CHAPTER XXIII.

MILES CITY, GLENDIVE, BILLINGS, LIVINGSTON.

From the earlier dependencies of which we have spoken in the preceding chapter, we now pass on to those of more recent date. Most of these came into existence since the construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad and lie between the Bozeman or Gallatin Range and the Dakota Line.

Miles City.

The first to be mentioned is Miles City, on the banks of tongue River near its confluence with the Yellowstone and whose beginning date from the establishment, in 1876-77, of Fort Keogh, in whose vicinity the town is built.

The place derives its name from General Nelson Miles, U. S. A., so well known in the annals of Indian Wars, while its growth may be said to have commenced with the approach of the railroad, in 1881. The place was first visited by one of the Benedictine Fathers from Bismarck, Dakota, who also about this time took the first steps toward building a church by securing the site.

In the meantime, the Rev. E. W. J. Lindesmith, of Cleveland, Ohio, became U. S. A. Chaplain at Fort Keogh, and for some years was the only priest between Bismarck and Helena. Though as a U. S. A. Chaplain he had to spend most of his time with the soldiers at the Fort, still when not on actual duty there the was authorized b the officers in command to attend sick calls and do other missionary work in the surrounding settlements, particularly in Miles City because of its proximity to the fort. The Miles City council, named after the Sacred Heart, was erected by him and he may be said to have been, as a matter of fact, the pastor of the place for several years.

But he did a large amount of good, not in Miles City alone and the Fort where he commanded the respect and esteem of everybody, civilian, soldier, rank and file; his ministrations extended to every settlement in this part of Montana. People loved to

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hear him and while his instructions and lectures were always pleasing and often original, they proved no less effective. For his frank, soldierly way of speaking appeared to impart both a special charm as well as special force to his words.

After serving his full term of military chaplainship, father Lindesmith, in 1891, returned to the Cleveland diocese, his departure being much regretted both at Fort Keogh and Miles City.

As related elsewhere, Miles city was visited from Helena first, by Father Venneman, in 1881-82, then by the writer in the summer of 1883, and by Bishop Brondel in January of the following year, 1884, when the latter went thither to received in person the Christmas gift, the colony of Ursulines, sent to Montana by bishop Gilmour.

In October, 1887, Father Pauwelyn was stationed here and during his stay made several improvements in the church grounds and the premises. Glendive, Forsyth and several other settlements in this section were attended at this date from Miles City.

The Ursulines have established a day and boarding school for young ladies, it has been named the Academy of the Sacred Heart.

Glendive.

About 90 miles east of Miles City lies Glendive, the border city of eastern Montana. Here in the spring of 1886, a Protestant meeting house was purchased for $1,500 and fitted up as a Catholic Church, Mass being said therein the next day for the first time by Bishop Brondel. The blessing of the church took place on the 12^th of the following September, when it was dedicated to St. Juliana, whose Feat occurs April 6, the day on which the building had been bought from the Congregationalists of the place.

We find recorded in Bishop Brondel's diary that a genuine Indian war broke out there during one of his visits to Glendive. It was, however, of short duration and the battlefield did not

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extend beyond the jail, where three Sioux Indians and two whites were at the time held in confinement by the law. The prisoners had been living peacefully together and apparently on terms of friendship. One day, after a protracted game of cards, it was noticed that the Indians grew taciturn and sulky and shortly after they were seen daubing themselves with paint. This done, without other warning than a savage yell, with knives in their hands, they sprang upon the two whites who were soon lying on the floor weltering in their own blood. Two of the savages strangled themselves instantly after the treacherous deed, while the third was seized upon by the bailiffs before he could do away with himself. Bishop Brondel was summoned to the bloody scene and had time to give the last rites of the church to one of the two whites who proved to be an Italian. The other survived.

Billings and Livingston.

Retracing our steps westward, but without leaving the section east of the Bozeman Range, the next two towns and dependencies where churches have been erected are Billings and Livingston. While the latter nestles at the foot of the Range just mentioned, the former lies about half way between it and Miles City. both places sprang up in 1882-83 and have since advanced to moderate dimensions, billings contained some 1,500 and Livingston close on to 4,000 people.

The latter place is the gateway to the Yellowstone National Park, a land of world-wide fame and visited yearly by thousand of tourists.

The first Mass in Billings, as well as in Livingston, was said by the writer in the early summer of 1883, at which time the latter place was mostly a town of tents and canvas dwellings. He revisited Livingston in the following October when he administered the fist two baptisms in that new community

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whilst the first baptisms in Billings were conferred by Father Barcelo the following November.

Later on, the Rev. J. Halton, who for a short while became one of the Diocesan clergy, was given charge of Livingston, whence he also attended Billings. In this latter place he secured two lots for a church, but no further steps were taken in that direction until after some time when the people themselves took the matter in hand and of their own accord erected on the ground previously secured a church costing $2,000 which the Ordinary blessed and dedicated August 21, 1887, under the name and patronage of St. Joachim.

The site for a Catholic Church in Livingston was donated by the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. It consisted of four lots and thereon the foundations of a church were laid in 1884-85, but no more toward the superstructure was made until the appointment of Father Coopman to Bozeman. As to him now fell also the charge of Livingston, his energy and push soon brought the building to completion. The church, a neat substantial brick edifice, is a credit to him and the Catholics of the place. Mass therein was first said on the Feast of the Holy Innocents, 1890. Its formal blessing, however, did not take place until January 24, when it received the title of St. Mary.

Previous to the opening of the new church services were held in a small frame building, which had been an Episcopalian chapel. Father c. Pauwelyn purchased and fitted up the structure for Catholic worship, naming it after St. Bernard. Sometime after it was moved from its original location to what was erroneously supposed to be the church ground donated by the railroad company. On the error being discovered the old frame was sold.

While father Coopman's place over four counties was Livingston, his missionary field extended over four counties, namely, Gallatin, Custer, Park and Yellowstone, having in each of them dependencies to look after. Within his mission district was also included the National Park, confided to him by the Ordinary of Wyoming, because, whilst that region of natural wonders falls within the canonical jurisdiction of the latter, it is not easily accessible except by way of Livingston.

In connection with the Yellowstone settlements may also be mentioned Fort Custer, established on the banks of the Big Horn

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in 1887. The Fort was first visited from Helena by Father Barcelo, who on his missionary excursions to and from the Crows, never failed to spend there some time, to dispense the comforts of our Divine religion to a goodly number of Catholics in the garrison.

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The last dependency still to be mentioned in order of complete this part of our subject is St. Helena's Church, located on Ninth and Hoback Streets, Helena.

Within the last two years the increasing number of Catholics in the city rendered necessary the building of another church for their accommodation. The Cathedral had now become too small for the congregation, and many of our people lived too far to attend it and father therein for worship. As a consequence, a desirable site for anew church was secured in the northeastern part of the city, where lived a number of Catholic families, mostly of German extraction, and there the new church was erected under the name and patronage of St. Helena.

The prime mover in the work was Father Meurer, C. SS. R., who, as we shall see a little further on, came with other confreres to give missions throughout the Helena Diocese. The beginning as well as the speedy completion of the new church are due to his earnest endeavors and efficiency. The corner-stone was laid by the Ordinary in the presence of a large crowd, March 10, 1889, and construction proceeded with such activity that Easter Sunday saw the building opened for Divine service. the church was a neat and substantial brick structure, appropriately furnished and costing complete, $5.700. Its formal dedication took place September 27, 1891, when the Ordinary, besides blessing the church, blessed also a new bell for the same, and thus rendered the occasion doubly interesting and solemn.

The Rev. Charles G. Follet was pastor of St. Helena's, attending it from the Cathedral. Born in Alveringhen, West Flanders, Belgium, April 16, 1863, he made his primary studies in the parochial school of his native place, whence in 1877 he passed to the College of Furnes for his humanities. He studied philosophy in the Seminary of Roulers, and thence, in September, 1884, he entered the American College at Louvain, receiving his

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minor orders in December, 1885, at Mechlin, at the hands of Archbishop Goosens. On June 24 he was raised to the priesthood at Louvain by the rt. Rev. Van den Branden de Reeth, from whom he had also received in the same college subdeaconship and deaconship respectively in June and December of the previous year. Two months after his priestly ordination he set out for America with Father van den Broeck, arriving at Helena September 19, 1887, where he was attached to the Cathedral.

His first missionary duty was to attend Wickes, the boulder and Missouri Valleys and also Marysville. He was appointed principal of St. Aloysius Select School for Boys, teaching the highest grade himself for one year. with the arrival among us of the Sisters of the Good shepherd--of whom we shall give a more detailed account a little further on--he was entrusted with the spiritual care of that new institution and shortly after to him fell also the charge of St. Helena's Church. Father C. Follet is a fine, tall well-built man, an earnest worker, as well as a fluent and pleasing speaker.

A new church on the west part of the city is also contemplated, a convenient sire having been donated by a non-Catholic gentleman, the late lamented Col. C. A. Broadwater.

By way of complement, we append here the following figures taken from the books of the Cathedral and exhibiting the number of baptisms and marriages had in the city of Helena and all the outlying stations the last three years:

To the above are to be added 101 baptism and 18 marriage celebrated in the Livingston district and recorded in the books of the Livingston Church. Also 39 baptism and 9 marriage had in Miles City, Glendive and Billings, which are entered in the Miles City Church records.