February, 1883, covered about the darkest period I have seen during the
ten years. It was due to several causes.
(1) _The Half-Catholic Movement._--Ever since I have been here some of
the Indians leaned toward the Catholic Church, when they leaned toward
any white man’s church, because of their instruction thirty years ago.
In 1875 some of them spoke to me quite earnestly about inviting Father
Chirouse, a prominent Catholic missionary, to come here and help me, a
partnership about which I cared nothing. The matter slumbered, only
slightly showing itself, until the time of the sickness and death of Big
Bill. For two or three years previous to this Billy Clams professed to
have reformed and become a Christian, but it was Catholic Christianity
he had embraced, and he often held some kind of service at his house,
occasionally coming to our church; but very few, if any, were attracted
to it. After Big Bill’s death the affair took definite shape, there
being a combination of Big Bill’s songs and prayers and those of Billy
Clams. The head chief was brother-in-law to Big Bill, and threw his
influence in favor of the opposition church, and a considerable number
were attracted to it. Religious affairs thus became divided and a number
lost interest in the subject and went nowhere to church.
(2) _John Slocum._--Affairs went on this way from June, 1881, until
November, 1882; their efforts apparently losing interest for want of
life. At that time John Slocum, an Indian who had many years before
lived on the reservation, but who had for six or seven years lived
twelve or fourteen miles away, apparently died, or else pretended to
die, I can not determine which, though there is considerable evidence to
me and other whites that the latter was true. The Indians believed that
he really died. He remained in that state about six hours, when he
returned to life, and said that he had been to heaven and seen wonderful
visions of God and the future world. He said that he could not get into
heaven, because that God had work for him to do here, and had sent him
back to preach to the Indians. According to his order a church was built
for him, and he held services which attracted Indians from all around.
At first his teaching agreed partly with what he had learned from me,
partly with the Catholic religion, and partly with neither, but he was
soon captured by the Catholics, baptized, and made a priest. There was
much intercourse between him and Billy Clams and friends. Their waning
church was greatly revived and ours decreased.
(3) _Mowitch Man._--Mainly through the influence of John Slocum, another
Indian on the reservation, Mowitch Man, who had two wives, but had some
influence, was roused to adopt some religion. His consisted partly in
following John Slocum, but largely in his own dreams. For a time he
affiliated somewhat with Billy Clams and his set, but not always, being
rather too dreamy for them, and at last there came a complete separation
and we had a third church.
(4) _White Members._--Owing to orders from the government, the agent and
all of the white employees, except the school-teacher, the physician,
and an industrial teacher, were removed. The school-teacher and wife
were excellent people, and willing to do all that they could, but he had
taken charge about the first of February and every thing was new to him.
The government had promised an industrial teacher to aid him, but the
one procured had been drowned while coming on the steamer _Gem_, that
had been burned, and an old gentleman had to be taken in his place for a
time, who was good and willing, but unable to do what was required. This
threw additional work on the school-teacher, which almost crushed him,
and I dared not call on him for much help, but rather had to assist him.
He and his wife were the only white resident members the church had
except the pastor and his wife.
(5) _The Government Physician._--Unfortunately the physician proved to
be the wrong man in the wrong place, but was retained for a time because
it was impossible to obtain any one else who was better. When the agent
left the previous fall, by orders from Washington, he was in charge of
the reservation until February. His moral and religious influence in
many points was at zero. The less said about him the better, but we had
to contend against his influence.
(6) _Indian Church Members._--Previous to this time nineteen Indians had
been received into the church on the reservation. Of these four had
died, two had been suspended, and another ought to have been, but for
good reasons was suffered to remain for a time; two more were sisters
of Billy Clams, and had gone with his church, but were not suspended
because the church thought it best to be lenient with them for a time on
account of their ignorance and the strong influence brought to bear on
them; three had moved away, and there were seven left, three of whom
were school-girls.
The previous summer there were two young men who had assisted
considerably in church work, and I was hoping much from them, but one of
them in getting married had done very badly, had been locked up in jail
and suspended from the church, and thus far, although I had kindly urged
him, and it had been kindly received as a general thing, yet he had
refused to make the public acknowledgment which the church required of
him. The other, with so many adverse influences to contend against as
there then were on the reservation, found it hard work to stand as a
Christian without doing much as a teacher.
During the previous spring there had been considerable religious
interest, and four men with their families had taken a firm stand for
the right, but in August one of them for wrong-doing had been put in
jail, and in the fall two others had fallen into betting and gambling at
a great Indian wedding, and the remaining one, a sub-chief, whom I
thought a suitable candidate for church membership, had declined to
unite with the church when I suggested the subject to him.
(7) _An Indian Inspector._--About the last of January, 1883, an
inspector visited the reservation. I would not speak evil of our rulers,
and personally he treated me with respect, and gave me all the
privileges for which I could ask: but he was a rough, profane man. I
have been much in the company of rough loggers and miners, but never, I
think, met a man who was so rough and impolite in the presence of ladies
as he was, nor have I ever had so many oaths repeated in my house, nor
have my children heard so many from dirty, despised, heathen Indians for
a long time, if ever. His intercourse with the Indians was more rough
and profane than with me, and any thing but a help to their morality. He
so offended Chehalis Jack, the only chief who remained on our side, that
he did not come to church for a month. The influence he left with the
school-children was also largely against religion. Through his influence
my interpreter either refused to interpret, or did the work in so poor a
manner that all were disgusted with him.
This seemed to cap the climax, and during February hardly an Indian who
could not understand English came to church. There were present only the
school-children, a very few whites, and occasionally a very few of the
older Indians, nearly all of whom had previously been in school, so that
I did not have occasion to preach in Indian during the whole of that
month.
I felt somewhat discouraged, and then thought more seriously of leaving
than at any other time during the ten years. I however determined to
wait until July, during which time I expected to have opportunities to
consult with several whose advice I valued, and in the meantime await
further developments.