CATHOLIC MISSIONS.—RECENT CHANGES.
REV. MYRON EELLS, S’KOKOMISH, W.T.
About 30 years ago a Catholic priest came here, taught the people, baptized some of them, made a few Indian priests, and left, so that for many years previous to the assignment of the Agency to the American Missionary Association they had received little religious instruction. Intermarriage with some of the tribes where the Catholics have had teachers has kept up remembrance of those early times. One Indian especially, who has been among the very worst, belongs to this class. Having failed to conquer the agent, he gave up, but when he returned seemed determined if he failed in one way to try another, and so began to revive the old Catholic religion, and he has held such services frequently for a number of years.
About two years ago an Indian before his death saw several strange visions, which combined some truth with much of the old Indian superstition. This man leaned toward the Catholics, partly because I did not believe these revelations to be of as much value as the Bible, and partly because his relations favored the Catholic religion. A few of them set up regular services, partly Catholic and partly after their own revelations. At funerals they sometimes wished me to officiate in company with them, but in most cases they have given up and let me have the whole service.
Last fall another Indian who had moved away and taken a homestead about 20 miles from here apparently died, but after six and a half hours revived and told of wonderful things which he had seen. He has since been baptized by the Catholics, built a church and become a priest.
Last summer I spoke of two promising young men whom I hoped would be of great Christian service here. The most promising after doing very well for a time, brought great disgrace upon himself and was suspended from the church. I have tried to show him his error, but thus far it has not produced the result desired.
These Indians have almost entirely lost faith in their old religion as such, but naturally want one of some kind. They are, however, unwilling to give up their horse-racing and some of them their gambling. I have been asked by several to baptize them, but refused because of these things. The Catholic religion allows all this, and so they have turned to it. The consolidation of the three Puget Sound agencies into one last fall has given us thus far less moral force here.
There have been occasional light spots. A letter came from Pearl Street Church, in Hartford, where I taught a Sabbath-school class fourteen years ago, offering us a barrel. It seemed very providential, as if God were saying: “You work on, and I will take care of the support.” The barrel came and everything appeared to be so good that the children squealed, as they do not often, while each article was taken out, and their mother often said: “How very thoughtful the people were,” and we all had to thank God for it.
I have just returned from a visit to the Clallam Indians. I found some of them doing well and some very badly, the agent having during the past seven months had six times as many Indians to look after as formerly, and the best subordinates which he has been able to obtain have disappointed him. On the other hand, some have done quite well, especially those who have procured land for homes. The Christian Indians thus far stand well. They are not perfect, but progressing. Two were received into the church during my visit, and three others joined last November. The school-teacher, who had resigned, left while I was there, and it is thought best to give them a long vacation before sending them another. He had charge of the Sabbath-school. The church expects to keep up its regular services, including that of the Sabbath-school and a weekly prayer-meeting. I have been fortunate in procuring some large, cheap Bible pictures, which have taken the fancy of the Indians very much. They have been in demand by all classes. I have already obtained or ordered about 185 of them. I can impart religious truth by them better than in any other way.