will inclose it to you in a few days. In the mean time, reverend and very dear Father, I commend myself to your holy sacrific es and your good prayers. Your ever devoted Brother, J. J. BAX, S. J. FATHER BAX'S SECOND LETTER. Village of St. Francis Hieronymo, June 10, 1850. Rev. and Very Dear Father : In my last letter I was obliged, against my inclination, to give you a very abridged description of the truly prosper ous state of our schools. Nothing astonishes the whites more than the extraordinary progress of our little Osages in the different branches taught them. Such are: reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, and grammar, for the boys; reading, writing, geog raphy, needlework, embroidery, and drawing, for the girls. To these dispositions all join a very decided taste for music, and find great pleasure in singing pious canticles. They are besides, very polite, docile, and obedient. As soon as they per- 234 BAX. ceive a white, their first movement is to go and present him their hand. Their sensibility and good dispositions have often alleviated the pain that we experienced when our means would not suffer us to provide for their necessities. If it happens that one of the Fathers is absent during three or four days, they are on the watch for the moment when he is expected. As soon as they perceive him, which sometimes takes place at a distance of three or four miles, nothing can hinder them from running to meet him, and crying out: "Father, how are you? how do you do?" The greater number among them are remark able lor truly admirable sentiments of devotion. Hence religion is the most efficacious means for correcting the faults usual at their age. The most powerful rebuke that we can make them is to ask them : "My child, when you were baptis ed, did you not promise God that you would be good?" Of a considerable number, we may re port great progress in the catechism. Forty have made their first communion. These last visit the Blessed Sacrament with as much regularity and devotion as the most fervent among the faithful. The above, Rev. Father, gives us the highest consolation. Hardly two years s ; nce, these little neophytes were running naked in the woods and on the plains, addicted to every kind of vice, and bavins: no knowledge of their Creator, nor of the end of their creation. Never has the goodness of God been more manifest to me ; never have I seen the divine influence more generally felt and better appreciated ; never before this day, have I been so intimately convinced tbat the Lord of fers to all nations, to every family, and to each individual, the means of being saved, and of be ing united to the Holy Church. FATHER BAX. 235 What happened to us on the day of our arrival here, serves as a powerful confirmation of this truth. It was reported to us that an Indian had just died in a village about four miles distant. I expressed to my informant the grief this misfor tune caused me. He told me that another man, in the same place, was at the point of death. In the hope of arriving in time to baptise him, I set out immediately. Arrived at the place where the Neosho divides into two branches, I found the waters so swollen that it was impossible to pass them, and would be so during several days more. On the fourth day (it was Sunday), a half- blood passed the river on the trunk of a tree, to come and hear Mass. I questioned him concern ing the state of the sick man. He had been in his agony for four days; he had ever shown an excellent deportment, aii(' had manifested an earnest desire to see the Black-gown, who had come to announce the word of God to his nation. I mounted my horse directely, with some appre- . hension that my guide might delay my arrival. In this T was mistaken he reached there more f'Uickly or, foot than I on my horse. I found my Indian extremely ill; evidently he was hastening rapidly to eternity. As soon as I entered the lodge, he saluted me with joy and affection. I made him comprehend, by means of an interpreter, that I came to speak with him of the Great Spirit, and instruct him in the truths necessary to salvation. "I thank thee, Father: thy words are kind and consoling; my heart is overjoyed that thou hast come." Such were the words he addressed me with a dying voice. I spoke to him of the dispositions requis ite for receiving baptism, and told him, among other things,- that be must renounce all the bad 236 FATHER BAX. actions that he might have committed, be con trite for them, and never again do evil, tho he might be restored to health; that if he was sin cerely disposed to act thus, the Great Spirit would forget all the sins of his past life. "Fath er/' he replied, "I always wished to be good; I never stole, I never became drunk, I have never killed. However, if I have offended the Great Spirit, I repent. I desire to please Him, so that, if I die, He may have mercy on me, and grant me the the grace of being admitted into His pres ence." Fatigued with the effort he had made to speak, he kept silence during several moments; then, again opening his eyes, he said; "Father, if thou believest me worthy of receiving baptism, thou wilt grant me a great favor and many bless ings/' Fully satisfied with the lively desire that he manifested, I administered that sacrament to him. Scarcely was he regenerated in the heal ing waters of baptism, than he expired, and went to enjoy the happiness reserved to the children of the Church. The consoling death of this Indian was follow ed by a most distressing scene. I had never wit nessed demonstrations of sorrow so profound. The men, throwing off that stoical indifference which appears to be so natural to them, heaved deep sighs and shed torrents of tears; the wo men, with dishevelled hair, shrieked and gave all the signs of a despair over which reason can not predominate. I buried the Indian, on the fol- dowing day, in accordance with the ritual of the Church. The whole village was present at this ceremony. The assistants witnessed the atten tion and respect which we pay to the dead with a deep gratitude. From that time forth, we have always assisted the sick in their agony. The time for instructing them is very short, and their ideas FATHER BAX. 237 concerning religion are more than imperfect; but, on the other side, they have all the simplicity and good-will of children, and their disposition is most consoling. A few days ago I baptised the oldest man in the nation. Impossible to tell you the impres sions I experienced when pouring the holy water over that head, whitened with length of years. Baptism is one of the sacraments of our holy religion that the Indians understand the best, and it is the one that they are most desirous of re ceiving, i Some incidents, that a few would style provi dential, and others accidental, have contributed much to augment (in this tribe) faith concern ing the efficiency of that sacrament. I will cite but one example: One evening it was during the autumn of 1848 an Indian arrived at the Mission. Grief and anxiety were depicted on his face. As soon as he perceived me, he said to me: "Father, come without delay, for my wife is dying. All despair, and I consider her already as dead. Thou didst tell us to call thee when any one was sick or in danger of death. I wish her to learn the words of the Great Spirit before she dies. This is why I come to call thee." I had just arrived from a village called Cawva-Shinka, or Little Village, situated thirty miles from the Mission; I was exhausted with fatigue. But how resist an invitation so pressing, and above all in a circumstance so grave? After a moment of re pose, I set out with the man. Arrived at the village at midnight, I found the lodge filled with women and children, crying and singing the In dian death-song. I besought them to conclude these lugubrious accents, and approached the sick woman, extended on a buffalo-hide, and 238 FATHER BAX. scarcely covered with some tatteced blankets. She was unconscious. As she appeared to me not likely soon to return to herself, I resolved to remain until morning. An Indian had the kind ness to lend me his blanket. 1 wrapped my self in it, and endeavored to take a few hours' rest. But it was vain. I never passed such a miserable night. The women and the children recommenced their frightful clamor; the dogs of the wigwam passed back and forward over me with such steady regularity, that it would have been quite impossible for me to count the number of visits. About daylight, the patient began to give some signs of life; but she could not yet speak. As soon as she recovered her senses entirely, I made her a short exhortation. She appeared attentive, and gave signs of real joy. I .baptised her, and departed. Two hours after my leaving she was perfectly recovered. She arose, took her infant, and nursed it. Not long after, I returned to the same village, and found myself immediately surrounded by men, women and children, shouting, unanimous ly, Komkoi we are very glad to see you. This word is used for giving a cordial reception. Af ter recounting to me the fact, and the cure of the sick woman, they brought me twenty-five children to baptize. "Father," they said to me, "we believe thy words. We know that baptism comes from the Great Spirit. We are poor, ig norant people ; we cannot read the book that contains the word of the Great Spirit ; but thou wilt explain it to us, and we will believe thee." T have had very evident proofs of the sincerity of their good intentions, and of their firm resolu tion not to offend God. after having received baptism. About a month ago, I stopped at an Indian BAX. 239 wigwam. Its inmates had not been able to go on the chase, on account of the illness of their little daughter. Her mother told me that they were suffering from hunger, and that they had not eaten meat for a long time. She added that she had seen a stray ox in the forest, belonging to a white man, and, that she would have killed it had she not recalled the promise that she had made at her baptism rather to die of hun ger, to offending the Great Spirit; and, that if she had killed the ox, the Great Spirit would no longer have had compassion on her in her misery. This little recital pleased and edified me. I could not refrain from reflecting, that the condition of the world would be widely different, did alt Christians remember as faithfully and practically their baptismal vows as did this poor Indian wo man. So far, we have baptized more than five hun dred persons. One hundred adults and children have had the happiness of receiving the sacra ment of regeneration before dying. When the Indians are well taught, we have not much to fear in regard to their exemplary conduct. The greatest obstacle for us is in the difficulty that we experience in acquiring their tongue. It con tains very few words, and those quite inconven ient for expressing abstract ideas. These peo ple have some confused ideas of a Supreme Being, of the immortality of the soul, of the bliss or of the chastisements of the future life; but these ideas are mingled with material and super stitious notions. The following is an example: They believe that those whom the Great Spirit admits into His happy abode will there receive an abundance of buffaloes, moose, deer and corn ; that when a person dies his soul continues to inhabit the place in which it quitted the body; 240 FATHER BAX. that .souls sometimes return from the other world, to take and conduct there other souls. For this reason they fear to travel in the dark, especially when any one is very ill; they think that then there certainly is some spirit fluttering about in the air. Some of their Vig-kontah (jug glers) pretend, on many occasions, to have the power of chasing this spirit, and of saving the life of the person who is dangerously sick. When there is danger of death, the most superstitious have frequent recourse to these "medicine men ;" a horse, a mule, or even several, must reward these services. I know one of these imposters who by this trade had gained, in one spring only, thirty-two horses. Their efforts tend principally to persuading the poor Indian not to call upon us in their maladies. They declare, with the greatest assurance that they will annul the efficaciousness of our power. Last spring I went to pay a visit to the Little Osages. The day of my arrival, I baptized three persons who were dangerously sick; they died the next day. Some days after, a malignant fev er broke out, and proved fatal to many. The jugglers attributed the cause of the scourge to my presence, declaring that I had annihilated their power over the spirits. It is afflicting, but also somewhat laughable, to see these jugglers endeavoring to drive away the spirits. They make themselves as hideous as possible, equip themselves with all their instruments and weap ons, discharge their guns, brandish their clubs and tomahawks, beat the drum, and have re course, in fine, to whatever can produce a noise? in a word, they employ all imaginable tricks to deceive those poor Indians. But their power, which was formerly very great, is beginning to decline. The esteem which the savages had for FATHER BAX. 24! them is daily diminishing. The Indians are at tached to us, principally, say they, because we have no wives and children. "If you had, 7 ' they say, "you would do like the missionaries (the Presbyterians) who preceded you, you would think too much of your families, and you would neglect the red-man and his children." I often go and visit them in their villages, and I am always received with the greatest civility. A crier precedes me, to announce my approach. When they are all collected in a large wigwam, or beneath the wide-spread branches of some stately tree, I begin my instruction. They listen most attentively. When I have done speaking, the chief rises, and addresses his tribe some words of paternal advice, and repeats what the missionary has said, or makes comments on it. One Sunday a chief named Pai-nonpashe, of the Great Hill Village, on the Verdigris River, came to see his two children, who were boarding with us. A short instruction, which I fave after Mass, produced such an impression on his mind, that, when returning home, he said to a half-breed who accompanied him : "I begin now to discov er what we must do to be agreeable to the Great Spirit, and to become happy in this life and in the other." The excellent health enjoyed by our children at the Mission school, greatlv astonishes the par ents. Indeed, thus far sickness has been un known among them ; not one of them has died since we have been here. This contributes much to' augment the confidence which the Indians feel towards us, and dissipates all their fears during 1 the season of great hunts, in which they are obliged to remove from us for several months. When the frightful ravages caused by the 242 FATHER BAX. cholera along the river Kansas, at Westport, and in other places, were known here, the Osag- es, panic-struck, immediately resolved to go and seek their safety on the plains. Some desired to conduct their children with them ; but the ma jority opposed it, in the firm persuasion that they would be in security under the care of the Black- gowns, and protected by the Son of God and his Holy Mother. They therefore retired to the plains, and left their children with us. They had been but a short time in their new abode, when the cholera declared itself in the most terrible manner, and carried off a great number. Perceiv ing their error in having fled from the Mission, they hastened to return, and encamp, as they said, quite near the kind Fathers. They conse quently hastened with such precipitation that they made no provision, and traveled day and night. In proportion as they reached their own lands, the scourge diminished. The last case of death occurred at fifteen miles from the Mission. The greatest difficulties we encounter arise from the half-bloods, almost all of French origin. They have nothing of the Catholic but baptism, and an inviolable attachment to their creed, of which, for want of instruction, they know almost nothing, and thev practice still less. They have, again and again, proved to the Protestant min isters that their efforts to make them change their religion were absolutely useless. Another obstacle for us is the mode of life that the Indians are obliged to lead, in order to procure the provisions that are necessary for their subsistence. They commonly pass six months of the year in the chase, which forces them to remove from us, and exposes the mor ality of those who would wish to live as ex emplary Christians, to great temptations and FATHER BAX. 243 dangers. I hope that this state of affairs will change; for many are already convinced that they cannot long rely on the game, and that they should have already commenced cultivating their grounds, had they but the means necessary. A deputation of the nation, composed of the principal chief, of five warriors, and an interpre ter, went to pay a visit to their "Great Father .'* President Taylor received them with great kind ness, and encouraged them to commence culti vating their lands. I cannot express to you the gratitude that I experienced when I think of the truly paternal care lavished on my dear savages by their Great Father, and by all the officers employed by the Indian department. The sav ages have been greatly flattered by it. I am fully convinced that great good will result from it. This, Rev. Father, is but an imperfect sketch of the state of our Mission, in which we hope to gather many fruits of salvation, if it pleases God that we remain in it. Pecuniary difficulties have placed, and still place us in very critical posi tions ; but, Rev. Father, the assistance that we sometimes receive from the Propagation of the Faith, from some generous hearts and friends of the Indians, relieves us. We hope in divine Providence for all and in all. "God is faithful." Commend us to the prayers of your pious con gregation, and your kind community in St. Louts. Reverend and most dear Father, Your devoted brother in Jesus Christ, J. J. BAX, S. J. FATHER BAX'S THIRD LETTER. Mission Among The Osages, St. Francis Hieronymo, April 18, 1852. Reverend and Dear Father: I desired to 244 FATHER BAX. write to you much sooner, but we have been for some time, and are yet, in a terrible crisis. I have never witnessed aught like it; yet God's gracious will de done. About three weeks before the grand solemnity of Easter, forty-five children of our boarding school fell sick, in an interval of three days and a half. At first, we could not discern the nature of the malady. It commenced by a heavy cold, attended with a burning fever. After four or five days, the measles broke out. At first ,>the alarm was not very great, but the measles disap peared and was replaced by a putrid fever. On Passion Sunday, the saddest of my life, we had two corpses laid out, and about twelve of our children in danger of death. Eleven of our scholars fell victims in a short time, and two will perhaps speedily follow them. We are obliged to interrupt the school for some time, until this terrible visitation be passed. The contagion is spreading among the Indians, and the mortality is very great. It will be difficult to collect again the scattered flock. However, I may say, that never hitherto, either among people of color or whites, either among persons of the world or religious, have I been witness to so much piety and fervor on the bed of death, as were exhibited by our young neophytes. They may serve as models. Some, prompted by their own piety, asked to hold the crucifix in their hands, and pressed it fervently to them, without being willing to yield it, during more than two hours. They wished the statue of the Blessed Virgin to be placed near the pillows of their beds. They im plored the assistance of their holy Mother, and fixed their dying eyes on her image. I firmly hope and believe that they already enjoy the presence of God. FATHER BAX. 245 The Lord seems to be willing to gather into his garner the little that we have sowed here below. What may be the designs of Providence for the future, we cannot and dare not conjecture. We have lost several of our best scholars, and of those on whom we had founded our greatest ex pectations. Reverend and dear Father. Your very devot ed servant and brother in Jesus Christ, J. J. BAX, S. J. DEATH OF FATHER BAX. The following letter was written by Rev. Fr. P. J. DeSmet S. J. under date of April 16, 1855, from St. Joseph's College, Ky. to Father De La Croix : You will undoubtedly be gratified to have some news of the mission of St. Francis Hieronymo among the Osages, to whom you were the first to announce the consolations of the everlasting Gospel. The seed of salvation which you plant ed, and which was afterwards neglected, has not been sterile. You are acquainted with the dif ficulties of the Osage mission. Being in the neighborhood of the boundary line of the United States, these Indians learn to adopt, very easily, all the vices of the whites, without joining to them any of their virtues. They forget the frugality and simplicity which formerly char acterized them, and give themselves up to in temperance and the perfidiousness of civilized life. However, every year a considerable num ber of adults enter the bosom of the Church; a great number of children receive baptism, and as they often die very young, they are so many innocent souls who intercede in heaven for the 246 FATHER BAX. conversion of .their parents, buried in the gros sest superstition and idolatry of paganism. Jn the spring 1852 an epidemic malady, which made great ravages, became for a large number (although weakening the power of their nation) a blessed occasion of salvation. The violence of this disease, against which the Indian cannot be easily induced to take necessary precautions, tne sufferings of the whole tribe, the universal panic, the grief all these miseries presenting them selves under different forms wrung the hearts of the missonaries. Naught but the reflection that Providence had sent this terrible scourge for their spiritual good, was capable of consoling them. During this unhappy year, and when the ex treme violence of the epidemic had ceased, we were called to deplore the loss of Father Bax, who fell a victim of truly heroic charity, exercis ed toward the poor savages, in order to soothe their sufferings, and win their souls to God. Father Rax was born on the i5th of January, 1817, in a village near Turnhout, in Belgium. The disease, which commenced among the chil dren of themi ssion, spread rapidly throughout all the villages of the tribe. Father Bax, by his knowledge of medicine, and the cures which he effected, was renowned throughout the nation. The savages came in troops from every side to call him into their camps. It would be difficult to form an idea of all the fatigues he was obliged to endure. From early morning, after having piven some assistance to the children of the mis sion school, he would go into the environs, from cabin to cabin, bearing gladness and comfort in his passage. He afterwards would turn his steps to the other camps of the nation, to offer them the same blessings. To do the last, it became FATHER BAX. 247 necessary to employ several days, and endure very heavy fatigue in visiting them. The zealous religious administered the last sacraments to the dying, baptized the expiring infants, taught the catechumens, exhorted, and often succeeded in converting, the most obstinate. He performed at once the office of physician, catechist, and priest. He returned to the house of the mission aries, exhausted with fatigue, only to renew on the morrow the same deeds of charity, braving the inclemency of the seasons 'the frequent rains of spring, the sudden and overpowering heat of summer, with the sudden cold which succeeds tlie heat in these sections, at this epoch of the year. All this devotedness was not capable of hinder ing the malice of some enemies let us rather say, the rage of hell, irritated at the view of so many souls rescued from its grasp. The devil invented against the excellent missionary, and against the whole mission, a calumny, extreme ly ridiculous, without doubt, in the eyes of the civilized, but entirely in accordance with Indian prejudices, superstition, and credulity. A report was spread throughout the camps, the whites were the authors of the scourge, the Black- gowns (the priests) had a magical charm, vul garly called medicine, which killed all the Indians; that this charm was a certain book, in which they inscribed the names of the Osages. and thereby obtained a power of life or death over all those whose names the book contained. The register of baptisms was meant. They hold the superstitious belief that whosoever possesses a book, has an absolute empire over the life of those whose names are written in it. The cal umny spread from village to village, in all the cabins ; as it was propagated, its details assumed a darker hue. The malevolent went about exhort- 248 FATHER BAX. ing their companions to attack the mission, say ing that they would arrest the course of the malady, if they could attain the destruction of the terrible magical charm, by burning the en chanted book possessed by the missionaries. This absurd tale was sufficient to engage several parents to withdraw their children from the mis sion school. Fortunately, the Black-gowns had influential friends among the chiefs of the Osages. They went no farther on reasoning with the most in telligent Indians, they succeeded in appeasing their rage and ill-will. The Lord, who permits the rising of the tempest, can calm it at his own good time! Heaven accorded its benedictions to the ef forts of Father Bax and his companions in his painful ministry. Of nearly 1500 savages, who were swept away by the epidemic, all, with a very few exceptions, had the happiness of being fortified by the last sacraments of the Church before dying. Seized, at last, himself with symptoms of the illness, Father Bax continued his ordinary labors, and dragged himself around to visit the sick and dying. His zeal would not suffer him to attend to himself. Strength soon failed him. He was dying while still laboring! He was obliged, at last, to consent to allow him self to be transported about forty miles from the mission, to Fort Scott, a military post, where one of the most skilful physicians of the United States army then resided. It was too late ; all the cares of the doctor, proved useless. The good religious/ the indefatigable missionary, was a fruit ripe for heaven. At the end of six weeks he died as he had lived. His last aspirations showed still his unfading zeal for the conversion of his dear savages. FATHER BAX. 249 During the five years that he passed in the missions, he brought back to the faith a great number of half-bloods, formerly baptized in the Church, but for want of priests and instructions, unfortunately perverted by Protestant ministers : besides, he baptized more than 2000 Indians, as well children as adults, of every age. He in structed his neophytes with the greatest care, and the most pains-taking assiduity. His charity had so gained the hearts, that all these savages called him only by the beautiful word, which in the Osage language signifies, "the Father who is all heart." His death excited profound regret. His fel low-religious cherished him, and had always been edified by his example and his virtues; the whites whom he visited on the frontiers of the States, whom he fortified and encouraged in the abandonment in which he found them, loved him as a protector ; but his loss was especially felt by the tribe which he evangelized with so much constancy, ardor, and success. Some days before his death, Father Bax wrote me as follows : "The contagion is spreading among the Indians, and the mortality is very great. The difficulty will be, to collect the scattered flock; however, I have the consolation of being able to say, that never yet, either among the negroes, or among whites, or among religious, or among persons of the world, have I ever been witness to as much fervor and piety on the bed of death. Edifying is the death of which our young neophytes have given the example. Some, of their own free will, asked to hold the crucifix in their hands ; they clasped it without leaving it for more than -two hours. The statue of the Blessed Virgin was to be placed by their pillows. 250 FATHER BAX. Imploring the assistance of their good Mother, they fixed their dying eyes on her image. I have the strong hope that they already enjoy the presence of God. The Lord seems to wish to gather into his granary the little that we have sowed here below. What may be the designs of his Providence for the future of our mission, we cannot, and we dare not conjecture. May His holy will be accomplished!" This is the last letter I had the happiness of receiving from Father Bax. The Osage nation, like the greater part of the other tribes of the Great Western Desert, which were formerly so numerous and flourishing, is rapidly dimishing in numbers. It is now reduced to 3000 souls, and divided into twelve villages, situated in different directions around the centre of the mission. Ordinarily, the Osages dwell or encamp in the valleys on the rivers, or near some spring of pure and overflowing water. They live, for the most part, as in the primitive times, on the roots and spontaneous fruits of the earth, and the animals which they kill in the chase. There are but two Fathers to visit these dif ferent villages, situated at the distance of fifty and seventy miles from each other. The toils and fatigues of the holy ministry there are exces sive. The catechumens must be instructed, the neophytes sustained, the sick and dying visited, and continual efforts made to convert obstinate adults. Amid so many obstacles, so many priva tions arid difficulties, the missionaries find also sweet consolations in the fruits which the Lord deigns to grant to their labors. Every year they bai>tize among the Osages about two hundred and fifty persons. The missionaries also visit the neighboring tribes such as the Onapaws, who number only FATHER BAX. 251 three hundred and fifty, and of whom one hund red and thirty adults and children have been baptized in the course of the two years. Entire families have received baptism among the Piorias and the Miamis. The Senecas., the Cherokees, Creeks, Shawnees, and other nations, situated two hundred miles south of the mission, can be visited only once or twice in the year. Notwith standing the opposition of Protestant ministers, there are some Catholics among all these tribes. A great number of European Catholic families live dispersed on the frontiers of the States of Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas, which border on the Indian territory now called Kansas. They receive, from time to time, the visit and the spiritual aid of one or other Father of the mis sion of St. Francis Hieronymo. The sight of a priest, the happiness of hearing mass, and of approaching the holy table, draw tears of joy from these excellent children of the church. Without these visits they would be entirely abandoned. The destitution of priests is one of the principal causes of the detection of thousands of Catholics, who gradually lose their faith. Two boarding schools have been established in the mission of the Osages : one for boys, under the direction of a Father and of several brothers; the other for girls, under the direction of the Sisters of the Loretto, from Kentucky. These two schools ordinarily contain more than a hund red Indians children. They teach them the elements of literature, with the principles, of civilization, at the same time that they excite and cultivate piety in their hearts. These schools encourage the hope, that the day will come when these savage tribes may become changed and civilized and Christian communities. It will be difficult, above all, in these districts, to bring the 252 FATHER BAX. abults to .this mode of existence; they are too much accustomed to the nomadic life? too proud of their barbarous independence, and frequently enslaved to the degrading vices of the whites, and to the immoderate use of ardent spirits, which they easily obtain by their commerce with the latter, and in their frequent visits to the frontiers of the States. Each sincere and durable conver sion among these is a miracle of grace. The United States government grants to the Osages, for the support of their schools, an an nual subsidy, accruing from the sale of their lands. This assistance being insufficient, and in order to give a striking testimony of attachment and friendship towards the Black-gowns, all the chiefs of the nation have obtained, by treaty, from the government, an augmentation of funds destined to the maintenance of the schools; and also a liberal donation for making provision for the other necessities of the mission. The mission owns a farm, which contributes towards defray ing its expenses. With all this, it may be said, that the missionaries are still obliged to live a poor and hard life, in the midst of many priva tions. Yet is must be admitted, that the mission among the Osages is established on a tolerably solid footing. We give the following extract from the annual message of the President of the United States, in 1854. The agent of the Osages, in his report to the government, speaking of this nation, says: "The schools, under the direction of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus, among the Osages, are very flourishing. These Fathers merit great eulogiums for their endeavors to ameliorate the condition of this nation. Having had the pleasure of assisting at the examination of their scholars, T cheerfully add my testimony BAX. 253 to that of others in favor of the method pursued in these establishments. I doubt whether there are any schools in the Indian territory which exercise so salutary an influence on the minds of the Indians, or that can even be compared with them. The pupils progress rapidily in their studies; they are well fed and well clothed, and appear happy and satisfied. "The Catholic establishment, as well as the whole nation of the Osages, have met with an irreparable loss by the death of the indefatigable Father Bax. The most rigorous season could never hinder him from visiting the most remote tribes of the nation, when there was question of carrying consolation to the sick, and of accom plishing the duties of his sacred ministry." CHAPTER XV. PRESIDENTS OF ST. FRANCIS INSTITUTION. Father Adrain Sweere was the second presi dent of St. Francis School at the Mission, suc ceeding Father Schoenmakcrs in July 1876, and serving until 1880. He came to the Mission from Chicago, The following sketch of his life is given by Rev. L. J. Kenney, S. J. of St. Louis University: "Fr. Adrain Sweere was born April 26, 1841 ; became a Jusuit September 26, 1867; and died in Portland Oregon, July, 1912. I knew Father Sweere well. He was a blond, and inclined to ward corpulency, which gave him a look of good nature which he really had. He loved the work of the missions and when the Missouri province ceased for a time to have missions, he asked and obtained permission to be aggregated to the Rocky Mountains missions, (now the California province.) He was the first superior of the incipient college of the Society in Seattle; but flying again from the colleges, we next find him alone at Ketchikan, Alaska, with Wrangle as one of his stations. This was in 1910." Father John T. v Kuhhnan S. J. was the third president of St. Francis Institution. He suc ceeded Fr. Sweere in 1880 and served until his death in 1887. He is remembered yet by many of the oldej* settlers around the Mission. Fr. Kuhlman was born at Meisen, Hanover Germany, March 15, 1821. He began his education at the Gymnasium at Osnabruck, re- (254) PRESIDENTS OF ST. FRANCIS' INSTITUTION. 2$ maining there for nine years. In 1848 he carne to America, and on March 12, 1849, joined the Jesuit order at St. Louis. He studied for three years in the St. Louis University and was ordain ed priest in 1852. He was sent to St. Xavier's college, at Cincinnati, Ohio, as prefect of studies, retaining that position five years. He was next sent to Bradstown, Ky., to fill the position of professor of chemistry and natural philosophy. Next he was sent to Milwaukee, as director of St. Gall's school. After three years he was returned to Cincinnati as professor at St. Xavier's. In 1873 he was sent to St. Stanislaus Novitiate at Florissant, Mo., as procurator, hold ing that position until he came to Osage Mission in 1880 to become superior of the Jesuit Monas tery and president of St. Francis Institution. Father \Kuhlman's first big undertaking at! Osage Mission was to help Father Ponziglione complete St. Francis church, which for eight years had made very little progress. He also caused to be removed the old log buildings which had remained as relics of the days of the Indian schools. He labored to build up the schools, not only by increasing the number of students, but also by the addition of new buildings and sub stantial improvements. Father Kuhlman took a special delight in help ing poor but worthy young men, and there are to this day men holding important positions whose fitness to fill- the places may be traced to aid Father Kuhlman gave them in obtaining an education. He was a liberal minded man and was held in the highest esteem by the people of Osage Mission as well as by the thousands of pupils who attended the school during his presidency. A few days before Christmas in 1886, he went 256 PRESIDENTS 01? ST. FRANCIS' INSTITUTION. east on a business trip. While at St. Louis con sulting his superiors on business matters, he be came seriously ill and died January 13, 1887. For some years he had been afflicted with consump tion, and altho suffering constanty, he performed the many and arduous duties of his double office with a will and without complaining. He was buried at St. Stanislaus Seminary, Florissant, Mo. Father J. R. Roswinkle S. J. was the fourth president of St. Francis, serving from 1887 - August 1889. The college thrived under his management. About this time the Jesuits decid ed to discontinue the school, and Fr. Roswinkle being a missionary of remarkable ability, was transferred by his order to the missionary fields, where he still remains. He is at present regarded as one of the ablest missionaries in America. Father Boman A. Shaffel S. J. was the last president of St. Francis Institution. He came to Osage Mission during the summer of 1889 as the successor of Father Roswinkle. The Jesuits had decided to close their school at Osage Mis sion and Father Shaffel was selected for the purpose of closing up the affairs of the order and the school and disposing of the property owned by the Jesuits. This duty he performed, and in June 1891, St. Francis Institution ceased to exist. He returned to St. Louis in 1891. Father Shaffel was born in Belgium, August 16, 1838, and joined the Jesuit order October 3, 1860. He died at the St. Louis University May 26, 1908. CHAPTER XVi. OTHER EARLY JESUITS AT THE MISSION Father Adrain J. VanHulst arrived at the Mission from St. Louis, October 29, 1852,10 take up the work of Father Bax, deceased. He was an active missionary and performed many baptisms. In 1853 he made a trip into Jasper County, Missouri, where he baptised several white people. His work among the Indians is well told on page 150. He returned to St. Louis October 14, 1854. Father Theodore Heimann was one of the early teachers in the school. He came to the Mission about 1850 but took no part in the mis sionary work. In 1853 he devoted some time to parish work and performed a number of bap tisms. He is said to have been one of the best teachers Father Schoemakers had and the schools made rapid progress under his guidance. He left the Mission in September 1855. (Father J. Logan was an active worker at the Mission during from the summer of 1857 t tne spring of 1858. The Mission records show a large amount of missionary work performed by him during this short time. H5s he-jlth failed in 1858 and he returned to St. Louis where he died July 4, 1858. His real name was Van Lengenhage, but it appears as Logan on the church records where he signed it himself. Father James C. VanGoch succeeded Father Logan at the Mission, arriving August 25, 1858. The records of St. Francis church show he was (257) 258 OTHER EARLY JESUITS AT AHE MISSION. an active worker in 1859, for during that year he officiated at most of the baptisms performed at the Mission. He had direct charge of the parish work while Father Paul looked after the work in the Indian villages at a distance. After the civil war he was transferred to Milwaukee, then to Chicago. He then spent a few years in Europe returning to the Mission in October 1877. Father VanGoch was born in Holland, October 28, 1831, and entered the Jesuit order November 10, 1852. On August n, 1878, he suffered a stroke of apoplexy, but recovered. On August 24, 1878, he suffered another stroke and died in a few minutes. A writer in describing his death said : "He was not feel-ing well and stayed in his room in consequence. At about 3 o'clock in the after noon he was heard singing with much sweet ness and fervor, by those in an adjoining room. On their stepping in it was seen that Father Van Goch was laboring under some undue excite ment and he almost immediately passed into an apoplectic fit, from which he died in a few minutes." He was buried in the Mission cemetery near Father Bax. Father J. L. Schoensettles labored at the "Mission" just after the war. The church re cords show he did much of the parish work in 1867. He signed his name on the church records as J. L. Settles. Father Philip Colleton was among the most widely known Jesuits located at the Mission at any time while the Jesuits were in charge. He was born in Ireland, March 17, 1821. and entered the Jesuit order July 15, 1854. He came to Osage Mission from St. Mary's, Kansas, in 1868 and not only was active in the parish work but he shared with Father Paul the labors in the OTHER SARLY JESUITS AT AHE MISSION. 259 missionary field, and built many churches at points not far distant. On June 12, 1870 he laid the corner stone of a new church at Ladore, then a thriving young town in Neosho County, which has since ceased to exist. On June 19, he laid the corner stone for a church at Montgomery City, then a busy little town not far from In dependence, lib built a new church at Walnut, Kansas, in 1871, and another at Parsons, Kansas, in the spring of 1873. In the spring of 1870 he organized a building committee and started a church at Oswego, Kansas. There is a legend connected with the church' he built at Greenbush, about ten miles east of the Mission. Father Colleton was returning to the Mission from a trip to St. Louis, and was riding a horse. When he reached the point where the Greenbush church was later built, a severe hail storm came up. The hail stones or chunks of ice that fell were very large and endangered alike the life of man and) beast. Father Colleton tied his horse in a cluster of bushes, and taking off the saddle put it' over his own head for pro tection. During the progress of the furious storm the good father prayed fervently that his life might be spared and vowed that if it was spared he would in thanksgiving erect a church on the spot. Altho his limbs were somewhat bruised by the falling hailstones, he suffered no serious injuries. He dirove a stake to mark the place and soon after made good his vow by erect ing a small frame church on the spot. This be came the center of a Catholic settlement, and altho it is. some distance from any town or. rail road, a magnificent stone church with a resident priest is now maintained at Greenbush. In January 1876, Father Colleton was riding on a hand car when he was badly injured. He re- 200 OTHER EARLY JESUITS AT AHE MISSION. covered sufficiently to resume his work, but he died December i, 1876, from the result of that injury. During the eight years he was stationed at the Mission he did a wonderful amount of work, the results of some of which are plainly evident to this day. He was buried in the cemetery near the Mission, by the side of Father Bax. Brother Thomas O'Donnell S. J. was one of the active spirits connected with the Mission school for twenty years, and was a great friend of the Osages. He came to the Mission in 1857 and served in many capacities at the school. After .the Osages moved to Oklahoma he made several trips each year to the reservation, each time bringing back with him a large number of pupils for the Mission schools, often bring ing as many as fifty Indian children at one time. He continued this work until his death which oc curred at the Mission October 24, 1877. Brother O'Donnell was born in Ireland December 25, 1820, and entered the Jesuit order as a lay brother August 6, 1842. Father William Van Der Hagan S. J. was an -active little priest who shared the parish work at St. Francis church in the early eighties. He was born in Holland, January 30, 1843, an( * entered the Jesuit order November 3, 1876. Little is known of his early life. He was an energetic worker and mixed with the people free ly. On July 29, 1885, he rode his horse into the Neosho river near the bridge south of the church, evidently to cool off the horse, as it was very warm weather, and there was a bridge across the stream near by. The horse began plunging and became unmanageable and .the Father laid down on the animal and put both arms around its neck, but soon after loosened his hold and fell OTHER EARLY JESUITS AT AHE MISSION. 26l into the water. It is believed that the excite ment had caused heart failure and that he was dead when he fell from the horse. He was buried in the cemetery at the Mission, near Father Schoenmakers, with whom he had been as sociated. Father Joseph M. Rimmele was the last Jesuit to leave Osage Mission. After the order closed the school in 1891, he was left behind to close up the affairs of the order. He left the Mission in August 1892, going ,to Detroit, Michigan, where he died April 6, 1893. Father Rimmele was born in Germany August 7, 1831, and entered the Jesuit order July 18, 1872. He came to Osage Mission in the early eighties, to take the position of vice president and general manager of St. Francis Institution. He was also a teacher of Latin, the college lecturer and the prefect of discipline. Altho one of the kindest and most amiable of men, he had a peculiar faculty of being able to spread terror in the minds of those boys who had violated the rules of the Institution, and therefore under his management, the best of order was always main tained. CHAPTER XVII. ST. FRANCIS' CHURCH. "But thou of temples old, or altars new, Standest alone, with nothing like to thee, Worthiest of God, the holy and the true, Smce Sion's desolation, when that He Forsook his former city, what could be Of earthly strictures, in His honor piled, Of a sublirner aspect?.. Majesty, Power, Glory, Strength, and Beauty, all are aisled In this eternal ark of worship unde filed" Id. St. Francis Church, at S,t. Paul, (Osage Mis sion) Kansas, is one of the most magnificent church edifices in Kansas. As it stands it repre sents the expenditure of nearly a hundred thous and dollars, and is the fulfilment of an idea cherished by Fathers Schoenmakers and Ponzig- lione. Under their direction, Wm. Murphy drew the plans in 1871. That fall the work of quarry ing and hauling the stone began. In the spring of 1872, the foundation was laid under the direction of M. Cavanaugh, and on the 23rd of June 18/2, the corner stone was laid by Rt. Rev. Bishop L. M,. Fink, ouis daily papers that they gave it prominent mention. The writer had the privilege of "serving" many Mjasses for Father Schoenmakers, Ponziglione and Ktihlman in this old log church. CHAPTER XVIII. SISTERS OF LORETTO AMONG THE OSAGES. "They had labored for Gvd, Far from the homes they had loved so ivell; And naught was near that they longed to hear, Save the sound of the beads and the convent bell, When their race was run and their ivork was done, They passed atway-the true, the brave; But God knows best, they now find rest Near the college home in a lonely grave." When the Jesuits took the contract to educate the Osages, it included females as well as boys, and this brought Father Schoenmakers face to face with a problem. The Jesuits are noted educators of boys, but they had had no experience with girls, and even if they had, .there were not sufficient teachers among their members at the "Mission" to do the work. The Father therefore set about to get Sisters to take charge of the females at the schools. He told the story himself of how "in vain I knocked at all the religious homes in St. Louis. None of the inmates could be found willing to come out to the wilds of Kansas." A,t last he applied to the Mother house, of the Sisters of Loretto, in Kentucky, and in response to his request four sisters were assigned to the work among the Osages and instructed to proceed to the "Mission" at once. The four who came to the Osages in 1847 were Sister Concordia Henning, who was appointed superior at the Mis- (273) 274 SISTERS OF LORETTO. sion, Sister Bridget Hayden, afterwards known as Mother Bridget, Sister Mary Van Prather, and Sister Vienceatia Van Cool. Sisters Felicita and Mary Regis joined them at the Mission a year or two later. These pioneer sisters made the same perilous trip from St. Louis the good fathers had made a they reached their destination. They were the tions and hardships bath on the trip and after they reached their distination. They were the first white women to venture this far into the prairie country, ,the habitation of the Red men and of wild beasts. It required great courage to make such trip and to face such problems and hardships as confronted these four pioneer sisters. The date of the arrival of the Sisters of Loretto among the Osages is said to be October 5, 1847. They began enrolling pupils for their school on October 10. The first pupil enrolled was Elizabeth Brond and the second was Elizabeth Mitzegge. Father Schoenmakers, in reporting the opening of this school to Rev. Father Van De Welde, provincial at St. Louis, said: Five female children entered the school placed under the care of the sisters. Twenty girls are waiting for the commencement which is deferred till the 25th of October when it is expected that our goods purchased for their ac commodation shall have arrived from Kansas." This was the first boarding school for girls having any degree of permanency, established on Kansas soil. The Indians held the Sisters in the highest esteem and wer e always ready to protect them from all harm. It is said that for years the Indians believed! that the Sisters came down SISTERS OF LORETTO. 275 direct from the abode of the Great Spirit for their especial good. Some of the conditions which confronted the sisters during the first winter may be inferred from the following report made by Father Schoenmakers to the U. S. Department of Indian affairs : "Ten Osage girls have entered the school. The reason is because the Indians with their families had gone to the hunting grounds before the ladies under whose care the Osage female chil dren have been placed were prepared to receive a large number. The ladies as well as ourselves have much reason to complain of the buildings. They are unfinished and will be too small. Major Harvey had promised us that the houses would be weathterboarded and the ceilings and chimneys renewed, etc. Winter has come upon us. We must now endure the cold winds of the open prairies. We have no means of providing for ourselves and the children. Our only con solation rests in the good progress which the children have already made. They begin to esteem the treasure of learning and civilization.. We hope a sub-agent will soon be appointed who- will immediately execute the good intention of the Department. J. SCHOENMAKERS, S. J. 4 The Sisters' school had much the same class of "tips and downs'" as the boys' school during the early days. It had its scourge of the measles in 1852, and had its troubles during the perilous times of the border warfare and civil war, altho the guerillas did not at any time disturb the property. It had its battles to fight against poverty and the bleak winds of winter in poor quarters. But the brave little band of sisters who had the courage to come into the then wilderness, also had the courage to face the problems that 276 SISTERS OF LORETTO. were to come and they did it with a will without a murmur, and with a steadfastness that was a shining example to the pioneer settlers who came to make their homes near the Mission. The school was directly under the charge of Mother Concordia Henning from its inception until 1859, and Father Schoenmakers found her services of inestimable value during the times when even the courage of sturdy men was sorely tried. Thru her influence many of the Indian girls' were led into the church and the baptismal records of St. Francis church show she was the God-mother of many of the Indians baptised there in the early days. There is however a limit to the endurance of the human system and in 1859, failing health caused Mother Concordia to relinquish her position as superior of the school to Sister Bridget Hayden who had been her most faithful companion, assistant and co-worker from the time they started on their western trip to the "Mission." Mother Concordia remained at the school in a minor capacity until after the opening of the civil war, and continued to assist in the school and church work. The church records mention her as God-mother at a baptism as late as October 6, 1861. About this time she went to Kentucky and remained there until her death. ST. ANN'S ACADEMY ESTABLISHED. L .When the white settlers began to arrive the enrollment of the schools increased and the num ber of sisters was increased proportionately, until 1868 when there were eleven sisters at the Mis sion, most of whom were employed in the school. Gradually the whites supplanted the Indians in the school, and Mother Bridget foresaw a bright! future for a permanent academy and in 1870 and 1871 she had the three-story stone building erect ed that so long served as the main building of the SISTERS OF LORETTO. academy. This was the first stone building con structed at either of the Mission Schools and at that time was the largest stone building in South eastern Kansas. Some years later this building was changed to a four-story building by the ad dition of a mansard roof. On September 19, 1870 the school was chartered under the laws of Kansas as St. Ann's Academy. In 1881 the second large stone building was erected just south of the first. An unknown writer in the Neosho County Journal, July 1874, in commenting on the work of St. Ann's, said : "St. Ann's Academy rightly enjoys the reputation of being one of the best educational institutions in the West. It has from its founda tion in this city, under the able management of Mother Bridget, received no inconsiderable share of public favor and patronage. "Thanks to the enduring energies and sincere piety of the humble yet noble ladies, who like angelical beings, devote themselves to uproot the weeds of ignorance and vice, and plant the seeds of knowledge and virtue in the youthful mind; for these safe institutions in which parents can safely entrust their children, and secure for them that intellectual- and moral training, which their best interests in after life imperatively demand. "Only a few years ago, in their locality, where ''Many a flower ivas born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the deseri air! " And what a transition ! Blest now with one of these institutions, famed for developing and cultivating the most precious flowers that adorn and beautify the face of nature; giving to them that culture which distinguishes the enlightened from the inferior portions of mankind, without which the poor are indeed truly poor, and the 278 SISTKRS OF LORETTO. rich by indulging in their animal passions, become bare like the beasts which they imitate. Many a wild flower has it also rescued from the parching and bli thing influence of the desert air, to be come after due culture, like the chosen few beautiful and superior roses in the garden of the Lord, adding sweetness to its enduring aroma, and influencing to the better the surrounding- element, until transplanted by the hand of the Creator to brighter regions where glorious destinies await." The academy flourished from the start and was each year attended by hundreds of young .Indies from Kansas and other States. The en rollment on several occasions was near three hundred. All of the academic branches were taught, while music and painting were special features which alone attracted many pupils. In September, 1895. the school opened what promised to be the most flourishing year in its history but alas, the hand of fate was against it. On Tuesday, September 3, 1895, at TO a. m. flames were discovered coming from that part of the building occupied by the kitchen. The volunteer fire brigade responded quickly to the alarm but it was soon seen that their efforts would count for little. The Parsons fire company came v.p on a special train and joined the fight against the flames. The buildings however, were doomed and in a few hours what had cost $75,000 iff money and many years of labor was a mass of smouldering ruins, with only $16,000 insurance to cover the loss. Those were the days of a financial stringency in this country and so great a Joss at such a time was a staggering blow. Mother Catherine, the superior of the order then, disbanded the school and sent most of the Sisters to other poinK An effort was made to get the SISTERS OF LORKTTO. 279 school rebuilt, but the final decision was that the order leave St. Paul until a more favorable time and in 1896, the remaining Sisters departed. In 1897 another effort was made to revive the school, but this too failed. However, many of the Sisters still had a longing to go back to their old home and th e people were always anxious to have them return, thus the sentiment to return was always kept alive both within and without the order. In June 1914, the Sisters of Loretto definitely decided to return to St. Paul (Osage Mission) but it was not until August 24, 1915, that they again took up their abode there. On that day eight sisters arrived, viz : Sister Columbiere as superior, and Sisters Coaina, Carmela, Rose Teresa, Francis Xavier, Angeles, Joachim and Vera. They took their positions as teachers in the parish schools at the opening of the term a few days after their arrival The Sisters of Loretto have announced their intention of rebuilding the academy but have been delayed because of the financial conditions resulting from the European war. CHAPTER XIX. MOTHER BRIDGET. "She felt in her spirit the summons of grace That called \fer to live for a suffering race; And, heedles of pleasure, of comfort, of home, Rose quickly like Mary, and answered "I come" She put from her person the trappings of pride, And passed from her home with the joy of a bride, Nor wept at the threshold as onward she moved For her heart was \on fire in the cause it ap proved." GERALD GRIFFIN. Mother Bridget Hayden was the only one of the four sisters who came to the Osage Mission! in 1847 who was well known to the white people who came later. Mother Concordia left the Osages in 1861, when there were few white peo ple located on the Neosho, and the records of her work were destroyed when the academy burn ed. Sister Bridget Hayden became "Mother" of the convent at the "Mission" in 1859 when Mother Concordia resigned because of poor health, and retained that position until her death in 1890. During her reign as Mother the country settled up rapidly and Osage Mission reached its pinnacle. St. Ann's academy was chartered by her, and all the big buildings were erected under her directions. The fame of St. Ann's spread far and wide and girls came from far and near to (280) MOTHER BRIDGET. 28l this fountain of knowledge to receive that mental and moral training so necessary to a suc cessful, life here on earth and an eternal reward in the world to come. Margaret Hayden was born in Kilkenney Ire land in 1814. When only six years old, she came with her parents to America and located near Perryville, Mo. She grew up at this place and remained there until her 27th year when she entered the convent of the Loretto Sisters at Old Bethlehem. In 1842 she renounced att worldly advantages and "took the veil" of an humble "Sister of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross," as Sister Mary Bridget, This event oc curred at St. Vincent's Academy at Cape Girardeau, Mo. Later she was transferred to Loretto, Kentucky, where she was stationed when she answered the call of Father Schoen- makers and came to the O sages on the Neosho in 1847. What the Mission was in those days is best told in the letters of the early Jesuits elsewhere in this book. The privations that these pioneer women suffered on the bleak prairies can scarcely be conjectured by the people of today. Only those who have tasted such a life can know it or realize it. But Mother Bridget had devoted her life to the "Master" and, had freely answered His call to carry the blessings of Christianity and civilization to the aborigines of the plains. Faith ful to her vows, she set about with a hearty will doing the work laid out for her. Osage girls who had roamed the prairies in scant attire were gathered into the schools and not only taught the elements of education, but were also trained to make their own clothing after the style of the whites and to become modest, and refined young women, imbued with a desire to lead honorable, 282 MOTHER BRIDGET. Christian lives. Ask any of the younger women of the Osages today who taught their mothers to pray, civilized them, taught them all domestic arts and virtues, they will say at once, Mother Bridget and the sisters. In fact her name was for years, and is to some extent yet, a household word among the Osages, and they loudly bewailed her death. Mother Bridget and her associates did for the Osage girls what Father Schoen- makers and his associates did for the Osage boys. When Osage Mission ceased to be an Indian reservation and when the red men and their families moved their wigwams from the beautiful Neosho valley they loved so well, Mother Bridget's labors among them ceased only in part. She enlarged the buildings and opened St. Ann's Academy and many of the Osage girls came each year to attend the school. John R. Brunt published this tribute to Mother Bridget on February 6, 1890: "For over forty yeary Mother Bridget labored in the field of education, and thousands brought under her influence will rise at the last day to call her blessed. How many a poor priest in the scattered country missions of days gone by could tell of the generous aid and friendly hand reach ed out to help in their needs, and to make up what was wanting in their altar furniture. No "Taberical Society" then existed in Washington, but Mother Bridget's heart supplied its place in Kansas. Under the fostering care of this admir able woman the once poor Indian school has been replaced by a prosperous academy, and the build ings erected and improvements made by her are now worth eighty thousands dollars. "A community of twenty-five sisters now suc ceeds the four sainted pioneers of forty-three years ago. In 1886 the handsome chapel, the MOTHER BRIDGET. 283 pride of the convent, was erected, and just last- year the academy proper was enlarged and im proved. All these are monuments to her untiring energy and zeal in the cause of Christian educa tion ; but her charity, no one will be able to count the thousand deeds and the benefits she has scattered thruout the country with such a lavish hand. No poor church ever applied to her for alms without a generous response, no begging; letter was ever left unanswered, no orphan ever appealed to her in vain, and God seemed to bless and multiply her store, otherwise she would have had to stop. Of her kindness to the sisters and pupils, their grief and heart-rending cries over the grave of their mother speak more eloquently than pen or tongue. If the Almighty so lovingly rewarded "a cup of cold water given in His name," how superabundant will be the reward of the half-a-century of faithful service rendered Him by the lamented Mother Bridget. Among the distinguished names of the pioneers of Kan sas, Mother Bridget Hayden is certainly deserv ing of a prominent place." Margaret Hill McCarter wrote a sketch of Mother Duchesne and Mother Bridget, from which the following is taken : "To this Osage Mission one sweet October day in 1847 came a mother superior, Bridget Hayden. No she wasn't a French woman, nor Spanish, nor Italian. She was plain Irish. With some Sisters of Loretto from Kentucky, she came to spend the last forty years of her li'fe in Kan sas. She established at onc e a boarding school for girls where soon both white and red came to karn of her. Far beyond the limits of Kansas the name of St. Ann's Academy was spread and inside its walls many a young girl was educated. "Mother Bridget saw the history of a common- 284 MOTHER BRIDGET. wealth unfold. She came seven years before the beginning of the territorial record. She saw the evolution into a state. She saw that state struggle thru its days of border strife, its days of rebuilding after warfare, its mastery of the desert and the steady march to occupation and wealth. From her cloister window she watched the prairie grasses turn to wavering wheat shut in by walls of corn. She saw cities rise where only bleak waste had been, and a state grow powerful that was once an Indian hunting ground. And what was she doing thru all these forty years! Among all our noted list, Kansas has no more dignified and honorable name than hers. "We are prone to think the Indian problem is solved. It is not. Generation after generation must pass away before the last drop of Osage blood in amalgamated lines shall be lost. The future of the remnant of this once great tribe, its influence in the middle west, is a story yet to be written. In the years gone by it was never the government that controlled it so much as the church in its broad reach of influence. What the Osages did or refrained from doing can oftenest be traced back to the character of the red man as shaped by the good influence of the white man's civilization. Think you this commanding white haired woman who spent the best years of her life among them, had no sway in the course of events for them? Think you her record will not shine out one day when the great reckoning is done? The record of a real mother superior in her intelligence, her consecration, her executive power and her sweet loving sympathy. These things are not lost. They come forth again and again shaping the lives of children and children's children. MOTHER BRIDGET. 285 "It is just and praiseworthy to bestow honor up on the memory of these two noble women Mother Philippine Duchesne and Mother Bridget Hayden who gave themselves for His sake, who said: "Greater love hath no man .than this: that a man lay down his life for his friend." Mother Bridget continued her active life even after she had passed the allotted age of "three score and ten." She was blessed with good health up to within a few days of her death, which occurred at the academy January 23, 1890, congestion of the lungs being the direct cause of her death. She died as only saints can die, praising and blessing God that her crown was so near and her exile so near its close. In the account of her death the Neosho County Journal said : "To the few privileged to kneel around her couch, it was an edifying spectacle to behold the heavenly peace and hope which illuminated her countenance when she was assured that her end was near. Burning ejaculations of love and praise and thanksgiving escaped from her heart of hearts, and with unfaltering voice she once more repeated the three vows of Poverty, Charity and Obedience, by which fifty years before, she had bound herself to follow Jesus in the thorny path of self-denial. A moment later and she beheld Him face to face. One of the most re markable women that ever yet set foot on the soil of Kansas, passed away from earth. "The Mother General of the Loretto Sister hood and a companion came from St. Louis to attend the funeral, and hundreds of people of the Mission and from neighboring towns, to ^U of whom the name of Mother Bridget is a house hold word, gathered around her bier in the spacious chapel, to get a last look at the motherly 286 MOTHER BRIDGET. face, which until the great dav of the Resur rection, they never might behold again. She was interred on Friday evening January 24th in the quiet graveyard of the convent amid the sighs and tears of many who will miss for years to come, the great heart which is now at rest." "To live in the hearts we leave behind, is not to die." A TRIBUTE TO MOTHER BRIDGET. I Milwaukee, January 28, 1890. John R. Brunt, Esq., Dear Sir: Your favor 'of the 26th inst came this morning. All that I can say in reply is that I first got acquainted with Mother Bridget in the summer of 1851, when I reached Osage Mission, and since that day I saw in her but the same enterprising, intelligent and devout lady she proved herself to be all her lifetime. The good mother had an untold amount of labor and suffering, which she might well have avoided, but she taxed herself willingly with them for the sake of the poor Indian girls entrusted to her care, she did all the time show herself a mother to them, and indeed a most affectionate one. All her energy was devoted to remove from them their evil and wild habits, and remould as it' were their hearts, exciting in them most pure and noble aspirations, in a word trying to infuse in them a part of that great love of God of which her own heart was full, and praise be to truth, successful- she was in a great part ; I say in a great part, for it is not presumable that in speaking of. the educa tion of wild children, one may change or better the nature of all those who are brought to be educated, but in spite of all this she always had a powerful influence over them all, even the most MOTHER BRIDGET. 287 wild, whom if she could not correct, at least she kept from becoming worse. The knowledge and culture, which through her indefatigable care was imparted to the Indian girls she did save is now producing its fruits, in the intelligence, good manners, cleanliness, and religious spirit, which this very day can be no ticed in the many Osages half-breed Indians at the different nice settlements that nature has formed in the Indian Territory. The lady-like behavior which those once her pupils do show at present is the evidence that her labors were not lost. Of the local temporal fruits of her enterprising spirit I do not need to say any thing. The splen did buildings and elegant grounds of St. Ann's Academy spoak for themselves, and are living monuments of the great genius she had and show how able she was for the charge of superior she held for so many years over her flourishing con vent. She is now gone ! May her beautiful soul rests in peace. Her remains shall moulder in the con vent cemetery, but her memory alive shall last for many years to come, and her name shall be a home name to a great many not only in Neosho county, but away in the Indian Territory and from both places for many years loving ones will pronounce her name with gratitude, and devout hearts will offer up fervent prayers for her soul. Respectfully, PAUL M. PONZIGUONE, S. J. F. T. CHEETHAM, TAGS, NEW MEXICO