Two thousand, five hundred Indians dwell in this diocese. Eighteen
hundred of them are Catholics. Two priests attend the two churches
erected for the Catholic Indians. The two Indian schools, one of which is
taught by the Benedictine Sisters, report an enrollment of 191 pupils.
“Besides the current expenses,” writes Archbishop Gross, “I should like
about two or three hundred dollars to erect a modest chapel on the site
selected by me recently at the Silety reservation. I should also like
some additional donations for the Franciscan Sisters for their school
at the Umatilla reservation. In giving my report, I must state that the
Klamath Indians are large in numbers, and many of them are Catholics.
The reservation is in the hands of Methodists. I made an ineffectual
attempt to visit them some time ago. The next dry season I shall go again
and preach there, whether the government agent likes it or not. I shall
the next time not allow myself to be kept off the reservation. There is
a government school for the Indians near Salem, but so far completely
in the hands of the Protestants. I paid a most interesting visit to the
Silety. These poor Indians had been handed over to the Methodists by
General Grant, and the Catholic priests were ordered to remain away from
the Silety reservation. I went there uninvited this summer and spent
quite a time among them. I was astonished to see how many had preserved
the faith. Nearly all of them came to confession. I administered
Confirmation to a large number. I am not quite sure as to the number
of Indians in this diocese. For fear of exaggerating, I have placed in
my report a total, which I believe to be in reality less than the true
number.”