CHAPTER XXVII.

THE NEW LOCATION--TEMPORARY CLOSING OF THE MISSION.

"In the beginning of June, 1865, " we quote from Father Kuppens' notes, "Father Giorda, who was at the time the Superior general of the Northwestern Missions, made his yearly visit to St. Peter's, at the end of which he invited Father Imoda and your humble servant to accompany him in search of a more suitable site. Under the guidance of our Blackfoot Indian, and Mr. Viel, a French Canadian, we took our course along the Missouri, westward to the foothills, and examined the various valleys and little streams. We passed Bird Tail Rock, then up the Dearborn River, to its very source; and then down from the headwaters of Sun River to its junction with the Missouri.

"A careful comparison of notes on the favorable points of the different sites resulted in the unanimous opinion that the place bout two miles east of Bird Tail Rock, was the most suitable for durable mission work and school.

"Father Imoda received instructions to prepare the buildings, and fence in a field and garden, for the transfer of the Mission to this place, which Father Giorda hoped to effect the next year."

"When the fourth location of the Mission had been chosen," continues Father Kuppens, "the place was designated as two miles east of Bird Tail Rock." He then tells us that, later on, the Mission was marked on the map, St. Peter's and Bird Tail Rock appear a little west of it. And now he describes Bird Tail as a peculiar landmark near the Mullan Road, about midway between Dearborn and Sun River. "It is a high, isolated and very steep hill, and the many fragments of rock, all about its sides, gives it a formidable aspect. The top appears to be one solid mass of stone and at its very highest point there jut out bold against the sky, some seven monoliths of colossal size. The Indians in designating the hill would raise their open hand above their head, and extent the fingers. Very little effort of the imagination was required to find that the name Bird Tail was

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very appropriate. The first white settlers had for it no other name, and always designated it as Bird Tail Rock, Bird Tail Hill. I have lived two years almost in sight of the place," adds Father Kuppens, "and I have never heard the name called in question."

Since a new Mission site had been resolved upon, it is evident that the one by the Missouri had not been found quite satisfactory. Why so, apart from the reasons indicated above in the narrative, the writer is unable to tell. Those reasons, however, were such as could have applied pretty much to any other location in that whole country. Hence it is but fair to surmise that, whilst there must have been special reasons rendering a change of location desirable, these did not become so well known.

In compliance with the directions Father Imoda established a camp at the new place, and a Brother or Father, with some workmen and a few Indians, prepared logs, stone and all the necessary material. "We had plans," says Father Kuppens, "that indicated all the different departments for chapel and community life; for school and industrial training. Lumber was hauled from Helena and civilization was advancing."

"The earliest visitor that I can remember," says Father Kuppens, "was General Thomas Francis Meagher, who strayed from the Mullan Road ina blizzard, and landed in our camp, attracted by the barking of the dogs. Several Indians chiefs visited us, highly pleased with the new location, and promised to send their children to school. During the winter, the work had never been interrupted, and the houses were practically ready in the spring." This was what relieved Father Giorda on his arrival from Virginia; for he was thus able to order at one the transfer to the new place. "He told us in the evening," says Father Kuppens, "that we would move in the morning with all our belonging. We had a short but impressive exhortation in the chapel; and in the morning bade good bye to St. Peter's on the Missouri. Father Giorda, as the last act, visited the place of his rescue from the waters; and thus this third location was abandoned."

"During tout short journey to the new place," adds Father Kuppens, "we saw several parties of Indians and whites on the war path, and it was evident that whiskey had set their brains afire. We occupied the Mission houses only one night. The

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four fathers and Mass in a new chapel and on a new altar; and all felt confident that the new Mission, on its fourth and last location, had found a permanent home. That very day we all received orders to close the Mission temporarily, and retire to St. Ignatius, across the mountains. On April 27, 1860, we abandoned St. Peter's Mission, on the Missouri; on the same day we opened the Mission at Bird Tail Rock. The next day we closed this Mission temporarily.

Father Kuppens, notes make quite clear this part of this history of St. Peters Mission from its establishment by the banks of the Missouri, to its removal on its fourth site near Bird Tail Rock, where it was opened one day, to be closed again the next. It is not unlikely that this last step was resolved upon on reaching the new place if not on the way thither, and that the immediate cause were the war parties met by the missioners whilst moving to the new home. Thomas Moran, who was on the spot at the time, told the writer as much. He added, further, that soon after their arrival, the Fathers held a consultation, and resolved unanimously on closing the Mission for the time being. It was not safe for any of them to remain at his post. Hence the order of Father Giorda sending the members of the little community, some to St. Ignatius, some to hell's Gate, whither also was to be transferred the stock and whatever could be moved.

The hardships and strenuous duties of his position, especially in connection with the occurrences described above, told heavily on Father Giorda, and, impaired his physical strength. This led higher superiors to grant him some relief by appointing Father U. Grassi to fill his place in the capacity of Vice Superior. The appointment was made in the summer of the same year, 1866. As will be related more in detail in the second part of this work, yielding to the persistent requests of the many Catholics in the two mining districts of Alder Gulch and Last chance, Father U. Grassi gave resident priests to those two places in the fall of that year. In other words, he opened a Mission in each of the two communities of whites, Virginia City, and Helena. The move was a necessary one. But on the other hand, there from arose a new problem whose practical solution presented many serious difficulties, especially because of the scarcity of laborers.

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in the field. How could both the Indians and the whites be attended to, when there were not men enough to care for either one or the other?

To encompass both ends, if no more than in part, St. Peter's Mission was now attached to the Mission of Helena, whence the Blackfeet Indians were to be occasionally visited by Father C. Imoda, who was specially charged with the task. This, however, was a temporary arrangement only. For the next few years the Mission had no resident priest. One or another of the Fathers residing in Helena visited it now and then. Father Imoda never failed to do so, when on his way to the Indians or when he returned from their camps. He would stop there, to see that things were kept in order, and also to comply with the requirements of the law, so a not to forfeit the title to the claim. Whilst the re-opening of the place was wished for somehow, the hope of its realization diminished as time went on. Nay, an interval now followed, when all thought of its restoration seemed to be given up, as is made clear by the fact the Father Menetrey received orders to close the Mission's affairs, he went to St. peters, on this special business in the fall of 1867, and disposed of whatever belonged to the Mission.

He had just completed the task assigned to him, when from headquarters arrived positive orders for the continuance of the Mission. The consequence of this was, that all former dispositions mot in keeping therewith were reversed. As the first step toward the re-establishment of St. Peter's, Father G. Gazzoli was sent over there in the fall of 1868. His object was to look into matters and report on the expediency of re-opening the place. He stayed till the following summer, and having reported adversely, things continued in statu quo, a while longer.

During the whole interval from the closing of the Mission in 1866, to its re-opening in 1874, the premises and whatever else had not be disposed of by the Fathers, remained confided to the care of Thomas Moran, whose loyal and faithful stewardship proved deserving of all praise.

Father Imoda visited the Indians from Helena once a year, spending among them several months.

Journeying, however, through the Indian country was often

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beset by uncommon trials and the greatest hardships, as may be seen from the following: thieving bands of redskins made away with the missioners' mounts and provisions three different times during on trip. Left thus on foot and without anything to eat, how they escaped being starved to death in those wild and desolate prairies seems marvelous.

But, indeed, there was no telling what vexations might overtake the missioner in his apostolic journeyings. In the earlier days of the Missions, some of the Fathers, for want of other material, wore unmentionables made of buckskin, and not unfrequently found it difficult to guard their tempting wardrobe from Indian dogs, prairie wolves, and other animals. Whilst returning from a missionary excursion, father Menetrey woke up one morning to find himself in the strangest predicament. His trousers had been spirited away during the night, nothing of his apparel being left buy t two buttons and a buckle. And these told their own story. Either the Father's mount, this time a government mule that had fared poorly during the day, or some coyote, just as clever and no less hungry, had quietly nibbled from under the tent and make a meal of the garment. This left Father Menetrey a sans-culottes, in the strictest sense of the term.

Somehow, Father Menetrey's journeyings over this particular section appear to have been spiced above the common with adventure. As he returned to the Mission on one occasion, his was overtaken by a blinding snow storm somewhere in the vicinity of Square Butte, and traveled part of the day and the whole of the following night without advancing one single step toward his objective. He had been following his own tracks in a circle, and did not become aware of it till the next morning, when at dawn of the day the storm had partly subsided. He then discovered that e had lost his bearings and made no headway at all toward the Mission.

On another occasion he was summoned to marry a couple at Sun River. On arriving at the place, he tied his horse to a post near the premises, to have the mount ready for his return. After the ceremony, and what about to sit down to breakfast wit his hosts and the newly married couple, somebody noticed that father's mount has worked itself loose, and as the man was going to tether it: "Never mind, I will go myself," said the

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Father to the man, "you may not be able to reach the rogue; I will be back directly."

Father Menetrey knew to perfection all the good points of a horse. He knew well also the tricky ways of his mount, a black, of mixed pedigree and of spirits quite independent. Once freed of the rider, the animal did not care to have soon again on his back, and to dodge being pressed into service, the horse was certainly clever. On hearing its master approach, the beast trotted off a short distance ahead, and then stopped to nibble at the tempting bunchgrass. On Father Menetrey approaching again, off again went the rascal. The same performance was repeated the whole way to the Mission, a distance of some twenty miles. Needless to add, by the time of his arrival, Father Menetrey was considerably jaded by the long walk, and still more by the longer fast, as he had not had a morsel to eat from the evening before.

Since the chapel Car is became a reality in apostolic work nowadays we confess--and hope the allusion will be pardoned--that we have not been able to refrain from contrasting occasionally in our mind its decided superiority over the old Indian missionary way of going about to preach the Gospel. But both ways of locomotion are from the Lord. And may He bless each and all, those who need the chapel car to get to Heaven, and those who strive to get there afoot, or on the back of a Cayuse. None, after all, arrive, but they are carried thither by god himself and His infinite mercy.

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