Spokane County, Washington - Chapter 21: Hi.story of the Catholic Church in Spokane County, 1900

Chapter 21: Hi.story of the Catholic Church in Spokane County

[This chapter was written under the superintendency of the Verv Rev. Leopold Van Gorp, S. J., general superior of Indian Missions, Gonzaga College.]

That the Catholic church is no enemy to true progress and civilization, nay rather, that she begets and fosters them, is a fact patent to every unprejudiced reader of truthful history. While this is true of all times and countries.

still it is more strikingly manifested in the history of our own glorious country, a circumstance that may be accounted for by the fact that that history is better known to us. No sooner had the new world been discovered than Catholic missionaries hastened to join each new expedition, in order to gain to Christ and t(i civilization the benighted .savages that roamed tln-<iugh the vast extent of America.

While they accompanied the explorers to our coasts, they did not return with them to Europe ; for they came not to amass treasures, not to achieve the conquest of a new world, hut they came to win to Christ the souls of the aborigines ; they came to make them Christian, aye, and ci\'ilized Christians.

The reduction of Paraguay, perhaps tlie nearest approach to the realization of Moore's Utopia that history has e\-er recorded, is a proof of what the Catholic church, through her missionaries, can and did effect when unhampered by blighting influences. That we have not had the pleasure of seeing the same marvelous results in North America is due to the odds against which the missionaries in our parts have ever had to contend. Yet the results liave in many cases Ijcen must gratifying, as will be inciilentally shown in the course of this article.

I have premised these remarks merelv by way of introduction, for I well know that the jjcople of the great Northwest have seen too much of the civilizing and i)rogressive spirit of the Catholic church to ])e decei\ed bv any specious sophistry. They know that the missionaries worked side by side with the hardy pioneers who built up the city of which we are so justly proud. For, as a writer in the Exposition Journal, published here in 1890, for the Northwest Exposition, has written, "the great men whi> built up Spokane bear testimony that the Catholic priest is no enemy t<_) ci\'ilizalii)n or true progress."

To come then to m_\- task of narrating the history of the Catholic church in Spiikane cmmty, I will divide my sketch into three parts, corresponding to the three different fields of labor which the Catholic church at all times aims to cultivate. In the first of these I will treat of the work of the church proper, that is, of its evangelical work : secondly, I will treat of what it has done for etlucation : antl finallv of the charitable institutions which it has establishetl.

Work

To obtain anything like a complete history of the Catholic church in S])okane count\-. I must, like the topographer, that would map out the course of a ri\er, go back to its very source where perhai)s it is but a bubbling spring; then tracing it along its windings, narrow at first, but ever and anon swelled by some new rivulet, adding its waters with it, till at last we find it a river deep antl wide. I do this all the more readily, as besides giving completeness to my article, it is the express wisli of the members of the Pioneer Association, under whose auspices this work is being gotten up, tiiat ample justice be done to those pioneer missionaries who shared with them all tiie trials which fall to the lot of the first settlers, nay, who even prepared the way for them and by their infiuence over tiie red men made it possible for the whites to li\e without undue alarm amid the aborigines. It is a tribute of gratitude and a del)t of justice we owe these first evangelists of the great Northwest; for death has called many of them to the reward of tiieir labors, the rapid march of progress has left their first mission-stations mere land marks; and our children born and bred amid the blessings purchased l)y the toilsome labors of our pioneers, might, deceived by prejudiced minds, belie fhe men and belittle the work of those whom their fathers respected and revered.

Fn)m what source then did the Catholic church in Spokane county take its rise? To ans\ver this question correctly it must be noted that Catholicity found its way into this part of the Northwest from two different directions.

As we well know, from \ery early days traders and trappers, principally in the employ of the Hudson's Bay Company, were in the habit of coming to hunt or rather to barter with the Rocky Mountain Indians. As time went on, not a few of these men made homes iox themselves in these then western wilds, generally feirming a little settlement, protected by a rude fort erected by the company ; others intermarried with the Indians, while others, stiU, brouglit wife and family to share their rugged life. JNIost of these men were French Canadians and Catholics. As their numbers increased they repeatedly asked the ecclesiastical authorities in Canatla to send them a priest to minister to their spiritual wants, and it was in reply to their reiterated requests that late in the fall of 183S, F. N. Blanchet and Rev. ]\Iodest Demers come in by way of Coh"ille, having come on one of the Hudson's Bay Company's boats. They at once began the work for which they were sent, and in the same year bai)tized some and married others. 1 he\- did not remain long at Fort Coh-ille, but pushed on into what is now the state of Oregon. Father Blanchet's labors were chiefly in Oregon, of which he became the first archbishop.

. However in the following year, 1839, Father Demers again visited Colville on his way to New Caledonia, and beside his ministrations to the French Canadians he instructed and baptized a few Indians. But the rise of the Catholic church in Spokane county, is not to be traced to this source. I have before me an account which appeared in a Spokane paper a few years ago stating that the above mentioned Fathers "baptized the first Indian converts to the faith in this territory with the water of the Spokane river." To these last words I take exception, as I ha\-e the most reliable manuscript and find nothing to corroborate this statement : at least if these Fathers ever baptized with the waters of the Spokane it must have been near its outlet into the Columbia, as their labors in these parts were always in that vicinity.

Hence we must trace the rise of Catholicity in what is now Spokane county, to another source, namely to the Jesuit missionaries who worked their way westward from St. Louis.

formed the Five Nations of New York state, little did they know,' as they fell beneath the blows of their cruel torturers, how truly would be verified in their case the Christian adage "the blood of martyrs is the seed of the church." But it is to them, as to the welling spring from which a river takes its rise, that we must retrace our steps if we would find the real source of the Catholic church in Spokane.

The story is too well known and has been so accurately and completely told by Rev. L. B. Palladino in his "Indian and White in the Northwest," that' it suftices here to say that a few converted Iroquois found their way to the Flatheads of Montana, into which tribe they were admitted. Here they used daily to pray the prayers taught them in their distant homes near the Great Lakes, and no doubt often when gathered round the campfire did they tell the Flatheads of the Black Gowns, of those who had been sacrificed by the mad fury of their sires, and of those who, ihidaunted by the fate of their predecessors, came to continue the good work and to reap the harvest that had been sown and watered with blood. So eagerly did they listen to these recitals, and so greatly did the desire of having the Black Gowns come and live in their midst take possession of the Flatheads that they sent a deputation of four to St. Lijuis, in the spring of 1831. All arrived safely, but Duly after indescribable sufferings, sufferings even too great for human endurance, two of the party dying shortly after their arriwil. The)' were buried at St. Louis, but not before being baptized. The after fate of the other two is unknown. This deputation was f(jlIowed in 1835, '^>' ^'""^ ^'i^'t to St. Louis of one of the Iroquois, frinn among the Flatheads, accompanied by his two sons. But beyond the fact that the two boys were baptized and all reached the Flathead country again in safety, no permanent results followed. Undismayed by the failure of their first deputation, another party set out in 1837. for St. Louis, to iiear the petition of the Flatheads to the Black Gowns, but the whole party perished at the hands of savage foes. After long waiting for their noble five to return, the Flatheads easily surmised what had been their fate when the weeks lengthened into months and the months into years, and yet they came not. But with a courage and determination, never sufficiently to be praised, two more oif'ered themselves in 1839 to undertake the perilous journey. These were Pierre Gaucher and young Ignace, both of Iroquois blood. This expedition was, as we know, crowned with success, as it was in company with young Ignace on his return to the west, that Rev. Peter De Smet set out, the other Indian having preceded him to apprise the Flatheads of their coming. Of Father De Smet's journey, safe arrival and warm reception among the Fiatheads, who had come many miles eastward to meet him, it does not pertain to me to speak.

Having now found the true source from which the Catholic church in Spokane sprung, I will confine myself to following its course as best I can through the dense, wild forest glades through which it wound its course, until, gradually widening and deepening, I find it running smoothly and majestically in its present well defined course.

It would oblige me to desert this my plan to follow Father De Smet in his journey from the Flathead country eastward to St. Louis, where he went to obtain men to aid iiim in his work. It suffices for our purpose to note that on this first trip to the Rockies Father De Smet heard that he had been preceded in the Northwest by I'athers Blanchet and Demers and he managed to communicate with them by letter.

In 1 84 1, after Father De Smet had laid the foundation of St. Mary's mission, ^Montana, he set out for Fort Colville, Washington, going there to obtain seed for the first farm land ever broken in IMontana. This trip is of interest and bears directly on my article, for here it is that some have been led into error by believing that Father De Smet visited Spokane on this trip. But there is nothing to substantiate such a conclusion. It is true that he profited by the trip to visit the Kalispels, Pend d' Oreilles and Cctur d" Alene Indians, baptizing in all one hundred and ninety. But neither Father De Smet in his letters, nor any of the early Fathers who ha\e written in brief the history of this time, make mention of the Spokanes. Beside, the purpose of the Father's trip required Ir.m to l)e expeditious and not tarry too long on the road for the peed he went for was needed for the coming spring, as the Fathers wanted to liave sometiiing to subsist upon and not have to depend on the Indians or provisions brought from a distance for their maintenance. Besides, it was of paramount importance to instruct the Indians in farming and thus make them give uj) their nomadic life, for apart from its civilizing influence, it would be almost impossible to instruct the Indians in the sublime truths of Christianity, if they could only be gathered together now and then. Moreover their minds would be in no condition for instruction if continually dissipated by the chase. Father De Smet returned from Colville with a few bushels of oats, wheat and potatoes. When spring time came the Indians marveled to see the Father tearing up the bosom of the earth, as they would say, spoiling the grass, which was good for their ponies, and putting in the ground to rot what was good to eat. The whole process of plowing, sowing and planting was strange to them, but they watched it all with curiosity. But when they were told the seed just planted would, after rotting in the ground, germinate and reproduce itself, they smiled and gave expression to their disbelief by significant aspirations. Still, anxious to see what would l:appen, they used to come and perch on the fence awaiting developments ; happily the crop succeeded \-ery well and they were made partakers of it, much to their delight. This was the first attempt at agriculture in Montana, and by this practical lesson the Indians were taught the advantages of tilling the soil.

That same spring, 1842, Father De Sn\et again turned his face westward and set out to visit Very Rev. F. N. Blanchet and Father Demers, both of whom he met for the first time at St. Paul on the Willamette. The murdered Archbishop Segers has left in his writings a touching account of this meeting of the Catholic Triumvirate of the Northwest, an account he received from Father Demers himself. These three heroic men, who had left home and kin, and come into these then western wilds, in order to be able to minister to the spiritual wants of the earliest white settlers and especially to win over to God the numerous Indian tribes, arranged at their first meeting a plan of work and then, like the holy Apostles, they separated to carry it out.

Again the cpiestion can be asked, did Father De Smet pass through what is now Spokane on this trip? If so he was undoubtedly the first Catholic priest who ever visited Spokane. As this is a point of real historic interest, I have been careful to make it the subject of diligent research, and while I find it time and again stated in accounts of more recent date that Father De Smet came to Spokane in 1842, yet in the manuscript of the early missionaries, whicli I have at hand, I cannot find this expHcitly stated. Still I am inclined to follow other recent writers and give Father De Smet the honor of being the pioneer priest of Spokane and to date his first visit as to have been in 1842, and I am led to this decision by the following reasons : Because one of the oldest missionaries yet living, in reply to the question, who was the first priest who came to Spokane, said, "Father De Smet is supposed to have been the first priest that came to Spokane in 1842, when on his way to visit Very Rev. F. N. Blanchet and Rev. Modest Demers at Willamette- Oregon, f(jr then all the country round about Spokane formed the Spokane district of Oregon Territory. But he merely passed through, as did Fathers Devos, Vercruysse and Ravalli a few years afterward on the way to

Colville." Besides it must be remembered that apart from having Willamette as his objective point, Father De Smet was trying to get a good idea of the field of labor before him, and consequently tried to see as many tribes as possible. Moreover I have a detailed account of a trip made by a missionary several years later, going from Colville to the old Cccur d' .\lene mission, and in it he speaks distinctly of stopping at Spokane. This leads me to believe that probably this was the common road traveled and that Father De Smet also came this way. This is the conclusion I have arrived at and the motives leading to it, and I doubt if ever anything more explicit can be said, unless perchance a stray manuscript or letter puts this question beyond a doubt.

In this trip, both going and returning. Father De Smet met the Cieur dWlene tribe, who earnestly entreated him to remain among them. Unable to accede to their request, he promised to send them another Black Gown in the near future.

However, seeing the good disposition of these Indians and knowing, moreover, that the best laid plans oft go amiss, he determined to remain three days in their midst and give them what instruction he could in so brief a space of time. The method he adopted was a novel one, and shows how deft he was in adapting himself to the exigencies of the case. Gathering around him a large circle of the young people, especially those who seemed to have quick parts, he translated, by means of an interpreter, the Lord's Prayer, the Ave, the Commandments and several other prayers. To each of those who surrounded him he gave one sentence of a prayer, or one of the Commandments to commit to memory, which they did readilv. These, by dint of repetition, he fastened in their minds, so that, keeping the order of places and reciting each his or her sentence, the entire prayer could be repeated. Thus was the zealous missionary enabled, during his short stav, to make them acquainted with something of the Christian rehgioii at the same time giving them a means of keeping np this knowledge till such a time as a priest could l)e sent to them.

Father De Smet was much impressed during his short stay with the good disposition of these poor people and also at what seemed to him a favorable location of the place for founding a permanent settlement, for the C'jeur d' Alenes were encamped along the St. ]oe in the Creur d" Alene valley, which was then clothed in all its natural loveliness.

Father De Smet got back to St. :Mary"s, in the Bitter Root valley, Montana, early in July, and on the 29th of the same month set out for St. Louis, but not before leaving orders that Father Nicholas Point, who was then with the Flatheads on their buffalo hunt, should on his return set out for the Cceur d" Alenes. The order was faithfully obeyed, and accompanied hy Brother Huet, he arrived in the Cteur d' Alene country on the first l'"ri(lay of November, 1842, and then started the mission of the Sacred Heart. From a reliable source I learn that this Father Point was the first Catholic priest who exercised the sacred ministry in what is now Spokane county, but just when it was and wdiat he did is not stated.

As the first Citur d' .\lenc mission, or, as it is commonly called, the "Old mission," and the Colville mission were the two points from which Spokane was first attended, it will be projier here to give a more detailed account of each of these, beginning w ilh that of the "Old mission."

Coeur d' Alene has become a very common name among the people of Spokane, yet how few could give the origin of the name. Certainly it is not the tribal name of those Indians, who now are designated liy it, and from whom the lake and the mining district derived the same name. Coeur d'Alene, like many other names now given liy us to Indian tribes, and the part of the countrx' where they will or did dwell, is a mere aijpellation or nickname gi\en b\- the Canadians of the Hudson's Bay Company. These men, in order to designate the different trilDes with wliom they came in contact, made uj) a name from some peculiarity of the tribe. In some cases these names are not at all characteristic. But probably the few of the tribe first met with had such a peculiarity and some witty fellow invented the name, which has stuck to them ever since. However, the appellation Cceur d' Alene, meaning awl-like or pointed heart, seems to have been somewhat aptly bestowed, as in the early days this lri!)e was noted for cruelty, was hard to handle, and hail a marked aversion for the whites. .\s proof of this, it is enough to state that it was the only tribe in which the missionaries found no half-breeds. The real tril)al name, w hich at first was but the name of a band or camj). is Schizue, and might be translated into English "foundling."

As I have already stated. Rev. Nicholas Point, accompanied by Brother Huet, arrived in November, 1842, to start a mission among the Cceur d'Alenes on the St. Joe river. But the yearly spring inundations soon convinced the Fathers that their mission site had not been well chosen. So, in 1846, thej' removed to what is known as the "Old mission." A rude log cabin w as erected to serve as residence, and besides it a church, if such it could be called, was built of cedar bark. Taught by reason arid the experience they had had at St. Mary's, Montana, the Fathers directed their attention to starting a farm, both to have means of subsistence and to be able to get the Indians more concentrated in one part, as well as to restrain their wanderings and initiate them in farming.

The boys were gi\en a home and employed on the farm, where they soon became of great assistance and took fairly well to this, to them, novel kind of life. When the first crop had been garnered they were in need of a mill to grind their wheat, the coffee-mill which had served all such purposes heretofore being insufficient. So the Brother, bv dint of labor.

worked two stones into shape, and after taxing his ingenuity, started the first grist mill in Idaho, which did service for thirty }'ears. Now that they had flour, hread, such as it was, soon made its appearance, and at once became very popular, so much so that the Indians, in order to get the little ones t ) behave well, would promise to take them to the mission to eat "sinkolpo," this being their word for bread.

In 1S53 the church, which is now a landmark, was begun. Father Ra\alli, who was one of those talented men who have the happy faculty of succeeding at most anything, designed the church, which is ninety feet long, forty feet wide and twenty-five feet from floor to ceiling. Just pause a moment and reflect on what an undertaking this was. For workmen there were, besides the Father and a Brother, only ignorant savages who had never handled a tool and never seen a house greater than a log-cbin. The materials were in the mountains, the rocks and the trees. Out of these latter had to be fashioned by hand, with the rudest kind of tools, twenty-four posts, twentyfive feet long by two and a half feet in width and the same in thickness; twenty thousand feet of boarding, fifty thousand shingles. Then there were needed three thousand cubic feet of stones for the foundations. All this had to be dragged to its place on the hill where the church stands, the stones often from a distance of half a mile, and some of the timber a whole mile. To facilitate transportation rough trucks were constructed, and owing to the scarcity of horses tliese had often to be dragged by the men. Ropes were woA'en by the women out of tall grass. But perhaps it will occur to some of my readers to ask, how were so many workmen paid, especially as the Father was little better off than his neophytes? I imagine I see my reader smile when he learns that mush was the currency in vogue. At stated hours all who were engaged on the building came with their bark-platters to receive their portion of good thick mush, and went away contented. No other complaint was e\-er heard except that now and then someone would find fault because too much of the mush adhered to the big wooden spoon, which served both as ladle and measure. At worktime the place presented the appearance of a bee-hive, writes the missionary from whose manuscrij)! I am taking these details. All were at work, children gathering long grass, women plaiting the grass into ropes, the men at work hewing trees, shajiing uprights or boards, or mixing clay to be used for plaster. How they ever got the huge, heavy uprights into place is more than I can tell. But the fact remains. This work was not done continuously, as the farm had to be attended to and the Indians had to go at stated seasons on their hunting and fishing trips. Thus was reared the first Catholic church, worthy of the name, in our part of the northwest ; and it remains to-day, though somewhat the worse for wear and tear of nearly half a century, as a monument to the fervor of this noble tribe and the energy of the pioneer missionaries. Apart from the religious advantages which resulted from having a structure, so grand in Indian eyes, erected as a house of prayer to God, the erection of this church was far-reaching in its results. For it induced the Indians to restrain in great part their roving propensities. For beside erecting the church the Fathers induced the Indians to build some twenty log cabins for themselves ; so that the mission began to put on the semblance of a village. The Indians began to realize what they could do, and the Fathers fostered in every way their efforts towards self-improvement. They obtained farm implements, tools and blankets with which they paid the labor of the more industrious and promising. Thus the Indians had a i)lace to which to return after a hunting trip, a place that might be called home. The religious festivals and the instructions brought them all together; and even when they went on their hunts they generally left the women and children behind to l)e instructed, and the men themselves would not be long absent. And so, gently but surely, they were influenced to adopt a more civilized manner of life. The young men especially were looked to, and several of these were given a home at the mission itslf, where they were employed principally on the farm and in such work as would fit them to manage a farm of their own in the near future. Thus the building of the church served greatly to attain two great results : to destroy the habit of roving from place to place, and to induce the whole tribe to labor, and this without any diminution in their numbers, but rather with a slow but constant increase of population. For this tribe, which in 1805 was put down by Lewis and Clark at two thousand, had been so decimated by the frightful ravages of smallpox, that at the advent of the missionaries they numbered but three hundred and twenty all told. They now number four hundred and fifty.

These Indians were in the early days scattered over a stretch of country having a radius of fifty miles. Most of them lived near the mission in the log cabins which the Fathers had induced them to erect for themselves, some were scattered along the Saint Joe river, while there was a camp at Spokane bridge. The idea of makhig them a united people, of getting them well settled on good farm land before others would come and take up all the best claims - a thing to be expected as soon as the railroad would be completed - and the disadvantages of the "Old mission" site, led the Fathers to attempt to get the whole tribe to settle on Hangman creek, where they now are. An account of the difficulties attending this project, first in getting the Indians to consent to move, and, harder still, to get them actually to move when they had consented to do so, as well as the happy results which ensued from this change, while they would be of interest, still would lead me beyond the limits of this present article. With the removal of the Fathers from the "Old Mission," the Cceur d'

The other missions whose history is intimately connected with that of the church in Spokane county is the Colville mission. As I have already mentioned earlier in this sketch the first priests to labor among the Colville Indians were Fathers Blanchet and Demers; and more especially the latter, as the former devoted himself with untiring zeal to work in what is now the state of Oregon and to the archbishopric of which diocese he was deservedly raised.

I ha\e recorded Father De Smet's first visit to Fort Colville. in the early fall of 1842, to obtain some supplies for his first foundations in Montana. But no permanent station was founded until 1844. On July 31st, of that year, leather Dc Smet, accompanied by Fathers John Nobilli, Michael Accolti, Anthony Ravalli, Louis Vercruysee and a lay brother, entered the mouth of the Columbia, having set sail from Flushing, Holland, December 12, 1843, ^""J come by way of Cape Horn. On August 17, 1844, the party reached St. Paul in the Willamette valley. With the approval of Very Rev. F. N. Blanchet, the Jesuit Fathers determined to establish a sort of central house or source of supplies at that place, and accordingly a building was erected. It was here, too, that for about five years, si.x Sisters of the order of Notre Dame who had come from Europe, persevered under many difficulties in their endeavor to establish themselves for the good of the Indians, but they finally moved to California, where with the discovery of the famous mines a larger field was opened for their zeal.

The residence, established at St. Paul on the Willamette, was known as the residence of St. Francis Xavier. Here Father De Smet fell ill, but soon recovermg, started for the missions in Montana, leaving the other Fathers to continue the work of building up this station. However the experience of a few years proved that this site was ill chosen, as it was too far

The Colville Indians, after meeting with the missionaries, were accustomed to frequently visit tliem at their place among the Kalispels. But at the earnest solicitation of their chief. Martin Ilemuxsolix, Father Anthony Ravalli went to visit them in 1845, and built the first chapel in their midst, on the hill between the fishery and the Hudson's Bay Company fort, on the banks of the Columbia, near Kettle Falls.

It may perhaps serve to relieve my dull narrative to insert here a little incident, which happened to Father Ravalli while among the Colvilles. "News was brought to him one day that an Indian woman had quarreled with her husband, and, driven to desperation by jealousy, had just hanged herself with a lariat to a tree. Father Ravalli hastened to the spot and cutting asunder the lariat, quickly freed the woman's neck, which upon examination, he found not broken. Although the body was still warm, pulsation at the wrists, as well as the heart, had entirely ceased, and to all appearances life was extinct. Father Ravilli stretched, what everybody supposed her to be, the dead woman upon the ground, and commenced now to breath into her mouth, now to move her arms up and down, so as to impart artificially to her lungs the movement of natural respiration, and thus quicken again into action the spark of vitality still there, perhaps, and only latent and dormant. He kept working in this manner for about three quarters of an hour, when all at once a slight change of color appeared on the lips and face of the woman. Encouraged by the sign, he continued, and soon after clearer indications of returning life became noticeable. A little while yet, and the woman, to the astonishment of all, commenced to breathe, first faintly and at broken intervals, then more freely and more regularly. A while later she opened her eyes, and from a seeming corpse, she was soon after up and moving around, living to be an old woman. This unusual, and yet simple occurrence, won to Father Ravalli with all the Indians the name of the great medicine man.

But in 1845 Father Ravalli did no more than erect a little chapel, neither did he remain here for any length of time. Other missionaries, however, frequently visited the chapel and held services for the Indians.

In 1847 Father Devos opened a mission here, retaining the name of St. Paul, already given to the chapel. He spent several years among these Indians, and while he had to labor hard and endure many hardships, still his work was lightened by the great success that attended it, as he converted not only the greater part of the Colville Indians, but many of the Sinatchsti tribe as well. However, in 1 85 1, broken in health from his great exertions among the Colville Indians, he was obliged to go to the residence on the Willamette to recuperate.

Another station, that of the Immalculate Conception, was established at Fort Colville, about two miles from the present town of Colville. It was established for the whites and half-breeds in and around the fort. At times this station, like that of the fishery, had a resident priest, while at other times both places were atteniled by Fathers from the other missions.

Some years later both these places were abandoned, as the fort was no logner used and the fishery had lost its importance, as the Indians no longer gathered here to fish., owing to the fact that large fisheries had been established by the whites at the mouth of the Columbia, preventing the salmon from making their way up the river.

The missionaries then established themselves in the Colville valley, about seven and a half miles from the town of Colville. Here they opened the residence of St. Francis Regis, which has since grown into the flourishing mission of the same name. To-day it has its school for boys, taught by tlie Jesuits, and a school for girls, taught by the Sisters of Providence. It can boast of a splendid farm, of a mill and many other modern improvements. The mission is now outside the reservation, though it continues to be the center to which the 'adjoining Indian tribes come, especially for the great feasts. Besides there are quite a number of whites and half-breeds who come to the mission for their religious duties.

Having traced the history of the Catholic church in Spcjkane county to its sources and followed its various windings, we at last draw near to wliere it begins to flow in a marked channel and to widen out till it reaches its present proportions.

As already said, it seems probable tliat Father De Smet was the first priest to visit Spokane, but even if this be so. he did but pass through it and most probably Father Nicholas P'oint was the first who e\-er administered the sacraments here. Several other Fathers of the Society of Jesus passed through Jiere on their way to and from Colville mission, notalily Fathers Joset, Giorda and Gazzoli, who used to visit the Spokane Indians during the fishing season. In October. 1862, Father Joseph Camana accompanied Father Giorda, tlieii superior of the missions, and the former bap- j tized seventeen Indian children and five adults at the large Indian camp, situated near the site now occupied by the Northern Pacific railroad station.

, In 1864 Father De Smet passed through -Spokane on his way to St. Louis via Portland and California. This was his last visit to the missions.

Father Camana. who at the time was residing at the "Old mission." used to visit Peon Prairie, pitching his tent and remaining two or three weeks at a time. It was here in 1864 tliat he baptized Baptist Peon, chief of the camp located at Peon Prairie, together with his wife and children and a few others of his camp.

During the winter of 1866-67 Rev. J. M. Cathaldo was appointed to missionary work among the Spokanes. At his arrival he found shelter under the roof of Chief Peon's cabin, l)ut his first care was to have a cabin put up for himself. This served as church and residence, and it may be called the first Catholic chapel in Spokane county. It was very primitive in style, being nothing more than a rude log cabin, without other floor than the bare ground, cold and damp as it must liave been.

Still it was not without difficulty that this shanty could be reared, as the head chief, who was known to be ill-disposed to the new religion, was absent and the petty chiefs feared to incur his displeasure by allowing it to be put up. But Father Cathaldo was not to be deterred seeing that so many were eager to be instructed, and accordingly got permission to put up the cabin until the chief's return, which would be in three months, agreeing that if after that time they wished him to do so, he would destroy the building. But long before the time had expired the little camp determined to brave all opposition and keep both the cabin and the priest. By that time all the members of the camp were baptized.

Owing to a mistake the orders calling another Father to St. Ignatius mission came to Father Cathaldo, who, in May, 1867, left for that mission. Father Joseph Bandini. who died here in Spokane in 1898 and who is buried at old St. Michael's mission, succeeded l-"ather Cathaldo. 'but made no considerable stay. The same may be said of Father Tosi. who succeeded Father Bandini. and who died Init a few years ago in Alaska.

For the ne.xt few years the Spokane Indians had no resident missionary, but were visited from time to time from either the old Coeur d' Alene misson or from Colville.

In 1875 Fatliers Giorda. Tosi, Cathaldo and one other Father were sent to give a mission, which had the happy efifect of reviving and increasing the fervor of the Catholic

Spokanes. But it liecame more and more apparent that no lasting good could be done unless a priest would be permanently stationed here. Still this could not be accomplished until 1878, when Father Cathaldo returned and put up the little chapel which is still standing, about eight miles from town. At that time the Spokane Indians numbered about six hundred, about one-half being Catholics.

For a few years past white settlers had begun to gather around the Falls, awaiting the coming of the Northern Pacific Railroad. Yet they were few in number. But in 1878 Spokane and its vicinity became somewhat prominent, thniugh the exertions of a few energetic settlers, some of whom, as J. J. Browne and J N. Glover, are still alive. Among the early settlers there were of course Catholics to be found, who hearing that there was a priest among the Spokane Indians, soon availed themselves of the opportunity to visit them. But St. Michael's was cjuite out of the way, and yielding to the reiterated i)etition of the white Catholics, Father Cathaldo, then superior of the Rocky Mountain mission, in the fall of 1881 purchased the lot and small building, 15x22 feet, on the corner of Main and Bernard streets. This building, which is still standing, was used temporarily for church purposes. At the Christmas mass in 1881 there were but twelve persons present. Rev. -Moysius Jaquet, who arrived in Spokane April 12, 1882, and said mass in this little chapel the following Sundav. had a congregation of fourteen persons, five of whom I believe were Protestants. This Father, who resided at St. Michael's, was given charge of the outlying districts and visited, besides Spokane, Cheney. Sprague, the Big Bend country. Forts Spokane and Sherman and the Coeur d" Alene district.

the Northern Pacific railroad. This building served as residence for the Fathers until Gonzaga College was completed in 1886. Beside attending to the little parish in town, the Fathers continued their work at St. Michael's mission, where Father Joset had a congregation nf between one hundred and one hundred and fifty Indians.

On April 9 1884, Father Kuellan arrive.l at St. Michael's mission, and, after spending Holy Week there, came into Spokane with father Cathaldo, who appointed him resident priest for Spokane Falls. He began work among the whites with great zeal and his efforts met with good success, for .soon the little chapel was wholly inadequate for his ever-increasing congregation. The want of a churcii able to accommodate the congregation waskeenly felt, and to meet this want Father Ruellan opened a subscription list for a new brick church. But in December, 1884, he was appointed superior of the Colville mission and went there on the 21st of December, but he died a few days after arriving.

He was succeeded at Spokane Falls by Kev. Aloysius Ja(|uet, who at once exerted himself to gather the money necessary for the new church. This was no easy task, as the Catholics were few and just starting in life. Howe\'er they ilid what they could. '!"he Father moreover found great generosity on the' part of non-Catholics : in fact everybody wasvvilling to contribute to the erection of the new church, which they looked upon as destined to be an ornament to the rising town as well as a house ior divine worshij). At last themoney re(|uired was gathered and before long the church of Our Lady of Lourdes. which stands on Main street, between Washington and Bernard, was completed. On Sunday, July 4, 1886. the church was dedicated by the late Bishop Junger. A few days afterwards Father Jaquet was sent to DeSmet mission to replace Father Tosi, who was setting out for .\laska, and Father Kebmann, who was al- ready in charge of Gonzaga College, assumed the charge of the church and parish also. ' On October 6, 1887, the Catholics of Spokane had the pleasure of paying their respects to Cardinal Gibbons. Hearing that he was to pass through the city, they sent a committee to meet him at Rathdrum, and when the train arrived at the S])okane depot, ([uile a crowd, not merely of Catholics. Init of other citizens as well, greeteil the Cardinal, who was accompanied by Archbishop (iross. Bishop Bundel of Helena. Montana, and Dr. Chaijpel of Washington, I^istrict of Columbia.

In reply to an address of welcome on the part of the Catholics of Spokane, delivered by Rev. J. Rebmann, the Cardinal in a short, pithy address thanked the people for the reception, and in conclusion said : "Ffity years hence when yon have a population of forty thousand or fifty thousand, you will look back with thoughts of re\erence for the pioneers of your civilization and invoke God"s blessing ujion them." Yet e\en the sagacity of this typical American could not forsee the rapid growth of our noble citw which in thirteen years has achiexed what the Cardinal ga\e us iialf a century to accomplish.

It was during the pastorshi]) of Father Rebmami that the Sisters of Providence came to found the hospital, which has been such a blessing to Spokane, and where many a sufferer has f(~iund more than a mother's care when stricken down by an accident or by disease. But of this I will speak in the third i)art of my article, when 1 will treat of the charitable institutions which the Catholics are conducting in Spokane.

In March. 1887, Father Jaquet was recalled to Spokane to raise money to put up the parochial school which stands next to the Jvlain street church. Work was begun soon after and the building was opened in 1888, with the Sisters of the Holy Names in charge.

themselves l)urnetl out of house and home by the great conflagration whicli swept away almost all the business portion of Spokane Falls. Happily, fire did not destroy any of the buildings that the Catholics had erected at the cost ot so much labor.

The Catholic population had so much increased that even the church of Our Lady of i.ourdes was not sufficient, so during the pastorship of Re\-. Charles Mackin the church of St. Joseph, situated on Dean avenue, was built b\- the Jesuit Fathers and was dedicated by Bishop Junger May 15, 1890. Father E. Kanten attended it together with the Main street church for about a year and a half, when its present pastor, Rev. J. De Kanter took charge.

In 1S90, Rev. J. M. Cathaldo, then superior of the Jesuits of tlie Rocky Mountains, turned over both the church of Our Lady of Lourdes and that of St. Joseph's to the secular clergy. Kev. Emile Kanten was on May i, 1890, assigned by the bishop as pastor of the Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, where he has remained ever since, endearing himself to his flock by his untiring zeal.

Rev. J. De Kanter came in Januar\% 1891, as assistant to leather Kanten and, as has just been said, later on assumed charge of St. Joseph's church, where he is at present, devoting himself to the welfare of his people.

On October 4, 1891, an event of great interest in the history of the Catholic church in the Northwest was celebrated at Gonzaga College, the golden jubilee of the founding of the Rocky Mountain missions. What a change has come over the country since the 4th of October, 1841. when Father De Smet began his great work at St. Mary's mission, in the Bitter Root valley, Montana.

On November 16, 1891. another Catholic church, that of the Sacred Heart, situated on Fifth avenue, was dedicated by Rev. Father Joeren of Uniontown, who was delegated by Bishop Junger to act in his stead, as the Bishop lay sick at the time at the Sisters" Hospital in this city. This church was bought and removed to its present site by Rev. Barnabas Held, O. S. B., who had come to Spokane August 17, 1890, as an assistant to Father Kanten. The site upon which this church and the parochial school house attached to it are located, was bought by the Jesuit Fathers and donated to the diocese for church purposes. At present Rev. L. Kusters is in charge of this church and school.

After turning over the two churches to the secular clergy the Jesuits confined themselves to their new parish and college work; and as quite a few Catholic families lived near the college, the college chapel was opened to them as a place of worship. But the number of students as well as the immber of Catholics on the North Side increasing, it was deemed necessary to build a church on the college grounds, especially as the Bishop had lately erected the new parish of St. Aloysius, with the college chapel as its church.

Accordingly work was begun in the summer of 1892 l)y Rev. J. B. Rene, now vicarapostolic of Alaska, on a new church and on November 20, 1892, it was dedicated by our late Bishop Aegidius Junger, D. D., and named St. Aloysius church. Last fall it was removed to its present site, corner of Boone avenue and Astor, and at present writing is being enlarged to more than twice its capacity.

When, in 1893, the Great Northern Railroad established its yards at Hillyard, the Jesuit Fathers bought ground and erected thereon a small church at their own expense; and ot: its being completed it was blessed, as had been the other Catholic churches of Spokane, by Bishop Junger under the title of St. Patrick's church. It has since then been attended by Fathers stationed at Gonzaga college.

I can draw this first i)art of my sketch to a close by stating that a new stone church is soon to be erected in Spokane, by the congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes. Land has already been purchased, but as the plans have not yet been accepted. I can only state that it will be a church that will be an honor to the Catholics of Spokane, an ornament to our city, and one more proof that the Catholic churcl; is ever alix'e to the great work its divine founder gave it to do.

Having rapidly traced, in the first part of tins article, the history of the Catholic church in Spokane county in its spiritual work of ministering to the souls of men, I will now sketch briefly the history of her work of education.

It has ever been the practice of the Catholic church to rear, beside the church wherein she offers her daily sacrifices and prayers to God, a school for the education of her children, and this sight of church and school rising simultaneously, side by side, represents the Catholic idea of education ; which believes that, while training the mind in the precepts of human wisdom, the heart too must be trained in the precepts of God, that is in its duties to God. to country and to its fellow beings. The little cliild learning with difficulty the letters of the alphabet has imprinted in its young, impressionable heart a sense of its duties to God, to parents and to its companions ; and while the mind expands with years and advances stej) by step along the rugged path of kno\\ledge, the heart is all the while being impressed witli the sacred duties of religion ; so that when school days come to a close, and the child now advancing to manhood, leaves school to take his i)lace in society, he is not only trained in the several branches of business knowledge, but he goes forth with a deep sense of the sacred obligations which bind him to be faithful to God, loyal to his country, just and upright in his dealings with his fellow man. That the Catholics of Spokane have not been

Goii::aga College. - As stated in the first part of this article the Jesuit Fathers bought land from the Northern Pacific Railroad Company on the north side of the river, intending it for school purposes. But is was not until 1884 that work was begun on what was to be Gonzaga College. Work progressed ver\' slowly, the bricks being made on the spot in a very primitive manner. In consequence the rest of the work was correspondingly delayed, so that it was not until 1886 that the building was completed. It was first (>i)ened to students in the fall of 1887 under the presidency of Rev. J. Rebmann. Its Ijeginning was f|uite modest, only eighteen students appearing on its roll for the first scholastic year and these were mostly small boys in the lower classe,-. The following year, however, the number of students was doubled and the course of studies advanced from that time until the scholastic year of 1892-93. when the college had one himdred students; its progress was steady not only in increase of students, but in a continual raising of the standard of studies.

The following scholastic vear, 1893-4, Gonzaga College, in common with all otJier institutions of its kind, suffered from the business depression and failures which marked that year and the numl)er of students dropped to sixty-nine. But it was only a temporary setback, and that, too, merely in numbers, as the high sandard of the classes was kept up. On April 22, 1894, this college was incorporated and empowered to confer such degrees and literary honors as are usually conferred by similar institutions of learning, and on June 28, of this same year, the degree of Bachelor of Arts was conferred on two students, who had completed the prescribed course. From that time on the success of Gonzaga College Avas assured. It soon became apparent that a new building was necessary and on July 29,

1897, ground was broken for the new Gonzaga College building, situated on the beautiful site overlooking the baj' and facing Boone avenue, near the old college building, which it now has re])laced. The new building, which is one of the ornaments of our city, is one hundred and eighty-nine feet in length, with a depth of ninety-five feet in the two wings. However, the complete plan contemplates a front extension right and left, with a church at one end and a college hall at the other. Every attention has been paid in its construction to make it not only a solid and handsome structure, but one in every way fitted for the uses for which it was built. .Besides the commodious building the students have extensive grounds for athletic sports, in which they have been remarkably successful in the past.

Now that the faculty find themselves no longer cramped for room and in a position to carry out their plans, they iiUend leaving nothing undone to keep the college apace with the best institutions of learning in the country, by following out that course of studies which has rendered the Jesuit order world-famous as instructors.

Gonzaga College has already sent forth some fine young men who have reflected honor on their Alma Mater, among them Ensign Robert J. Monaghan, that young hero who gave up his life in the distant Samoan Islands while defending a fallen brother officer and whom Spokane proudly claims as her hero.

To render my article complete it will be well for me to append to this brief account of Gonzaga College, a few words on St. Ignatius School, since it was under the same management as the college during its short term of usefulness

St. Igiuitiiis School. - In 1889 Rev. Charles Mackin, S. J., then President of Gonzaga College, turned the little frame building, situated on Main street, near the Catholic church, into a day school, under the direction of the college authorities. It was intended to prepare chil- ciren residing in the city for the higlier classes of tlie collegiate course, and was started principally to meet the want of a school for those Catholic boys who were too large to remain longer in the mixed school of the Sisters. This school in 1889-90 had forty boys on the roll and was taught by ]\Ir. Thomas Purcell, now a priest in charge of Cceur d' Alene City and surrounding missions. He was succeeded in his charge by Professor W. Orndoff, who conducted the school until the close of June, 1892, which date marks the quiet end of this school, both Professor and most of the pupils entering Gonzaga College the following September.

School and Academy of the Sisters of the Holy Names. - What the Jesuits ha\-e been doing for the education of young men and boys, the Sisters of the Holy Names have been doing for the young ladies and girls.

These excellent teachers are conducting two educational establishments in our city, the parochial school, attached to the church o£ Our Lady of Lourdes, and the Academy of the Holy Names, situated on Superior street in Sinto addition. Of both of these schools something must here be said.

In March, 1887, Rev. Aloysius Jacquet, who had collected the greater part of the money for the erection of the church of Our Lady of* Lourdes, was recalled to Spokane and given the task of collecting money for the parochial school, which stands on Main street between Washington and Bernard, to the west of the church. Work was commenced soon after this Father's arrival, and the building was finished in 1888.

Rev. Mother Baptist, general superi<jr of the Sisters of the Holy Names, who was then visiting the different houses of her order, had in the meantime been invited to visit Spokane, with a view of accejjting the school, which was then being built. The Rev. Mother saw at once the great amount of good that could be done, and gladly accepted the proffered school. On July 2^. 1S8S. when the three Sisters arrived to take charge of the new ; chool. they were agreeably surprised to find a large three-story brick building which had cost about thirteen thousand dollars.

The building was blessed on August 28, 1888, by Rev. J. Rebmann, and on Septenilier 3rd classes were organized, and it was not long before the energetic superioress. Sister Michael of the Saints, had the school properly graded and in excellent running order. It was opened as a school for girls and small boys, and aimed at implanting that thorough educational training for which the Sisters of the Holy Names are noted. Besides the ordinary English branches, there were classes in \-ocal and instrumental music, drawine and sewing. It was not long before the increased number of pupils rendered necessary the addition of new class rooms, and the assistance of additional teachers, the number of pupils increasing from one hundred and ninet3'-five to three hundred.

On March 3, 1889, Sister Michael, who had put the school on such an excellent footing and was conducting it so successfully, was called to Canada, and was succeeded by Sister ]Mary of the Assumption, wIkt ably carried on the work so well begun by her predecessor.

In less than two }'ears after the opening of the Convent of the Hi:)ly Names on Main street, it was found that the building would no longer accommodate the many pupils who applied for admission. Besides the Sisters felt the need of an academy for more advanced pupils, of classes for young ladies desirous of enjoying all the advantages of a complete course such as the Sisters are well capable of imparting. A beautiful site on Sinto addition, near the river, was donated by the Jesuit Fathers, and on September 14, 1890. th.e corner stone was laid of what has since i)roved to be one of the finest educational institutions in the state.

hundred feet and a deptli of fifty-four feet throughout : it is supplied witli all modern improvements in heating, lighting, as well as those of a sanitary nature.

In July. 1891. the Sisters moved into their new academy, and had everything in readiness for the reception of pupils at the opening of the school year.

The Sisters while conducting this new acatlemy ha\'e not abandoned the parochial school, but still continue to conduct it with marked success.

On August 31, 1 89 1, classes were formed at the new academy, but only tweh'e pupils presented themsch'es, six being boarders anil the other half-dozen day-scholars. It was rather a disheartening opening, but was not wholly unexpected. It was a new scliool, as yet unknown outside the city, besides too far for most of the children living in tow-n. for then it was on the suburbs. Moreover, it was at a time when money was scarce, on account of the state of business. But the old adage, ''small beginnings are good omens of future success" has been singularly verified in the case of the academy, for to-day there are over two hundred pupils in attendance.

The object of the academy, like all similar institutions conducted by the Sisters of the Holy Names, is to impart to girls a Christian education, at once solid, useful, and cultured; in a word to impart to them all that forms the curricuhmi of the most approved academies.

The nuisic and art departments are under able management and meet the demands of the most exacting. By its charter the academy enjoys all the rights and privileges granted to first-class institutions. Gold medals and diplomas are conferred on those who satisfactorily complete the course of studies in the scientific course. Owing to the increase of pupils, especially boarders, more room is needed and plans for an addition, to be one hundred and twenty feet long and seventy-four feet deep, are now in the hands of the architect.

The present superior of the academy, Sister M. Geraldine, has occupied that position since 1894, when she succeeded Sister Mary of the Assumption.

Sacred Heart School. - This school, situated on Fifth avenue, near Bernard, was opened by Rev. Barnabas Held, O. S. B., in 1891, being blessed November 21, 1891. The school building, which had formerly been a district school, was bought and removed to its present location. The Benedictine Sisters came to teach the girls, while secular teachers taught the boys" department. This is the parochial school for German Catholics, and aims at imparting a thorough grammar-school education.

The third field of labor w-hich the Catholic church has cultivated with marked success, to the great benefit of humanity as well as religion, is that of succoring the needy and afflicted by means of charitable institutions.

Taught by her divine founder to inseparably unite love of the neighbor to love of God, the Catholic church has ever made it her earnest endeavor to relieve the wants of those on whom the hand of affliction lays heavily. It is well nigh incredible how many orders of men and women have been instituted in the Catholic church for works of charity. There is hardly a class of sufferers, hardly a common source of misery for whose relief some order of religious men or some sisterhood has not been instituted. For the special care of the aged, the poor, the insane, consumptives, lepers, both physical and moral, orphans, and for all other classes of sufferers, orders have been instituted, the sole aim of whose members is to render to God the service of their chaste lives and to alleviate that particular class of sufferings which is the special aim of their charity. For this work young men and young ladies, often of rank, marked talent and wealth, offer their lives ; for this work they are specially trained, and to this work they devote themselves untiringly, seeking no earthly recompense, awaiting their reward when death shall find them worn out by lives spent in alleviating the sufferings of others, at the hands of Him who has said ; "W hatsoever you do to the least of these you do to Me."

While in this country and particularly in the Northwest we have not that multiplicity of orders which is to be founil in certain countries of Europe, notably in France, still the orders we have are so comprehensive in their aims that they reach the most needy. Here in Spokane we have two great institutions of charity; the Sacred Heart Hospital and St. St. Joseph's Orphanage, meeting the two great needs of every community - the sick, who are helpless by reason of their infirmities; and the orphans, who are helpless by reason of age and condition. I will give a brief account of both of these institutions, thus bringing to a close my article on the Catholic church in Spokane county.

But before speaking of either of these institutions I must at least mention two societies connected with the church of Our Lady of Lourdes : the St. Vincent de Paul Society, composed of gentlemen, and the Catholic Ladies' Benevolent Society, both of which were started at about tlie time the church was completed, and which are somewhat similar in aim, namely, to help the poor. The members of these societies, in a simple and unpretentious way, lend a helping hand to the more needy, distributing the alms contributed by the members of the society and collected in the church for the poor. But as both these societies aim at giving charity without the hand that gives being seen, I do not feel at liberty to do more than mention these excellent organizations of charity.

most keenly felt in the early days of Spokane was a place wiiere the sick and maimed could find the care their condition required. For many of those who first came here were men who had left their families in more settled cities and came west to better their own condition, while others were among those who had not yet settled down in life, so that when men of either class became seriously ill, or the victim of some accident, there was no place where they could receive the attention they needed. To meet this pressing want, the Sisters of Providence were invited to come here and erect an hospital, and in reply to this invitation, on August 30, 1886, Sister Joseph of the Sacred Heart and Sister Joseph of Chrimathea left Vancouver, Washington, for Spokane, where a site was secured. The former supervised the work of constructing the hospital ; the latter became its first superioress.

They put up for awhile at the California Hotel while a rough shanty was being built as a temporary residence near the ground purchased for the hospital. This was quite a rude structure, so much so that the Sisters had to cover themselves with oil-cloth when retiring to rest in rainy weather. Contracts for the new hospital were given out and work commenced. But in the meantime, nay, almost from the day the Sisters set foot in Spokane, they began their mission of charity by visiting the sick and affording what relief they could.

The corner-stone of the new hospital was laid by the late Bishop Junger, assisted by the Catholic clergy of the town. While the building .was going up two more Sisters came to Spokane, and shortly after two of the four then here visited the Creur d'Alene miners to beg some alms for the completion of the work. The miners received the Sisters kindly and gave them liberal alms, for they are the men who appreciate the great work of the Sisters.

that the Sisters of Providence, whom Spokane had invited to minister to the sick of the city, are the pioneers in liospital work in the Pacific Northwest. They estalMished their first mission at Vancouver. Washington, in 1856. Since then they have Intih hospitals and also schools in the leading cities of \\'ashington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and British Columbia. The number of large hospitals established by them is se\enteen. wliile the order itself has grown in this part of the country from the five Sisters who landed in Vancouver in 1856 to three hundred Sisters employed in hospital work alone.

To return to our hospital. \\'ork went on nicelv, but none too quickly for the pressingneeds. In fact, the first patient was admitted while the carpenters were still at work. He was a young man found sick and alone in a shed. The Sisters took him in antl cared for him, l)ut all they could do was to smooth the pillow of death, for he expired in four days.

On January 27, 1887, the Sisters took possession of the new building, and at once received seven patients, some irom the county and others who had been patiently awaiting the opening of the hospital.

Mr. Maurice O'Donnell, an old Grand Army man, was really the second patient to enter, and has made the hospital his home ever since, and hopes yet to occupy a room in a new and still larger hospital, which e\erything is tending to make a necessity of the near future.

The Sisters had hardly entered their new building than Sister Joseph of the Sacred Heart met with a serious accident by falling into the cellar and breaking several ribs, and had herself to receive the attention she came to bestow upon others.

On the first Friday of February. 1887, mass was said for the first time in the chapel of the hospital. The good work had now begun in earnest, and at tlie end of the first year, as a summary of the vear's work, the

Sisters could point to one hundred and twenty-two patients attended to in the hospital and one thousand and forty visits to the poor and sick outside. During each the number of patients has almost doubled that of the year previous, so that the first building soon became inadequate and a new wing was added. The Sisters have been improving the hospital all along, so that it stands to-day a model institution of its kind. There are seven wards, twenty-seven private rooms, two modern operating rooms and a well-equipped room for dressing patients in the surgical department. Besides, there are the offices, reception rooms, drug store, chapel, dormitory, community rooms for the Sisters, employees' quarters, dining and culinary departments. In all there are accommodations for over one hundred patients.

The corps of the hospital is composed of seventeen Sisters and fifteen nurses, beside other necessary help. The number of patients treated was, up to a few days ago, 12,799.

The Sisters have of late started in connection with the hospital a training school for nurses, which embraces a two years' course, during which the ladies attend lectures on the various subjects belonging to their work, given by different physicians, and receive beside instruction from a Sister in charge of the school, as also from the several Sisters in charge of the different departments of the hospital. They have all the advantage of daily practice under trained eyes and are at the end of their course very efficient.

It is well nigh impossible for us to rightly estimate the amount of good these Sisters have done and are doing in our midst. Those can tell best who have had to claim the tender care of these devoted women. But that their work is appreciated is manifested by the generosity with which any appeal for aid in their behalf is met, and that it is really worthy of appreciation is best seen from the fact that the medical profession place the greatest confi-

Hon. J. M. Comstock

St. Joseph's Orphanage. - Only the order which I had laid down for myself in this article has obliged me to speak of St. Joseph's Orphanage last, for it is one of the most beneficial institutions e\'er erected in our city.

Once Spokane emerged from being little more than a hamlet and with rapid strides began to add hundreds yearly to its population, it could only be expected that the numljer of poor, abandoned or orphan children woidd increase, as in fact it did.

Re\'. Charles Mackin, for some years presitlent of Gonzaga College and pastor of the then only Catholic church in Spokane, was a man keenly sensible to the wants of such as these ; and it was due in great measure to his exertions, backed by the charity of some of our most respected citizens, that an orphanage became more than a possibility. Rev. Joseph Cathaldo donated land in Sinto addition near the Spokane river, and the united offerings of certain of our citizens had a simple frame building put u[). which forms one part of the building now in use.

It was the general desire that the Franciscan Sisters should be called to take charge of the institution, as they had met with so much success not only in the East, but in the houses which they had already estal)lished in the West.

The mother house of the Sisters of St. Francis is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was founded April 9, 1855. The object of the community is principally the elevation and renovation of family life, especiallly in the lower classes of society. For this purpose several houses have been established, so that the order has houses in almost every state. Besides orphanages and hospitals, these Sisters conduct parochial and industrial schools, as well as academies. Their houses, which now number seventy-four, are open to all regardless of color, ]x:)siti<)n or religion. The first house of this Sisterliood established in the West was St. Francis Academy, Baker City, Oregon. Twehe others have since been added, including houses in Indian Territory and \\'y(jming, seven of these being devoted cxclu.sively to the civilization and Christian education of the Indians.

The invitation extended by Spokane to these Sisters to come and found an orphanage in our midst was cheerfully accepted. And Sister Barbara, as superioress, and three other Sisters, all from Philadelphia, reached Spokane in September, 1890, to commence the noble work of protecting and instructing the orphan and homeless.

The building was not quite finished when the Sisters arrived, but Mrs. James M(jnaghan cared for them till their own building was habitable. They opened this' same month with only four children, but it was not long liefore the orphanage became known, and in 1 89 1 the number of children had already run up to seventy. In 1893 "'"is hundred and fifteen children found shelter here, this being the highest number }-et attained. But the good Sisters found that the smallness of their building w(.)uld not allow them to take so many. At present they average an attendance of ninetyfive.

The orphanage had only been in existence a year wdien the first building put up was found wholly inadequate for the ever increasing number of children brought to these good Sisters to be cared for. Charitable friends aided the Sisters to have an addition made to their house, and this was finished in August, 1 89 1, and no sooner finished than it was filled. But it was not until November 2. 1891, that the orphanage was formally blessed by the Rev. President of Gonzaga College, in the presence of a numerous company of friends and benefactors of the orphans.

Many a sad tale could be told by those in charge of the orphanage. Once the Sister, opening the door early one winter's morning, found a poor little babe wrapped up in rags and left there in a basket. Where it came from there w;is no means of knowing, but it was recei\ed with the tenderest care. Xo loving solicitude, however, could undo the work of exposure to the cold winter's blast ; it died in two days. But if nothing could be done for the body, the soul received the grace of baptism, and was soon enjoying the vision of Him who made it. How often similar things liave happened I cannot tell, for the Sisters speak little of their work, yet no mother ever watched with more loving solicitude over her only child than do these Sisters over the poor waifs entrusted to their care. Tlie children cared for range from foundlings a few days old to girls in their teens. Yet the utmost harmon)' prevails among them ; the influence of the Sisters soon being apparent. These children, apart from being given a home, are carefully instructed in the branches of a common school education. Besides, thev receive a splendid moral training under the mild yet ever vigilant eye of the Sisters. When I reflect on the fact that these poor outcasts are housed, fed. clothed, instructed and cared for with no ordinary care. 1 cannot help invoking a blessing on the good Sisters' self-sacrificing lives. For besides giving sunshine to the , lives of these little ones, whom ad\-erse fortune or crime has cast out on a cold, jjitiless world, they turn out upright men and pure women, whii (.itherwise might have been criminals and castaways.

Despite the fact that these Sisters receive but little pecuniary reward, nay, often deprive themselves of the necessaries of life for the sake of their charges, they have often found themselves hampered in their work by lack of means of accommodation for the numerous applicants for admission. This latter difficulty, thanks to the generous charity of frientls, will be done away with as soon as the. new buikling, which is now well under way, will be completed. Still the first tlifficully will remain, nay, rather will be augmented, both by the debt which will remain on the new building and by the increased expense consequent on the increased number of children which will be admitted. The small allowance granted by the county and the mere pittance received from guardians of certain of the orphans are wholly insufficient for the needs of the institution, and the Sisters will be dependent in the future, as in the past, on the charity of friends, of whom I sincerely trust they will always have a host.

I will bring this account of St. Joseph's Orphanage to a close, with a sketch of the new building, which was begun in .\pril, 1899, and. will, it is calculated, be finished in October, 1900.

The new building is of red pressed brick, with granite trimmings, slate roof with galvanized iron Cornices. .Vo woodwork will be exposed with the exception of the window sashes. The building faces the west an<l has a frontage of one hundred and seventy-four feet on Superior street. The depth is one hundred and two feet in the wings ; the main part being forty feet wide. It is eighty-three feet from the ground to the cross that will surmount the dome. There are three wings running back from the main part of the building, the middle one, which is twenty-eight by sixty-eight, and twenty-five feet high, being the chapel, and which will have a seating capacity of about two hundred. The Gothic style of architecture has been adopted in making the plan of the chapel, three arches being included in the slant of the ceiling.

refectories. On the first floor the main part will be nsed as parlors and Sisters' apartments, while the right and left wings will be school rooms for the boys and girls. On the second floor are the infirmary, the gallery of the chapel and the dormitories. The top floor will be devoted to various uses. There will be three stairways inside, and fire escapes outside, leading out on the porches, whicli will run around the sides and back of the building. The cost of the building when finished is estimated at sixty thousand dollars.