XJNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
AT LOS ANGELES
:f ' '•
UMvEKSirV ot CAUFOKMA
AT
U »S ANGELES
f ILlU&DV
Rr. Rkv. Joseph V. Machkbeuf, D. D.
LIFE
OF THE
RIGHT REVEREND
Josepk P. Maclieteuf , D. D
Pioneer Priest oi Otio.
Pioneer Priest oi New Mexico, Pioneer Priest oi Colorado.
Vicar Apostolic oi Colorado and Utah,
AND
FIRST BISHOP OF DENVER
BY THE
REV. W. J. HOWLETT.
'Menuntote Praepositomm Vestrontm, Imitamtm Ftdem.
PUEBLO, COLORADO.
1908.
1494v'5
• • * ''
« «»«• • • •»«
Copyright, 1908, by W. J. Howlett.
All Rights Reserved.
THE FRANKLIN PRESS COMPANY.
PUEBLO. COLO.
Arch's
From Biskop Matz of Denver
Denver, Coio., April 24, 1908.
Kev. W. J. Hewlett,
Pueblo, Colo.
My dear Father and Friend :
1 have just finished the reading of your "Life of
Bishop Machebeuf." It is scarcely necessary for
nie to say that 1 am pleased beyond expression. You
have rescued from oblivion the life, virtues and
heroism of the saintly Bishop Machebeuf — the Apos-
tle of Colorado. Only for you one of the most beau-
tiful characters in the Church of America would
have passed into forgetfulness. The historian of
the CTiurch of the United States of North America
will owe you an immense debt of gratitude for hold-
ing up to the admiration of future generations the
great virtues and heroic sacrifices of our saintly
predecessor, who now, thanks to your labor of love,
will take his proper place among the truly great men
whom the Church on this American Continent de-
lights to honor.
Perhai)s the best proof 1 can give you of my
appreciation of your great work is the fact that I
arose from the perusal of your beautiful book, my
heart filled with enthusiasm for your hero, over-
Howing with admiration for his sanctity and zeal,
and with a determination to emulate his great vir-
tues as far as may be within my power.
T did not think that any one could have raised my
4 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
esteem and veneration for the saintly Bishop Mache-
beuf, but you have succeeded in doing this by the
manner in which you have focused all the noble and
heroic traits of my predecessor into a grand charac-
ter-portrait which, for exquisite coloring, delicate
outlines, and beautiful language, could hardly be
surpassed. Your ^'Life of Bishop Machebeuf" will
stand out beside your ''Historical Tribute to St.
Thomas' Seminary" as another gem with which you
have enriched the crown of the Church in the United
States.
Affectionately yours in Christo,
+ N. C. MATZ,
Bishop of Denver.
Dedication
To the Priests of Colorado, Who Inherit the Re-
sults of the Labors of Bishop Machebeuf, that They
May Know, Appreciate and Imitate the Virtues and
Works of Their Apostle, This Recital of His Life,
Written as a Tribute of Gratitude, is Aifectionately
J)edicated By
Their Brotiiek in Christ.
Pref
rerace
A history of the life of Bishop Machebeuf needs
no preface or apolog>'. My own presumption in un-
dertaking such a history may require an explana-
tion, and that 1 am willing to give.
Time is passing on rapid wings and the memory
of Bishop Machebeuf is fading. A new generation
is growing up among both the clerg>- and the lait>-,
nnd soon all those who knew him will be gone. Our
nai-ly history will then be but a tradition, and tradi-
tions gradually fade and become unreliable. No
matter how poorly written the histor>' of our early
missionaries may be it is full of interest, and makes
later history more complete. These considerations
emiwidened me, especially as no other hand had un-
dertaken the work.
Also, a personal acquaintance with Bishop
Machebeuf during tlie great jK)rtioii of the time he
labored in Colorado, during whicli time I re<*eived
many favors from him, and the possession of much
of his private correspondence, hickih preser\^ed by
his brother and sister and given to me for this pur-
pose, together with many factvS of his family histon'
and of his own earlier years, urge<l we to the task
under penalty of ingratitude, [f auotliei- had under-
taken the labor I would willingly have given him my
assistance, and T desire to tliank those who helped
me in the i>resent recital, for. without their help, the
8 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
work would be far more imperfect than it is. None
will feel slighted if I name but one, the venerable
Rev. Gabriel Ussel of Walsenburg, who labored by
his side in New Mexico and Colorado for thirty-three
years, and who knew him perhaps better than any
other man living to-day.
I have used some discretion in the arrangement
and publication of Bishop Machebeuf's letters, as
there were many repetitions in them which might
become monotonous, and many things of no interest
to the public, besides a multitude of little incidents
of ordinary life which we would rather see left to be
understood than written out to cumber the narrative.
The essential, however, is all here, and in his own
words, turned from his beautiful French into my
plain, simple English. I have tried to preserve the
sprightliness and familiarity, as well as the dignity
of his correspondence, and the affection which shows
throughout the whole of it.
The spiritual side of his character requires one
a& spiritual as himself to depict, but his own letters
show the motive of his life. His soul's depths are
sounded in his trials, and in the trials of others
whom he must console. We may note this fact when,
prostrated himself by the grief which the death of
his loved ones brought upon him, we see him rise
above his own feelings to console those upon whom
the same great sorrow had fallen. At the death of
his father, of his foster-mother, of his loved nephew,
and of the wife of his brother, he pointed out to
others their only source of consolation from whence
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 9
he derived his own strength. The thought that Gk)d
arranges all things for the best gave him his firm
reliance upon Providence, and a resignation that
could always say: ''Afay His holy will be done."
In preserving the memory of Bishop Maehe-
beuf, and fixing in definite mold the records of the
beginnings of the Church in the new lands where his
lot was ever cast, I feel that I have done some ser-
vice, and, as imperfectly done as my share of the
work may be, I am better pleased to have done it
thus than to have raised a cathedral to his memory.
The kind reception given to a previous volume leads
me to hope that this also will meet with some favor
from the reading public, and more especially from
that maturer part of it, which takes an interest in
recalling the deeds of the pioneers of religion and
civilization. W. J. HOWLETT.
Pueblo, Colo., St. Joseph's Day, 1908.
Contents
CHAPTER I.
Early Settlers.— Early Priests. — French Missionaries. — Au-
verjrtie iind I.iltle Auvercriie.- The Machebeufs. — Bii lii
of Our Subject.— Early Education.— Loss of His Mother.
In College. — Thousrhts of tlu- Army.— Enters the Semi-
nary.— Ordination ^ '
CHAPTER II.
First Appointment. — Devotion to the Blessed Virsariu. — Month
of May. — Consoling Results of the Exercises.— Desire foi-
a Missionary Life. — Hears Father Odin and Bishop
Flaget. — Resolves to lio to America. — Obstacles. — Secret
Departnic "
CHAPTER HI.
Arrival at Paris. — News of the Flight. - Father Mache-
beufs Letter. — Letter of Bishop Purcell.— Forgiveness.
Journeys. — The Sylvie de Grasse.— The Departure.
Members of the Party.— Joy in Exile. — The Hundred-
fold Reward ' -i"^
CHAPTER IV.
Sails from Havre.— Incidents of the Voyage. — Arrives at
New York. — Bishop Dubois. — On to Cincinnati.— Ap-
pointed to Tiffin. — Life on the Missions. — Hardships
and Consolations. — ExplauMlory •''•'
CHAPTER V.
Ohio Apostles. -The Work of One Week. -Fii-st Rnglish
Sermon. — Lost in the Woods. — A Drive on the Ice. — A
Good Hotelkeeper.--A Convert. — A Frisky Horse. — Re-
ported Dead.- A Primitive Court. — The Condemned
Murderer. — A Prayer Answered <"
CHAPTER VL
Goes to Lower Sandusky.— The Place. — The People. -A Pa-
triarch.— To Cincinnati in a Bugg\'. — Mardi (rras. — Meets
12 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the Future Bishop Rappe. — Castles in Spain and Churches
in Ohio.— Railroads.— High Bridge. — Good Will of the
People.— Prepares to Build.— Removes to Sandusky City.
Household Arrangements.— Mixed Religions.— Troubles
at Norwalk. — Cooks.— Begs and Borrows. — The Lord Will
Provide.— Piety 83
CHAPTER VII.
Visit of Bishop Purcell. — Churches Begun. — Manual Labor
by Father Machebeuf and Bishop Purcell.— Domestic
Concerns. — Salary. — Monej^ Scarce. — Laborers Paid in
Produce. — Father Rappe. — Times Grow Harder. — Bank
Failures. — Low Market Prices. — Church Grows in the
Midst of Poverty.— Patrons of His Churches.— Goes to
Canada to Collect.— Shipwreck.— Opening of His
Churches.- Blessed are tlie Poor 99
CHAPTER VIII.
Life's Sacred Moments. — News of His Father's Illness.
Plans to Return to France.— Disappointment.— A Sad
Winter.— Death of His Father. — His Grief. — Prepares to
Go to Europe. — Arrival Home 116
CHAPTER IX.
Going to Rome. — Tyjjes of Travelers. — Visits Rome's Won-
ders.—Audience With Pope Gregoi-y XVI. — At Loretto,
Venice, Milan, Turin. — The Ursulines of Beaulieu. — Ap-
peals to the Royal Family for Aid.— Pi-epares to Return.
Corpus Christi on Board Ship.— New York to Cincinnati.
Installs the Ursulines at Fayetteville.— Home Again.
Renewed Activity 124
CHAPTER X.
Cold Comfort.— Churches Blessed.— Excess of Good Will.
Christmas Celebration.— New Diocese of Cleveland.
Faith in Europe and America. — Appeal for Priests.— New
Buildings. — Fears for France. — The Famine in Ireland.
P^mbarrassments. — Visit of Father De Smet.— Almost an
Indian Missionary.— Better Pt-ngponfg — Fnther Tinmy
Ma.de_^ishop. — Father Machebeuf His Vicar General.
Leaves Sandusky. — A River Steamer.— ''Into the Keep-
ing of Providence. " 140
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 13
CHAPTER XI.
Goes to San Antonio. — Visits the Fi-ontier Forts. — Incidents
on the Way lo El I'aso. — Government Favors. — Up the
Rio (irande. — Local Receptions on the Way. — Plenty of
Faith but Few Works.— Apathy of the Clergy.— Tri-
umphal Entry Into Santa Fe 157
CHAPTER XII.
Extent of the Vicariate.— Mixed Races. — Christian and Pa-
gan Indians. — Santa Fe. — Some Events in Its History'.
The Palace.-The Churches.-The Bell.— The Blunder of
a Drunken Judge. — How He Was Made to Rectify It.
Bishop Lamy Goes to Durango. —Father Maehebeuf as
Administrator. — Missionary Work. — Religious Ignorance
and Its Consequences. — Need of Christian Schools.
Building Bought.— The Sistei-s of Loretto. — Academy of
Our Lady of Light Hid
CHAPTER XIII.
Coming of the Sisters of Loretto. — Father Maehebeuf Goes
to Albuquerque. — Opposition of the Former Padre.
Firmness of Father Maehebeuf. — Erection of the Diocese
of Santa Fe. — The Novenas. — Obtains Possession of the
Parish House. — Installs the New Pastors. — Goes to Kan-
sas City to Meet the Sisters. — Surrounded by Indians.
Meeting Hostile Indians.— A Certificate of Character. . . .IHM
CHAPTER XIV.
Building Material. — Repairing the Churches. — New Organ.
Father Maehebeuf Starts for France. — Incidents of
Travel. — In France. — New Recruits. — Double Celebration
at Sea. — Arrival at New York. — Interesting Relation by
Father Ussel. — Returns to Albuquerque. — Grand Wel-
come.—Begins to Preach in English. — Converts. — Estab-
lishes Catechism (^lasses. — Goes Again to the States.
Tricks the Indians. — Return Party. — Mademoiselle Lamy
and Companion. — Leaves Albuquerque for Santa F^.
Efforts to Retain Him in Albuquerque. — Reception at
Satila I'e l^O-i
14 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
CHAPTER XV.
\ Thijeefold Work.^Father Martinez. — Father TalaHrid.
^chism at Taos.— Kit Carson, Ceran St. Vrain and
Charles Beaubien.— E^ommunication of Fathei's Mar-
tinez and Lucero. — Fathers MlU'ljebyuf and -Ussel O'O on
a^TTTssion. — Rio Colorado. — Costilla. — Conejos.— Don
Jesus Velasquez. — Lafayette Head. — Adios and Gifts.
Mutual Pleasures. — Fort Massachusetts. — Culebra.
Father Avel. — His Sad Death. — Unjust Suspicions
Against Father Munneeoni. — His Chai-acter Cleared.
The Mails. — More Territory and More Work 227
CHAPTER XVI.
International Difficulties. — The Gadsden Treaty. — New Ter-
ritory Added to the Diocese of Santa Fe.— Father Mach-
ebeuf Goes to Mexico. — Incidents of His Trip. — Rumors
of a NeAv Vicariate. — Visits Tucson. — Indian Tribes.
San Xavier del Bac — Efforts to Obtain New Missionaries.
Last Trip to Az-izona. — Recall. — Ruxton on New Mexico
and Its Inhabitants 244
CHAPTER XVII.
Critics and Ci-iticisms.- Honor to the Pioneer.— Apologetic.
Early Explorers. — Coronado, Pike, Pui'sley, Long, James,
Fremont, Sage, Gilpin, Parkman, Ruxton. — Hunters and
Trappers. — Discovery of Gold. — Cherokee Indians. — Rus-
sell and Party. — First Town, Auraria. — Pike's Peak.
Rush of Goldseekers. — Adventurers. — Territory Organ-
ized.— Religion. — Scenei^v'.- Climate.— Weather. — Topog-
raphy.—Roads.— Towns.— Bishop Miege in Denver. — Dis-
trict Annexed to Diocese of Santa Fe 267
CHAPTER XVIII.
News in New Mexico. —Appointment for Pike's Peak. — Goes
to Denver City with Father Raverdy. — Conditions at
Denver. — Central City. — Mines and Mining Camps. — In-
stability of Population. — Mission Trips. — Movable Home
and Traveling Chapel. — Many Permanent Churches Im-
possible.—First Mission Chapel at Central City. — His
Eighth Trip. — Falls Sick. — P^ather Ussel a Messenger
from Bishop Lamy. — Goes to New Mexico.— Charity of
the Mexicans.— War in New Mexico 286
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 15
CHAPTER XIX.
Completes the Church at Denver. — Location of the ('hurch.
Farming in Colorado. — The Desert CoiKiuercd. -Secures
Lands.— Locations for New ('hurches. — The Cemetery.
Revenue and Cost of Living?. — Serious Accident Lames
Him foi- Life. — Boys' School. — St. Mary's Academy,
i'roposed C'ollege.— Father Cssel's Mission to the Bene-
dictines.— Fire in Denver. — P^'lood. — Indian Massacres.
Fright in Denver. — Father Machebeuf's Courage. — Usual
Mission Trips. — Battle of Sand Creek.— Desperadoes.
Later Missions ;^04
CHAPTER XX.
Colorado and L'tah Settlements. — Momion Policy. — V. S.
Troops. — Visit of Father Raverdy to Utah.— A Box of
Peaches. — Bells.— Father Machebeuf Sick.— "Trompe-
la-Mort."— Father Raverdy Goes to Central City. — Fath-
er Faure Comes to Denver. — Recreations at the Ranch.
The Choir. — New (^hurch at Golden City. — Itinerai-y of
Mission Trip. — Progress of the Church. — Father Mache-
beuf's Voluntan' Poverty. — American Influences Pre-
dominate.—Steps for a Vicariate. — Father Machebuef's
iriimiiity Alarmed :V20
CHAPTER XXI.
P'irst Mission in Denver.— Father DeBlieck.— Official Notice
of Appointment as Bishop. — Fitness for the Work. — A
Begging Tour. — Consecration. — Return to Denver. — Re-
ceptions.— Responsibilities and Resources. — Episcopal
Missionary Trips. — To Central City. — To Conejos. — To
Salt Lake City.-To Trinidad XiT
CHAPTER XXI 1.
Priests and Their Locations. — P^ire at St. Mary's Academy.
Bishop Starts for Europe. — First Students. — Father Bou-
chet of Louisville.— Bishop Goes to Rome. — Visits Ireland.
Business and Sociability. — First Priests Ordained. — Re-
turns with New Priests. — Ordains Future Bishop of Santa
Fe Trail.— New House. -Church Enlarged. — Various
Crosses and Disappointments. — French Sympathies.
Utah Transferred.- Conditions at the Close of 1S71 . . . .M.");{
16 LITE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
CHAPTER XXm.
Growth of Denver. — Father Raverdy Vicar General.— Pro-
posed Jesuit College. — St. Joseph's Hospital.— Coming:
of the Jesuits. — Priests in Pueblo, South Park, Boulder
and Colorado Springs. — Father Raverdy Goes to Europe.
Father Bourion's Prize Drav^ing. — Great Fire at Central.
General View. — Consecration to the Sacred Heart.— Bad
Times.— Loans.— Sale of Property.— Sisters at Pueblo.
Golden Jubilee of Archbishop Purcell.— Conference of
St. Vincent of Paul.— Lake City. — Carriage Upsets.
Smallpox Rages. — New Church at Boulder.— Confidence
in God. — Trip to St. Louis.— To Santa Fe. — To Cincin-
nati.— Sisters at Conejos 370
CHAPTER XXIV.
Rise of Leadville. — Father Robinson. — Church and Hospital.
St. Elizabeth's at Denver. — Sacred Heart Church.— Bish-
op Machebeuf Goes to Rome. — Settling Duffieulties.
New Residence. — St. Patrick's Church. — St. Joseph's.
St. Ann's.— New Church and Hospital in Pueblo.— Aspen
Mission.— Orphan Asylum. — Good Shepherd Refuge.
Sistei-s of Mercy.— French Bonds. — Coloi'ado Catholic
Loan and Trust Association. — Jesuit College.— Goes to the
Council of Baltimore. — Consecration of Bishop Bourgade.
Golden Jubilee.— Franciscans. — Love for Mexieansi
Opinion of Father Matz. — The Mexicans 386
CHAPTER XXV.
A Coadjutor.— Consecration of Bishop Matz.— Continued
Work. Death of Archbishop Lamy.— New Religious Or-
ders of Men and Women. — At Washington. — Accidents.
Sudden Waning of Vitality.— Death.— Surprise and Re-
gret of Everyone. — The Funeral.— Touching Incident.
Death of Father Raverdy 4()3
CHAPTER XXVI.
Estimate of Bishop Machebeuf. — First Impressions.— Activ-
ity.—Earnestness. — Simplicity.— Learning. — No Politi-
cian.—Social Qualities. — Financial Operations.— Bishop
Machebeuf as a Priest.— As a Bishop.— His Work.
APOSTLE OF COLORADO 411
Life of Bishop Machebeuf
CHAPTER I.
Eai'ly Settlers.— Early Priests.— French Missionaries.—
Auverii'ne and Little Auveriine. — The Machebeufs. — Birth of
Our Subject. — Early Education. — Loss of His Mother. — In
Collesre. — Thoughts of the Army. — Enters the Seminaiy. — Or-
dination.
The priest of the Catholic Church is the product
of years of thought and laborious preparation. In
early youth the signs of a vocation begin to manifest
themselves, and uix)n them, as upon an essential
foundation, the first elements of an ecclesiastical
training are laid, and the religious character built up
with the one end in view, that of a life to be devoted
to the service of Grod in His Church. Religion, or-
dinarily, is of slow growth, and, in modem times,
when the struggle for existence among some, and the
stiniggle for wealth and power among others, has be-
come so absorbing, the development of religion to
that state in which priests are plentifully produced
is proportionally slower. If the Catholic 3"oung
man could go from the sho]), the work-bench, or the
plow to the pulpit and the altar, as the Protestant
often goes into his ministry, no country need at any
time feel the lack of priests to supply the religious
necessities of the Catliolic peo])le. In the settling
up of the American Continent, Catholics did their
proportionate share, and, like so many others, they
18 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
went into tlie wilderness to find the peace and hap-
piness of a home which heretofore had never been
their real possession. Their shelter was simple and
lowly, but it was a home, and in it was born and
fostered that spirit of independence and strong per-
sonal manhood which specially marked tlieir chil-
dren. They brought with them their religion as
their dearest treasure, and if it had not been such,
they m.ight have had, in more prosperous lands, an
equal share with others in the smiles and favors of
the world.
It was an easier matter, however, to bring their
religion than their priests, and without priests to
keep religion before the people, and to familiarize
the young with its requirements, religion itself must
languish and eventually disappear.
The causes which sent so many to seek homes in
new and uncultivated lands were the very causes
which worked to prevent their priests from accom-
panying them. The poverty which forced them from
the land of their birth had reduced the number of
priests at home, until few or none could be spared
for the far-off work. The same poverty, and, for a
time, greater privation, were to be their por-
tion, and, great as may have been their faith,
their respect for the anointed of the Lordi made them
unwilling to condemn a disciple, even of Him Who
had not where to lay His head, to suffer want with
them. Hence, they went forth alone, trusting in God
and casting their care upon the Lord.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF 19
The one more favored country, ricli in faith and
oiDportunities, which could come to their assistance
in their exile, was France, and she responded nobly
to the call. To France the Catholic Church in the
United States owes a debt of lasting gratitude for
the many zealous missionaries who devoted their
lives and fortunes to the preservation and spread of
the faith among the early settlers in this portion of
the New World.
When the tide of emigration began to go west
from the States bordering on the Atlantic, it was
speedily followed by the missionaries, and most of
these pioneer priests were Frenchmen, and as ci\nl-
ization advanced its outposts until it crossed the Con-
tinent the French missionary was at the front. From
these, also, were chosen most of those early bishops,
whose dioceses were vast missionary districts ser^^ed
by priests in great part of their own nationality.
The missionary to the Indians was French, and his
rare faculty of being able to adapt himself to all
sorts of primitive conditions made him an excellent
pioneer. The early bishops realized this, and the
early history of the Church in America records num-
berless instances of bishops appealing to France for
priests to labor in their dioceses. Nearly every lo-
cality which has a religious history has also a relig-
ious hero to commemorate, and in nearly every case
that hero is a Frenchman.
The missionary^ spirit was general throughout
France, but it found its intensity in the Province of
Auvergne. Bishop Purcell of Cincinnati, and
20 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Bishop Flaget of Bardstown, himself an Auvergnat,
recognized this, and materially increased the num-
ber of their priests by seeking volunteers in
Auvergiie. Bishop Lamy of Santa Fe did the same
later, and when he became an archbishop his Prov-
ince was known in France as ' ' Little Auvergne, ' ' for
its metropolitan, its two suffragan bishops and three-
fourths of its priests were natives of Auvergne.
The Machebeuf family was of the class of small
landed proprietors, and lived at Volvic in the heart
of Auvergne, six kilometers from Riom and about
double that number from Clermont, the capital of
the province. In the troublous times preceding the
great French Revolution, Projectus Machebeuf, the
grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a stu-
dent in the seminar}^ but the force of events
rendered his plans of a future career impossible of
realization. He submitted to the inevitable, and
gave up the desires which he could not accomplish,
but God accordedl him the happiness of seeing them
realized in his grandson.
Projectus Machebeuf married and became the
father of four sons and three daughters. One of the
daughters became a Sister of Charity of the Order
of St. Vincent of Paul, and died at Paris while Su-
perior of one of the large hospitals of that city. The
oldest child of Projectus Machebeuf was named
Michael Anthony, and upon arriving at early man-
hood, he went to Clermont where he entered upon an
apprenticeship with a master baker. At the close of
his period of service he established himself at Riom
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 21
where he soon found himself at the head of the
most flourishing establishment of the kind in the
city. One of his sisters — the same who afterwards
became a religious — lived with him and kei)t house
for him in his earlier days, but, feeling herself
drawn to a religious life, she only waited for him to
many in order that she might be free to follow out
her vocation.
In the same house with them there lived two
maiden ladies, — Louise and Jeanne Feuillarade.
These two sisters took an interest in the young
Machebeufs, and, in a motherly way, undertook to
bring about a marriage between Michael Anthony
and a young friend of theirs, Mademoiselle Gilberte
Plauc. The pious and well meaning ladies saw the
good qualities of these two young people whom they
brought together, and whose union they were happy
to see consecrated by the blessing of the Cliurch.
The result justified their hopes, for the marriage
was a happy one, and its effects were felt farther
than any but a prophet could foresee, as they reached
out into a new world as far as distant Ojiio, New
Mexico and Colorado.
The first fruit of this marriage saw the light of
day at Riom on the 11th of August, 1812. It was a
son, and at his baptism he was given the two names
— Projectus Joseph. The first name was in honor
'of the grandfather, who was also sponsor upon the
occasion. It was also as a mark of confidence in
St. Projectus who was one of the twenty-eight canon-
ized Bisho])s of the See of Auvergne, and was the
22 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
patron saint of parish of Volvic, the home of the
Machebeufs.
The Latin name, Projectus, is translated into
French as Priest. This does not mean priest as in
English, which in French is pretre, but is an or-
dinary baptismal name, and Father Machebeuf used
it thus for a time after his coming to America, but
in English the name of Priest Machebeuf carried a
suggestion of disrespect as used among the Ameri-
cans, and Father Machebeuf transposed the two
names and was ever afterwards known as Joseph
Projectus Machebeuf.
His earliest education was begun bj^ his pious
mother, and she was ably seconded by the Demoi-
selles Feuillarade, who kept a school for small chil-
dren. That good mother mingled with her instruc-
tions lessons of piety by word and example, and
taught him especially that tender devotion to the
Mother of God which clung to him during his whole
life. His father was a man of strong and firm char-
acter whose every wish was law, yet he upheld and
imposed his authority by no undue harshness but in
a manner to insure reverential respect and gain the
fullest filial affection of his children, thus making
obedience surer and easier. From his father young
Joseph learned that respect for authority which par-
ticularly marked his after life, and brought him pain
when he noticed the absence of it in others.
Outside of the paternal home his first regular
instructors were the Brothers of the Christian
Schools, to whose care he was confided while still
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 23
very young. Yet, at that early age he was able to
appreciate tlieir kindness and profit by their lessons.
He always retained an affectionate remembrance of
these early teachers, and years afterwards from his
far-off missions he frequently inquired about them
in his letters to the members of his family, and sent
them kindly greetings.
The hope of having a son a priest is common
among Christian mothers, and Madame Machebeuf
entertained it as a possibility even at that early pe-
riod. Among the members of the Machebeuf family
there had been no priest within the memory of any-
one living, yet the desire of such an honor was not
the less cherished on that account, and why might it
not be realized now? This good mother planted the
seed in the youthful mind of her son, and other in-
fluences helped to vivify it and make it grow into a
tree, whose branches have spread over two contin-
ents to bear fruit in both. Nor is that fruit all of the
past, for, besides the lasting fruits of his own labors,
the example of Father Machebeuf was followed by
four of his immediate relatives who became priests.
The first of these was the xVbbe Fontanel, who died a
few years ago as Canon of the Cathedral of Cler-
mont. Two others are now pastors in that diocese,
and a fourth is a member of a religious order in Bel-
gium. His only sister became a nun in the Visitation
Convent at Riom, and to her above all others the
writer is indebted for the material of this biography.
His intimate association with the Christian
Brothers, and also with the Sisters of Charity who
24 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
conducted the Hospital for Incurables at Eiom, and
who were particular friends of his family, aided and
encouraged the thought which the parents of the
young Machebeuf suggested to their son. Nor was
the influence of the Demoiselles Feuillarade want-
ing, but behind it all was the grace of God leading
his young mind steadily on towardis an apostolic vo-
cation.
To realize this idea was not an easy matter in
those days, for the municipal schools and colleges
were in the hands of laics, and the disorders and
loose methods brought in by the Revolution were
still in vogue and constituted an open danger to re-
ligioii and morality. The college of Riom had been
taken from the Oratorians and given to government
teachers, and here it was that young Machebeuf was
obliged to go for his classical studies. But the
watchful care of his family and the friendly interest
of some of the good priests of Riom, with God's
grace, enabled him to pass through the danger with-
out injury to his faith or his virtue.
When he was only thirteen years of age and
could least bear it, he suffered the first and greatest
loss of his lifetime. Madame Machebeuf, his mother,
was stricken suddenly with brain fever and died af-
ter only a few days' illness. She left to her sorrow-
ing husband three almost helpless children, for the
other two — a girl and a boy — were but five and three
years old respectively.
Of this event that little girl, speaking seventy-
five years later, said: "Wliat a sad blow for this
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 25
little family! for the father and his three on^haned
chiJdreu! Most fortunately a young aunt, a sister
of their mother, having no worldly cares of her own,
offered to devote her life to the care and education
of these little ones. Yet, kind and tender as she was,
this second mother could not fill the place, nor efface
the image of his cherished and lost mother in the
heart of young Priest. He had known her too well,
and loved her too much, to forget her so easily. Bet-
ter able than his young sister and brother to appre-
ciate her love and care, his grief would have been
without solace were it not for his devotion to the
divine Mother, the Comfortress of the Afflicted,
which the lost one had endeavored to instill into his
heart from his earliest years. Hence that ardent and
tender love for Mary which sustained him in the
midst of the constant trials of his laborious life."
This last reflection was not merely a pious after-
thought of a religious, for we shall see how in after
life devotion to the Blessed Virgin was one of the
deep-rooted sentiments of his soul.
This good aunt came as near to filling a mother's
place for the orphans as any but a mother can, and
all of them held her in the highest esteem and affec-
tion during her whole life. The Demoiselles Feuil-
larade instructed the younger children as they had
instructed the oldest, and did all they could for tlie
loved ones whom their dear Gilberte had left be-
hind. It was a labor of love for them, and they felt
that it was also an obligation, for they had some-
thing to do with the formation of the family.
26 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
The succeeding years young Machebeuf spent in
college work without any special incident to mark
any portion of them, or to distinguish him from the
ordinary good and moral youths of the time. He
was of a delicate physique and complexion, and this
saved him from some of the rougher s^Dorts and
recreations, and probably of the dissipations of his
companions.
The thought of the priesthood was with him,
but the definite call from God was but slowly mani-
festing itself during these years. To have nourished
the idea of becoming a priest, and to have preserved
his virtue in the midst of his dangerous surround-
ings, did not appear a sufficient guarantee for a
clear cut decision, and, while he was in this state of
uncertainty and hesitation, an incident occurred
which came near turning the whole course of his life
into another and far different channel.
In 1830, Algiers surrendered to the French, and
the armies of France were covered with glory. Yet
the reign of Charles X was drawing to a close. The
spirit of revolution was rife, and this made the
future appear very uncertain for politics and busi-
ness, and likewise for the Church. The army was the
only thing which seemed sure, and it promised bril-
liant careers for the young men of all parties. It at
least represented the glory of France, and the
achievements of the past could now be repeated on
African soil. All France was stirred up, and the
praises of the army were sung upon all sides.
A grand review of the troops was held at Cler-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 27
niont, at which young Machebeuf was present with
some of his college comrades. His admiration for
the soldiers was boundless, his patriotism was fired
and his enthusiasm was wrought up to a high pitch.
He was moved beyond all his companions, and a
word was all that was lacking to make him offer him-
self as a volunteer. That word was not spoken and
he returned home.
He had gone to the review without the knowl-
edge of Ms father, but the entire matter soon
reached the ears of his parent. The father was
astonished as the action of his son and more than
surprised at the enthusiasm of the young man. He
was displeased and showed his displeasure by a stern
silence. It was not his intention, however, to show
his disapproval merely by silence, but at the proper
time he intended to have a serious talk with his son.
Young Priest did not fail to notice the silence of his
father, and he was at no loss to divine the cause of
it. He was extremely pained by it, and it was a re-
lief when one day he received a summons from his
father for a conference. Knowing what was coming
he obeyed the call with some trepidation, but the
father put him at his ease by his kindly words. It
was like a talk between man and man, but with every
evidence of love and solicitude on the part of the
father and a desire to do right on the part of his son.
Mr. Machebeuf laid before the young man the ]>l;nis
of his friends from his earliest youth, the prepara-
tions that had been made through the course of his
education, all of which seemed now in danger of be-
28 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBPJUF.
ing upset and frustrated in a moment of enthusiasm.
''After all," said the father, "you are free, but con-
sider well what you are to do, and then do what you
think is the will of God. ' '
The young man did reflect seriously and he went
also to consult others older and wiser in spiritual
things than himself. Among those others was an old
and tried friend of the family, the Abbe Dalleine,
pastor of the church of St. Amable in Riom, and his
own spiritual diirector. This man of God had
watched ever his young friend from his infancy, and
doubted not that God had destined him for His inti-
mate service at the altar. He so advised his young
friend, and acting on this advice the young man de-
termined to enter the Grand Seminary of Montfer-
rand. As soon, then, as he had finished his course of
rhetoric at the college he begged his father to accom-
pany him to the Seminary and present him to the
priests of St. Sulpice who had charge of that insti-
tution.
This was at the beginning of October, 1831, and
up to that time his mind had not been clear as to his
future course. Doubt andl uncertainty had haunted
him through all the years of his college studies, and
followed him to the very threshold of the Seminary.
His first day at the Seminary was a memorable
day for him. It seemed that God was waiting there
for him, allowing him hitherto the merit of a choice
entirely free, but now to make laiown to him His will
in a more positive manner. From the very first hour
he felt himself filled more and more with a myster-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 29
ions joy, bringing- peace to liis soul and setting aside
all doubt and hesitation. The very next day he
wrote to his father a letter filled with expressions of
gratitude to God, and thanks to his kind and worthy
parent for the thousand favors and acts of kindness
which he had received from him, but more especially
for this last act by which he was enabled to see so
clearly the grand vocation of his life. Excuses and
regrets for the past were numerous, but that was all
gone now, and the present was a decided certiiinty in
view of a future which appeared so clear and open.
From tliat time on, all his letters had that fixed and
settled tone, and never once showed any sign of
wavering intention or regret of puriTOse.
Tlie close confinement of seminary life was a
severe strain upon the health of the young man,
who had always been accustomed to greater free-
dom, and before many months he was forced to
leave the seminary to rest and recruit his physical
forces by physical exercise.
Those who knew him in later years will not be
surprised to learn that, even at that early day, his
natural activity could not be suppressed. To re-
main quiet was to wear out, and rest in action was
his hope of life. It was thus always, and in his old
days his recreations would fatigue a strong man of
ordinary temperament.
Each scholastic year was thus broken into by a
few weeks which he spent among the mountains of
Volvic, the home of his ancestors, where his paternal
grandfather still lived. Refreshed and recruited by
30 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
these rests, he would take up his studies again with
greater vigor and effect, and rapidly advanced in the
knowledge necessary for the priesthood. These
periodical rests and enforced vacations do not ap-
pear to have delayed his studies, for at the regular
times he was advanced with those of his class. The
requisite dispositions of the soul were not lacking,
and the call to the subdiaconate came to him in
December, 1835. Not without fear did he hear it,
yet without hesitation he obeyed it, and on Decem-
ber 19, with the name of Mary on his lips to implore
her help and continued protection, he took the step
which definitely decided his future career for life.
The subdeaconship was conferred upon him by Mgr.
Feron, the Bishop of Clermont. Upon the eve of
Trinity, 1836, he was ordained a deacon, and on the
21st of the following December he received the sac-
erdotal consecration at the hands of the same
Bishop Feron, and was made a "priest forever ac-
cording to the order of Melchisedech. ' '
CHAPTER 11.
First Appointment. — Devotion to the Blessed Virgin.—
Month of May.— Consoling Results of the Exercises. — Desire
for a Missionary Life.— Hears Father Odin and Bishop Flaget.
—Resolves to go to Ameriea.— Obstacles. — Secret Departure.
The many years of study, and the close applica-
tion necessary in the preparation for the priesthood
constitute a strain upon the physical system which
tells upon the strongest constitutions. It has long
been a praiseworthy custom to allow the newly-or-
dained priest a certain time, regulated by necessity
and circumstances, in which to recuperate his ex-
hausted forces before assig^ning him to the active
ministry. The Abbe Machebeuf had several inter-
vals of recuperation during the years of his seminary
course, but they were not entirely given up to rest
and recreation. His nature required a great deal of
physical exercise, and he could improve under bod-
ily fatigue, but he could also do much regular work
during these times of activity. His periods of relaxa-
tion, or might we not call it more strenuous activity,
for the body did not mean a cessation of mental
work. His young sister and brother claimed a good
portion of his time, for he became their religious
teacher and gave them lessons which heli)ed to for-
tify their Christian character, and, in the case of his
sister, his influence was used to direct her thoughts
towards the religious life.
The young priests who were ordained with the
32 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Abbe Macliebeuf sought repose and a renewal of
strength in the midst of their families, awaiting at
leisure the call of their bishop to active life and
labor. In reality Father Macliebeuf required this
not less than the others, and he might have had it,
but he wanted "rest in action," and asked to be
placed at once in the active exercise of the work of
the ministry. His wish was granted and he was sent
to assist in the parish of Cendre at a little distance
from the city of Clermont.
The pastor of the church at Cendre was an old
and tried veteran in the service of the Church, and
had gone bravely through the stormy days of the
great French Revolution. His age and years of
service entitled him to some relief now, and he was
not averse to allowing a portion of his accustomed
work to be borne by another. This portion was the
active work of the parish, but the old man did not
limit it to that, but permitted a great part of the or-
dinary work to fall to the share of his yoimg curate.
Father Machebeuf was equal to the task and
actually sought the work. He preached regularly,
instructed the children, visited the sick and the poor,
and whatever spare time he had he devoted to study.
His sermons of this period were all written out, and
were models of simplicity, practically adapted to a
congregation composed of the simple peasantry in a
country parish. He preserved many of these ser-
mons, and the well-worn condition in which they
were found among his papers after his death, shows
that he used them often as the groundwork for many
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 33
of his instructions during his subsequent missionary
labors. That a large proportion of these sermons
had the Blessed Virgin for their subject proves the
depths of his devotion to the Mother of God, and,
strange to think now, it was this devotion which al-
most brought him into conflict with the venerable
pastor of Cendre.
At the approach of the month of ^lay, Father
Machebeuf wished to make preparations for May
Devotions. This was quite natural for him, but it wai5
a new departure for the old pastor. It was a novelty !
an innovation ! The lingering consequences of Jan-
senism were yet visible, and new forms of devotion
were not encouraged by the old pastors. Special de-
votions to the Blessed Virgin were of the suspected
class. The aged priest may have partaken of this
prejudice, which was then often found among veiy
excellent priests, but in any case, he was old, and it is
difficult to move old men. What had been good
enough for them ought to be good enough for the
rising generation. Then, too, it savors a little of dis-
approval when old methods are changed or new ones
introduced, and seems to imply a superior knowl-
edge, a superior tact, or mayhaj), a sujierior assur-
ance which the old pioneer will more readily admit.
Father Machebeuf said nothing when his super-
ior objected, although sui*prised and saddened by the
opposition which he had not antici]>ated. Ho had
been trained by the priests of St. Sulpiee, and tlicir
training had so strengthened his hitherto deep-seated
love and reverence for the Mother of God, that it
34 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
was as natural for him to have confidence in her as in
his own parents, and he could not well understand
how anyone could object to the public expression of
so beautiful a sentiment. He did not reflect that he
had been educated at a different epoch and by differ-
ent masters from the priests of the olden school. The
influence of the Sulpicians had not always been so
effectual, and to their influence, more than to any
other cause, was dne the rise, or at least the re-
awakening in France of that tender and intense de-
votion to the Blessed Virgin which is now so general,
and which seems to flourish with especial vigor
wherever their influence has reached.
Not discouraged, however, the young curate
went to his room, and, taking his rosary, he spent the
rest of the day in prayer. He prayed, not that he
might have his own way, but that whatever was for
the glory of God might be done, and he felt confident
that Urtj would arrange all things for the best.
That same evening the pastor called him and
said: ''You wish to celebrate the Month of Mary,
do you!" "Yes, sir," answered the young curate.
"Do you think that this devotion will do anj^ good
to the parish I" asked the pastor. "I am sure it
will," replied Father Machebeuf, with warm^th of
manner and conviction in his tone. "Then, go on
and do as you wish in the matter," said the vener-
able Cure, and no permission ever brought greater
joy to young Father Machebeuf than that conveyed
by these words.
Immediately he wrote to his young sister, who
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 35
was a pupil with the nuns of the Visitation in his na-
tive village of Rioni, expressing his lively joy and re-
questing her to make up and send to him at once a
supply of artificial flowers for his May altar. This
she did with great pleasure, and she was delighted
to learn and to record the fact that the May Devo-
tions were numerously attended and resulted in a
great increase of piety in the parish of Cendre.
The labors of Father Machebeuf were fruitful
in every sense, and his vigilance was so effective that
the parishioners used to say that they had no longer
any need of the rural policeman — (garde cham-
petre). The activity which he displayed even at that
early date will not surprise his later friends, but
they will rather wonder how he was able to content
himself with so limited a field of labor. His mission-
ary vocation, however, had not yet developed, al-
though the seed of it was sown several years before
while he was in the seminary.
This seed had fallen on ground which was fa-
vorable to its growth by nature, and grace came to
give the true life to its development and the right
flavor to its fruit. Nature had endowed him with a
desire for travel, and a readiness to acce]it sacrifice
for glory, as is evidenced by the episode which barely
escaped making him a soldier in the army of Algiers.
Grace came to sanctify these longings by turning
them to the glory of God and the salvation of needy
souls.
While Father Machebeuf was still a student in
the seminary, the Lazarist, Father Odin, who later
36 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
became Bishop of Gralveston and Arclibisliop of New
Orleans, visited Clermont in searcli of aid for the
struggling- missions of America. It was said of him
that "his simplicity, amiability and gentle deport-
ment gained him many friends, and he succeeded in
collecting a considerable sum of money, besides orna-
ments for the altar. He also secured a number of
ecclesiastics for his mission, some belonging to his
Congregation, others secular priests. Many of these
accompanied him on his return and the rest fol-
lowed at a subsequent period. ' '
Among ' ' the rest ' ' were at least five young men
who listened to Father Odin at the Seminary of
Montf errand, and who, at the '^subsequent period,"
left their sunny France together to go and labor for
God in the wildernesses of Ohio in the days of their
colonization nearly seventy years ago. Among these
pioneer missionaries was the curate of Cendre, the
Abbe Machebeuf.
Another circumstance which had its share in di-
recting the steps of Father Machebeuf towards
America, was the presence in France at that time of
the saintly Bishop Flaget of Bardstown, Kentucky.
This venerable prelate was a native of Auvergne,
and his reputation for sanctity was as firmly estab-
lished in Europe as it was in America. He had spent
forty-three years upon the missions of wildest
America, twenty-five of which were as a bishop whose
jurisdiction extended over seven of our present
States, and whose presence was necessary from time
to time in every part of his vast diocese. The weight
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 37
of more than seventy years was pressing upon him,
and he had come to France with the hope of spending
his few remaining years in quiet and in preparation
for eternity.
To this plan of the humble and holy Bishop,
Pope Gregory XVI would not listen. On the con-
trary, the Pope had a plan of his own. The Associa-
tion of the Propagation of the Faith had been estab-
lished only a short time before, and was not yet ex-
tensively spread. Gregorys XVI saw in BisliO]> Fla-
get the very man to make known the object of this
organization and the immense good it might accom-
plish. No one could represent better than Bishop
Flaget the state of the missions, and show the far-
reaching power of prayer and material aid, and his
reputation for sanctity was a guarantee of sincerity,
besides being a plea in itself.
At the wish of the Pope Bishop Flaget under-
took this work, and, notwithstanding his age and in-
firmities, continued it for two years, visiting forty-
six dioceses in France and Sardinia. His home, if
home he could be said to have while doing so vast a
work, was in his native diocese of Clermont. Here
the clergy^ learned much from him of that distant
America which was stretching out its hands in su]v
pliance to its older sister in religion for help; of its
struggling peo]~>le asking for priests to break to them
the bread of life, and the hearts of many among the
younger clergy^ burned with the desire of answering
the appeal. The seed sown by Father (^din was
149'i';'5
38 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
warmed into life by Bishop Flaget, and now the
plants were ready for the setting out.
Father Machebenf was among the first of those
who made up their minds to leave the work at home,
where there were many willing hands to do it, and
to go to where laborers were few and the work wait-
ing. He did not come to this conclusion suddenly and
in a moment of enthusiasm. Once before he had al-
most yielded to impulse, and he could now see what
the consequences in his life would have been; now,
he must not trust to that other impulse although it
was in general accord with the career to which he
had been called.
Before deciding upon anything definite, he con-
sulted his former teachers and directors at the Sem-
inary, and also weighed tlie matter before God in
prayer and meditation. The diocesan retreat was
made at the end of September, 1838, and during
those days Father Machebeuf meditated on this
second grand vocation of his life, trying to decide the
questions : ' ' Is it for the glory of God ? Is it for the
salvation of souls'?"
Before the close of the retreat the answers were
vouchsafed to him in sufficiently clear terms, and he
made the offering of his life to God for the second
tim^e, closing the struggle with doubt and hesitation
with the following prayer.
Oh my God, grant that during my whole life I may re-
member llie 26th, 27th and 28th of September, 1838, that all
my life I may have present to my mind that it was during
these days that I gave myself again to Thee without reserve!
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 39
And you. Oh Mary, my lioly MotliiM-, yon wlin arc rny sirciiirth
and my support, remember that it was while invoking your
holy name that I took the first step which bound me to the
service of your Divine Son in the sanctuarj'; deijrn to accept
the resolution which I make at this moment! Be pleased to
present it yourself to your dear Son, for, presented by hands
so pure, it cannot be otherwise than pleasinsr to Him. Assist
me, that all in me henceforth may be employed in loving God
and in making Him loved by others, that saving willing and
needy souls and gaining hearts may from this on be the sole
object of my life.
From this retreat Father Machebeuf went forth
a chanc^ed man. His destiny was to be a missionary
in America, — there was his life's work, and there, as
far as is permitted for a priest, was to be his eartlily
home.
Tliis first and most important question of his vo-
cation to a missionary- life having been decided, the
future missionary had now the task of overcoming
the difficulties in the way of its realization. To get
the permission of his bishop would not be difficult,
for vocations to the priesthood were numerous in
Auverg-ne, and that Province had not yet begun to
send out its missionaries almost in droves, as it did
later when the exodus became so great that the good
Bishop Feron became alanned lest he should have
difficulty in providing for the needs of his own spirit-
ual children at home.
For the choice of a diocese in which to la]x)r,
his teachers at the Seminary came to his aid. It
happened providentially that Bishop Purcell of Cin-
cinnati was then in Rome. Bishop Purcell had been
a student under the Sulpicians at Paris, and his
40 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
former spiritual director, Father Comfe, was now
the Superior of the Seminary of Montferrand. The
Bishop wrote to Father Comfe, asking him to find a
few good young priests whom he might take with
him on his return to the New World. Father Comfe
lost no time before speaking to Father Machebeuf
and several other young priests who had' expressed
their desire for a missionary life. A little band of
priests, all intimate friends, was thus made up, and,
while Bishop Purcell was transacting his business at
Eome, they made their own arrangements for de-
parture. This first band was composed of Fathers
Machebeuf, Lamy, Gacon, Cheymol and Navaron, of
all of whom we shall have occasion to speak later on.
All of the difficulties for Father Machebeuf,
however, had not yet been overcome. The hardest
to meet were still before him, and they lay in an en-
tirely different direction. They rose from the
peculiar circumstances in which the members of his
family were placed', and from the great affection
which all the members of tlie family entertained for
him. His brother Marius was now in his sixteenth
year, and it was time for him to go and prepare him-
self for his career in life. Mademoiselle Anne
Machebeuf, his "little sister," as he always called
her, had finished her convent education the year
previous, at the age of seventeen and had returned to
the Convent of the Visitation at Riom as a postulant
in the community. Her vocation was a matter
which the future must yet determine. Their devoted
aunt, who had spent the best years of her life in their
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 41
service, was no longer a young woman, and she could
not be thrown ui)on the world, neither could she re-
main with their father when they were all gone.
Tlien, their dear old father should not be left alone
in his declining years.
It was a complication of circumstances, and the
same idea of a solution of them, as far as their
parents were concerned, came to the minds of the
three children: Would a marriage between their
father and their maternal aunt be possible? If it
could be so arranged, the way would be clear for each
of the children to pursue the course in life to which
Providence seemed to direct.
They consulted the proper authorities and were
assured that the circumstances of the case were such
as would justify the necessary dispensation from
the Church. They then spoke to their father and
their aunt, and succeeded in bringing them both to
the opinion that a marriage between the two was
permissible and would bring pleasure and hai)piness
to the entire family. Father Machebeuf himself
blessed this union, and it was the gladdest action of
his ministry in France.
About this time the "little sister" finished' her
term of ]>robation as postulant at the convent and
was allowed to receive the habit of a novice. xVt this
ceremony Father Machebeuf preached the sermon,
and chose for her the name of Sister Marie Philo-
mene, which she was ever afterwards to bear with
honor. Her solemn ])rofession as a Sister took place
on November 7, 1839, but her reverend and much
42 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
loved brother was then far away just beginning the
active exercise of the duties of his new career. Sister
Marie Philomene, when the writer last heard from
her, in June, 1904, was still in her convent home at
Riom, in the full possession of all her mental vigor
and with her physical forces without serious impair-
ment.
Only one obstacle now remained in the way of
Father Machebeuf, and that was the anticipated op-
position of his friends, and especially of his father.
The new missionaries were to meet in Paris in May,
and as the time approached the anxiety of Father
Machebeuf increased. As yet he had said nothing to
his father of his plans, for he knew well the stern
will of his parent, as well as his affection, and that
the two combined would result in a direct command
against his leaving home. He was, of course, a priest
and must obey what seemed to be a call from God,
but the evidence of this call would not be as clear to
his father as to himself, and he did not wish that a
direct command from his parent should be placed in
opposition to his duty. In order to escape such a
dilemma he consulted again his friends of the Sem-
inary, and by their advice he determined to avoid this
obstacle rather than attempt to remove it. His new
plan was to leave home by stealth, and trust to Provi-
dence to soften the blow for his beloved father, and
obtain forgiveness for himself for such a seeming
flagrant violation of filial respect and duty. All his
preparations were made in secret, and only by
SisiF.R Makii Fimi.omene.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 43
chance did his departure become Imown almost im-
mediately to the members of his family.
Thirty years later, upon his first visit to his na-
tive diocese after he had been made a bishop, the
Semaine Religieuse of Clermont graphically de-
scribes his departure in its issue of Sept. 13, 1869. It
said:
On the morning of the 21st of May, 1839, two youns:
priests of the Diocese of Clermont, dressed as civilians, passed
hurriedly along the streets of Riom before sunrise, and went
out of the city by the main road leading towards Paris. Upon
reaching the o]ien country they stoj^ped to await the coming of
the diligence Avhich was to take them over the first stage of
their journey to the Seminary of Foreign Missions in that dis-
tant capital. Their departure resembled rather a flight, yet,
in spite of its secrecy the young ecclesiastics were seen, and
one of them was recognized by a brother priest and former
fellow-student. A few words explained all, and, as this friend
grasped the hand of the young traveler in an affectionate fare-
well, he saw the emotion which shook the delicate frame of the
voluntaiy exile as he cast a last tearful look back upon his
native city. He realized that a terrible struggle was taking
place in that heart whose tender sensibilities were so well
known to him. In fact, a great and sublime sacrifice was be-
ing accomplished there at that moment. The young priest, in
order to spare his family the heart-rending pain of a farewell,
and likewise to escape their determined resistance to what he
considered his vocation, had passed before the door of his
father's house without stopping to enter. His young com-
panion, whose own heart was still throbbing with the emo-
tions of a similar sacrifice made only the day before, was
scarcely less disturbed, but, drawing near to his sobbing friend,
he lightly laid his hand upon his shoulder and pointed towards
heaveii. Silently they turned and continued on tlioir way. The
young fugitives were the Abbe Lamy and the Abbe Machebcuf.
The reality of the event differed but little from
this account, although some of the dramatic touches
were wanting. His own account was that he passed
44 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBFUF.
his father's door in the diligence, and that he lay
down on the floor of it in order to escape observation.
This precaution was successful, and none of his im-
mediate relatives knew of his departure until it was
too late to make any attempt to dissuade him from
the step. He had ridden rough-shod over the last
obstacle, but he was yet to know the pain of it.
Years afterwards he used to speak of his leav-
ing home as more of an escape, and smile at the recol-
lection of the manner in which he had circumvented
his friends and avoided their opposition. The event
had its humorous side, and that seemed to remain
with him after the pain had passed away.
It certainly was an unusual manner of going
away, and it is probable that most of the missionaries
would not have had the courage to go to America, or
any other mission, if they all had the difficulties to
overcome which faced Father Machebeuf.
CHAPTER III.
Anival in Paris. — News of Their Fliglit. — Grief of Mr.
Machebeuf.— Father Maehebeuf's Letter.— Letter of Bishop
Piircell. — Forgiveness.— Journeys. — The Sylvie de Grasse. —
The Departure. — Members of the Party. — Joy in Exile.— The
Hundred-fold Reward.
Tlie two runaways, as we might call them,
reached Paris somewhat fatigued but otherwise
none the worse for the journey. Neither of them
was veiy strong just at the time. Father Lamy was
but recovering from a siege of illness, and Father
Machebeuf was suffering for the want of greater
activity. There was not enough of outdoor work in
the parish of Cendre to supply him with necessary
exercise, and, as a young priest he gave consider-
able time to the preparation of his sermons. He
took frequent and long walks visiting the priests of
the neighboring parishes, but his nature required
more of the broad sky and open sunshine than he
was getting, and it was languishing under the priva-
tion. They were made welcome at the Seminaiy
of Foreign Missions where they were to await the
coming of their three companions from Auvergne,
the Fathers Gacon, Che>anol and Navaron, and
where they were all to stay until Bishop Purcell had
comi)leted his business in Europe and was ready to
start on his return voyage to America.
In the meantime, the young priest who had seen
the two fugitives in their flight, brought the news
46 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
to the friends of Father Machebeuf . It was like a
thunderbolt from a clear sky, but it was too late to
protest, or stop them. The friends could only grieve,
and in addition the father of Father Machebeuf was
very angry with his son. His first thought was that
this was another sudden impulse, and youthful en-
thusiasm had run away with common sense. And
why this lack of respect and loss of confidence in a
father who had always been his best friend and ad-
viser? Was this the treatment due him after the
life-long care shown to his first-born and best-beloved
child ? Ingratitude !
Father Machebeuf learned these things from a
letter written the next day by his sister, and his own
feelings were stirred to the highest pitch of grief
and anxiety by the news. Immediately he sat down
and wrote to his father the following letter of filial
yearning and pathetic appeal. It will be seen that
he addressed his father as ' ' Dear Papa. ' ' This was
the manner in which he addressed his father in all
his letters, and it shows an affection becoming in
the child and highly honorable in the man.
Paris, May 24, 1839.
Very Dear Papa :
I have just received a letter from my sister, and from it
I leani that my departure has cast you into a state of sadness
and grief which seems past all consolation. This is the very
thing which caused me great anxiety before, and made so much
harder for me the sacrifice which the good God asked of me.
The proofs of goodness and affection which I have ever re-
ceived from you up to this moment have been too m.any and
too great to allow me to doubt your love for an instant, and
the pi'esentiment that my departure would cause you sore af-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 47
fliction haunted my mind and saddened uie these mauy weeks.
I beg of you to believe that, in acting as I did, I but followed
the voice of conscience.
It is true that affection and gratitude would keep me near
you, but the voice of God was calling me elsewhere, and I
could not 1)0 deaf to it. All of my directors and superiors told
me that the time was come for me to accomplish the will of
God in my regard. They reminded me of the obligations I had
contracted upon receiving Holy Orders of devoting myself to
the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Without being
wanting in my duty I could no longer resist the inclination
which I have so long felt for the missions.
But, what has, perhaps, caused you the most pain, is that
I left without telling you, and without going to bid you a last
farewell. Let me assure you that this was not through in-
difference or lack of consideration for you, but in reality
through obedience to the Su]>erior of the Seminary, who en-
joined upon me the most inviolable secrecy. In the face of all
the longing which I had to go and tell you good bye, he in-
sisted that the interview would be too painful for both of us.
I asked him then to allow me to go and see you often before
leaving, in order to make up somewhat for our coming years
of separation. It was for this reason that I made those fre-
quent visits to Riom during the month of May, to show you
that, if obedience prevented me from telling you my secret, at
least I was doing all that I could to testify to you my love
and affection. Then, dear Papa, do not think that it was
through hardness of heart that I passed through the city with-
out seeing you. The sacrifice was great for me, but my course
was marked out and I had to hold to it.
When I learned that you had expressed a desire to see me
once more, although fatigued by the journey of two hundred
leagnes, I was even then disposed to return to Riom, but a
Vicar General from America and the Superior of the Foreign
Missions where we are staying prevented me, telling me that
the parting after such a visit would be more painful than what
we are now suffering, and that we would be obliged to part in
any case.
This, then, was the new sacrifice which they asked of me,—
to give up this apparent consolation, and I trust that the good
God will grant to both of us the strength necessary to bear all
the trials wiiich He may send to us. And, since you partake
in the .sacrifice, I hope that God may give you to partake also in
48 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the recompense for whatever little good I may be able to do in
that counti-y where there is so much to be done.
As I told you, we are staying at the Seminary of Foreign
Missions, Rue du Bac. The Superior and the Vicar General of
the diocese where we are going received us with a cordiality
and an affection truly paternal. Our Bishop comes from Bor-
deaux on Saturday or Sunday, and we shall embark some time
during the month of June. I)o not woriy in the least about
me; we are children of Providence and God will not abandon
us. I beg- of you then, in the name of that Providence, not to
gi-ieve so much over my leaving. It is God Who has willed it;
may His holy will be done.
I sincerely hope that you have already forgiven me for all
the pain I have caused you, and that you will kindly grant me
the favor I now ask of you, and that is, to write me one word
assuring me of the pardon which I urgently implore.
Embrace for me with your whole heart that good aunt
whom it was so painful for me to leave, and also that dear
brother so devoted to me. Adieu ! Every day I pray to the
good God for you all. Your most affectionate son,
PRIEST JOSEPH.
When Bishop Purcell arrived in Paris and
learned how things were, he also wrote a letter well
calculated to console Mr. Machebeuf, and even to
make him proud to think that he had a son capable
of such a sacrifice. It was couched in the following
terms :
Paris, May 26, 1839.
Dear Sir: My heart feels fully the sorrow that the de-
parture of your dear son for the missions of America has caused
you. I know all that such a separation should cost to so good
a father, — to a father who knew how to rear his children so
well in the midst of a generation so jDeiwerse and so little docile
to our holy religion as is that of today. Yet I am quite sure
that your regi'et, although very keen, is not without a mixture
of holy joy that God has given you a son capable of such
heroism, and that He has chosen among your children an apos-
tle capable, like those of olden times, of leaving all thing's for
His love. Yes, dear and venerable friend, the good Jesus Who
has given us all, even to the last droj) of His blood, well merits
UFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 49
that we should with a large heart make for Him the sacrifices
which He asks of us. He knows well how to recompense us in
God.
Then forgive this dear son if in leaving you his fears were
too great to allow him to bid you farewell. It was in this man-
ner that the great Apostle of the Indias, St. Francis Xavier,
passed the house of his parents without saluting them, to go
to a barbarous land much farther away than oui*s. In these
days communication is more easy and more frequent than in
the 16th century. We are walking in the footsteps of those
early servants of God. For them the way was strewn with
thorns; we have at least a few flowers, planted by a Flaget, a
Tessier, a Dubois, a Cheverus. a Dubourg, a Garnier, a Brute,
and so many other French missionaries, whom it will be our
Christian glor\' to imitate with all the exactitude, fidelity and
humility that will be possible for us.
Adieu, good father. I bid you farewell for your dear son,
who is now not only yours but mine also, that is, of two fathers
instead of one. I shall love him for you ; he will pray for you on
earth, and in heaven by the numerous souls whom God pro-
pose to save through his ministry. Pray for him, and for me
who will always be, with the greatest affection in the Lord,
Your servant and friend,
+ J. B. PURCELL,
Bp. of Cin'ti.
These letters had the desired effect of reconcil-
ing Mr. Machebeuf to the loss of his son, and he
wrote to Bishop Purcell and to Father Machebeuf
granting the forgiveness asked, and assuring them
of his entire resignation to the will of God. It was
a severe trial but he offered it for the future safety
of liis son.
During the interval before sailing Bishop Pur-
cell had several visits to make in different parts of
France, and he took Father Machebeuf along with
him as his traveling companion, and also that the
health of the young priest might be benefited by out-
door exercise and the pure air of the country. It
50 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
was again the *'rest in action" which was essential
to Father Machebeuf. He was never of a robust
constitution, and his health was always a source of
anxiety to his friends. His pale complexion and
light colored hair had gained for him the name of
"Whitey" among his companions, and he was as
often called by that name by his familiar friends as
by any other.
These journeys did him much good, and he kept
his friends informed of the fact by letters to his
sister. He also indicated the same in a letter written
to his father just before he left France for America.
This was in answer to his father's letter of forgive-
ness, and conveys his final farewell, but it also con-
tains other matters which are not without interest at
this distant day. It is a model which might be
studied with profit, not merely for its outward ex-
pression, but more especially because of the founda-
tion of Christian sentiments upon which it rests.
Havre, July 7, 1839.
My Very Dear Papa:
I cannot give you an idea of the pleasure your letter of
July 3, has caused me. Mgr. Purcell was delighted that you
were pleased to write him. He requests me to say to you
in a special way all manner of kind things from him. He has
promised to bring me with him when he comes to France
again. You know that these missionary bishops never stay
longer than seven or eight years without coming back for more
means and more missionaries, and, since he took me with him
traveling in Fra.nee before our embarkation, I have every rea-
son to hope that he will do the same when he is coming back
to Europe.
Do not trouble yourself in the least about my health. It
is not for myself that I am going to labor, — it is for the good
God, and if He wants me to be good for something, He must
UFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 51
tjive uie the strenorth. And tlien, too, if you knew how careful
our hoi}' Bishop is of us you would cease to worry. I feel just
as much at home with him as with you, and I am quite confused
by the attachment which he constantly shows me. It is just
as he told you in his letter, that I have two fathers instead
of one.
My health is getting better every day, and I find the jour-
neys that we made to the north of France did me a great deal
of good. I have taken some sea baths whicli have sti-ength-
ened me. I have been traveling a good deal since I wrote tt>
you. Last Monday we were at Dieppe, and from there Bishop
Purcell went to Havre and I returned to Paris to be with my
dear confrere, Father Lamy. What was my surprise upon ar-
riving in Paris to find Father Lamy promenading after supper
with Father (Jacoii and conipej'e Cheymol, and talking about
me! They did not think that I was so near. You can rest
assured that during the two days we spent in Paris the conver-
sation did not lag. I had so many questions to ask the new-
comers about your health, about my good aunt, and about my
brother and sister. One day we went out to the country house
of Mgr. de Nancy, where we found Bishop Flaget and four
nuns ready to go with us. I am happy to assure you that
Father Lamy is well enough now to undertake the voyage.
When at Havre I visited the vessel several times on whieli
we are to go, and I had not counted upon having so much lux-
ury as I found there. The cabins, the dining-room and the
ladies' saloon are all paneled in mahogany, with pilasters the
bases and capitals of which are solidly gilt. Each cabin serves
for two persons, and the berths, which are not much more than
a foot wade, are placed one above the other. I do not know
yet who will be in the same cabin with me. I saw the Captain
several times and he was very polite to me. He is from Bor-
deaux and has ti-aveled considerably in America. Bishop Pur-
cell crossed the ocean once with him, in 1824. The vessel is
called The Sylvie de Grasse. I visited several of the other
ships in the harbor but found none as fine as this.
We shall have a Negro as cook, but I assure you there
is nothing black about him but his skin. He is very clever at
his profession. Every day we shall have fresh bread, milk for
our coffee, fresh butter, and fresh fruit and vegetables during
the fiist eight days. I visited every place, even the stalls for
the cows and sheep, and the little store-room for the provis-
ions of the kitchen. Thus you see that these vessels are verit-
able hotels, only (hat the rooms are but six feet square.
52 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Dear and beloved Papa, my sister tells me that you re-
gretted not having seen me in order to recommend yourself to
my prayers. Do you think that I need to be reminded of that?
Would not my religion, and my gratitude for all you have done
for me, make that a sacred duty? Yes, dear Papa, rest as-
sured that, although far away from you in body, you will al-
ways be present to my mind, and if I am interesting myself
for persons whom I do not yet know, could you believe that
I would be indifferent to your welfare, or that of my dear aunt
and my brother who has been so affectionately attached to me?
No ! and I will pray for your welfare every day, for I owe
you eternal gratitude for having furnished me the means of
entering the sacred ministry which I to-day exercise, and it
seems to me that I am just beginning to understand the words
of our Divine Lord: ''What will it profit a man to gain the
whole world if he lose his own soul?" And if I dared at this
moment to give you advice, it would be to exhort you to medi-
tate seriously before God upon these same words. Yes, dear
Papa, remember well that everything upon earth passes away;
that life itself passes rapidly and that eternity awaits us. Let
us force ourselves to win this eternity which is promised to us.
We must merit it at whatever cost, and when we shall be there
united it will be never to be separated. Pardon me the liberty
I take, but it is my affection for you which dictates these few
words which I cannot write without moistening them with my
tears.
As you know, our departure is fixed for to-morrow. The
Captain thinks that the voyage will last a month, or five weeks
at the most. Present my respects to the pastor and his curate,
to the good Sisters of Charity, and the dear Chi'istian Brothers.
Tell them that I ask for myself and my companions at least a
decade of the rosary for a favorable voyage.
You offer excuses, dear Papa, for sending me so little
money. On the contrary, it is more than I expected from you
in your present circumstances, and the 500 francs have sufficed
for all my wants. I do not think (hat I shall need any more
this year. If I do I shall write to you in full confidence. I
would like to write to my sister but I have no time. I only
ask her to present my respects to the Sisters and recommend
me to their prayers.
Dear Papa, I shall now close by assuring you anew of my
sincere affection. Be my interpreter to my good aunt and my
brother, and accept the embraces of
Your most obedient and affectionate son.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 53
T\\e heart of Father Machebeuf must have l>eeii
heavy wlien he wrote this letter, but he gives little
evidence of such a feeling. His thought seemed to be
to lighten the sadness of parting for others. Certain
it is that he could see nothing in his own future that
should cast a gloom over his spirits. His hopes were
roseate and his enthusiasm was almost unbounded,
and these would not permit of any hesitation in his
proposed course. Necessarily the grand picture in
his imagination could never be fully realized, but at
no time in his life afterwards did the moment come
when ho showed any regret for the choice he had
made.
The departure, which was set for July 8, did not
take place until the following day, and upon that
date, July 9, 1839, Father Machebeuf gave up his be-
loved France and all it contained, and thenceforth
his life looked forward and his thoughts were upon
America to which he felt that he now belonged.
One circumstance which cheered him up in his
departure was that he was not alone in making the
sacrifice. His party numbered fifteen, and of these,
twelve or more were leaving the land of their birth
upon a mission similar to his own. Father Mache-
beuf tells us that there were the five friends from
Auvergne, three from other dioceses, several Sisters,
Bishop Purcell, Bisho]) Fiaget and his Vicar Gen-
eral, the Ver\^ Rev. John McGill. Father ^lachebeuf
made a mistake in his letter to his father when he
spoke of Father McGill as the Vicar General of the
diocese where they were going. He was the Vicar
General of the Diocese of Bardstown.
54 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
These could naturally encourage and strengthen
one another, and the fact that Bishop Flaget was of
the party must have been a powerful source of en-
couragement to the younger volunteers. His words
had given definite form and action to their first
vague aspirations; his example now must have
added force to their resolutions and kept the weakest
from wavering.
The probability, however, of any of them giving
place to regret was. small, for there is something in
religion which sweetens sacrifice and gives joy a per-
manent abiding place in the heart of him who makes
the sacrifice for God. Laments, dirges and threno-
dies have been written for and' by exiles from their
native land, but who ever heard of a lament sung
by a self-exiled servant of God who left all to fol-
low Christ? The fulfilment of the promise of Christ
is here plain. ''Every one that hath left house, or
brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or
children, or lands for my name's sake shall receive a
himdred-f old. ' '
A thought comes here, foreign to the subject of
this book, but germane to the idea of the reward for
sacrifice for Christ's sake. The Church of France
has always shown itself prodigal of its children and
its substance when it was a question of spreading the
faith in missionary lands. China, Japan, both the
Indias, Africa, and America to tlie frozen north,
have all been warmed by the zeal of French priests,
have all drunk the blood of French martyrs, and all
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEIF. 56
have been pensioners on the bounty of Frenc*h bene-
factors. The nearer we get to the beginning of the
Church in these lands, the more we find of French
labor and of French charity. Where the Church is
yet undeveloj)ed, there yet are the French apostles
in the majority. The early priests, the early Broth-
ers and the early Sisters came principally from
France, and the furnishings of their early churches
were the ])roduct of French generosity. Tlie Society
of the Pro[)agation of the Faith has been supported
mainly in France, and it has sent millions in money
for the establishment and spread of Christ's king-
dom among tribes and nations. These were sacri-
fices for Clirist's sake.
At home the Church of France has been called
upon to choose between Christ and temporal things.
The choice was laid before it more than a centur\'
ago, and the answer forced a Concordat which left to
it a remnant of its wealth. That remnant is now
seized, but the otTer is made of great riches and
greater influence, if it will but give up Clirist. The
answer is given again by a. unanimous episcopate,
and if a priest has yielded he is one whose proper
place was never in the ministry of Christ's Church.
France has merited its Iniiidred-fold. When Christ
on the high mountain told Satan to begone, angels
came and ministered unto Ilim. We are now wait-
ing to see what angel God will send to minister unto
His followers who have spurned the lying offers of
Satan's imitators. The day of triumph is as sure in
the future as the day of suffering is in the past.
CHAPTER IV.
Sails from Havre. — Incidents of the Voyage.— Arrival at
New York. — Bishop Dubois.— On to Cincinnati.— Appointed
to Tiffin.— Life on the Missions.— Hardships and Consolations.
Explanatory.
The voyage lasted longer than they had antici-
pated, but the time did not lie heavily upon the hands
of those who were able to make use of it. There were
the inevitable inconveniences of seasickness, the usual
amount of weariness of the sea, and the rejoicing at
the sight of land, which are natural for those who
''go down to the sea in ships," especially for the first
time. Father Machebeuf leaves us a fair account of
the voyage, and although in outline it resembles all
sea voyages, there are in it details such as never
would be dreamed of by the passengers on one of our
modern ocean greyhounds. The letter begins after a
month 's experience of the sea and ends with their ar-
rival in New York. With the omission of some
minor details and family matters, it is as follows :
On Board the Sylvie de Grasse,
August 8, 1839.
Very Dear Papa:
As I know that you are growing anxious waiting for news
from us, I sit down to prepare a letter to send you as soon as
we arrive in New York.
Our departure from Havre, which was set for the 8th of
July, did not take place until the 9th, owing to bad weather on
Monday. On Tuesday morning at eight o'clock we went on
board, and at nine, after all farewells were said, the sailors
intoned the parting hymn and we passed out of the port in the
sight of a curious gazing multitude of people who throng the
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 57
quay whenever a ship sails. The weather was very fine, but a
strong wind was blowing against us, and we were obliged to
have the help of a steamboat, which goes in spite of the wind.
After a little while the wind changed somewhat in our favor,
so that we were able to go alone, and soon we were upon the
open sea.
It was towards evening before we lost sight of laud, and
then we began to make the acquaintance of the other passen-
gers. We found that we were almost entirely surrounded by
Protestants. About sixty passengers are in our part of the
ship, and the majority of these are Protestants. There are
several young men and women among them from New York
who are returning home after finishing their education in Paris.
New York is the port where we will debark. Others are mer-
chants or men of means, who are going to locate in America.
Among these last we have made the acquaintance of a Catholic
gentleman and lady from Belo-ium, who are going to make their
home in Cincinnati.
In the other part of the vessel there are nearly two hundred
Germans — men, women and children, a few of whom are mer-
chants, and the rest are of the peasant-fanner class. Among
the Germans there are a few Catholics, a great many Protest-
ants, and about forty Jews. This is but a sample of the incred-
ible number of immigrants who are arriving in the United
States from all parts. Judge for yourself, then, if priests are
not necessary, both to sustain the faith of Catholics and to
bring back the heretics.
These poor Germans are all lodged in one room, which be-
comes dining-room, sitting-room and sleeping-room, according
to the needs of the moment. I have only looked into it over
the partition which separates it from the quarters of the sailors,
and the infection which exhaled from it forced me back in a
hurry. Yet they seem to be all very healthy. They pay 150
francs apiece and are obliged to board themselves. The Cap-
tain furnishes them only with wood and water.
As for us, our position is quite different, and I must
frankly say that we are treated too well for missionaries. The
Bishop was directed to place us at the Captain's table so as to
insure proper respect for our character and not to have us
mixed up with the motley crowd, most of whom are without
any education. Everything is abundant upon our table — fresh
mutton, fowl, foreign wines, quantities of oranges, fresh bread
every day. milk, butter, in fact everything of the best that one
might find at a hotel in Paris. Yet in the midst of all this
58 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
abundance there is nothing that we eat with greater relish than
potatoes, which are served with every meal.
As for lodging, j'oii can imagine that we are not very much
at large. We are six in the same room. The sixth is a Francis-
can Father from Bavaria. The room is completely hung with
beds and looks like a fruitstand with its many shelves. There
are two beds on each of its three sides, one above the other,
and he who has the lower one can hardly sit up in bed.
And now after making you acquainted with the ship and
the passengers, I am going to tell you what has happened since
our departure. The first few days were spent by many of us
in bed. As for myself, I was among the fortunate ones, and
was not compelled to stay in bed a qi;arter of an hour longer
than usual. I escaped with no greater penalty than a few
restitutions. I did not even lose my regular appetite, and while
my companions were merely picking at a few dainties, I was man-
aging things about the same as upon land. Thus, you see that
I would have made a good member of the navy.
The indisposition of the sick did not last long. The one
who was nearest to death was compere Cheymol. He was so
weak that he thought he must die, and he Avas continually mak-
ing his act of contrition and recommending his soul to God.
On the foi;rth day I took him by the arm and made him get up
almost in spite of himself, and when he was on deck he felt so
much better that he thanked me for forcing him to get out of
his ''box." Bishop Pureell and Father Gacon were sick only
three or four days, but that was not the case with Father Lamy,
who was not strong when we sailed. He was sick nearly three
weeks.
With Bishop Flaget it was really wonderful. He never
experienced the slightest indisposition — at least, he never
showed that he did. He was always pleasant and cheerful.
Eveiy morning he was the first to get up and go to perform his
devotions in the little saloon on the deck. I cannot tell you
how long he prays, for it seems that he is praying or reading
some pious book all day long. How could it be possible for any
stonns to come upon us while we had such a holy man on our
ship? He was the last one, also, to whom we should expect
anything to happen, but God did permit a little accident to
befall him, no doubt, to give us an occasion to admire his pa-
tience and mortification.
On the second Sunday of the voj^age he was walking upon
deck, when suddenly a heavj'^ beam rolled and stiiick one of
his limbs. It made a bad bruise, which must have been very
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 59
painful, but the holy Bishop lost noue of his ordinary cheerful-
ness, and when anyone asked him how he felt he would answer
with sweetness: "How can I complain when I think of all that
God has suffered for me?" No serious results followed, thanks
to the careful attendance of the ship's doctor.
I must tell you that the same Sunday I had an experience
with danger myself. I was sitting on the deck with Father
Cheymol, trying to read English, when a rope broke over our
heads and an enormous block, bound with iron, fell within
three or four feet of us. The big rope, falling more than forty
feet, came down upon my leg. One end of it struck Father
Cheymol on the head, but his cap saved him from being hurt,
but my leg began immediately to swell and was verj' painful
for two days. I am perfectly well now and I thank God from
the bottom of my heart for hiiving presen-ed me in such danger,
for, as one of the passengers said, a few feet more and my
mission would have been ended.
''Land! Land!" called out the Captain this morning, and
the cry was taken up by all the passengers, almost beside them-
selves with joy. Spyglasses and telescopes were brought into
use upon all sides, but I tried all of them and could see nothing,
not having, I suppose, good sea eyes. This evening we see it
plainly, and can distinguish perfectly the country houses along
the shore, the farms, forts, woods, lighthouses, telegraphs, etc.
The bay is magnificent, and we are beginning to see the spires
of the city. The forest of masts from the numerous vessels is
superb.
Now our ship is at anchor and we are going to board a
steamer to take us to land. The j>oor Germans must stay on
the ship two days to wash and clean up. They have sad
need of it !
God be a thousand times blessed! We are all now in New-
York, in good health, after forty-four days of navigation,
August 21, 1839.
We have been to pay our respects to the Bishop of New-
York, who is a Frenchman, and he received us most kindly. We
have also found here two gentlemen who were waiting for us.
and who will go to Cincinnati with us. We hope to start for-
ward tomorrow.
Receive, very dear Papa, the embraces of your most devoted
and most affectionate son, and say a thousand good things for
me to my aunt, my sister and my brother.
Ever vours, etc..
60 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
We shall find that Father Machebeuf was a good
letter writer. He was then young, and everything
he met with was a new experience. His friends were
interested in him, and as curious to know his expe-
riences as he was willing to write them. He was
aware of the wonder with which they would read in
France of the things in America, so different from
what they had ever seen, and hence, that great wealth
of detail in all his correspondence. The situation,
also, was new to himself, and he noticed many things
as strange and unusual, such, for instance, as to find
himself in the company of so many Protestants and
Jews when on the boat. It was a good thing that all
these conditions were combined here, for they re-
sulted in leaving us a running history of his life and
work which is absolutely true, and which nothing else
could supply.
Th.e stay of the party in New York may have
been a little longer than Father Machebeuf antici-
pated, for Bishop Purcell was with his old teacher.
Bishop Dubois, and his old teacher was in trouble.
Bishop Dubois was very old, and the troubles arising
from the lay trustee system had seriously affected
his mental and physical faculties. The administra-
tion of the diocese had just been intrusted to his co-
adjutor, Bishop Hughes, and the aged prelate
thought that this was a reflection upon his own abil-
ity and integrity. He was inclined to resist and
make things unpleasant for the administrator, but,
a writer says: ^' There fortunately happened to be
another Bishop in New York just then, who had been
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 61
one of Bishop Dubois' favorite pupils. The old man
loved him as a dear son. Bishop threw
himself on his knees before Dr. Dubois. He re-
minded him of his age and infirmity. He pointed out
how the diocese was sufferinp; for the want of a
young, energetic, fearless governor, who could exer-
cise a personal supervision over its remotest parts.
He begged of him to submit promptly and patiently
to the will of the Sovereign Pontiff. His words were
not in vain. The momentary outbreak of human na-
ture was repressed by the influence of divine grace,
and Bishop Dubois yielded up his authority with the
most exemplary meekness. ' '
Ten years before, Bishop Dubois deplored a like
resistance on the part of the Bishop of Philadelphia,
and counseled submission when the administration
of the diocese was placed in other hands, and years
afterwards Bisho]i Purcell saw a coadjutor come and
take hold of his own affairs, almost ho])elessly entan-
gled, though by no fault of his except his over-confi-
dence in others.
The easiest and quickest mode of travel from
New York to Cincinnati in those days was very labor-
ious and very slow. There were no railroads, and
many traveled by wagon or on horseback. The most
rapid means were by canals and stage coaches.
Having no conveyances of his own. Bishop Purcell
chose these latter for himself and party, and arrived
without accident at Cincinnati about the 10th of Sep-
tember.
One would naturally suppose that the learning
62 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
of the language of the country would be the first task
laid before our new missionaries. This would prob-
ably be the case in our day, but at that time Ohio was
being settled rapidly, and there was urgent need of
priests to minister to the wants of the growing Cath-
olic population. This state of things did not permit
the new priests to pass through any training school,
nor those of a foreign tongue to become proficient in
English before starting out on the work of the mis-
sions. Neither was such a course absolutely neces-
sary. The people were clamoring for the bread of
life, and they cared not whether he who broke it to
them was a countryman of their own, speaking their
language fluently, or a stranger speaking little but a
strange tongue, as long as he was a priest of G-od.
In the midst of their work the stranger priests
learned the language of the people to whom they
ministered, and no one today thinks the less of those
zealous and sainted missionaries of early times be-
cause of their imperfect speech and quaint expres-
sions, carried with them to the day of their death.
Bishop Purcell began at once to arrange for the
placing of his new recruits, and within three weeks
after his arrival in Cincinnati Father Machebeuf was
on his way to Tiffin, in the northern part of the state,
there to begin his labors as a missionary. This was
his entrance upon a species of work for which he
seemed to be eminently fitted by nature, and which
really made up the burden of his subsequent life.
Missionary work was the principal occupation of all
his after years, and he ceased it only when he laid
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 03
down his life fifty years later as a missionary bishoj*.
Ju Europe the idea of a young priest being sent
out alone, or given the charge of a congregation, Is
beyond thought. Wlien the friends of Father
Machebeuf heard that Bishop Purcell had, almost
upon his arrival in Ohio, sent him to a mission iu the
interior ])art of the state, their wonder was great and
was not unmixed with indignation.
Father Machebeuf wrote to them, telling them
of his appointment, but through some delay, he did
not receive their letters promptly, and it was only at
the beginning of the next year that he learned of their
feelings, and was able to explain the conditions which
justified the Bishop in thus putting them so early
into the harness. This letter, and many of the suc-
ceeding ones, gives a picture of Ohio which no his-
torian, writing at the present day, could paint with
anything like equal exactitude and liveliness:
Tiffin, Ohio, Januai-y 24. 1840.
Very Dear Papa :
I have just received my sister's letter, dated the 25th of
November. To say that it caused me the greatest pleasure
would be useless, for it broug'ht me the first news that I have
had of you, and you may imagine that I was anxious to hear
how you have all been since I left France. I did not receive
the letter which she told me she wrote in September.
It seems that everybody was astonished because the Bishop
sent us out so soon to our different congregations. I saw by
the enclosure from my brother that you were almost angry with
him, but I cannot understand why anyone should become
alarmed in advance without knowing our position.
Well, to prove to you that the Bishop sought only our
greater good in eveiy respect in sending us out immediately, 1
have only to tell you that it would have been impossible for me
to become accustomed to America if I had remained raueli
longer at the Seminary. I was there but three weeks, and was
64 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
sick nearl}^ fifteen days of that time. There was no one to
teach us English. All the priests there were so busy with their
classes, and with the exercise of the ministry, that a few
moments after dinner were all that could be given to us. The
Bishop himself was overwhelmed with business and visitors all
day long, and it often happened that his room was filled with
callers while he was taking his meals. You see, then, that left
to ourselves, without anj^thing special to do, and not knowing
the language of the countiy, our stay in Cincinnati was in
danger of growing very tiresome, and I can assure you that it
was with great satisfaction that we received the news of our
early appointment to the missions.
As you know, I have been sent to Tiffin. I came here with
an Irish priest who is older than I am, but he was ordained
only last Pentecost. He has been eight years in America, and
before his ordination he was prefect at the college in Cincinnati.
It was there that I made his acquaintance, and our dispositions
seemed to agree so well that we both hoped we might be sent to
the same parish, or congregation as they call it here. The
longer I live with him the more occasion I find to admire his
beautiful character. He has shown a great deal of zeal and
patience, especially in teaching me English, and I am beginning
to Lisp it a little under his instructions. We live together like
real brothers, with everything in common — books, purse, etc. —
and there is neither pastor nor assistant, but each one does the
best he can in his own way. I ■wish that you could be witness
of the happy moments which we spend together beside a good
warm fire when, after returning from our missions, we chat
together and relate our little adventures. But I must give yoii
a few details of my ministerial work.
The climate and the manner of life which we lead here
have agreed well with me up to the present, and I assure j^ou
that I was never in better health than I am now. When Bishop
Purcell came to Tiffin a month ago, he said to me: "Oh, how
fat you have grown I ' ' and I have not lost any flesh since then,
so you can be perfectly at ease on the subject of my health. It
is as good as it possibly could be.
I think I told you that we are obliged to travel about al-
most continually to visit our Catholics, and our congi-egation
is increasing every day. About thirty-five miles from here
there is a priest who speaks German, French and English. The
first thing he said to me when I met him, was to ask me if I
would take charge of his parish, as he had received orders from
his superior to go to another diocese. He belongs to the Con-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 65
grregation of the Redemptorists. I told him that a French priest
amonc; the Germans, who compose almost his entire confrveija-
tion, would likely be of little use, but in case that he must go,
we were willing to try, and one or the other of us would go
once a month to say mass at the church on Sunday, and we
could visit the Catholics of the vicinity the week following.
The hundred miles that we had to travel ever>' month are thus
increased to a hundred and eighty, and so it must remain until
the Bishop can send another priest in his place. We have to
say mass in the capitals of eight or nine counties, and each
county is as large as a department in France.
Thus, you see, I have something to satisfy the desire I al-
ways had for traveling, j'et, during the four months that I have
been in America, I have not gone on foot as much as I formerly
did in a week when I went from Cendre to Orcet and back.
The last time I went to see this German priest I bought his
beautiful horse, with the buggy and harness, all for $100. I
paid part of it, and we will pay the balance when we can. All
of the missionaries are not so well provided as we are, and we
have no reason to complain.
I must tell you about our dress. At home we wear the
cassock as much as possible, but on the streets, or when we go
on the missions, we w^ear a frock coat, waistcoat and trousers,
with a black cravat, and every one recognizes us as Catholic
priests just the same as in France when we wore the cassock
and three-cornered hat all the time. When visiting the settle-
ments in the woods, where most of them are, we wear our old
clothes, but we dress a little better in town so as not to give
occasion to disrespectful comment, which might be made by the
Protestants if they were to see a Catholic priest shabbily
dressed.
For the missions we have a kind of portmanteau in the
shape of a long bag, in which we put the vestments, the chalice,
and everything necessary for saying mass. These things are
small for greater convenience in traveling, and we lock them
up in the bag, which is then thrown across the saddle and is
therefore called saddle-bags. We have, also, a light four-
wheeled, open wagon, which is very comfortable and saves
fatigue. Today, after a journey of thirty or forty miles, I am
less tired than I would be in France after a couple of leagues.
When, in our journeyings, we come to the house where we are
going to say mass, one of the children will hiirrv off to notify
the nearest neighbor, who in turn will notify the next one, and
so on until all the Catholics know that the priest has come.
66 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Scarcely do we have time to get a bite to eat before the
people begin to come— some of them to get acquainted and to
talk to us, and some of them to go to confession, but so manj'
of them are Germans that the task is not easy. My work so
far has been mostly among the French, of whom there is a set-
tlement about twenty-five miles from here, but I have begun
to hear a few confessions in English. The nest morning again
we have to hear confessions, sometimes until eleven o'clock,
when we say mass. At the mass we must always give an in-
struction or they would not be satisfied. At first I was
obliged to preach by my silence, but for a month past I have
been trying to say a few words as little imperfectly as possible.
Last Sunday— the feast of the Holy Name — I was alone at
Tiffin. I read the Gospel and some prayers in English, and
gave them a short instruction on the feast, and, although I could
not say much more than to tell them, as we tell little children,
to be real good, they were quite pleased to hear me begin to
speak their language.
After mass we baptize the children, and sometimes grown
persons also. Thus, last Wednesday I baptized an American
lady whose parents did not profess any religion. She was the
wife of a French Canadian who had taught her the prayers and
made her understand a little of the Catholic religion, and in-
spired her with a strong desire to be baptized. So anxious was
she for baptism, that when I put the question of the ceremonial :
"Do you wish to be baptized?" she answered with an eagerness
which touched all present: "Yes, I wish it with all my heart!"
Her brother, who was baptized two years ago, came to assist at
the ceremonj', and he went to confession before going away.
These are thing's which console and recompense us for the
long journeys we have to make to visit our Catholics. I assure
you that I have found many very edifying things on these visits
— such, for instance, as when elderly and highly respectable ap-
pearing people come to throw themselves on their knees before
a young priest to ask his blessing !
When we call upon a Catholic family for the first time they
hardly know how to receive us. Their conveniences for re-
ceiving visitors are limited, and they think the priest is some
extraordinary person who should not put up with ordinary
things. Their hearts are good far beyond their means, but we
pi;t them at their ease, and after the first ^dsit there is no
more embarrassment.
As for the food, I have been around on the missions about
ten times, and it happened only once or twice that I did not
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 67
have more than the strict necessaries. Generally there is plenty
and to spare. The beds are sometimes very good, and some-
times only passable, but I never lost any sleep on that account,
especially after a lonjr journey. But, lest you should accuse me
of tellin<r you only half of the truth, and of hiding our hard-
ships from you. I am going to say a few words about our little
contretem2}s.
In the first place, it is extremely cold here in January and
February. To give you an idea of it, last week, with another
priest, I was at the house of an Irishman away almost at the
extremity of the diocese near the shore of Lake Erie. I was
writing near the fire, with my inkstand in front of the fire, and
as fast as I took the ink it froze on my pen, and I was obliged
to break the ice in the bottle several times with my penknife.
On my journeys I must often run beside my horse to get warm,
but so far I have not felt the cold very much except in my
hands and feet.
Before leaving Clermont we bought some heavy cloth, such
as the mountaineers there use, and at Paris we had it dyed black
and made into cloaks, lined again with black cashmere. Then
we have knit jackets, woolen underwear, stockings, etc., and fur
overshoes. When thus equipped we do not fear either the cold,
the snow or the wind. After the heavy rains, in certain parts
of the country where there are swamps, the roads are bad,
especially in springtime. The most disagreeable time for trav-
eling is when the north wind blows from Lake Erie. Some-
times I am obliged to cover up my face altogether, else I could
not breathe, the wind is so strong and icy.
But if we have to suffer a little we are amply recompensed
by the consolation of seeing the faith, the eagerness and the
devotion of the greater part of our Catholics, and, above all,
by the grace of our state which the good God gives us. And
now that I see for myself all the good that a priest can do here,
and note the good dispositions of most of the Protestants, I de-
clare to you that, for all the gold in the world, I would not
return to Europe to live there, and my companions are in the
same dispo.sition as myself.
You ask me if I see my companions often ? I must answer
like the Gascon — I see them every time that I find an occasion,
but I au) still on the lookout for the first occasion. Father
Lamy is the nearest to me, and he is eighty miles away. So far
I have seen only their names at the bottom of their letters, but
the retreat, which will be given at the beginning of Lent, will
bring us the pleasure of being all together again at Cincinnati.
68 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
You ask me for details. I think I have given you enough
of them for the present. Be perfectly at rest upon the subject
of my position here— I am happier than you think.
Remembrances, etc.
In further explanation of some of the points of
this letter it may be stated, that the Irish priest who
was the co-laborer of Father Machebeuf at Tiffin
was the Rev. Joseph McNamee. His health was
never very good, and most of the outside mission
work fell to Father Machebeuf. Father McNamee
left Ohio in 1847, and died at Pawtucket, R. I., in
1853.
Father Tschenhens, C. SS. R., was the German
priest thirty-five miles from Tiffin, at Norwalk and
Peini. He was one of the first Redemptorists to come
to America. He went to Pittsburg as superior of the
Redemptorists there, but returned to Ohio for a
short time in 1841. He died in Baltimore in 1877.
The force of Father Machebeuf 's remarks about
his dress will be better seen when we remember that
in France the priests always, even in traveling, wear
the cassock, and never appear in civilian dress.
When bishops and priests from America go to
France, unless they put on the clerical garb, they are
not recognized as Catholic clergymen, although they
are sometimes set down as Protestant ministers.
The companions of whom Father Machebeuf
speaks were the priests who came from France with
him, and these were already doing duty in missions
similar to his own. Father Lamy was at Danville in
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 69
Kjiox county, P^'atliers Gacon and Clieymol were at
Fayetteville in Brown county, and Father Navaron
was in Clermont county. All of them did good work
and were greatly beloved by their flocks.
CHAPTER V.
Ohio Apostles.— The Work of One Week.— First Englisk
Sermon.— Lost in the Woods. — A Di-ive on the lee. — A Good
Hotel-keeper. — A Convert. — A Frisky Horse.— Reported Dead.
A Primitive Court.— A Condemned Murderer. — A Prayer
Answered.
When our Divine Lord sent the Disciples to
preach the Gospel in Judea, He sent them without
staff or scrip, or bread or money, neither should they
have two coats. He told them to go, and at the house
where they would be received, to enter and remain
there, eating and drinking what would be set before
them.
If we change the name of the place from Judea
to America, and the persons from Disciples to mis-
sionaries, we will have a good idea of the position of
the first priests in the missions of Ohio. It is proba-
ble that the lives and work of all the heralds of the
faith since the beginning of Christianity have had a
common general resemblance, and differed only in
the details. It is these details which make up the indi-
vidual history of each one, and they are drawn from
the times, the place, the living surroundings and the
general dispositions of the missionary. Fortunately
Father Machebeuf was apt at description, and while
the situation was new to him he spoke freely of his
labors.
A few days after writing the foregoing letter he
received the missing letter from his sister, and its
answer is full of items of news and description which
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 71
today make it read like a romance even among the
pioneers. The conditions, as then existing, can
hardly be gras])ed as real by those now living in that
once wild section of Ohio. It is a long answer, but
we are glad of that for the information which it
gives :
Tiffin, February 14, 1840.
Very Dear Sister:
At last I have received your letter of Sept. 20. A fort-
night ago as I was passing- the postoffice I went in to see if
there might not be some letters for me, and you can imagine
how agreeably surprised I was to find Ihere the letter for which
I was so long waiting. It must have met a good many storms
while crossing the sea, for I saw by the postmark that it left
France on the 27th of September and did not reach New York
until the 17th of January. It gave me the more pleasure because
I had waited so long for it. I was very much moved by the
affection which so many persons wished to testify for me, and
I have read and re-read it with an almost infinite pleasure, and
each time the tears would como as I saw it signed by so many
who are dear to me.
In order to give you a just idea of our missions I am going
to tell you in detail what has occurred since I wrote to my
father.
The 1st of February, a Saturday, J spent part of the day
trj'ing to prepare an instruction in English for the feast of the
Purification. In order to get it done the sooner, I pillaged, as
we used to say it at the Seminary, all the English books I could
find, yet in spite of this precaution I had it only about half fin-
ished when night came. I was obliged to leave it so, and as I
was about to put some closing touches on this masterpiece of
English literature, I was interrupted by the arrival of a young
Lutheran, who came to be instructed in the Catholic religion. You
may be sure that I laid aside my sermon in a hurry and hastened
to give him all the necessary explanations (he best way I could.
I was jdeased to find that he was well instinicted upon many
points, for he was well educated, and had seen my confrere sev-
eral times, and. besides, he had been reading some Calliolic
books ver^' carefully by himself. He stayed until half-past
nine, but the conversation was so interesting that the time did
not seem so long. He was very friendly, and before going he
72 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
said that he wished to make his retractation the following day.
I put him off for another week to tiy him further, and also for
the reason that I did not yet dare undertake to hear his general
confession. After he went away I let my sermon go, but said
my office and prayers and went to bed ''right straight," as the
Abbe Onzon used to saj'.
The next morning, as it was known that I had begun to hear
confessions in English, I saw a number of persons waiting at
the door of the church. I began at eight o'clock and was kept
busy until eleven, when I began the high mass. First came the
blessing of the candles— not such candles as you have, but can-
dles made here by the Catholics themselves. So far everything
was easy and continued so as long as I had the book to read
from, but when it came to speaking English without a book —
that was another affair. Howevei-, I pulled thi'ough better
than I expected. I said about all I had written, and then
I reached out right and left for something more, and scolded
them for not teaching their children their prayers, and finally,
when I could find no more to say, I did as the Abbe Faure did
when he was at the Seminary. He was preaching to us on the
crosses and miseries of life, and losing himself in the middle of
his sermon, he ended by saying: "My brethren, to shorten your
miseries and my own, I will now close by wishing you everlast-
ing life." I had one almost infinite pleasure, however, and
that was to give communion to about a dozen persons whose
confessions I had heard in English. This was the first time
that I heard confessions in English in our home church.
The music was very well rendered at the mass, but the
choir outdid itself at vespers. The only music teacher in the
town is a German Catholic. He plays upon almost every in-
strument, and his daughter sings for us with several others of
the young people of the place. Such was my Sunday work.
Monday morning I took our little wagon and started to
visit a new congregation of twelve French and Irish families
and two or three Germans. I discovered them by chance about
a month ago. They had not seen a priest for eight years, and
there was one young French girl among them who had never
seen a priest before.
In the evening when I came near the place where the family
lives with whom I was going to stay, I did not know the way
any farther, so I left the main road and drove to the house of
a German Lutheran to inquire the road. He directed me to a
little road running through the woods, which I followed until
it became so little that it disappeared altogether. There I
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 73
found myself in the midst of trees and brush without the pos-
sibility of going any farther. I then tied my horse to a tree
and started on foot to find a way out of my difficulty. I had
been at the house before, but I had come in by another road,
and now I was at a loss to locate it exactly. I first went to the
right and then to the left, but without success. Finally I saw
a light in the distance, and I thought I would go and make fur-
ther inquiries. To reach it I was obliged to climb several
fences and cross fields, and when I came to it, it was the house
of the German who had given me my first directions. This
time his son came with me to show me the way, but another
difficulty arose here, for in the darkness I did not know where
to find my horse. At last, with the help of the light from the
snow, we found him, and my kind guide did not leave me until
he brought me to the house for which I had been searching.
This is a sample of our little adventures, and they furnish us
good subjects of conversation in our recreations at home.
On Tuesday I heard confessions and said mass at the
house of a lady whose husband had died a short time before.
After mass I heard her speak of removing the body of her
husband to a Catholic cemetery, and I remarked that it would
be better to build a chapel for the little congregation and have
a cemetery of their own. She was so jileased with the sugges-
tion that she offered to donate the ground and furnish all the
timber for the chapel. I took her at her word, and calling
together all those who had not gone away, I dreAv up a sub-
scription paper which everyone generously signed, and ar-
rangements were made for beginning the chapel next week. I
myself chose the best location I could find for it — a place on a
little knoll near the high road.
After dinner I wont eight miles farther to visit an Irish
settlement, and they all went to confession, men, women and
children, except one man, and I hope to have him the next time.
Wednesday I said mass in a house which poverty made a
good representation of the Stable of Bethlehem. There I
blessed the union of a French couple who had been married
civilly two years before and had not been able to find a priest
since that time.
In the evening I left there to go to Sandusky City, and
this is tlie way I took. Between the Ii-ish congregation and
the town there is a lake about four miles wide. The ice was so
strong that one could drive over it the same as upon land. I
know you will say that I was imprudent, but I was not the only
one. Ahead of me there were three men in a wagon drawn by
74 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
two big hoi'ses, and this was the second time for them to make
the trip that same daj'. I never had such a pleasant drive in
my life. In the middle of the lake I had the pleasure of seeing
a boat going upon the ice faster than ever it could go upon
water. It had triangailar sails and was set upon three skates,
or iron runners, about a foot long, and it went by the force of
the wind.
At Sandusky City I put up with an American, a Protestant,
but one who has great respect for the Catholic priests. He
keeps the best hotel by far in the place. The first time that I
stayed at his house with my confrere he would not take any-
thing from us, but told us alwaj's to come and stay with him.
The second time he received me, not like a stranger, but like a
son, and the next day, when I had not finished my work at noon,
he kept the whole family waiting for dinner until one o'clock. I
was really embarrassed by all the attentions he showed me. I
made him a present of a book of controversy between Bishop
Purcell and a Protestant minister, and he was enchanted
with it.
Thursday morning I was kept busy with confessions, mass,
etc., and in the afternoon with baptisms and visits. On Friday
I set out for the other Sandusky, thirty miles away, where I
found my confrere faithful to the rendezvous for which we had
arranged. He was coming from a trip of three weeks on a
mission a hundred miles from Tiffin.
On Saturday morning he went home so as to be at Tiffin for
mass on Sunday, and I went to a parish about thirtj' miles
away where the priest, a German, had left the diocese. There
they were anxiously expecting the priest, and when I arrived I
found the table set and an excellent supper ready for me. I
did honor to the cook, who, I may say by Avay of parenthesis,
is to come and be our cook.
On Sunday morning I heard confessions in English, and
also in German by means of an interpreter, for I have not yet
the gift of tongues. Perhaps you did not pray hard for me,
as I asked you to do when I wrote to you.
As most of the people there understand Englisli I thought
I would preach to them, so I brought out my miserable little
instruction of the previous Sunday, after having given it again
at Sandusky City. It is a great help for us to be able to give
the same instruction at different places.
On Mondaj^ I went to the house of a German about half
way on the road to Tiffin, where I said mass the following
morning in a chapel which they had built in the middle of the
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 75
woods, after which I continued my journey and arrived at
Tiffin in perfect health.
The next day, Wednesday, the young Lutheran made his
retractation in the presence of several persons, and I baptized
him conditionally. We were all greatly edified at his faith,
piety and recollection. The same evening I started again for
a little town ten miles away in an adjoining county. I re-
turned yesterday feeling quite well, but after another little
adventure which I must relate to you.
On the Avay my feet wei-e cold, and I thought I would get
off my horse and walk a while to warm them. I do not know
whether it was the umbrella they gave me against the snow that
fj-ightened him, or that he took a notion to warm his own feet,
but anyway, he kicked up his heels and started off at a gallop.
I could not hold him, and there I was, then, I'unning after my
horse, and he disappearing over a hill. My feet were warai
long before I had any other news of him than his tracks in the
snow, but finally, as I came to the top of a hill, I saw a young
man leading him back to me by the bridle. I rewarded the
young man for the service he had rendered me, and remount-
ing, I continued my journey with my body and feet thoroughly
warmed up.
Today, I have no need to tell you, after my necessary work
all my time is employed in writing this letter. You will not
complain that I do not give you plenty of details. I have
chosen the largest sheet of paper that I could find, and I shall
not stop as long as I have any space to fill.
Sunday there will be no mass here, as I start tomorrow to
go and say mass at Lower Sandusky. That is my particular
parish, for there are a great many French in the town and
around about it. I expect to be gone about eight days.
A short time ago I went out to see a farm of eighty acres
which belongs to Bishop Purcell. It is five miles from here on
a good road, but in the middle of the woods. We have the
benefit of it, and get some hay, corn, etc., from it. but it does
not produce much because it is not well tilled.
Before long we shall go to the retreat, and after my return
I shall write a long letter to Mr. Molhon. In the meanwhile
pray for me, as I do every day for you and the whole family.
Many kind things to our dear Papa, our aunt and our little
brother. Tell them not to worry about me. I am surrounded
by friends, not only among the .Catholics, but also among the
Protestants.
In my last letter I forgot to ask for at least two sets of
76 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the Stations of the Cross — one as large and fine as possible, for
the new and beautiful church at Lower Sandusky which we are
going to begin building in the spring, and the other such as it
may be; it is for another little chapel now nearly finished.
Adieu, etc.
An examination of the map of eight or nine
counties within a circle centering at Tiffin will give
us a fair idea of the territory under the charge of
Fathers McNamee and Machebeuf. In all proba-
bility the bishop of the diocese could not, without
actual count, tell within a score the number of priests
working there today. To be sure, it was not popu-
lated then as now, but that it was being rapidly set-
tled up is seen from the fact that our missionaries
said mass every day in different settlements, and
considerable numbers always attended the holy sacri-
fice. Not a day need have been missed if human en-
durance could have borne the strain, and then the
people would be lacking in all but the essentials.
In this immense district Tiffin was but the rally-
ing point, to which the missionaries returned from
their labors only to get breath for another run
through the missions. Then, there were the sick
calls in every direction, and funerals to attend, and
again the race back to meet their appointments.
Chapels and churches must also be built, and in these
days, as in our own, little was done in that way unless
the priest was there to provide the means and direct
the construction.
Distance, bad weather, the lack of roads, etc.,
were words not found in their dictionary of excuses.
They probably had no such book, or kept it locked
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 77
away in some secret drawer, for their lives seem to
have been ordered according to a far different book
where every chapter was lieaded: "For the greater
glory of God and the salvation of souls."
Father Machebeuf 's letters show that the people
were well attended and the trials of the missionaries
in these fatiguing and ever recurring journeys were
only ordinary events, just furnishing "good subjects
of conversation in their recreations at home,"
Here was the true missionary spirit, the spirit of
the Great Apostle who tells his beloved Corinthians :
"You are in our hearts to die together and to live
together. Great is niy confidence with you, great is
my glorying for you, I am filled with comfort, I ex-
ceedingly abound with joy in our tribuhitions."
The work of Father Machebeuf is not all
summed up in the foregoing letters, neither are the
hardships all told. Wliile on one of his missionaiy
trips he had an attack of malarial fever. Later the
dread cholera came, and rumors of his death reached
his friends. At this news Father Lamy hastened
upon the sad mission of giving Christian burial to his
remains, but was greatly astonished, and wonder-
fully pleased, to find his friend in life and upon the
road towards recovery, although still very weak. Of
this episode Father Machebeuf could afterwards, and
often did, make a pleasant subject of conversation in
his recreations. It also gave Father Rappe the occa-
sion of calling him the Deceiver of Death — (Trompe-
la-Mort).
Some additional lines to the picture of his life
.78 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
during this time are given in a brief account which
he wrote years afterwards, and from which the fol-
lowing extracts are taken :
In the beginning of November, 1839, I visited for the first
time the Irish laborers working on the National, or macada-
mized, road, then being built through the Black Swamp from
Fremont— at that time Lower Sandusky — to Perrysburg on the
Maumee river. I was at Lower Sandusky, where I received
kind hospitality from Mrs. Dickinson and Mrs. Rawson, two
very respectable French ladies man-ied to Protestant gentle-
men, when I learned that a good number of Canadian farmers
had settled on Mud Creek, nine or ten miles down the river. I
went there immediately and found over thirty families, mostly
from Detroit and Monroe, Mich. During the few days I spent
v/ith them I had the consolation of seeing all of them approach
the sacraments in the best dispositions. A good widow lady
gave a beautiful site for a chapel on the banks of the river, and
to make a beginning, I appointed some pious ladies to teach
the catechism on Sundays and a few days during the week, and
I promised to visit them every month. To facilitate the keep-
ing of my promise I bought a Canadian pony, on credit, and
borrowed a saddle. Thus equipped, I returned to Lower San-
dusky, where I rested a day and then began the long and tedious
journey thi'ough the Black Swamp to the Maumee river.
The National Road was graded and partly macadamized,
but it was very rough, and I traveled only a few miles a day.
The first day I had gone only five or six miles when I came
upon a party of good Irishmen working upon the road. They
recognized me as a priest, and asked me to go to a large log
cabin at some distance to attend a sick man. It was in No-
vember, and while I was warming myself, my pony was put in
a stable and another cabin was got ready for me. I found that
there was no sick man, but that they had perpetrated this
pious fraud to keep me for the next day, which was Sunday.
I made no objection to the aiTangement, for it suited me
very well, so on Sunday I set up my little altar and said mass
and ventured to say a few words to them in English. After
mass I had four or five children to baptize, and the genei'ous
men were so thankful for the privilege of hearing mass in that
wild country and of having their children baptized that they
gave me almost enough money to pay for my pony. Promising
to visit them again on my return, I set out for PeiTysburg, re-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
joioing that I had been sto}»pe(:l on Saturday for the sick ( ?)
man.
At that time Perrysbiuf; was but a poor little village od
the east side of the INfaumee river. I found there only one
Catholic family, poor Canadians, in a little cabin. I said mass
for them and then crossed the bridgeless river with great diffi-
culty and went to Maumee City on the other side. There I
found two or three Catholics, said mass for them and set out
for Toledo.
Toledo was then (1839) a real mudhole, on tlio banks of
the Maumee. It consisted of a few frame houses, some log
cabins, an extent of swamp and an array of ponds of muddy
water. A worse feature was that a large number of persons
were sick with the Maumee fever. There were a few Catholic
families and five or six single men. I said mass for eight or
ten persons in the frame shanty of a poor Canadian. There
were a few other families along the river and in the countiy,
so I remained a few days at Toledo to give them a chance to
hear mass and go to confession.
As none of the houses of the Catholics was large enough
to accommodate our little congregation, we rented a "hall"
over a drug store and fitted it uj) with an altar made of dry'
goods boxes covered with calico. In my later visits I found a
few benches and two brass candlesticks. This was the first
church of the good Father Rappe when, in 1841, he was sent
from Chillicothe to take charge of Toledo as its first resident
pastor.
At Chillicothe Fathei- Rappe lived at the house of Major
Anderson, a pious conveit who could sjieak French. It was
here that I first met Fatlier Rappe. whiU' ho was learning
English from the good major.
From Toledo I went back to Maumee, and kept visiting the
little towns along the banks of the Maumee river, such as
Providence, Napoleon, etc. The most of the Catholics in this
section were Inslimen, working on the canal, chiefly near Na-
poleon. As they all lived in miserable tents, crowded and
filthy, there was no corner for me among them. On one occa-
sion when I had engaged what was called the parlor at the
village taveni, I came in after a hard day's work just in tho
mood for a good rest. I liad heard confessions and said mass
in the mess tent of one of the camjis, and had visited several
other camps, above and below the town. This time I was
especially tired, and anticipated with pleasure a quiet evening
bv a comfortable fire.
80 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
When I returned to the tavern I noticed that a great many
teams and saddle horses were hitched to the fences, and that
the tavern was croAvded with men. I Avas obliged to go in by
the back door, and Avas told by the landlord that court was be-
ing held in the house.
Napoleon was the county seat, the tavern was the largest
house in the town, and my room was the largest convenient
room in the tavern. This, then, had been appropriated by the
judge, Avho sat in my chair, the jury was sitting on benches and
boxes, the prisoner was in one corner of the room, and the wit-
nesses and spectators were in all the remaining space.
I went to an old log cabin, which answered for a dining
room, and there I took my supper and said my office. When
it began to groAv late, and as I was very tired, I resolved to go
to bed in spite of the fact that the court was still in session. I
pushed my way through the croAvd and found my bed occupied
by three men sitting crossAvays. I whispered to them that this
was my bed, and I would be obliged to them if they would move,
as I wished to retire. They rather hesitated, but as I insisted
they got out. Fortunately, the bed had curtains, and these I
closed carefully, and behind them I proceeded to undress and
prepare for bed. The situation caused a little merriment, but
T did not mind that and Avas soon fast asleep.
Some hours later I was awakened by the adjournment of
the court and the loud voices and heaAy boots of the men. The
prisoner came to my bed and asked me how I got along. I told
him, very Avell, and asked him what was the decision of the
court. He informed me that he got clear. He then left, and
for the rest of the night I had a quiet and undisturbed sleep.
The next day I continued my journey, going as far as Inde-
pendence, where I found a few Catholic families.
Well pleased with my first visit to the public Avorks, I re-
turaed slowly to Tiffin, where I remained until the end of
December.
About that time I heard that Bishop Purcell was expected
at a small town south of Tiffin, and I went there to meet him.
The good Bishop received me very kindly and kept me with him
a few days to help him in his visitation. Before returning he
told me that as I was able to get along fairly well in English,
he Avould appoint me pastor of Sandusky. Here there Avas
neither church nor house, and only a few Catholic families,
whose acquaintance I had first made whilst attending a sick
call there from Tiffin.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. SI
Mingled with the liard work of Father Mache-
beuf there were many amusing incidents like those
just related, and there were many other incidents
that brought a special consolation with them. Among
these latter was an experience which came to him
upon one of his visits to Sandusky. Accidentally he
heard that a murderer was confined in the jail and
would be executed in three days. Tliinking that he
might be a Catholic, Father Machebeuf visited him.
He found the man to be of no particular religion, but
not averse to religious help. Already the Episcopal
and Methodist ministers had visited him and prayed
with him, but Father Machebeuf undertook to do
more. He explained the doctrine of penance, and
showed the unfortunate man the necessity of some
special manner of repentance and atonement. Then,
going over all the ]")rincipal doctrines of the Church,
he explained the Catholic teaching and convinced him
of its truth. Ho spent the greater part of the three
days in jail with the poor man, preparing him for the
sacraments, which he received with great devotion on
the morning of his execution. The preceding day he
insisted upon fasting, in order to do some penance
to make up for the total neglect of it during his pre-
vious life. He accepted death in the spirit of pen-
ance, and Father Machebeuf was greatly edified by
his conduct in his last moments. The Protestant
ministers made no attempt to interfere with his work,
but when Father IMachebeuf appeared on the scene
they retired and never visited the jail again to offer
any further ministrations.
82 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Again, one night while going through the
swamps along the Maumee river, he lost his way.
Pushing on with difficulty he came to a house, and
what was his delight to find it the home of a widow
whom he had converted and baptized only a short
time before. Her delight was still greater, for her
father was sick and she had been praying that the
priest might come and baptize him before he died.
She had instructed him as well as she could, and he
desired to die a Catholic. Father Machebeuf fin-
ished the work which she had begun, baptizing him
that night, and before morning God had called to
Himself the newly regenerated soul.
Such are a few of the things which offset the
hardships in the missionary life of Father Mache-
beuf and made it sweet in its severity. Nor were
they incidents in his life alone. All the missionaries
had similar experiences, and they but illustrate what
was of frequent occurrence in the lives of all of them.
CHAPTER VI.
Goes to Lower Sandusky. — The Place. — The People.— A
Patriarch.— To Cincinnati in a Buggy. — Mardi Gras. — Meets
the Future Bishop Rappe. — Castles in Spain and Churches in
Ohio.— Railroads.— High Bridge. — Good Will of the People.
Prepares to Build. — Removes to Sandusky City. — Household
Arrangements. — Mixed Religions. — Troubles at Norwalk.
Cooks. — Begs and Borrows. — The Lord Will Provide. — Piety.
The year 1841 opened for Father Machebeuf un-
der circumstances somewhat changed. He had been
appointed pastor of Lower Sandusky and the sur-
rounding missions, and had a less extensive field than
formerly, but he had a heavier responsibility, for he
was now alone to attend to the wants of the people
scattered throughout his vast mission, and at the
same time he must superintend the building of
churches which were becoming necessary in many of
his missions.
Lower Sandusky was then but a village on the
Sandusky river. It was established about twenty-
five years previously, and had just absorbed Crogh-
ansville, its rival on the opposite bank of the river.
In 1850, when Sandusky City, on Lake Erie, began to
forge rapidly to the front and overshadow its partial
namesake, the name of Lower Sandusky was changed
to Fremont. At the time of Father Machebeuf 's ar-
rival it was as flourishing as any town in his mission,
and was centrally located, which made it the most
conv^enient location for him in his visitations of the
scattered settlements.
84 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
The manner of his appointment, and a descrip-
tion of the place and its prospects are best given by
Father Machebeuf himself in a letter written to his
sister under date of March 10, 1841 :
My Very Dear Sister:
It is now more than a month since I received your two
letters — one of the 4th of October, and the other of November
14th, but when I tell you of the change in my position, and the
long journey I have just made, you will pardon my delay in
answering them. I am pleased to know that my letters have
interested you.
I think I told yon that Father Lamy came to see me at
Tiffin in September, and as Bishop Purcell told me in one of
his letters that he would be at Danville, Father Lamy's parish,
on the 15th of November, I chose that moment to return Father
Lamy's visit and have at the same time the consolation of find-
ing him there whom I regard as a veritable father. I was lucky
enough to find the Bishop there, and also a German priest with
whom I am very well acquainted. All of them, including the
family with whom Father Lamy stays, received me most kindly
and gave me a hearty welcome.
During my stay I was delighted to see all the good that my
confrere has done. He has converted a number of . Protestants,
and among them a distinguished family from London. They
were once wealthy, but lost their fortune, and are now follow-
ing the humble calling of the farmer. The Bishop pleased the
Protestants so gTcatly, and so thoroughly disabused them on
the subject of the Catholic religion, that several of them have
been converted and others are about to follow their example.
Nearly all of them call him their bishop. I was witness to a
controversy which he had with a Protestant minister who was
the terror of the whole country round. We had the pleasure
of seeing this man humble himself before the Bishop and ask
his pardon like a little child.
When I rendered to the Bishop an account of our missions,
and told him that a Protestant had given us a beautiful site for
a church at Lower Sandusky, he advised me to attend particu-
larly to that place, and visit it oftener than usual so as to over-
see the building of the church. I told him that this arrange-
ment would oblige us to give up the Irish who were working
on the canal from fifty to a hundred miles west of Tiffin. He
then decided that he would send a priest to the other side of the
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 85
Maumee where the Irish are, that Father McNaraee would stay
at Tiflfin and that I would have charjre of Lower Sandusky and
Sandusky City, the capital of Erie county. In consequence of
these arransements I have been pastor of Lower Sandusky since
the 1st of January, 1841.
Lower Sandusky is eighteen miles north of Tiffin. It is
built on the Sandusky river, but in a narrow valley, and the
plan of the town extends considerably back upon the hills on
each side of the river. All the public buildings and a large
number of other houses are already built. A magnificent paved
road runs through the town from east to west, and steamboats
and other vessels afford easy facilities of communication with
Sandusky City on the shores of Lake Erie. A railroad, also,
upon which they are now actively engaged, will soon connect us
with the lake.
As we have no church yet I have rented a large store build-
ing and given it, as much as possible, the appearance of a
church. I have had an altar made, also a confessional and
benches with backs to them, as it is customary here, and I have
rented all of them in order to meet my expenses. What will
astonish you is that several Protestant families have rented
some of them. Every Sunday a certain number of Protestants,
drawn by curiosity, come to mass, and they seem to listen with
interest to the instructions. There are no more than ten Cath-
olic families in the town, and five of them are of mixed mar-
riages.
Eight miles from here, on the river, there are about twenty
Fre!ich Canadian families. Among them there is a man whose
father was a negro, and he is not a bad image of one himself,
but he has given sixty acres of land to the church. For the
present, however, he retains the use of it. On it they have
built a little chapel, which will be plastered as soon as fine
wonther comes.
Four miles south of the town there are a dozeii families of
(Jermans, who live with such innocence and simjdicity as might
mark the first Christians. It is in the midst of these that I am
living. The family where I stay is quite patriarchal. The good
old father, whose \on<r and ample coat with its immense buttons
must date fiom the time of Henr\- TV, sings mass for me ever>-
Sunday, and in this he is assisted by his three sons and three
dnughters. He himself serves my mass during the week everv
day where I .say it in my room, and he says that he would feel
happy to serve it as long as he lived. He began when he wa.s
ten years old by becoming a server, then he became sacristan.
86 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
afterwards chanter, etc. Every evening after supper he gives
me a lesson in German, but I think it will be a long time before
I shall be able to read or speak it with any fluency. Besides
the families I have mentioned there are many others scattered
through the country, and some of them I do not know yet. I
have counted about sixty families that come to mass.
I shall not say much to you about our church, as there is
nothing certain yet about its location or size. I am counting
upon a gentleman who, although of no religion himself, will
alone assist us more than half of the parish. He is very rich,
and his wife is a Canadian and a good Catholic. He himself
has no confidence in any but the Catholic religion. I stop at
his place when I am in town, and I am writing this from his
house. Locations for the church are offered to us in different
places, and I am embarrassed only in the choice. I am in
charge of Sandusky City in addition to this place, and probably
I shall go there sooner or later to live. We are going to build
a church there soon.
Now I will tell you about our long trip. I had occasion to
go to Columbus, the capital of Ohio, which is in the center of
■the state. I thought that, being so far, I might as well make
the other half of the journey and go to see Bishop Purcell at
Cincinnati. I made known my plan to Father Lamy and
offered him a place in my conveyance if he wished to accom-
pany me. It was not necessar}' to urge him much — he was
ready a week before the day appointed.
We set out one fine day in February, after having placed
ourselves under the protection of the Blessed Virgin, and it is
impossible for me to tell you one-half of the pleasure and con-
solation we both felt during that journey. It was such a relief
to find ourselves separated from the Protestants and free to
talk over our own little affairs. And how we did talk about
France, about our relations, about the Seminary, and our con-
freres! We enjoyed also singing together the canticles of the
Blessed Virgin, and other hymns that we used to sing so often
on the ship, and occasionally we varied our amusement by a
little popular song, and you will not forget that I know quite a
number of them.
We arrived in Cincinnati on Saturday morning, Feb. 20,
after four days of traveling from the home of Father Lamy.
To tell you that Bishop Purcell received us with affection and
a welcome truly paternal is useless. He entered into the most
minute details to learn if we needed any assistance, if we had
been sick, etc.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 87
Besides having the consolation of seeing the Bishop, we
were agreeably surprised to find Father Gacon at the Bishop's
house. His place is only forty miles from Cincinnati, and he
had come to act as temporary pastor in the absence of Father
Purcell, the brother of the Bishop. He is in fine health, and
speaks English better than one would expect at his age.
As we intended to make our trip as complete as possible, we
remained but two days at Cincinnati, and on Tuesday morning
we set out with the expectation of spending the evening of
Mardi Gras with Father Cheymol. We would also take part
with him in the ceremonies of Ash-Wednesday and share in
the Lenten supplies which Father Gacon gave us for him. Un-
fortunately we lost our way and had to pass the night at a little
town fifteen miles from his church. The roads were frightful,
and the next day when we found that we were only twelve miles
from the main road to Columbus, we were tempted to sell
Father Cheymol 's provisions to the hotelkeeper and come back
direct. But the desire of seeing our old friend made us brave
all difficulties, and we pushed on to Fayetteville, where we ar-
rived with no other accident than being covered with mud.
We found our countryman in excellent health, and b-carcely
able to realize that the three of us were united again in
America and in his own parish. The next day we resumed our
journey and he accompanied us a long distance on the way.
The following Sunday we had the further pleasure of making
the acquaintance of a French priest who arrived from Boulogne
only three months ago. Finally, after making 550 miles, I ar-
rived here last Saturday in good health, but with an empty
purse.
The case with the vestments has not yet come, but it is safe
and we will receive it as soon as navigation opens. Please
thank the ladies of the Visitation for their goodness in sending
me a vestment, also Sister Emmanuel Andraud, and tell all the
others that I realize my obligation to them. Tell them also
that I count greatly on their prayers, for, in the distracting life
which I must lead here, I am not sure that mine are so very
pleasing to God.
My respects to all the clergy of St. Amable and the Mar-
thuret. Be also the interpreter of all my gratitude and affec-
tion to our dear parents. Tell them especially not to be uneasy
about me, for T have not yet been in need.
Adieu, etc.
88 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Father Machebeuf's descriptions furnish good
material for real history. In them we recognize spe-
cial conditions and individual events proper to the
times, and which passed away with the pioneer set-
tler, the woodsman and the missionary. Some tilings
remained longer, such as sectarian opposition, and
the preacher who thumped the Bible and the Catholic
Church at the same time, and a few of the things are
with us yet, as the mixed-marriage evil, etc.
It is unfortunate that Father Machebeuf did not
think it necessary to give the names of more of those
whom he met and labored with. They would be of
little interest to those to whom he wrote, but to us
they would be of special help in making up the his-
tory of those heroic times. The priest whom they
met on their return trip from Cincinnati was Father
Rappe, the future Bishop of Cleveland. It was alto-
gether a distinguished company, for they were all
destined to wear miters. Such meetings, however,
were not uncommon in those days, for on the Ohio
missions about that time we find such men as Mache-
beuf, Lamy, Rappe, Alemany, Henni, De Goesbriand,
Neumann, Juncker and Miles.
Another letter written at this time gives addi-
tional details of his missionary work, and a fuller
description of the early settlements on the borders of
the Western Reserve. Even at that time there were
indications of the great progress that was soon to
follow, but the rapid and enormous strides of this
giant civilization can better be estimated by seeing
the past as it was in reality and comparing it with tlie
LIFK OF BISIlOr MACHEBEUF. 89
present. In the midst of progress we lose conscious-
ness of its movement, and failing to realize the im-
portance of successive and gradual changes in which
we have had no part, we almost come to think that
things were always as we find them at a given time.
The early church was in keeping with the early
civilization, and both have made equal progress since
Father Machebeuf wrote the following letter:
Lower Sandusky. March 26. 1S41.
Verv Dear Papa : . i
Althouo-h all the letters that I write to my sister are surely
communicated to you, I think that you would Perh^J ^e
pleased to receive news from me m a manner more ^ rec 'lud
official. I am o-oit^.^r. then, to give you today -reaer details of
mv present position and work than I did in my last letter to
vou in Februarv. I suppose that before this reaches you, you
will have heard of the pleasure T enjoyed on my trip to Cin-
cinnati, visitino- Father Gacon and his inseparable companion.
Father Chevmol, and all of that in the company of my dear
confrere. Father Lamy, whom I call my neighbor, although he
is at least a hundred miles from here.
But let me here express to you again my grateful thanks
for the 500 francs vou sent me at Pans. Tt was the last ot
Ihat sum which enabled n.e to pay one-half the cost of the little
..quipage which has served me in such good stead.
You are aware that I am no longer in charge of Tiffin, but
of Lower Sa.iduskv. where T am living at present, and of San-
dusky City, whore T am going to take up n.y residence prett>
""""""what has detei-mined me to leave Lower Sandusky is that
the town is built in a hollow on both sides of the river, and the
atmosphere is not healthy in summer. From August until
October a oood part of the inhabitants are down sick with the
fever As T think T paid my contribution in that line last year
at Tiffin, I do not care to be laid under obligations again this
vear sLnduskv City, on the contrary, is extremely healthy
Ihe whot ear.- as it'is built on the shore of Lake Kne whic^
is like a Tittle ocean. Its position is rather elevated and its
soil is gravelly, so that the air is never tainted with unhealthy
90 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
exhalations, and the wind, which has a clear sweep, keeps the
atmosphere pure and wholesome.
Besides this, the city is destined to become a commercial
point of gi-eat importance. Everything seems to contribute to
the fact. From the north vessels and steamboats of all sizes
arrive from almost every part of the United States, and if I
wished to pay you a visit, I would only have to board one of
these steamboats which Avould take me to New York by means
of the lake, and streams and rivers which are very numerous
here and nearly all navigable. From New York, no sailing ves-
sel, but a steamer would take me to Liverpool in fourteen days.
From Liverpool to Paris by railroad and the Straits of Dover,
two days would be enough. Then from Paris to Riom is but a
hop-step-and-a-jump for an American. That is the way Father
Lamy and I have fixed up our plan, but we cannot carry it out
until we have each of us built two churches. He must build at
Mount Vernon and Newark, and I at my two Sanduskys. If,
then, you can find some good generous Catholic who will send
us 80,000 francs for each church we will both start within a
year.
But pei-haps I am annoying you by speaking of a project
which must seem to you impracticable. Nevertheless, I assure
you that it is a project definitely fixed, only we shall have to
wait a few years before carrying it out. You will pardon this
digression — ''out of the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh." Means of travel appear so easy, and the voyage
so agreeable, that I wished to have a foretaste, if only in im-
agination, of the happiness of finding myself once more in
your arms.
To the South of Sandusky City there is a railroad finished
to within eight miles of Tiffin, and it will be completed to Cin-
cinnati in less than two years. This will give travelers the ad-
vantage of crossing the entire state of Ohio in a day and a
night. It took me six days to make the trip in my buggy.
To the southeast there is another railroad that has fifteen
miles in operation, and in a few years will reach Columbus, the
capital of Ohio. Besides these two railroads another one will
run along the lake shore, and will, I judge, be over 300 miles
long. It will go through Sandusky City and connect directly
with one which comes from New York. Then another one will
cross the state from north to south. With such means of com-
munication, you can judge if hopes for growth are well founded
or not.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 91
But, just at this time, everybody is complaining that the
times are bad. that money is scarce and business languishing.
Before speaking to you of my Catholics, I want to give you
an idea of a bHdge^hey are building for the railroad at Lower
Sandusky As the towli lies between two hills they are obliged
fo make'this bridge high enough so that t^- -Uro^^ -^.P-
on a level from one hill to the other. They say tbat it will be
Hftv feet hioh and perhaps a thousand feet long It will pass
hger than^he houses, only a little to the -;;t^/%\\^^ ^^^
It will be entirely of wood, but extremely solid. There are
a ready upon the ground about 500 timbers, some of which are
from 40 to 50 feel long and a foot square. Perhaps this will
tSiitS ou, but you m\ist not forget tliat ^^-^ timber issupe-
abundant and covers about three-fourths f^;,.^^/^"*\"';',;„^d
though people are doing their utmost to elea at off the .nd^
What a sight it will be to see a tram of eigbt ten o^J^'f^
enormous cars passing fifty feet above your head! T^^ey talK
a good deal about the railroad from Brassac to Cle-io-^^^^^^/^
doubt very much that there is a bridge on it over the Cendre
^'-'^t:!^:^:'^ Sandusky City is composed of fi^y ^v
.Wtv families the greater part of whom are Irish and the rest
are German The ^most of them are poor, with no resources
: her than their day's wages. Some few are -^o^-t medi
ocritv but. thank God, there are no rich, f or xf the iich ot otnei
mrts of the world have so many difficulties to overcome in
order to sa e heir souls, I do not know how the rich people in
?Mscountrv could win their case before the Supreme Judge
The Catholics are delighted at having a P^^ t« at^^^^j
them reoularlv, especially as they have had up to the present
Hronlvverv short visits from a priest three or four times a
4^r There are many evils to reform, and I am glad to say that
have alreadv noticed quite a change, and particularly among
he drinkers. The women, however, are about the same all over
the worid If you want Jo publish anything you have only to
pH Hto one of them in a secret. But everybody shows good
w 11 nd ha irelt respect for the priest One thing tha twil
Ts onish vou is that the very Protestants ^^l'' r'^'^'Zc^th
us than one-half, I should rather say three-fourths, of the Cath-
nlips in France have for their pastors. ^ u •!;> -
L."st »S I was busy getting up a s„bscn,,l.on „> bmld .
dnucb an,l al.bou.h ™os, of thorn have -^.n^;'' "-- \X
allv than I expected, it amounts to only *1,400 o' .tljO"", lo oe
pafd * "he cXe of „ year. A location for the church ha. been
92 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
offered to us for nothing in three different places, but I have not
yet made any selection. You will probably be pleased to know
that this church will not be of wood, but of stone, a thing rare
in America. I have given commission for the renting of a house,
and a young man, a German, with whom I am well acquainted,
and who speaks English well, has promised to come and keep
house for me.
Please present my respects to the pastors of St. Amable
and the Marthuret, also to the Sisters of Charity and the
Christian Brothers. Tell them that they can help to advance
the work of God a great deal by their prayers.
Affectionately, etc.
In nearly all the settlements attended by Father
Machebeuf there were Germans, and some of the mis-
sions were entirely German. More than any other
nationality the Germans clustered together in exclu-
sive settlements, and old and young spoke the mother
tongue. The old must do so, and the young learned
it and used it in their family communications. For
these communities German priests were necessary,
and one of the great difficulties of Bishop Purcell in
those days was to procure German priests. In some
places this want was supplied by the Redemptorist
Fathers, tbe first of whom to come to this country
were Germans. They did not come as a regularly
organized community, but as individual members,
and for a time, until the organization of their order
in America, they took charge of missions in New
York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, besides some few
churches in the larger cities of the East.
Adjoining the mission of Father Machebeuf
was that of Peru and Norwalk, which had been served
by the Rev. F. X. Tschenhens, the Redemptorist, who
had been called to Pittsburg. Another German priest
came from Detroit, but he only succeeded in creating
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 93
factions and dividing the parish, and Bishop Pnrcell
was obliged to send him away. Father Tschenhens
returned a few weeks aftei-wards, but he did not re-
main long and was followed for a short time by the
Rev. John N. Neumann. Father Nemnann after-
wards became Bishop of Philadelphia, and the holi-
ness of his life was so great that petitions and pro-
cesses for his future canonization have been pre-
^^"^Vuring the vacancies in the mission of Peru, in-
cluding Norwalk, MonroeviUe and the intervening
country, Father Machebeuf was charged with the ad-
ditTonal work of attending to that district In one
of these intervals he wrote the following letter to his
sister: Norwalk, May 26, 1841.
has aniyed at last. 0"^ "^u ceU tt™ ted the bo. to hto.
S: ToHtinTsifhe °£o5. U to ™e upon coming to n,as.
iere at Norfolk, where I am ">"P'"-»"'\P .f^'^^e I want to
Before telling you the reason f^."' -.^/'^'^ "."f^i' , with
thank you for the vestments an.l a >'= "'l'"^; '^'J^^'^
which I am e:;tremely pleased You ' '"^'.J"'" ' g^a
p.atitude to all "'7; "'"it'" I b f P eas t duty for me to
reward their good deed! It «i" oe a | e .
remember them >" '^^ -'^.^^f^^V fc'J^, d e'^n ."n say w.th
the happiness to offer he hoi> "^'^^^ ^ ,. i^^niilitv to her
truth Uiat a good rehpous once ^'^^f/" Y/^/""" ^^J^.. -My
trouble to kee,, my ^^"hLT h XoVef J^e' Holy. Victim
Sser/lomygotd f'r;e:d's:L^"rih'a.".hey will also give m.
94 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
this token of their interest in my work, and knowing that Oui"
Lord will be more disposed to hear their prayers than any I
could offer for myself. When you see Papa and our good aunt
thank them for this new proof of their love. You must also
thank the Mother Superior and all the contributors to the offer-
ing. I have already begun to make the people of this congre-
gation happy by distributing medals among them, but for fear
that I would not have any left I have sent everything over to
my own parish.
M3' project of locating in Sandusky City was realized on
the 1st of May, and I am now keeping house. I rented a house
from a rich Polander who is a Catholic. He lives in New York
at present. If I simply were to tell yon that it is a frame house
you would likely have but a poor idea of it. I can assure you that
very few of the coimtry pastors in Auvergne are as well housed
as I am. Upon the ground floor I have a parlor, dining-room,
kitchen, offices and stud}'. The second storj^ has two nice bed-
rooms, with dressing-rooms, and above these are the rooms for
the domestics, and the attic. The house is painted white on the
outside, and there is a large garden at the back of it, and a
wooden stable which I bought for $12, and which I shall take
with me when I am going away. All around the garden there
is a row of young acacias which are beginning to give shade.
The rent is $80 a year. This is far beyond my means, but it
was the only house that was for rent, and even then we had to
employ a little ruse to get it. It is at one side of the town, a
thing that suits me very well, and my nearest neighbors are
nearly all Catholics.
Within the last two months five Catholic families have
come to town, and I know many others who intend to come and
live here. My congregation, including those who live within ten
miles of the town, numbers about sixty families, but I am sure
there will be a hundred pretty soon. My church, as at Lower
Sandusky, is nothing but a big hall converted into a chapel, and
we were lucky to find a hall that would answer.
Last year I said mass three times at Toledo on Sundays.
In the same building, and at the same moment, the Methodists
were holding their meeting, and, according to their praise-
worthy (?) custom, the minister made so much noise by his
shouting and howling that we were seriously annoyed. I had
one little bit of consolation in the midst of the annoyance, and
that was the thought that I had them under my feet. We Avere
on the second floor and they on the first. At Lower Sandusky,
just across the street from our chapel, the Presbyterians hold
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 95
their meetings in a large hall loaned to them for the purpose.
I can hear them singing-, and it often happens that some of them
come over to our chapel. A few of them rent our seats, and 1
notice with pleasure that prejudices are daily growing less, and
that those who come to hear the explanations of the dogmas of
the Catholic religion end by being convinced that the priests
are not monsters, and that the Catholics are not idolaters, nor
as ignorant and superstitious as they before imagined. At San-
dusky City we are also about to begin building: a church, which
will probably be all of stone.
Now I will tell you why I am at Norwalk. You remember
about the German priest, a Kedemptorist, whose going to Balti-
more left his mission without any spiritual attendance except the
few visits made by Father McNamee and myself. Now, in
America, as in Europe, Catholics are not angels. Trouble broke
out, divisions arose and lawsuits were threatened. Bishop Pur-
cell learned of the conditions and wrate to me to go and take
possession of the church until he could come and investigate the
affair. I came immediately, and am pleased to see that the
turbulent spirits are beginning to quiet down, and I foresee
that there will be no permanent evil results. It is now that a
knowledge of German would be useful to me. Among the 110
families here, 100 are German, although half of them know
English and speak it well. As soon as the Bishop comes I ex-
pect to return to Sandusky City.
I do not know how my housekeeper is getting along with
his housekeeping. I think he must be hungry, for our stock of
provisions was low before I left. He is about as good as an
old man we had at Tiffin, who wanted to know if he should put
the platter in the stove when he cooked the meat. But necessi-
ty, the mother of invention, has taught me a little of the science
of the kitchen, and I am able to give the cook a few lessons.
Then a good appetite is the best sauce, and, thank God, I have
never lacked that. Although always "whitey," as they called
me at the Seminary, I have been strong and hearty since last
fall, and I hope to hold out bravely this summer.
If I had time to write to the pastor of Cendre, I would tell
him for his amusement that the Catholics have already found
out my weakness for salad, and they send it to me every day.
I have a peculiar way of dressing it. To measure the oil they
use a cornstalk, and it is a little singular that thoy always
choose one with a knot about the middle of it. You may think
I am getting silly, but olive oil is scarce here and costs money.
When you see our good father and dear aunt tell them how
96 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
often I think of them. They need not worry about me— I have
never been in need of anything except money. I have often
been in debt for books, for the wages of the workmen, for the
rent of the chapel, etc., but in one way or another Providence
has always come to my assistance.
Adieu! Pray with all fervor for the success of my mis-
sion, for I am convinced that you will further the work of God
more by your prayers than we can by our journeyings and our
instructions.
Thus early in his career we begin to notice some
of the special characteristics of the whole missionary
life of Fatlier Machebeuf. Already he has begun to
beg from his friends and relatives in France for fur-
nishings for his new churches, and religious articles
for his scattered flocks. The arrival of the case of
goods spoken of in his last letter was only the first of
a series which lasted as long as he lived, and in all
the churches that he founded, from the humblest
chapel to his very catliedral, may yet be found vest-
ments, or sacred vessels, or stations, or pictures, etc.,
supplied to him in this way. Even the purses of his
friends were called upon, and they were seldom
closed against him.
Another thing to which he refers is his debts.
For one born and educated in the heart of France,
Father Macliebeuf was singularly unlike what we
would expect one to be who had been trained in a
country where customs are fixed and change of any
kind is unusual. The spirit of progress was in him,
and pushed him a little ahead of the times in which
ho lived. Even as an American he would have been
considered progressive. His plans in those early
days, and ever afterwards, were more for the future
than for the present. If such things were not neces-
LIFE OF RISHOP MACHF.BEl K. 97
sar}^ at the time tliey would be in a few years, and as
for the exjiense, why, God would provide. His con-
fidence in God was unbounded, and "God will pro-
vide!" was ;in axiom witli him. "Auspice Maria"
was on his escutcheon, but " Dcus proridchit" might
claim equal right of place.
His plans, however, were not unreasonable, nor
were his investments rash, and if they proved fail-
ures at times, it was more owing to circumstances
than to any fault of his. Business depression, the
failure of entire conunuiiities to realize their expec-
tations, losses in values which came to him as they
come to thousands of business men, hard times and
high taxes, together with his almost unlimited gen-
erosity to the poorer churches under his charge, kept
him always a poor man as far as money goes and
accounts for the debts that always worried him.
Had he been less generous and less solicitous for the
welfare and accommodation of future generations,
he might have died a millionaire instead of a penni-
less man as lie always lived.
Again, in his letters he is continually asking for
prayers from others and making light of his owni as
if they were few and worthless. This was the result
of his faith and humility. Father Machebeuf him
self was ever a man of prayer, even in his busiest mo-
ments. To the end of his life he made it a practice to
attend all ])ublic services in his church, no matter
who oflficiated, unless prevented by some special ne-
cessity, and at the clerical retreats he was among the
most attentive. He was at the retreat for the clergy
in Cincinnati in the summer of 1841. yet earlier in
98 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
that year, one week after this last letter in which he
was discounting his own pious efforts, he retired to
the solitude of the little church of St. Alphonsus at
Peru, and spent several days in prayer and medi-
tation.
The '' Affections, resolutions and rule of life"
which he drew up on that occasion are preserved yet
in his own handwriting. He begins by saying that
the rule was ''drawn up at St. Alphonsus' in a short
retreat made to unite myself with the intentions of
the pious exercises of my dear confreres at the Sem-
inary of Mont-ferrand during this octave of Pente-
cost, ' ' and he ends it with the following act of confi-
dence in the Blessed Virgin, which no one could make
who had not the spirit of prayer :
If I draw a rule of life, after having been so unfaithful in
the observance of those which I have already made, it is under
your auspices, 0 Mary, my hope, that I undertake this one.
It is you, who, by your prayei's to your Divine Son, withdrew
me from the midst of a corrupt world, and led me in spite of
myself into that asylum of piety where God showered upon me
His graces and His favors. It was in pronouncing your holy
name that I took the awful step which bound me to the service
of the altar. It was during the month of May, which is con-
secrated to you, that I parted from my dear parents and rela-
tions to come here and labor to gain souls to your Divine Son.
It was during the octave of your Assumption that my foot first
pressed the soil of this land — the object of my desires, and
during the octave of your Nativity I first saw the new city
where I was to find another father. It was the day of the
feast of your holy Rosary that I left it to go where Providence
destined, and it was during your month again that I began
this retreat.
The rule of life which he drew up insists partic-
ularly upon mortification, fidelity to his ''little exer-
cises of piety," and the beads at least once a day!
CHAPTER VTI.
Visit of P.ishop riircell. — Cluaches Bejjfim.- Manual Labor
by Father Machebeuf and Bishop Purcell.— Domestic Concerns.
Salary. — Money Scarce. — Laborers Paid in Produce. — Father
Rappe.— Times Grow Harder. — Bank Failures. — Low Market
Prices.— Church Grows in Poverty. — Patrons of His Churches.
Goes to Canada to Collect. — Shipwreck. — Openintr of iho
Churches. — Blessed are the Poor.
Bishop Purcell with Father Henni came to San-
dusky City upon his visitation in June, 1841, and was
pleased to find that, owing to the prudence of Father
Machebeuf, the troubles at Norwalk had quieted
down and the mission was in temporary charge of
Father Tsehenhens. At Sandusky City things were
prospering, and upon the occasion of his visit there
were 110 communions and a confirmation class of
twenty persons.
While there Bishop Purcell fonnally instituted a
Total Abstinence society which Father Machebeuf
had ready for organization. This society was then,
and for many years aftei-wards, a source of great
pride for Father Machebeuf. On this same occasion
also Bishop Purcell presided at a meeting of the con-
gregation (June 29), at which arrangements were
made for starting the new church for which upwards
of $1,600 had been i)romised.
Groing to Lower Sandusky, they were hospitably
received at the house of Mr. Rudolph Dickinson,
where Father Machebeuf generally made his home
when visiting that place. A lot for a church had
been donated by Charles Brush, Esq., of Columbus,
100 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
and Mr. Dickinson made the liberal offer of all the
brick necessary, besides other assistance to the new
church. Father Machebeuf accompanied the Bishop
and his party as far as Toledo, when he returned to
Sandusky City to take up the work of building.
The summer was spent in the work of prepara-
tion, gathering money and material, until he was
ready to lay the corner-stone, on October 13, 1841.
This he did himself with the authorization of Bishop
Purcell, and to make the occasion as solemn as possi-
ble he invited the Rev. Peter McLaughlin of Cleve-
land to assist him and preach the sermon.
The building of his churches added to the labors
and trials of Father Machebeuf, but he never lost
hope or courage, nor any of his cheerfulness and good
humor, as we can see from the letters which he wrote
to his friends during this season of his hardest labor
when times were the most discouraging in Ohio.
Monroeville, Feb. 28, 1842.
Very Dear Papa :
I hasten to answer the letter which I have just received
from my sister through the intermediary of Father Lamy.
I really cannot understand the uneasiness which you have
all felt on account of my supposed sickness. It is true that I
have not written to you since last summer, but I am positive
that you have had news of me several times through the letters
of my confreres. It was an agi'eement among us that each
time one wrote he was to give news of all. Father Cheymol
promised that he would write in a few days, and Father Lamy
said he would not delay long after him. Relying on these two
I put it off a little longer than usual, and that for good reasons
which I will now explain to you.
You remember that when I told you of my appointment as
pastor of Sandusky City and Lower Sandusky, I said that I had
no church in either of these places. The first step, then, in
organizing my congregations was to get subscriptions for San-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 101
dusky City, where I fixed my residence. For that it was nec-
essary to scour the forests and cross the Lake to the Peninsula
and little islands near by to find the Catholics. Then I had to
look out for a location for the church. Two rich property
owners of Sandusky City, neither of whom is Catholic, were
anxious to donate ground for that purpose. Mr. Follette offered
us a magnificent lot in the eastern part of the town, and Mr.
Mills would give us three lots in the western part of the town
and $100 in cash. I waited for Bishop Purcell to come before
deciding the question, and Mr, Mills grew so apprehensive that
we would accept the proposition of Mr. Follette, that he offered
the Bishop five lots, with .$530 and all the stone and timber nec-
essary for the building. You may imagine that Bishop Purcell
did not hesitate long in his choice.
Immediately after the Bishop's departure our people began
the work. Some of them set to hauling stone, others to cut-
ting and preparing the timber, and during that time I went
away for the retreat. I was absent five or six weeks, and upon
my return I invited an Irish priest, who is my neighbor and
lives also on the shore of the Lake, to come and preach for the
laying of the corner-stone. A few days later about fifteen or
twenty Catholics, the pastor among the numbei', set to the real
work, and from the 13th of October until the winter came on
every minute that was not consecrated to the ministry was
given to the workmen. 1 have been at times architect, superin-
tendent, mason, and even less than that, as the need may have
been.
The daj' of the blessing of the corner-stone I made use of
a very efficacious means to make my people work. The team-
sters had unloaded an enoiTnous pile of stone inside the plan of
the foundations. It was right in our way, so, without saying a
word, I took off my coat and hat and began earning the stone
outside of the foundations. The spectators all took the hint
immediately and it was not long before all the stone was re-
moved. In doing this I was only imitating our Bishop, who, at
the head of his seminarians, used the shovel for half a day
digging for the foundations of his cathedral, while Fathers
Gacon, Cheymol and others filled the wheelbanow?. Yon see
that we are obliged to turn ourselves to everything.
My sister tells me that my aunt has advised you to send me
some help. I strongly approve of that advice, and you can rest
assured that it will not go to pay the doctor, but rather the
shoemaker. It may seem extraordinary, but I have worn out
three pairs of boots since last spring. This is a good proof that
102 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
I have not been confined to the house very much, and **the sad
cause" of my not Avriting which my sister believes she saw in
Father Lamy's letter, could not have been more serious than an
occasional cold brought on by some sudden change of weather.
To reassure you completely, I can say that we are the spoiled
children of Providence, and if we have to undergo some little
privations and make a few sacrifices now and then, the good
God repays us a hundred-fold. As for Bishop Pureell, he is
continually giving us proofs of his truly paternal tendemiess.
Every time that he writes to us he makes particular inquiries
to find out if we need an.ything, and he often deprives himself
to help us.
This letter was not sent away until March 2nd,
vv'hen he added some items of information for his sis-
ter which are equally as interesting as what he had
already written. Some of them give us an insight
into his domestic life which we would never get were
it not for a woman 's curiosity. He writes to her as
follows :
Finding myself now at Lower Sandusky I must not let this
go to Papa without adding a little supplement as an answer to
j^our last letters, all of which have reached their destination.
You have asked me so many questions about my position, my
manner of living, my friends, etc., that I really do not know
where to begin to answer you. If I were not speaking to a
father or a sister I would not enter into such details in writing
of America, but I want to satisfy all of you in order that you
may be well assured of my situation, and that henceforth your
affection for me may not can-y you so far that you might per-
haps lose confidence in Providence.
The principal personage of my household is the most trou-
blesome one. He is always flying around on some business or
other and cannot keep quiet. His business is of such import-
ance that my purse is continually a sufferer by it. This person
is none other than your humble servant. Besides him, who is
a permanent fixture, I have a family composed of a man and his
wife and one little boy who is beginning to serve my mass.
They do my housekeeping. As for the other servant, the old
cook, whose knowledge was limited to cooking potatoes in their
jackets, and for which I paid him seven dollars and a half a
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 103
month, 1 had to let him go. I give to this family only their
rooms, with light and firewood. They board themselves and do
my washing, etc. I have some dilTicnlty to pay my house rent,
and I had to sell my dear little wagon, which was so useful to
me, but I have the horse yet, although he is a little lame
just now.
We have no fixed salary. We take up subscriptions our-
selves, but money is so scarce that the people are not able to
give much. As for provisions, there is not a pastor in Auvergne
as well supplied in that way as I am, and it happens at times,
that not having any money, I pay my workmen with hams, etc.
As soon as my church is built I shall begin my presbytery just
beside it. I have already received donations of the stone and
the framework, but where shall I find the money to buy the rest
and pay the cost of the labor? Fully $300 will be needed, not-
withstanding the work which the Catholics will do gratis. Yes,
indeed, if Papa's business permits him to follow the "good
advice" which our aunt gave him his help will come very oppor-
tunely, but I leave that all in the hands of Providence.
Since I left Tiffin our original mission has been divided
into four parts, but there is work for ten priests. Father Mc-
Namee, my old co-laborer, remains at Tiffin. The German
priest of Norwalk has come back to his former place. Father
Amadeus Rappe, a French priest and a particular friend of
mine, has charge of Maumee, Toledo and the canal, and your
servant is pastor of the two Sanduskys. Father Rappe came
about a year ago from France, where he was for a long time
chaplain of the Ursulines at Boulogne-sur-Mer. He is the most
pious, the most learned, and at the same time the most amiable
man whom I have met in America. When I am with him I can
not help thinking of the good Mr. Chades. He is of the same
age, the same height, and has all his good qualities. We make
alternate visits and meet quite often. The railroad from Toledo
to Sandusky will soon be in operation, and during the summer
three or four steamboats go and come ever}- week. He is, then,
for me a sincere friend with whom I find consolation for both
soul and body.
For several years financial distress was increas-
ing in the United States. The business of the coun-
try was increasing as the country developed and was
outgrowing the volume of currency. Added to this
was the expense of the second Seminole war just
104 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
closed, which cost forty million dollars — a large sum
for the govemmeiit in those days — and almost every
enterprise was short of funds. The demand for
money became general, and the West felt the need
sorely. One after another the banks failed ; con-
tractors could not pay their men because they could
not get money themselves, and universal distress
]irevailed.
Father Machebeuf felt the full force of the liard
times, for all of his resources were in the surplus
savings of his people, and when there was no longer
a surplus there was nothing for him. His credit was
good, and he went on with his church buildings so far
as to render them fit for service by borrowing money
wherever he could find any, and in this way he went
on with the necessary things, depending upon Provi-
dence and the future to help him out at the end. Upon
this condition of affairs in general, and his own con-
dition in particular, he wrote to his brother Marius
on June 30, 1842 :
My Dear Brother :
It was three years on May 15th since I saw you, and it will
be three years the 9th of next month since I left La Belle France
to come and evangelize, not savag:es, but Europeans who are com-
ing in crowds to clear off the forests of America. This is my
first letter to you, and I suppose you can join my sister and my
father in accusing- me of ingratitude. I shall offer no other apol-
ogy than a denial, for I have thought often, very often, of you
and of all the other dear ones whom nothing in the world could
have made me leave if the voice of God had not called me,
against my very inclinations, to my life of sacrifiee and renun-
ciation. But all my letters have been for all of you, and, as I
could not write to each one separately, I addressed them to our
dear Papa or sister, who could certainly interpret what ray
heart wanted to sav to each one.
LIFE UK BISllUI' MACHEBELF. 1U5
1 wrote to my sister a short time ago, but another iellor
has since come from her, aijkiug the same qiu'stious which 1 have
already answered, and I shall say but a few words on them now.
Besides the two Sanduskys 1 visit Port Clinton, a colony ol
French Canadians who live along the borders of the lakes and
rivers and swamps, and support themselves by hunting and tish-
ing somewhat like the Indians. 1 have to visit Catholics scat-
tered over an extent of country twice as large as the whole De-
partment of the Puv-de-I)oine. I have only one church yet — the
ehajiel in the French settlement — but I have three others under
way. When shall I finish them? That I know not. When
I gather money by dint of scouring through forests and
woods lo pay my present debts, then 1 contract 'uote, for, to be
a true American, one must have debts, and ir. that regard I am
the genuine article.
My health is as good as 1 could wisli, although I am the
same old "Whitey, " but appearances are deceptive sometimes.
I have an Irish familj' keping house for me. A little boy 12
years old takes care of my horse, runs eiTands, serves my mass,
etc. My provisions cost me almost nothing, for I receive numer-
ous donations of that sort, and even if my purse is mostly a re-
minder that some people have money else purses would not be
made, I am happy, and more so than you imagine, or is suspected
by my old companions at liouie, who would hasten to our assisi-
ance if they could only get rid of the false ideas that they have
of the United States. "
Now that you have gone into business you will probably
want to know how business is here. I can answer in all truth
that it could not be in a worse condition. Since the declaration
of independence no one ever saw here such stagnation in business
affairs. Not only is this true of Ohio, but in all the Slates of
Ihe Union. There is not the tenth part of the money in circula-
tion now that people had in former years. Tvast spring most of
the banks failed, to the great loss of a host of merchants, me-
chanics and others, and the few that did not fail will not lend
any money, and in con.sequence everj' enterjirise is at a standstill.
The company that was building the famous railroad bridge I
spoke of has thrown up everything, and now they are talking of
tearing the bridge down and selling it piecemeal to pay the
debts. Business is run principally upon jiaper money, a speci-
men of which I send you from one of the broken banks. Many
of the Irish laborers who worked on the railroads, canals, etc..
have lost half of their wages. By this my church has also lost,
for my subscril)Prs could pay mo very little so long as they did
106 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
not ^et their own pay. We hope that times will get better after
the harvest.
It appears that you have some thought of coming to America
to engage in business. I advise you not to think of it just now.
Fortune is more fickle here than anywhere else. Europeans are
coming in great numbers, but it is to buy and improve land.
These tillers of the soil are getting along verj'^ well and make a
better living here than in Europe, but as you do not intend to
take up the spade or the plow I advise you to stay in France.
The harvest of which Father Machebeuf speaks
came and passed, but it did not bring the betterment
in the times which he had hoped for. Yet he had the
happy facultj^ of looking on the bright side of things.
There was no situation entirely bad, and no condi-
tion without a great deal of good, and he was always
able to find that good. The silver lining to every
cloud particularly drew his attention and encouraged
him. Temporal affairs might be languishing and
material things might have to wait, but religion was
flourishing and God's work was going on, and that
was always a reason for Father Machebeuf to be
cheerful and hopeful. He pushed his work forward
in this spirit, and relied upon the Providence of God
to help him carry it to a successful conclusion. That
Providence sometimes waited a long time before
manifesting itself, and forced Father Machebeuf to
extraordinary exertions, but he never flinched nor
drew back, but sought out new sources of relief when
the old ones were becoming exhausted. This year of
1842 was, perhaps, the hardest of all upon him, and
he gives us a further picture of it, and of the work he
was doing in spite of the hard times, in a letter writ^
ten to his father from St. Alphonsus', Peru, Octo-
ber 4, 1842 :
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. lUT
Very Dear Papa :
i'iuding myself again pastor of the Germans for a few days.
I profit by a leisure hour to g^ve you some news of myself.
You will excuse my paper — it was the best ihat 1 could liiid. 1
have written several letters without receiving any answer, but 1
shall not return the reproaches I received for my supposed neg-
lect. I will simply say that whether you receive news from mt'
directly or only indirectly, be perfectly easy in your mind, and
resigned to that good Providence which treats me here as a
spoiled child. In order to reassure you upon a point which your
affection for me makes of special irterest to you, I will begin by
telling you that my health is all that could be desired. The air
of Sandusky agrees with me perfectly.
Now, what news of America? If I had come here to maki'
my fortune I would say that thinp:s could not be in a more sad
condition. Business is almost dead and work is suspended upon
all large enterprises. Grain is ut such a low figure that it will
hardly pay the cost of cultivation. Wheat, which should bring
a dollar a bushel, and has brought thpf price, bus gone down to
50 cents, and even to 35 and 40 cents in the interior of the state.
It has been sold in Indiana for 25 cents. All other provisions
are cheap in proportion. The best meat costs 4 cents a pound,
chickens 12y2 cents a pair, and an 18-pound turkey may be had
for 25 cents. As for fruit, it is not sold exce]it in the towns. In
the country you can go into an orchard and eat and carry away
as many apples as you want. Butter is 5 rents a pound, N. 0.
sugar 3 cents, and so on down the list.
You see, then, that no one need starve here. There is hardly
any money in circulation, and as the majority of the population
is composed of farmers, (hey are greatly embarrassed to pay
their debts and procure clothing, which is much dearer here than
in Europe.
But if I were to answer the question as a priest engaged in
procuring the glory of God, the salvation of souls and the ad-
vancement of religion, I would not hesitate to answer that every-
thing is most flourishing. Just as the holy religion to which we
have the happiness to belong was established by Our Saviour
only in the midst of poverty, humiliations and sufferings, and
nevertheless spread through the whole universe in spite of the
bloody persecutions, in the same way this divine religion ought
to be established in this new world in poverty, in contradictions,
and in the most atrocious calumnies on the part of Protestants.
But it is a consolation for me fo announce that while I am writ-
ing, there are more than fifteen churches being built to the glory
108 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
of God in the State of Ohio, and I am not speaking- of a large
number of eiiapels which the Germans, the Irish and the French'
are putting up in the country and in the woods, and that, too,
when the times are the hardest. All of the French priests who
came to America when I did are busy with a church or a chapel.
Father Lamy has two churches almost finished— one of brick
and the other of wood. Father Rappe, whom I mentioned to
you before, has two churches almost ready to be blessed, one of
which he bought from the Protestants two years ago. Father
De Goesbriand, a Breton educated at St. Sulpice, has added 25
feet to a church which he found already built. As for me, I
have two in the lorineipal county towns and a chapel for my
French people in the bargain. The one at Sandusky City is en-
tirely of stone, with windows, front and coi'ners trimmed with
cut stone. It is 40x70 and is under roof, The church at Lower
Sandusky is up to the roof, but it is of frame and is extremely
simple. I shall send you a plan of them when they are finished.
I know you will like the one at Sandusky City. It is in the pure
gothie style. The first story of the belfry is 40 feet high, and
the steeple will come later and rise 30 feet higher, so that the
gilded cross will be seen shining far out upon the lake. I have
a good portion of the stone ready for my presbj^tery, but when
will I build it"? I have not a single dollar to pay the rent of my
house where I have lived since May, and I think that I shall be
obliged to get a cheaper one.
I think that you will approve of the choice that I have made
of the patron saints of my churches. My intention was to put
the church at Sandusky City under the protection of the Blessed
Virgin, but as there was one already dedicated to her on Lake
Erie, the Bishop wanted me to give it to the Holy Angels. I did
so choosing St. Michael, your own particular patron, as the prin-
cipal patron, hoping that he would now protect the father in a
more special manner wliile guarding the interests of the parish
confided to the son. In the Seminary chapel at Cincinnali there
was a fine picture of St. Miclmel, six feet high, that drew my
attention. I asked the Bishop for it and he gave it to me. Since
then I got two beautiful pictures four feet high, representing the
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, and this was the plan I used
to pay for them. I had them placed on each side of the altar
in the large hall that we were using for a church. The following
Sunday my people were greatly surprised at seeing these fine
paintings and wondered how and where I got them. They daz-
zled the good Irish especially, some of whom had never seen
brass crucifixes, medals or paintings. After mass I said to them:
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 109
"These pictures are ours if we can collect the price of them,
otherwise they must be sent back to Buffalo." At the words
"sent back" 1 heard a faint murmur that promised well. I told
them that the young ladies of the parish had bought the artificial
flowers, the vases, laces, etc.. and now it was the turn of the
gentlemen to make their little presents to the church, and that I
was ready to take the names of those who would contribute
towards paying for the pictures. The most of them came up
eagerly to subsciibe, and those who did not come I went to see,
so that in less than three days our {)ictures were paid for, and
even some Protestant ladies helped us in paying for them.
After this digression, already too long, I should tell you
that the church at Lower Sandusky will be dedicated to St.
Anne, that I may pray with greater confidence for my dear
Aunt Anne.
Now, I think I hear Sister Marie Philomene ask if I have
forgotten her patron. How could I forget her patron when it
was I who gave her that patron? Her chapel is built by the
Sandusky river on an elevated spot suirounded by trees whore
the scenery is most picturesque. It was consecrated to St. Phil
omena by the Bishop last year, and now my sister has permission
to scold me for forgetting to tell her this piece of agreeable news.
If my brother had a name which was more conimon in America
I would have given it to my French chapel twenty-five miles
farther away, but I found there were so many by the name of
Louis that we dedicated it to St. Louis, King of France.
Apropos of the retreat, 1 must tell you of the joy and con
solation which we all felt at being together again with our holy
Bishop, and especially of the good we dciived from our retreat.
I felt my old impressions at Mont-ferrand revive, but I am
afraid that the wild life we lead here, and, above all, the levity
and inconstancy of my character, will cause me soon to lose the
fruit of it. It was preached to us by the Rev. feather Tiraon,
Superior of the Lazarists in the United States. There were
thirty of us. What a difference from the Diocese of Clermont.
Forty priests in a diocese as large as one-third of France, and
600 priests in the Diocese of riermonl ! Forty priests in mv
parish would have plenty to do.
Church fairs, festivals and hazaars liad not come
into fasliion in 1842, and oven if tliey liad been in
vogue at that time they would no (h)ubt have failed
of success in the midst of the circumsUmces which
110 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Father Machebeuf describes. Such things are for
times at least moderately prosperous and for places
thickly populated. His poverty-stricken villages
could not have done much, and his rural population
could have brought him only the produce of their
farms. This would not have built his churches nor
paid his debts, which were growing more and more
pressing. But Father Machebeuf did not sit down
and grieve, nor give way to discouragement. Ever
resourceful, he thought of the prosperity of the Eng-
lish and the thrift of the French. If he could com-
bine these two elements in his favor all would yet be
well. He had confidence in Providence, but he knew
that Providence helps those who help themselves.
Thinking over these things during the summer of
1842, when the means of his own people were ex-
hausted, his church-building at a standstill and his
creditors pressing for money, he formed the resolu-
tion of appealing personally to the sympathy of his
fellow-countrymen in Canada. Bishop Purcell ap-
proved of his plan, and gave him leave of absence
with excellent letters of recommendation to the Bish-
ops and priests of Canada. Father Machebeuf made
his preparations with all haste, but it was really win-
ter time before he was ready to start.
To appreciate the heroism of such an undertak-
ing we must remember that it was 1842, when a great
part of the country through which he must travel was
a wilderness, with no railroads, few good wagon
roads, and towns and settlements far less plentiful
than today. It was also at the approach of a Cana-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. Ill
dian winter, which alone is competent to test the en-
durance of man. It is true that travel was yet open
by water, but navigation was liable to be closed at
any time, and if he reached his destination before its
closing, it was certain that his travels in the interior
of Canada, and his return home, would be in the
depths of winter and would have to be made by some
other means. Then, his poor people of the Sandu&-
kys must be left unattended during his absence, for
there was no priest to fill his place and attend to their
wants.
But all this did not deter Father Machebeuf. He
was working for the glory of God, and he believed
that the glory of God and the good of his mission
called for this effort, and the difficulties and dangers
of the undertaking were, in his estimation, out-
weighed by the prospective good results.
His success may not have reached his expecta-
tions, but it amply rewarded him for his labors and
enabled him to go on with his churches, as we shall
see from his subsequent letters, the first of which wa^s
written to his father from Montreal :
Montreal, January 12, 184;{.
Very Dear Papa:
You are going to be astonished at receiving a letter from
Montreal when my residence is at Sanduskj^ City, a loni; dis-
tance from here. You will ask why I have undertaken such a
journey in winter through a country where the cold is intense.
I am willing to answer your questions, but first let me fulfill the
sweet and pleasant duty of wishing you all spiritual and tem-
poral happiness at the beginning of the New Year. Yes, dear
Papa, if the good God will only hear my prayers He will grant
you perseverance in the holy dispositions which animate you
now, with good health to prolong your days till I am able to go
and express verbally to you my gratitude for all your kindness.
112 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
1 shall now satisfy your legitimate curiosity. Among the
reasons which have induced me to take this journey there is one
that I need not specify to you further than to say that the good
Mr. Billaudele, under whom 1 made my studies in the Seminary,
is here as Superior of the Ecclesiastical Seminary. I alw-a^'^a
corresponded with him, and his acts of goodness toward your
"Little Rogue" were so many bonds which drew me notwith-
standing the distance.
But you must not think that I his pleasure, as lawful as it
may be, was sufficient to make me undertake such an expensive
journey. The real reason that has brought me to Canada is the
necessity of finding the means to pay the crying debts which I
created in building my two new churches. For this reason I
have left my Catholics to Providence and their povertj', and am
absent since the beginning of November. Bishop Purcell gave
me a letter of recommendation, which guarantees me an excel-
lent reception eveiy where. The Bishop of Montreal is himself
collecting for a hospital, so I went sixty leagues farther to
Quebec, where I was perfectly well received. I found there six
hundred families poor and without work, and I could expect
nothing from them, but the Bishop of Quebec recommended me
to the wealthy families, to the priests of the city and to the
Ursuline Nuns. Besides donations of money, I received a pres-
ent of a magnificent cloak of blue cloth which is most useful to
me, as the cold has gone this winter to 25 degrees at Montreal
and 30 at Quebec.
I have been traveling by "clerical jiost, " that is, from par-
ish to parish, and begging for the good God. You may well
think that were it not for this object I would not have under-
taken such a trip for all the gold of Peru.
In a parish near Montreal T sang the high mass and preached
on New Year's Day, and about thirty families contributed to my
assistance. This is a sample of my work, and in this way I have
collected enough money to pay about one-half of my debts. I
do not know where I shall get the rest, but I intend to return to
the United States and continue my collections. I leave here on
Tuesday next, and I have 350 leagues to make in spite of th«
weather. Happily, I am in good health. I Avrite this in a
hurry, but later I shall give you all the details.
Mr. Billaudele is in good health also, and I cannot tell you
how glad T was to see him. He desires me to remember him
most kindly to you, and you can see that he has not forgotten
the old epithet of "Little Rogue." You need not worry about
me. I am hardened now to all kinds of fatigues, bad weather, etc.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 113
The details promised in this letter were not given
later, for Father Machebeuf found so nuu^li to do
upon his return to his parish that no time was left to
him for a description of the minor incidents of his
trip, although his family requested a more detailed
account. We know from other lettters that he got
enough of the gold of Canada, if not of Peru, to pay
most of his debts and resume the building of his
churches.
From other sources we learn that he was ship-
wrecked on this trip and narrowly escaped being lost
on Lake Ontario. The vessel was driven by a storm
upon the rocks, but all the crew and passengers suc-
ceeded in reaching land with great difficulty and no
lives were lost. They applied for shelter at a farm
house, where all were kindly received until the owner
discovered that there was a ''popish priest" among
his guests. The spirit of Orangeism is not the spirit
of charity, and this past master in the craft ordered
Father Machebeuf from his house. This inhuman
treatment roused the indignation of the other pas-
sengers, and it would have gone hard with this brute
in human form if he had not relented and graciously
allowed Father Machebeuf to sleep o)i the floor!
A letter to his sister after his return tells of the
work waiting for him, and of its prosecution in the
spiritual sense, and also in the temporal sense until
he had become again thoroughly Americanized by
the contracting of fresh debts :
Feast of St. Anne, July 2G, 1843.
Very Dear Sister:
It is not without reason that I choose the beautiful feast of
114 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
your patron to write to you. It is now six weeks since I re-
ceived your letter, and I need your indulgence for not having
prepared the ''journal of my travels" which you ask for. You
cannot refuse forgiveness when I say that I take up my j)en after
having offered the Holy Sacrifice for our good aunt, without
forgetting Sister Marie Philomene or Papa, or the Gentleman of
Clermont, our brother.
I was away from my poor Irish people four months and a
half. You can form an idea of the work I found on coming
back just at the beginning of Lent. Catechism every day for
the children of the first communion class; three instructions a
week at night for the grown people, among whom were many
Protestants; then two sermons every Sunday, and all in bad
English, but that mattered little — I was understood, and that
was sufficient for me. The second week after Easter I set out to
visit all my missions, which are growing in a wonderful manner,
and since then I have done nothing but come and go in order to
give at least a little satisfaction to ray poor Catholics. That
which consoles us is that our time is not lost. The good is done
by the gi-ace of Grod even if we do scarcely more than to pass
through each congTcgation.
I shall not give the details of my journey with its adven-
tures. Let be sufficient to know that I am in good health, al-
though the same ''Whitey," and that during the trip of 800
leagues,' and four months and a half of time, I had no other in-
disposition than a cold for a few days in Canada. On the con-
trary, I felt better, and that proves that my vocation is to be a
missionary. Blessed be God for it !
My new church at LoAver Sandusky was opened in April,
It is not yet consecrated, as it is not plastered. I hope to have
it entirel}' completed before winter. Next Sunday I shall open
that of Sandusky City, which would do honor to many a parish
in Auvergne. It is not plastered either, but that does not make
so much difference, as it is all in stone. I do not know when
it will be finished, as our present means are exhausted, but I
have an immense treasure in DiAine Providence. I began it
with two dollars, and in less than two years I have expended
on it nearly $4,000 in money, work and material, and besides
this the walls of my house are finished and the frame of the
roof is ready to go up. It is true that I am again at the bot-
tom of the sack and have a number of little debts, but I am not
discouraged at that. Blessed are the poor! Every time that
I see Father Lamy we say, as the people of Aubieres: "Latsin
pas ! ' '—Never give up !
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 115
Father Lamy is well and hearty. Father Cheymol wrote
me last week that he and his pastor are likewise in good health.
I was about to forget Bishop Purcell. He has gone to
Europe to collect for his new cathedral, but we do not know
to what country.
In regard to publishing my letters, I believe I told you
long ago that if there was anything in them that would serve
for the glory of God and the edification of the faithful, I could
not object, but then I would not care to have you publish more
than extracts from them.
The publication of extracts from the letters of
Father Machebeuf did not take place. Events occur-
ring immediately after the reception of this letter
prevented it, and not until years afterwards was
there an occasional note published in the Semaine
Religeuse of Clermont. Yet these letters would
have made edifying reading, and, no doubt, would
have aroused the missionary spirit in many a zealoui
young levite and materially increased the number of
priests in the early Ohio missions. Even at this dis-
tant day they should do good, for the same necessity
for priests exists, although their work has changed
in form. Preaching, teaching and the care of souls
is a want as crying today as ever, and the increase of
population has counterbalanced the narrowing of
parish limits. Almost everywhere new churches are
to be built, and in the West especially there are few
priests past middle age who have not done, or may
not yet be doing, similar work to that which Fath-
er Machebeuf did in Ohio sixty odd years ago.
CHAPTER VIII.
Life's Sacred Moments.— News of His Father's Illness.
Plans to Return to France. — Disappointment. — A Sad Winter.
Arrival Home.
There are passages in the life of every one which
are too sacred for public gaze, and the making of
them known can be justified only by extraordinary
reasons. We have come now upon one of these oc-
casions in the life of Father Machebeuf, and we
would pass it over with a mere statement of fact
were it not that it gives us a glimpse into his very
interior life and reveals a depth of feeling which
none but his most intimate friends would suspect. It
shows, too, how he could subordinate his own feelings
to other considerations when necessary, and suppress
his own pain in order to comfort others. It was dur-
ing the last illness and death of his beloved father
when, in the torture of suspense, and later when the
blow had fallen, he couldi rise above his own grief to
console his aunt, his brother and his sister, while at
the same time he would have given worlds to ex-
change places with them, were it only for a day.
The series of letters covering this sad event will
constitute this short chapter by themselves. News
of his father's serious illness and hopeless condition
came to him from his sister, and it came with no
gradual breaking — his father was sick, and sick unto
death was the message, and he accepted it as an
announcement bearing the final summons. His letter
to his sister on this occasion was as follows :
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 117
Sandusky City, October 23, 1843.
Verj' Dear Sister:
Until now your letters have always been for me a source
of great pleasure, but when your last came only eight days
after the one of August 24, a secret dread seized me, and the
reading of your letter proved it to be well founded. What
pain was not mine when I learned of the sad condition to which
that best of fathers is reduced — the one to whom after God I
owe everything that I have in this world? In spite of the de-
tachment and resignation which should cliaracterize a mission-
ary of Jesus Christ, I could not hold back the tears which would
force themselves when I thought of the danger that threatened
this father, so good, so affectionate and so dear. Only motives
of faith and religion could avail to bring me strength or com-
fort, for they tell us that if he is taken from us in time he will
be given back to us in eternity. I shall make all haste to re-
turn, but if I am too late for the consolation of seeing him on
earth, I hope to meet him in heaven where we shall never sepa-
rate.
In the absence of Bishop Purcell, who will not retuni until
some time next month, I have written to the Vicar General,
telling him of the reasons Avhich oblige me to return to France,
and asking his permission to be absent until the beginning of
Lent. I expect his answer next week, and as soon as it comes
I shall write to you telling you of his decision and when I shall
start. When that letter reaches j^ou I wish you would write to
me at Havre, so that I shall have news of our dear Papa imme-
diately upon my arrival there, and a couple of days later at
Paris.
I am writing after having offered up the holy sacrifice for
him, and I shall redouble my zeal and earnestness in prayer
for his spiritual and temporal solace and improvement. I have
written to my confreres asking them to pray for him, and I shall
not pass a single day without praying most particularly for him.
I trust that it is not necessary for me to counsel you resig-
nation and submission to the will of God, but I ask you not to
neglect in your own grief to console our dear aunt and our
brother, who are witnesses to his suffering's without being able
to relieve them. A few lines from you to the dear one himself,
whom also you cannot see, would be a consolation.
Good-bye for the present; I hope to be with you ere long
to render my last duties to our dear father, if that be God's
will. Pray without ceasing for him. Please give him the en-
closed Tinte fi-om me if it be not too late.
118 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Very Dear and Beloved Papa :
It is with a trembling hand that I write these few words
dictated by affection and gratitude. Shall I have the consola-
tion of knowing that they have reached you? It is one thing
which I hope for from that sweet and loving Providence which
has ever specially favored me. Oh, how I hope that the good
God will prolong, at least a few weeks, a life which is so dear
to us! Yes, I wish to bless you once more and receive your
benediction before God calls you to Himself. This letter will
precede me only a few days, for I have the confidence that our
sweet Saviour will grant me the consolation of bringing to you
the last helps of religion, but if it be the holy will of God that
you should go to Him before I reach your bedside— if I must
be deprived of the sad happiness of holding you once more in
my arms — let us bow befo:^e His adorable designs and fear to
offend Him by murmurs unworthy of Christians. Be assured
that when death comes it will find you laden with the grateful
and loving benedictions of your entire family, who will never
cease to pray for you. Yes, we hope to obtain for you a holy
and happy death, followed by the eternal recompense of a good
life. It is especially in the Sacrifice of the Mass that the Body
and Blood of Jesus Christ, sacrificed for you, will intercede for
you before the Sovereign Judge. Confidence, then, in the mercy
of God which is infinite; confidence in his divine Mother who
prays for you, protects you, and will conduct you to the Port
of Salvation. This is the most ardent wish of your most de-
voted and most affectionate son.
Adieu, dear Papa; we shall meet in this world, I hope, but
if not, then in heaven.
This was Father Machebeuf s last direct fare-
well to his father. The permission to go was granted
to him only upon conditions impossible of fulfillment
at the time, and before any favorable turn came in
the peculiarly painful circumstances in which Father
Machebeuf found himself his father had passed away
from earth, let us hope, to the bosom of God.
The inability of hastening to the side of his dying
father was a sore trial for Father Machebeuf, yet he
made the sacrifice as he had made so many others,
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 119
and, although liis own heart was breaking, he tried to
console the loved ones at home in their impending
loss and his unavoidable absence. He explained the
circumstances that prevented his going and laid no
blame upon any one, although a few months later he
was granted by Bishop Purcell without conditions
the permission which was refused by the Vicar Gen-
eral. When the answer to his request for leave of
absence came from Cincinnati he wrote the following
letter to his sister:
Sandusky City, Nov. 10, 1843.
Very Dear Sister:
In my last letter, answering yours telling me the sad news
of our dear father's illness, I promised to start at once for
France, but man proposes and God disposes. Writing under
the weight of sorrow over the condition of him to whom I owe
everj'thing in this world, I did not foresee the insurmountable
obstacles in the way of my leaving. The Vicar General could
not allow my mission to remain without attendance, and I
could find no one to care for it in my absence. Laborers and
mechanics are at work on my church and presbytery, and the
contracts must be fulfilled, and none of my confreres is able to
assume the obligations in my place. Winter is upon us and the
voyage in December would be full of danger, but I care not for
that if all else were well. I am almost ashamed to acknowledge
that my greatest difficulty would be to find the $200 necessary
to pay my way, while I have not five dollars in my possession.
If I had even that much there would be twenty persons to ask
for it.
Oh, how helpless I feel myself! and it almost looks as if I
were excusing myself for a lack of affection, but I am forced
to make this last sacrifice of ever again seeing our good father.
Might it not also be that such a sacrifice would find favor with
God, and He would prolong his life until such time as a voyage
is possible? For the present we must submit to the Divine
Will which imposes this privation upon us. Pray, yes pray
with all the fervor possible that the good God may grant him
all the graces necessaiy at that awful and supreme moment. I
shall ask this every day at the altar, through the merits of our
divine Mother.
120 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Do not fail to write me as soon as you receive this, and give
me news of our dear Papa often, ('harf^o oui- good aunt, whose
devotion and attachment are so well known to me, to renew to
him the assurance of my gratitude and most filial affection.
Tell him that I pray for him without ceasing and I think of
him every moment of the day. As for my aunt and Marius, I
know their hearts too well to doubt of their attention and
anxious care of our dear patient. Console them with every
motive of faith, and assure them of my sympathy in our com-
mon SOITOW.
The weeks of winter dragged wearily and pain-
fully for Father Machebeuf. Until his sister could
receive this letter they would be expecting him home
and would not write. Twice, then, must letters cross
the Atlantic before lie could expect any news, and
in those days that meant months for a mid-winter
journey from Sandusky to Riom and return. He
made up his mind to the inevitable. To him his
father was the same as dead, and he waited but for
the confirmation of his death in the next letter. But,
oh! how long and cheerless winter was!
Spring came at last, and with it came two let-
ters— one from his sister and another from his broth-
er, and both brought the same sad news, which ended
the agony of suspense by the sharper agony of cer-
tainty that the life of his loved "Papa" on earth had
ended. The cry of his heart went out when he wrote
again in answer to these letters.
To his sister he says :
Forgive me even the short delay in answering your letter
which brought me the sad news of the loss of our dearly be-
loved Papa. I was stricken as with lightning by the an-
nouncement of the misfortune, and I, whose duty as a priest and
the eldest of the family should have been to console you and
inspire you with sentiments of resignation— I could not con-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 121
trol tlio iMm)tioMs stirred up within me by this heart reiuhng
news. How my lieart wished to he with you durinp: these last
few n>oiitlis, vet 1 dared not tell you so lest I should ai^s-ravate
your already' too heavy sulTerinfr! In the strutrj^^le 1 fould not
si»eak, hut now in ealnier nuunents 1 can write and tell you that
if you have suffeied mueli from the nearer view of the pad-
uaf hut sure ai)|)roaeh of the messen.ner of death. I have not
suffered less in n\v ahsenee and anxiety.
At last eireuiiistanees have ehan.iied. and, altiiougli late, 1
have the i)ermission of the Bish(.p. The danirers of naviiration
have passed, and my last but not least ditlieulty you have re-
moved by seiulintr me the money to pay my passa.ixe.
I must thank vou for that, for I have been extremely poor these
hard times when we must sulTer e(iually with our poor people.
I nm in my new house, hut 1 have a considerable debt on it and
on my ehureh. 1 shall leave here in May. and, with the help of
God, I shall be with you in .Inly.
Tell t)ur i,'ood aimt how mueh I rei,n-et the pam my absence
caused her, but 1 di.l not foruet to pray for her, and for our
dear father an<l the whole family. Often did I oiler the Holy
Saeriliee for this intention, and 1 am sure that you did not for-
go\ to luay with Iho same mind.
To his hrotluM- lio adds:
My sister's letter of Feb. I'J, was received the same week
as yonVs written a month later, and I send you a note under
cover of my answer to her, to thank you for the $223, which
reached me in all safety. Without it I could not now under-
take the voyaire. My sister will tell yon of my itlans now al-
most delinitelv settled for my trip.
I put oir lellini: you many thin.us until we have the happi-
ness of meelintr, when we may olTer to each other a little nni-
tual consolation in the loss that has come to us. I heard that
you went to see our uood father often to bear bim company
and cheer him up, ami that yon embraced him for me and as-
sured him of mv alTedion. . .
Excuse this short letter, but before iroinu: 1 must visit my
missions once nuu-e, and put the accounts of my church and
house in order, but I shall start as soon as is morally possible.
Adieu I Tray for your devoted and alTectionatc brother.
Diiriiii;- this winter of suspense and anxious wait-
ing Father Machebeuf did not neglet't his work. That
122 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
went on, and liis zeal was rewarded by at least five
converts. He had the practice of giving away books
on religious topics, and he had the practice also of
praying for those who were in darkness and the
shadow of death, and of asking others to pray for
them. He had four societies connected with his
church, and the last of them, established this winter,
was the Confraternity of the Rosary for the conver-
sion of sinners. One of his strong societies was his
total abstinence society, of which he himself became
a member as a matter of encouragement to others,
and he speaks with evident pleasure of the 150 mem-
bers who went to communion in a body.
During his absence he had no one to replace him
constantly and keep up his work, but he secured the
promise of some of the neighboring priests to visit
his people once a month and show them that they
were not entirely abandoned.
At the end of May he went to Chillicothe to meet
Bishop Purcell, who wished to entrust him with some
important commissions. At Chillicothe he expected
to meet Fathers Gacon and Cheymol, to whom he had
written, but in this he was disappointed, for he says,
' ' they are living like hermits, unwilling to come out
of tlieir cells." His bosom friend, Father Lamy,
came all the way to Sandusky to visit him and console
him, and even promised to pay an occasional visit to
the mission in his absence.
The final arrangements were to confer with two
Alsatian priests who were also going home for the
first time in fifteen years, and they wished to make
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 123
the voyage all together. They appointed a rendez-
vous in the city of New York for the third Sunday in
June, and they would take the first boat for France
after that date. They left New York on the 26th of
June, and a very favorable voyage of seventeen days
brought them to Havre on July 13, 1844.
Father Machebeuf had some special business for
the Diocese of Cincinnati which caused him a delay
of some days at Boulogne, but as soon as this was
accomplished he hastened to Eiom, where for the
present we leave him in the midst of his sorrowing
relatives, to whom his return was like the light of
another day after a night of gloom.
CHAPTER IX.
Going to Rome. — Types of Travelers.— Visits Rome's Won-
ders.—Audience with Pope Gregory XVI. — At Loretto, Venice,
Milan, Turin. — The Ursulines of Beaulieu. — Appeals to the
Royal Family for Aid.— Prepares to Return. — Corpus Christi
on Board Ship.— New York to Cincinnati.— Installs the Ursu-
lines at Fayetteville. — Home Again.— Renewed Activity,
The saying that all roads lead to Eome is as
true now as it was in ancient times, and just as many-
people travel upon them. Father Machebeuf re-
mained with his family long enough to console them
and to arrange for the legal settlement of the family
estate, and then he thought of satisfying a desire
which is common to all priests, that of going to Rome
to visit the Father of the Faithful, and of looking
upon the great monuments of every age of Chris-
tianity from the days of the Apostles down to the
present. This was also a part of his plan when he
left America, and Bishop Purcell gave him some com-
missions, besides letters of introduction and recom-
mendation to several influential persons in Rome and
other Italian cities.
It was October before he could undertake this
journey, and then he made it by slow stages. At Ly-
ons he had some special business to transact, and
purchases of church ornaments to make. The trip
from Lyons to Marseilles was made by boat, with a
stop at Avignon, once the residence of the Popes.
Accustomed as he was to American modes of
travel, Father Machebeuf could not help commenting
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 125
unfavorably upon the lack of comfort on the French
boats He found no private cabins or special state-
rooms, but passengers, baggage and freight were
mixed up pell-mell, and even vehicles were stowed
away wherever place could be found for them with
no thought of order or convenience. Several such
were on this boat, for many, especially foreig-ners
then traveled with their own conveyances and took
advantage of the boats on the rivers to advance the
more rapidly with less fatigue over the longer
stages of their journey.
Among the passengers there were many English,
and they were glad of the company of Father Mache-
beuf, as he spoke English, and they were continually
applving to him for information and the history ot
plac;s and objects of which, he says, he was as igno-
rant as thev were. One elderly Englishman seemed
particularly taken with him, but he would persist m
attempting to converse in French, with equal torture
to the lang-uage and to Father Machebeuf , for the pur-
pose, as he said, of getting a practical French lesson.
The conversation turaed npon France, England,
America, politics and religion, and upon all these
subjects this Protestant Englishman agreed' with
Father Machebeuf in everything until they spoke ot
Eno-lish rule in Ireland. Here the Englishman flared
up and declared himself unalterably opposed to the
Repeal Bill. If the bill were to pass, said he, the
Catholics would immediately take away the property
of the Protestants. Father Machebeuf asked hnn
why should the Catholics take away their property/
126 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
what property it was, and where did the Protestants
get the property which they were afraid of losing?
At this the Englishman muttered some incoherent
reply and went to hide himself in his chaise, where
he remained until Father Machebeuf left the boat
at Avignon.
Another English family, but a more polite one,
stopped off at Avignon like himself, and they were
glad of his company, as they did not speak French
and made no pretensions to do so, nor did they desire
to take any lessons from him.
After visiting the ruins of the Palace of the
Popes and other monuments they invited him to dine
with them. It was Saturday, but the law of absti-
nence on Saturday was still in force in France, and
the English family could not understand why Father
Machebeuf refused to eat the chicken while he did
not scruple to order and eat eggs without any qualm
of conscience. Father Machebeuf asked them if they
would be willing to forego the chicken and make their
dinner on eggs. To this they gave a decided nega-
tive. "Then," said Father Machebeuf, ''you ac-
knowledge that there is a difference, and in this you
will perceive the privation. If I desire to practice
this little mortification in sympathy with my suffer-
ing Saviour, do you find anything blamable in it?"
They acknowledged that they had never before looked
upon it in quite that light, but had regarded it as a
mere church regulation without any reference to
Christ. Before separating they gave Father Mache-
beuf their address in London and urged him to visit
them, and he gave them his address in Sandusky, as
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 127
they said that they intended to visit America the fol-
lowing year. As a matter of fact he never met them
again.
Rome was the Mecca on the Continent of all
these travelers, and of nearly all tourists doing Eu-
rope. They visited other cities and places of inter-
est on the way, but it was in a perfunctory manner
only. These places were looked over because they
came in their way — Rome must be visited or their
trip would be lacking its main point of interest. In
their slow movements none of Father Machebeuf's
fellow-travelers on the boat overtook him in his more
rapid schedule.
He arrived in Rome in the early part of Novem-
ber, and with his letters of introduction he found no
difficulty m making the acquaintance of many who
helped him in his desire to see Rome. There was a
fomier French army officer who was preparing for
sacred orders, and with him Father Machebeuf spent
a week. The Abbe Brosseur, who in his younger days
before he became a priest was a collaborator with de
Lamennais and Lacordaire on the Avenir, took an in-
terest in him, and he met some French priests whom
he had known in Canada. These were all familiar
with Rome, and thus he was able to see much of the
Holy City during his three weeks' sojourn in that
ancient and venerated capital of the Christian world.
Many times he visited St. Peter's, and each time
it seemed to grow more and more upon him. He
mounted to the dome, and even to the ball at the
foot of the cross which, he says, Tvould hold ten per-
128 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
sons. He descended into the crypts and said mass
upon the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles. He did
the same in the room where St. Ignatius lived, and
upon the altars of St. Stanislaus and St. Francis
Xavier. Also in St. Mary Major, St. John Lateran
and at other shrines of world-wide celebrity. He
saw and venerated the sacred table upon which Our
Lord established the Blessed Eucharist, and the altar
upon which St. Peter offered the Holy Sacrifice. He
went down into the Mamertine prison where Peter
was immured ; he saw the colunm to which the Saint
was chained; he drank from the spring which burst
forth for the baptism of Peter's jailor; he gathered
up as a precious relic a little of the dust from the
ground upon which St. Peter lay, and also from the
spot where his cross was raised. There were but
few of the famous sanctuaries which he missed where
time permitted a visit.
He saw the Coliseum where 10,000 pagan specta-
tors often gathered to witness the torture of the
Christian martyrs, the Pantheon which the jDagans
dedicated to all the gods and the Christians to all the
Saints, and the arches of Titus, Septimus Severus
and of Constantine, and many other monuments of
sacred and profane interest.
The great event of his visit was his audience
with His Holiness, Pope Gregory XVI, on November
17. The Holy Father was greatly interested in his
account of the missions, and gave him the apostolic
benediction for himself and his flock, and Father
Machebeuf still further remembered his flock by ask-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 129
ing the Pontiff to bless for them the supply of rosa-
ries, crosses and medals with which he had provided
himself for the purpose and occasion.
The interview made a lasting impression upon
him, and the words of the Holy Father— " Courage,
American ! "—were never forgotten by Father Mach-
ebeuf, who often recalled them afterwards, and al-
ways with a strengthening effect.
From Rome his intinerar}- was to Loretto and
Ancona, thence by steamer on the Adriatic to Venice,
and home through Milan, Turin, Chambery, Grenoble
and Lyons. In most of these places he had busmess
which gave him an opportunity of seeing some of the
sights, which he could not have done othemise, for
he had very little money to spend for the mere curios-
ity of travel. He tells us that he traveled on the boats
in France because it was cheap, and how he saved
money in Rome, where his room cost him 15 cents a
day, his breakfast 4 cents, dinner 25 cents and he
supped "by heart."
His visit to Rome was one of faith, for upon
every side he saw things which spoke of the struggles
and triumphs of the Church, of the conflict between
the faith of Christ and paganism, heresy, mfidelity
and error during 1800 years, and something was
there to mark the grave of eveiy cause, and of every
individual choosing it, against Christ and His
Church. Father ^rachebeuf took note of these
things, and his own faith grew warm and stirred
witliin him as he had never before felt its action.
At Loretto his visit was one of wonderful edifi-
130 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
cation. His account shows that he was literally over-
whelmed at jfinding himself in the house where ' ' The
Word Was Made Flesh" and lived for thirty years;
where the Archangel Gabriel came to announce to
Mary that she was to become the mother of the Re-
deemer ! These were the same walls, the same roof,
the same windows, and the same little hearth where
the Blessed Virgin must have prepared the daily food
of Him Who nourishes the world ! And the miracle
of its preservation ! He saw the walls resting upon
no foundation, with even vacant spaces between
them and the pavement beneath them, while the white
sculptured marble which covered the exterior walls
stood away from the walls as from something too
sacred to be touched ! How happy he was there where
Jesus was obedient to His parents, where He grew in
wisdom and grace as He grew in age, where He
spoke at His leisure with Mary and Joseph of the
kingdom of His Father, and where Mary laid up in
her heart the words of Divine Wisdom. Wliat con-
solation and fervor did he experience in kissing the
venerable bricks which recalled such precious souve-
nirs!
All this he tells in letters of which the above is
the substance, but he says that his words can give but
a shadow of what he felt at this holy house of Naza-
reth. Twice he said mass upon an altar resplendent
with gold and precious stones, and he had another
supply of beads and medals blessed there and he gath-
ered a little of the dust from the walls as a relic from
the sacred place. To keep his memory of all these
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 131
things fresh in order to make these wonders known
to pious souls, he bought there a little book giving an
authentic account of the translation of the sacred edi-
fice from Nazareth to Loretto. The iconoclastic
critics had not begun to waste their time and talents
in futile attempts to discredit the miracle of the
translation of the Holy House, and Father Mache-
beuf was too devoted a client of the Blessed Virgin
to have listened to any vain argument against the
venerable tradition.
At Venice he delayed but a short time, yet long
enough to see its grand Cathedral, the Doge's Palace,
and to sail upon its romantic canals. His route from
Turin was over the Pass of Mont Cenis to Lyons,
where he spent all the money he had left in buying
more vestments and furnishings for liis mission
churches.
In his letters, which but interpreted his feelings,
Father Machebeuf had many times bewailed the fact
that the condition of the missions, the work of the
missionaries and the consoling fruit of their labors,
were so little known in Europe. If these things were
known as they were in reality, this knowledge would
arouse tlie zeal of many and direct their steps in the
path of the few who had gone to labor in the missions
where there was so much to be done, and where the
work was growing out of all proportion with the
number of the priests. Wherever he went he did not
now fail to speak of his missions, and his words had
their effect. At Rome he received the offer of a young
man, whom he speaks of as -an Irish student of the
132 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
highest talent and piety," and whom he left there
preparing for the doctorate in theology. At Venice
he found a French priest anxious to go to America,
and in France he inspired several others with his
missionary spirit. Some of these accompanied him
on his return to America, and some, unable to come
then, waited a more opportune time and followed
later.
This was among the commissions given him by
Bishop Purcell, and another was to try to secure a
teaching order of Sisters for an academy in Ohio.
For this latter purpose he addressed himself to the
Ursulines of Beaulieu in Correze, not far from his
own home in Auvergne. Through some misunder-
standing at Beaulieu he was arrested by the gens
d'armes for a supposed intended violation of some of
the complicated regulations of the government in re-
gard to religious foundations, but through the good
offices of a brother of one of the nuns he was released.
What those regulations were is hard to find out now,
but when the nuns started to America some of them
were obliged to steal away from their convent in lay
attire disguised as servants, carrying their uniform
tied up in their bundles to Paris, where they again
resumed their religious garb.
The project of founding a religious house of
their community so far away was a momentous un-
dertaking, and the good nuns could not decide upon
it without advice, consideration and prayer. Father
Machebeuf tells us how they prayed and deliberated.
In a letter to his sister he says :
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 133
I have good news of the work in hand. It is now defin-
itely decided. The whole community has been prayinsr for a
long time to know the will of God in regard to a foundation in
America. The result of their prayers has been that the two or
three who were indifferent are now as anxious as the rest, and
four or five of the most capable sisters are sighing for the oppor-
tunity of following the attraction which God has g^ven them for
the foreign missions. I have had reason to admire the fervor,
the zeal, and above all, the union and chanty which reign in
this community. It is a veritable family where the Superior
is their mother by many titles. The sisters were all educated
at Beaulieu under her and here they made their profession. I
much regret that her health will not permit her to follow her
dear daughters, as she calls them.
There is here also an old religious who came as a novice at
the founding of the house before the great Revolution. She
has been professed G2 years, and she is willing to go, but, of
course, such a thing would be impossible. I never saw such
courage in a woman of 79 years. She did not know our plans,
but she suspected there was something going on, and she never
ceased to pray that the will of God might be done. She is a
person of extraordinary virtue, and spends most of her time
before the Blessed Sacrament, and for more than twenty-five
years she has been a daily communicant. It brought tears to
my eyes to hear her speak of the pleasure of living and laboring
for God. For many reasons I thank God a thousand times for
having directed me to Beaulieu.
Besides being animated by great fervor, these religious are
very talented, and there are four or five of them who are so in
a marked degree. I do not know if they will all go at the same
time with me, or if some may not remain to settle their tem-
poral aflfaii's. Tomorrow I go with their ecclesiastical superior
to make some final arrangements with the Bishop of Tulle. I saw
him before, and he told me he would be most happy to favor
Bishop Purcell, whom he knows, by sending him as many sub-
jects as he could spare.
It was arrano:ed that the Convent of Beaiilieu
would send out eis^lit sisters with him, while four
more would come from another house of their order
at Boulogne. He also secured a colony of the Sisters
of Notre Dame, who set sail from Antwerp accom-
134 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
panied by a priest and a seminarian whom he sent to
guide and assist them in their long voyage. For his
own party he kept with him Father Peudeprat, whom
he hoped to have with himself in his missions, and
two seminarians from St. Flour for the Diocese of
Cincinnati.
The question of money to pay the expenses of
his party was now a serious matter with Father
Machebeuf, and it caused him no little worry. He
was a good beggar, but it was a severe test of his tal-
ent as such to provide sufficient funds for his needs
in the present circumstances. In the partial settle-
ment of his family affairs he had received some
means which he used for present purposes, and he
appealed to his friends and other well disposed per-
sons for more. *'I do not know," he says, ''what
success I shall have with the Royal Family, but I
have written to all of them, beginning with the King,
then his sister, Madame Adelaide, the Duke
D'Aumale, who is so rich, and the Princess of Join-
ville, who is an American. The Queen has not sent
me the little assistance she promised. Perhaps it
wiJl all come at the same time, and perhaps —
nothing! But I lose nothing by asking."
Tf the King gave him anything Father Mache-
beuf did not consider it worthy of mention, for two
weeks later he says: ''Yesterday the Cure of the
Royal Parish promised to remind the King and
Queen of my request, but I do not expect much from
them. Madame Adelaide gave me^ — Guess how much.
About 2000 francs, you say? Just cut off one zero!
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 135
The 2000 francs would liave been little enough with
all her wealth."
It was the first of May before he gathered to-
gether all his party at Havre ready to embark. They
were fifteen in number, and of these, eleven were the
Ursuline Nuns for the new foundation in Ohio. In
consideration of the large number the Captain of the
ship made a reduction of 200 francs from the regular
price for each passenger, and carried them for 450
francs, besides earning free all the baggage, of
which they had sixty-five trunks and boxes.
Of the return voyage Father Machebeuf gave
but a short account, but the Sisters wrote a fuller
report, and from this we select the more interesting
portions and condense them into a continued narra-
tive. They were written to their Superior and Sis-
ters at Beaulieu :
On Sunday, May 4, we went aboard the ship Zurich, which
was to bear us away from our beloved country into the un-
known New World. They told us that we were lucky in the choice
of our vessel, for the Zurich is one of the largest and best
equipped sailing vessels on the sea. Our rooms are small but
comfortable, and we have the exclusive use of the ladies' cabin,
which is large and separated from the general cabin.
At one end of the cabin we have put up a little altar, and
we have two masses everj- day when the sea is not too rough.
"We had some bad weather, and it once happened for a whole
week, including two Sundays, when Father Machebeuf did not
think it prudent to attempt to say mass. With this exception
we have made our commimions just the same as in community.
Everj- evening we had our May devotions, and we had also the
happiness of having the Blessed Sacrament in the room of
our Mother Superior the whole time of the voyage, where we
made our adoration every day, and during the octave of Corpus
Christi we had perpetual adoration.
Our celebration of Corpus Christi was quite solemn, and
so far out of the common that it deserves to be described.
136 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Father Machebeuf had a very pretty little ostensorium, and
after mass he gave the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament,
for which we sang- the hymns in a subdued tone so as not to
disturb the Protestants. He then put the Blessed Sacrament
in a little ciborium not bigger than your hand, and we formed
a procession with Father Peudeprat and the two seminarians
caiTying lighted candles, and thus we marched to Mother's room
where the Blessed Sacrament was put in a little mahogany box
securely fastened on a shelf, and there we considered it ex-
posed for our adorations.
Father Machebeuf called it our Corpus Christi procession,
and he remarked that this was, perhaps, the first time that it
had ever been made on the ocean. To tell you the sentiments
that filled our hearts during this ceremony would be impossible.
Your own feelings and piety will suggest to you what they
must have been.
At the entrance of the harbor of New York a steamboat
came out to take off the passengers and we left the Zurich at 5
o'clock p. m., on June 2, 1845. An hour later our feet touched
the soil of America, having last touched land in our native
France just 29 days before. Eveiy one was surprised at our
quick trip, except one gentleman, who gallantly remarked that
it should not be a matter of surprise, as the Zurich carried
eleven more voiles (the same word means sails and veils,) than
any other vessel.
A conveyance took us to the house of a French Catholic
lady near the French church of St. Vincent de Paul. In this
church we heard mass and performed our exercises of piety
every day during the eight days which we spent in New York.
From New York we went to Philadelphia partly by steam-
boat and partly by railroad, and then again by boat to Balti-
more. We remained two days at Baltimore at the Convent of
the Visitation, and then started on the last long and most
fatiguing portion of our journey. We went by rail from Balti-
more to Cumberland, Avhere we took stages for a two days' ride
over the mountains to Wheeling on the Ohio river.
After resting there two days we were ready again for the
onward march. Many of the people of Wheeling, including
Protestants, wished us to remain and open a school there, but
that was not possible, and with many regrets on their side and
lively feelings of gratitude on ours, we went on board the
steamer "Independence," which was to take us directly to
Cincinnati. The weather was so hot that we could not occupy
our rooms at night with any comfort, so we slept on deck in
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 137
the open air. Finally, on June 10, we reached Cincinnati, where
we were received by the g-ood Bishop Purcell as by a father who
was receiving home again his long absent children.
During all tliis long voyage Father Machebeuf was our
guide, our provider, our servant, our messenger, our guardian
angel, our spiritual father, in fact he Avas everything to us and
we were like helpless cliildren on his hands.
We stayed in Cincinnati at the house of a Mrs. Conn for a
whole month, when, on July 21, still under the guidance cf
Father Machebeuf, we went to Fayetteville in Brown county.
Father Machebeuf felt much interest in these Sis-
ters, wlio had come to America at his representations
and who had been so long under his care that he
could not leave them until he saw them comfortably
settled. He felt that it was his duty to help them,
and to cheer them up in their exile, and he remained
with them in their new and final location until about
the middle of August. These few weeks gave them
an opportunity of examining their surroundings and
judging of their prospects, and their obserA'ations
resulted in their becoming so thoroughly American-
ized that they could close their long letter by saying :
One thing will show you the zeal of the Catholics here, and
that is the way they impoi-tune us to take their little boys.
They have none but Protestant schools, and they tell us that
in these they cannot get the proper instruction for their chil-
dren. Oh ! if the priests and religious of France knew the
need that America has of tiieir labor, we have not a single
doubt that many of them would not hesitate to tear themselves
away from the bosom of their own country and hasten to come
here and work for the glory of God in this vast field. And,
moreover, we have no doubt that if your parents and friends
had a correct idea of I''"'ayetteville, and of all the good that you
could do here, they would gladly consent to make the sacrifice
of j'ou to God Who has done so much for them. Now that we
have seen, we are not afraid to afl'irm that in France they have
a false idea of America. As for us, we are delighted to be
here, and we would not change our lot for anything in the
world.
138 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
The return of Father Machebeuf to Sandusky
City after an absence of fourteen months was the
cause of great rejoicing among his people, who had
been but poorly and irregularly attended during all
that time. The material part of his parish had been
lying as dead, and the spiritual part was far less vig-
orous than before his departure. There had been an
increase in the number of families, but they had not
been visited by priests in their own homes, whilst the
preachers had been active, and much of their activity
was spent among the Catholics. They had gained
some influence over a few of the members of the con-
gregation, and one young woman they had succeeded
in perverting entirely. In vain did Father Mache^
beuf try to recall her, but let us listen to him when he
speaks of the ''veritable wolves in the garments of
the shepherd ' ' :
A young woman, reared by Protestants from the time she
was ten years old, but professing the Catholic religion, has been
persuaded to join the Methodists. Do not be scandalized if I
speak of revenge. The honor of religion demanded it and I
took it, and I have the consolation of saying that I took it with
good measure. All of the ministers of the city did their utmost
to entice my people to their churches, but I made them pay
dearly for their temerity, for I have I'eceived into the bosom of
the Catholic Church four Episcopalians, among whom was Mrs.
Mills, the wife of one of the wealthiest men in Sandusky, five
Presbyterians and two Methodists. There are considerable
other breaches to be repaired, and, like, the Israelites after their
captivity, I must work with the trowel in one hand and the
sword in the other.
The spiritual good of his missions required the
greater portion of Father Machebeuf 's time and
care. His seven stations called for immediate atten-
tion ; the older members must be brought to the sac-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 139
raments, and the younger members must be instnict-
ed and prepared for the same. Then, his buildings
must be looked after, and, to add to his work. Bishop
Purcell gave him charge of the new parish of Nor-
walk, where the unfinished church was about to be
sold for debt by a fanatic from whom some of the ma-
terial had been obtained on credit.
All this work took time, but Father Machebeuf
was successful upon all sides. He gave himself up
so completely to his work that he had not even time
to cori'espond regularly wih the members of his fam-
ily, and when they complained of his apparent neg-
lect, he said :
You are well enough acquainted with me to know that when
I undertake a thing I give myself to it and cannot occupy myself
with anything not connected with it. When I was in France I
was wholly engaged in the business which brought me there, to
the neglect of my American affairs, and you had no reproach
for me on that account. Now all my attention and all my efforts
must, for a time, be for America. If you were to see the pitia-
ble condition of my churches, and the difficulties that I have
to put them in order, you would not wonder that I leave it to
the good Ursulines to give you news of me. And if you saw
the vice and disorders which have crept into my parish during
my absence, and which would become incurable in a very short
time if I did not hasten to apply the remedies, you would not
be hurt if I were to reply to your complaints in the words of
the Holy Child Jesus: "Did you not know that I must be
about the business of My Father Who is in Heaven?"
CHAPTER X.
Cold Comfort. — Churches Blessed.— Excess of Good Will.
Christmas Celebration. — New Diocese of Cleveland. — Faith in
Europe and America.- Appeal for Priests. — New Buildings.
Fears for France. — The Famine in Ireland. — Embarrassments.
Visit of Father De Smet.— Almost an Indian Missionary.— Bet-
ter Prospects. — Father Lamy Made Bishop.— Father Machebeuf
His Vicar General.— Leaves Sandusky.— A River Steamer.
"Into the Keeping of Providence."
Father Machebeuf thought that he was bringing
an assistant with him from France in the person of
the Rev. Peter Peudeprat, who accompanied him
from Clermont to Cincinnati and Sandusky. The
assistance, however, which he rendered was hardly
worth the name. In the beginning Father Peudeprat
could help him only in his French settlements, and in
the following December, when he could speak a little
English, he was sent to replace Father De Goesbriand
at Louisville, Ohio, who had been made assistant to
Father Rappe at Toledo. Father De Goesbriand
passed through Sandusky City going to his new posi-
tion, and Father Machebeuf wrote the Catholic Tele-
graph of Cincinnati an account of their trip to To-
ledo, relating a little incident which took place on this
occasion. It was thus :
I had the pleasm-e of seeing the Rev. Mr. De Goesbriand on
his way to Toledo, and as the ice was good on the bay and
along the lake shore, we went to "give church" at the Cana-
dian settlement on the Toussaint river, and then proceeded to
Toledo, all the way on the ice. But I must say in passing that
we enjoyed somewhat of the comfort our friends, the Bap-
tists, must feel Avhen, in the heart of winter, they are "dipped,"
for owing to a little forgetfulness of the track by our guide, we
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 141
broke in, about fifteen miles from Toledo. Fortunately, the wa-
ter at that spot was not more than five feet deep, and had it not
been that the vestments and books of my reverend friend were
injured by the water, everything would have turned out in fun.
We made land as soon as we could, and havimj; built a fire on
the edge of the lake we dried our clothes and continued our
route to Toledo. Upon an-iving there cmr mutual and good
friend, Father Rappe, made us forget our little mishap with
warm refreshments before a wami fiie.
Bishop Purcell consoled Father ]\[achebeuf for
the loss of his assistant by telling him that he would
send Father Lamy to Sandusky as soon as he could
find a priest to replace him at Danville. This re-
joiced both Father ]\Iachebeuf and Father Lamy, for
these two friends would then be together, and this
for each of them was more happiness than they had
dared to hope for. In the meantime Father IMache-
beuf went on alone with his work, cheered up by this
hope which was sweet as long as it lasted, but it was
never realized in Ohio.
In June, 1846, Bishop Purcell visited Sanduskj^
and blessed Father ^lachebeuf 's churches, of which
there were now three, and gave confirmation to 136
persons in the mission. The Bishop was pleased
with what he saw, and admired particularly the fine
stone church at Sandusky, 4()x7() in dimensions, in
gothic style, with its spire 117 feet high, surmounted
by a cross, as Father Machebeuf says, "made by an
English Anabaptist, gilded by an American infidel
and placed upon a Catholic church to be seen shining
by mariners far out upon the lake."
This church had also the luxury of a bell, and
in connection with this Father Machebeuf used to re-
142 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
late the following incident: "Wlien I was telling
tliem a few weeks before Christmas that I expected to
find a man of good will who would volunteer to go to
Toledo for the bell before Christmas, one of them in
an excess of good will, forgot that he was in church
and cried out immediately, ' Say, priest, I'll go tomor-
row, ' and he kept his word. ' '
For that Christmas he prepared a great celebra-
tion. He brought evergreens from across the bay
and festooned the church. Three hundred candles
were distributed at the windows, in the gallery and
around the sanctuary, gilt stars gleamed from the
arched ceiling, and over the altar was placed a trans-
parency representing the adoration of the shepherds.
Protestants and Catholics thronged the church for the
midnight mass, for which he had the best singers in
the town, with the addition of an orchestra. Such
pomp impressed the outsiders and set many of them
to thinking, and with some of them it resulted in
their becoming Catholics. Father Machebeuf helped
them along, and we find him at that time asking his
friends to pray for the wavering ones, and he specially
recommends the wife of a Methodist minister who
seemed to be held back only by human respect and
worldly considerations.
The question of an assistant was finally dropped
as far as Bishop Purcell was concerned, for about
this time the Bishop asked for a division of the dio-
cese, and the establishment of a new See at Cleveland
with Father Rappe as its Bishop. Action on this
matter was delayed for more than a year, and the
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBFAF. 143
priests were growing impatient. Father Macbebeuf
shared the common feeling and showed it by the fol-
lowing summing up of the situation:
Althoufjh I rep;ret to separate from him who is a veritable
father to his jiriests, and to me in jiartienlar, I am cons<)h>il by
knowing that Father Rappe has been proposed for the new
Diocese. He was ahirmed at the thouirht of the burden, and
now he rejoices in tlie delay, but we, with our parishes 60 and
75 miles in extent, seldom see a bishop, and suffer by the slow-
ness of Rome, where they do not realize the rapid growth of
our Catholic population. My own church, supposed when built
to be large enough for ten yeai"s, will not accommodate two-
thirds of my people now. Six years ago I had thirty families,
and now I have two hundred. I have need of an assistant
now more than ever, and at the request of Father Rappe and
others I have written for priests to Mr. Hamon. the Superior
of Mont-feiTand, and to Rodez, St. Flour and Tulle.
Wlien Father Machebeuf was in France as a
young priest he looked upon the condition of the
Cliurch as one who knows of nothing different, and
he lamented, like other good priests, tlie lack of faith
among the people. It seemed to him that religion
was dying, especially among the men, and without
them there were sad times in store for the Clmrch.
His few years in America, among a scatterwl i>eoplo
hungering for the facilities of practicing their re-
ligion, had 0]>ened his eyes in a wonderful manner,
and when he went back to France he noticed, as he
never did before, the local situation, and the little ap-
preciation that so many had for all religion. Priests
were i)lenty, but they were powerless under a govern-
ment which paralyzed their efforts and killed their
zeal. In such circumstances they appeared to him to
be too numerous and in one another's way, one-half
of them waiting for the shoes of the other half. He
144 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
was astonished and consoled at what was certainly a
grand and unusual spectacle — the sight presented by
3,000 men receiving Holy Communion in a body at
Notre Dame in Paris — yet the general impression
rested with him that the life of faith was passing
from France and Europe over into the New World,
and he lamented that the priests of Europe could not
see its sure and steady course and put themselves in
the front of this religious movement.
In his appeals to his fellow-countrymen he em-
bodies this idea, and he tries to make it clear to them
by showing what is being done in America. He cites
his own little parish as an example of what the scat-
tered missionaries are doing everywhere, and he tells
of the greater works which might be done if there
were more men and means to undertake them. He
says:
Help me to thank God that I have more work than I can
do. While the Catholic faith is gTadually disappearing in so
many parts of Europe, and especially in France, because the
people have rendered themselves unworthy of it, our Holy Relig-
ion is being established in a solid manner in all the States of
the Union. New dioceses are being formed at every Council,
magnificent cathedrals are being raised to the honor of the One
Church of Jesus Christ, and hospitals for the sick and asj'^lums
for the orphans are being built by the charity of poor but gen-
erous Catholics.
Here we enjoy in church matters the liberty which the
priests in France have been so long sighing for. We are not
tied up with chains of gold and silver like the clergy of Europe
— that is, we are not subsidized by the State, which does not
bother itself in any Avay with any particular form of religion,
but leaves every religion free and gives equal protection to all.
We Catholics profit by this condition to establish ourselves sol-
idly, and in this we have succeeded to an extent that would
surprise those who are accustomed to none but European ways.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEHEUF. 145
Vou may hesitate to accept my estimate of the advantages
of America and attribute my words to enthusiasm, but I am
going to give you some proofs of them.
A few years ago I came to Sandusky as poor as Job, having
neither church nor presbytery, nor ground to put them on, nor
money to buy it with. Today we have a beautiful church of
stone, a pi-esbytery of twelve rooms, a cemetery of two acres,
and a school for boys beside the church — all to the value of
$7,000 and not a cent of debt on any of it. And I cannot rest
there. Other works call for attention, and I have bought a large
two-story house with spacious grounds and all outside con-
veniences, such as barns, out-houses, trees and fences. In this
we intend to install an orphan asylum and a free school under
the Sisters of Charity. Still another is a three-story stone
building which the owner was unable to finish, and which thus
providentially fell to us at a low price. This is intended as a
boarding and day school for young ladies, both Catholic and
Protestant. Many of these latter become Catholics before their
education is finished.
The first of these houses cost $1,900, and ilie second cost
$2,250. I have paid a part on each by a loan, and the rest I am
to pay in five annual installments. Where shall I get the money
for these payments'/ Well, Providence will provide as it has
always done, and before two years the academy will be filled and
prospering so well that it will need to be enlarged. The Sisters
of Notre Dame at Cincinnati have succeeded so well that they
have paid nearly all their debt and are going to build again,
and the Ursulines at Fayetteville paid their expenses from the
first year, and saved a thousand dollai^s to i)ay on their debt.
Things go by steam in America, but it must be so or many
of the emigrants from Ireland and Germany would he exposed
to the danger of losing their faith.
Oh! if a good number of the young priests of the Diocese
of Clermont and el.sewhere who are in one anollier's way, and
are forced to remain sinecures for years, could but see the sure
and certain good that they could do in America, we would not
have the sorrow of finding every day Protestants and infidels
who are the ott'spring of Catholic parents, but who were not
brought up in the faith because there were no priests to in-
struct them.
All of these plans of Father Machebeuf were not
carried out immediately on account of the difficulty of
146 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
binding Sisters to take charge of the different estab-
lishments, and some of them were not realized in San-
dusky until after he had gone.
From what he says we can judge that his work
was heavy and that he had great need of an assistant.
The first one who came to him was an old man, and
Father Machebeuf felt some delicacy in dictating to a
man much older than himself. Then it was a young
man just ordained, and Father Machebeuf speaks
highly of him and mentions that he could speak Ger-
man as well as English. It was then that he fitted up
the basement of his grand stone building, "situated
in the finest quarter of the town, ' ' for a chapel, and
said mass in it every Sunday for the convenience of
those living in that part of his growing parish.
When his payments came due on his new pur-
chases he found himself unable to meet them, and his
parish was not in a condition to help him to meet his
obligations. In these straits he was obliged to sell
his patrimony in France and use the proceeds to tide
him over the difficulty. He also solicited donations
from his relatives and other well disposed friends,
and he was continually asking for vestments for his
churches and chapels, and other things necessary for
church services.
After the consecration of Bishop Rappe, Father
Machebeuf expected to receive special relief through
him, for he was near at hand and knew the condition
of things from close and continual observation, and,
in fact, some of the enterprises of Father Machebeuf
had been undertaken through his advice and persua-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 147
sion. Bishop Rappe had friends in France, and Ink-
ing a bishop was enough to give him influence among
others. But Bishop Rappe did not think it wise to go
to France while that oountr}'^ was in such a disturbed
condition, and so Father Machebeuf was obliged to
face his difficulties as best he could and wait for bet-
tei" times.
Father Machebeuf was French, and his love for
America did not drive away from him his love for
France. Hence, when revolution broke out in France
in 1848, he could not conceal his uneasiness, and he
prayed for the return of peace and tranquility. "I
am grieved," he wrote, ''at the sad news of this
frightful revolution which has broken out. I hope,
however, that the Parisians will be as expeditious in
these governmental changes as they were in 1830, an<l
that peace will soon be restored. I fear that the gen-
eral uncertainty will be bad for all kinds of business.
If the French only knew how to be moderate. Pei-
iiaps Lamartine will be able to maintain order and
peace, but it will not be an easy task." Lamartine
was the minister of foreign affairs in the new pro-
visional government.
With his practical views P^'ather Machebeuf saw
the possibility of deriving some benefit from the mis-
fortunes of France. It occurred to him that some of
the priests might be driven from France, and Amer
ica could profit by offering them an asylum. He told
his sister of his thoughts, and added : " If the evils of
the times force you to quit Riom, or perhaps France,
you know that we have a house ready to receive you
148 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
and all those capable of learning English and teach-
ing in our schools. ' '
This would solve, to a certain extent, the finan-
cial problems with which he was wrestling, and help
him out of his most pressing difficulties. It was, how-
ever, only one of the remote eventualities, and it is
not probable that he ever counted much upon it, and
any expectations which he may have had from that
direction were soon dissipated, for the revolution did
not turn directly against religion, and the blood of
Monsigneur Affre, the Archbishop of Paris, served
to frighten the Communists back to a show of reason
and stay the hand of anarchy. The French Sisters
were not disturbed, and the French priests stayed at
home, and Father Machebeuf was left alone to strug-
gle with his debts and work.
Here, in the midst of his trials, a new embarrass-
ment came upon him. The famine in Ireland was
felt in far off Sandusky in an indirect way, and
Father Machebeuf was one of the principal sufferers
from it. In the beginning of 1849 he wrote to his
sister telling her of the fresh difficulties in his affairs,
and the change in some of his plans to meet the most
pressing necessities :
The uews I send you is always about the same, for it is
that my work grows heavier every day. Now it is caused by the
immigration of the poor Irish who are driven from their country
by famine and the tyranny of the English government. The
number of our poor and siek has so increased that I shall com-
mence by a school for the poor and an asylum for the orphans
if I can get the Sisters of Charity, or of Mercy, to whom I have
written. But the need of them in the large cities is so great,
and so many are asking for them, that I have not yet received
any definite answer. I am thus left alone to pay for my (wo
\AFK OF BISHOP MACHKHErF. 140
houses, bought last year in the almost certain hope of having
the Sisters to take charge of them. Yon can, then, form an
idea of my pecuniaiy embarrassments, and I wish you would
urge my agents to send me what money they can to pay a part
of my loans.
To cap my misfortunes, such misery exists in Ireland that
my Irish people send to their relatives and friends every cent
they can spare, and that leaves me with nothing for our institu-
tions. The moment we succeed in opening one of them I shall
breathe easier, but in the meantime the burden is so heavy that
I fear lest I may sink under it.
If the great number of young priests had the courage to
make the voyage to America, and see with their own eyes the
need that the churches here have of their help, they would feel
a thousand times more consolation and happiness in giving their
lives and fortunes for the propagation of the faith in the New
World than in all their reunions and assemblies.
But take courage on the subject of my difficulties. The
more there are of difficulties, the greater should be our reliance
on Providence. It is the work of God, and He must make the
way smooth. Ask the prayers of the community for me.
Jn moments like these Father Machebeuf needed
all his courage, and the words of the Holy Father, no
doubt, were recalled whenever the load pressed hard
u{X)n him — "Courage, American!"
It was about this time, and |>erhaps at a moment
when he felt that eveiy step cost so nmch and his best
plans brought but disappointment, that he received a
visit from Father De 8met, whose name has since be-
come famed the world over as indicating the greatest
missionar}' among the Indians of the Far West.
Father I)e Smct had heard of Father Machebeuf,
and the disinterested zeal and labor which distin-
guished l)im above all the other jiriests in Ohio, and
he saw in him a man after his own heart — one who
would fit admirably into the new field just opening
among (lod's nntutore<I children of the Western
150 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
plains and mountains. He spoke to Father Mache-
beuf of the Oregon missions, and of the harvest of
souls there waiting, not so much for worldly means
to build expensive churches and carry out costly
plans, as for apostles to teach them the Word of Life.
Father Machebeuf was impressed by the repre-
sentations of Father De Smet, and attracted by this
kind of work which promised immediate results from
labor, without so many hampering and nullifying ob-
stacles. His mind was strongly turned towards this
new idea, which appealed to him as the ultimate ful-
filment of his missionary vocation.
Before he had taken any decisive step, however,
in the matter, a rumor of his intention reached Father
Lamy, who lost no time in visiting him for the pur-
pose of dissuading him from such a move. Their
conference was long and earnest, and ended: only
when Father Lamy said : ' ' My dear friend, when we
came to America we made an agreement that we
would keep together as much as xjossible. Now, if
you go, I shall follow you!" This was more than
Father Machebeuf had counted upon. He might do
as he pleased with himself, but he could not force this
alternative upon his best friend, so he gave up the
idea.
It was but a postponement of the call to the
Rocky Mountains, and when the call did come later, it
was a day of sadness for Father Machebeuf, and
a day of sacrifices which he found very hard to make.
As the year 1849 advanced, the affairs of Father
Machebeuf assumed better shape. Bishop Rappe
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 151
was prei)ariiig: for his trip to Europe, and it was his
intention to bring back priests and Sisters for his
diocese, and, no doubt, many of the charitably dis-
posed among those whom he would meet would assist
liim from their abundance. Thus the greater per-
sonal and material needs of the diocese would be re-
lieved, and in the distribution the important and
growing parish of Sandusky would not be forgotten.
Father Machebeuf had several conferences with
Bishop Rai)pe, and together they had planned to
make tlie proposed trip a success. In some way or
other, also. Father Machebeuf had met his most
l)ressing obligations and arranged temporarily the
greatest of the difficulties which had worried him.
His own personal affairs were brighter, and he was
beautifying his home and adding many little comforts
to it. Among these was a vineyard, which he planted
with cuttings from American, German and French
vines. His vines were so fruitful that others followed
his experiment, and thus we see Father Machebeuf as
one of the pioneers of grape culture in northeni Ohio,
where that industry has since grown to such great
proportions.
On May 10, 1849, he wrote a letter to his brother
in a most cheerful vein. He thanked him for various
donations received, and told him of brighter pros-
pects ahead. The completion of the railroad from
Sandtisky to Cincinnati had given a fresh impetus to
business and the town was prosperous and growing.
He was pleased to mention that he had a free pass on
the railroad and was making good use of it. Relig-
152 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
ion was flourishing, and at that moment the Bishops
were gathered in a National Council at Baltimore to
confer for the good of the Church in America.
Father Machebeuf had no thought of the change
being unconsciously prepared for himself in that
gathering of bishops. On May 11, the day after the
date of his letter, the Bishops formulated their peti-
tion to the Propaganda for the erection of the Vicar-
iate Apostolic of New Mexico, and recommended his
friend, Father Lamy, as its first Vicar Apostolic.
This was pleasing news to Father Machebeuf,
and he would rejoice to see his best friend honored.
It would mean their definite separation, but under the
circumstances a separation would be welcome and he
would speed the parting friend without any real re-
gret. His own work was sufficient to occupy his
mind and body, and, with all his energies bent upon
the accomplishment of his cherished plans, he would
have no time for lamentations.
The expected came to pass here, and Father
Lamy was named Bishop of Agathon and Vicar
Apostolic of New Mexico. The official news of the
appointment came to Father Machebeuf in a letter
from Father Lamy himself, and with it came a propo-
sition which upset his mind and threw him into a
state of uncertainty, hesitation and fear. But we
shall let Father Machebeuf 's pen tell the story of
this year and close this chapter, and with it the chap-
ter of his life as a missionary in Ohio :
On Board the Peytona, Jan. 20, 1851.
My Dear Brother and Sister:
You have been waitinof a long time for news from me,
/f- l^-(AyQAyJ 4\ ^i
LIKK OF BISHOP MAt^HEBElK. 15H
and 1 I'an almost bear you scoldiiiiT mo from this distance, yet
my justification from the accusation of negligence will be clear
to you before you finish reading this letter.
But first, I hear you ask: "What is the Peytona? and where
is he going?" The Peytona is one of the largest and most
beautiful steamboats on the river between Cincinnati and New
Orleans. It carries a truly surprising assortment of persons
and things. Catholics and Protestants, believers and infidels,
priests and laics, freemen and slaves, Germans, French, English,
Irish, Poles, Americans, Africans, etc., in fact it is a miniature
world. There are 200 ]>assengers in the first cabin and 50 in the
second, besides over 100 blacks, and two-thirds of these are slaves
whom their masters aie taking, some to New Orleans and some
to Liberia in Africa.
In addition to this mixed assemblage of human beings, we
have on board 160 iiorses and mules, 100 fat beeves, 400 sheep
and 75 gamecocks, bought at Louisville, Ky., for $5 apiece, for
the amusement of the lovers of cock fighting at New Orleans.
Then we have 400 bales of cotton, 200 or 300 tons of flour, and
various other kinds of produce.
I cannot pass over in silence a revolting scene which took
place at Memjjhis where we stopped for a few hours. We had
a slave dealer on the boat and he sold two poor young negro
girls to a merdiant of that town. The buyer examined them,
had them walk back and forth before him, made them talk, and
asked them what they could do, and why their master had sold
them, etc. Finally, after a.ssuring himself that he was getting
the worth of his money, he bought them for $050 each. It was
truly pitiful to see these young girls following their new master
away, clad in little more than absolute rags. However, it is
said that many of the masters treat their slaves with great kind-
ness, and in many cases the slaves would not leave the masters
even if they were given their freedom.
Now, where am I going? A word will tell you all.
You have heard that my friend. Father Lamy, has been
named Vicar Apostolic of New Mexico. Well, I am on my way
with arms and baggage to join him at New Orleans, where he
has been awaiting me for the last month.
As soon as the Bulls arrived from Rome his Lordship wrote
to me, first to tell me the great news, but principally to propose
to me that I accompany him in the quality of an intimate friend
upon whom he could depend, as well as an assistant ujion whom
he could lay a part of his burden — in fine, he wished me to go
as his Vicar General. With his usual simplicity and humility
154 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
he said to me: "They wish that I should be a Vicar Apostolic,
and I wish you to be my Viear General, and from these two
vicars we shall try to make one good Pastor."
At first I did not know what kind of an answer to give to
such a proposition. I felt willing enough to follow him
wherever he would go and share his crosses as well as his con-
solations, but I could not make up my mind to accept an office
for which I did not think I had the necessary talent, nor virtue,
nor patience.
I waited ten days before giving any answer to the proposal,
during which time I went to Cleveland to confer with Bishop
Rappe and the priests of the Cathedral. The Bishop was not
willing to give me any positive advice, sajdng that he feared he
might be opposing the will of God if he hindered my departure,
but that he could not without great pain see me leave Sandusky
where I had been for the last ten years, and where I had con-
tracted so many obligations on account of my plans and pro-
jects. The other clergymen whom I consulted told me that they
had expected Bishop Lamy to ask me to go with him, and they
thought it clear that Providence designed that I should go.
They said that if I went with him, I ought to accept his propo-
sition in its entire extent, and if I did not do this I ought to stay
at Sandusky.
I then went to Cincinnati in order to see Bishop Lamy
himself and settle the matter once for all with him. As soon
as he saw me he grasped my hand and summoned me to keep
my part of the agreement which we made never to separate,
and he spoke of the time when he was willing to go with me to
the West.
Ever since the time when I saw the celebrated Father De
Smet, that premier missionary of Oregon, I never got the
thought of the Western missions quite out of my head. I could
not forget his many efforts and entreaties to induce me to follow
him to the Rocky Mountains. But for that the designs of Prov-
idence were not perfectly clear, and I dropped it and tried to
forget it. I had brought myself to think that my special prov-
ince was now to care for my parish, and carry out our great
project of a Catholic school. It may seem singular, but in
spite of the news which we all expected from Rome in regard
to Bishop Lamy, the thought never presented itself to me that I
would wish to follow him, or even that he would ever dream of
asking me. It was only after two letters from him that I began
to think senously of it as a practical question. Now, after two
months of tighting, first with doubt and uncertainty, and then
LIFE OF BISHOl' MACHEBEUF. 155
with all sorts of difficulties, I have left my dear Sandusky. I
can hardly think of it without tears, not of reo:ret, for I believe
it was for the theater gloi-y of God, but the separation was too
painful that I should so soon for^-et it. or be able to think of it
without emotion.
From the moment when I was obliijed to tell my conorre^a-
tion of my goinsr, I was continually surrounded by my poor peo-
ple, who begged me not to leave them. When the day came
that was set for the sale of my furniture, nobody would buy
anvthing, but they prepared two petitions -one for Bishop
Rappe and the other for Bishop Lamy-and a deputation of
four of the principal men of the parish was selected to repre-
sent the wishes of the people to the two Bishops. But God per-
mitted that their efforts should come to nothing. The two men
who went to Cincinnati to wait upon Bishop Lamy could not
see him, as he was making his retreat at Fayetteville, and the
two who went to Cleveland were not more successful with
Bishop Rappe.
The day of the consecration Bishop Rappe did everything
that he couid to induce Bishop Lamy to go to Europe and gel
priests who could speak Spanish, but it was of no use. All the
other Bishops and priests advised me to go with Bishop Lamj .
so I yielded to the pressure of circumstances, or rather to what
I believe is the will of God, and now am far from Sandusky,
nearly half way to Santa Fe, the future episcopal residence.
I am not able to give you any reliable details of our new
mission. Communication is very difficult, and it was so little
known before its conquest by the United States that the geo-
graphers said hardly a word about it. We know that there are
about 40,000 Catholics, mostly Mexicans or Spaniards, and
some other Europeans in the larger towns, like Santa I'e, etc.
To reach there we must join a caravan at San Antonio, lexas.
and travel by land with our own conveyances. We hope to
make the trip during the course of the next month with a de-
tachment of soldiers who are going to Santa Fe. I have be-
sxm the study of Spanish, and I find that it resembles French
and Latin a'great deal, and has a certain affinity with the
patois of Auvergne. „ . ^ ^oti^^^
While I am writing we are passing magnihcont plantations
of cotton and sugar. Each resembles a little village. First,
there is the house of the master, generally of brick, two stories
hi-h, and very large. Then, at one side are the little^ cabins ot
the slaves, from 2r, to 40 feet apart, and each negro family has
its little house and garden. The slaves are always working
15« LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
for their masters without receiving anything but their food
and clothing, and these are coarse enough in both instances.
Yesterday while the boat was stopped to take on wood we vis-
ited one of these plantations. In one of the cabins we found
a very old negro, whose color contrasted strangely with his
long beard, white as wool. He asked for a little alms, which
we gladly gave him. We are beginning now to see signs of
verdure, and expect soon to see oranges growing in the open
fields.
Jan. 25. — We landed here at New Orleans on the 21st, after
a long but pleasant trip of nine days, but I was not prepared
for the unpleasant news which awaited me. Bishop Lamy left
here two weeks ago for San Antonio, where he will wait for me.
The commander of the troops with whom we are to travel offered
him a free pass on a government boat, but he arrived here one
day too late. Thinkmg to overtake them at Galveston, where
they were to stop for a few days, he took a boat for that place
the next day. The boat was so old and Avorn out that it was
unable to withstand the storms, and it was wrecked near Gal-
veston. It was broken into a thousand pieces and went to the
bottom of the sea. Fortunately, the passengers saved their
lives, but nearly all their baggage was lost. Bishop Lamy suc-
ceeded in saving his vestments and one box of books. The
greatest loss for him was a fine new wagon which he bought at
New Orleans for the trip over the plains. Altogether his loss
was about $350.
One sad feature of his going was that his sister, who was
sick with the Sisters in New Orleans when he went, died the
day after his departure. He left a letter for me, urging me to
join him as soon as possible, and I leave here on Saturday — a
day consecrated to the Blessed "Virgin. I hope that this good
Mother will preserve me from all danger.
Onward, then, into the keeping of Providence !
CHAPTER XI.
Goes to San Antonio.- Visits the Frontier Posts. -Inci-
dents on the Way to El Paso.-Government flavors. -Up the
Rio Grande.— Local Receptions on the Way.-Plenty of Paith
but Few Works.— Apathy of the Clergy.— Triumphal Entry
Into Santa Fe.
Father Machebeuf spent no more time in New
Orleans than was necessary to transact a few commis-
sions for Bishop Lamy and make arrangements for
the continuation of his own journey. Following the
route taken by his superior, he hurried forward,
reached the coast of Texas by water without accident
and pushed on to San Antonio. There he found
Bishop Lamy in apostolic poverty, with only the stiilT
and girdle of the pilgrim, but full of courage and
thankful that his life had been spared, and that he
was none the worse physically for his thrilling exptv
rience in the waters of the Gulf. He found hmi,
however, suffering from an accident received just as
he was approaching San Antonio. With his single
trunk saved from the wreck. Bishop Lamy was en
deavoring to overtiike the soldiers, and, when nearing
San Antonio, his mule took fright and ran away. To
escape greater danger the Bishop jumped from his
cart, but in alighting his foot turned under him and
he suffered such a severe sprain of his ankle that he
was unable to put his foot to Uie ground for six
weeks.
u\)on arriving at San Antonio, Father Mache-
beuf found that a considerable time must elapse be^
158 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
fore the departure of the governnient train for Santa
Fe. He could not bear to remain idle, but his ignor-
ance of the Spanish language prevented him from
engaging in regular ministerial work at San Antonio
or the hamlets in that part of Texas. Most of the
resident Catholics were Mexicans, settled in scattered
groups along the streams to the southward as far as
the Rio Grande. With the Bishop, he put in most of
his spare time studying Spanish, and acquiring a
practical use of it by conversing with the Mexicans
with whom he became acquainted.
Texas, at this time, had been annexed to the
United States only a few years, but immigrants were
coming in from the other states in considerable num-
bers, and the United States government had estab-
lished a number of forts along the frontiers as a pro-
tection against the Indians, and for the general se-
curity of the country along the borders of Mexico.
Among the troops manning the forts there were
many Catholics, and Father Machebeuf, with the per-
mission of Bishop Odin, of Galveston, visited a num-
ber of these forts, going as far as Eagle Pass on the
Rio Grande. Thus he traveled several hundred
miles in Missionary work during the month of April
and the early part of May.
It was the middle of May before the caravan got
away on its long journey over the plains, but it was
soon enough for Bishop Lamy. The loss of his
wagon and other belongings in the shipwreck left
him with crippled resources and greater expenses of
preparation. By combining their individual funds,
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 169
and adding to them what they had l>een able to col-
lect on their various little mission trips, they man-
aged to secure a large wagon for their necessarj-
baggage and provisions, anotlier smaller conveyance
for greater convenience in riding, and a couple of
saddle ponies. Another wagon would have com-
pleted their equipment if they could have gotten it,
for besides Father Machebeuf, Bishop Lamy liad two
priests— probably Fathers Pinard and Groskowski,
commonly known as Father Polacco— and each had
his modicum of baggage. As it was. Father Mache-
beuf was forced to leave behind him a great part of
his heaviest baggage, with instructions to have it
brought to him at Santa Fe by another caravan of
merchandise which was to start some time later.
The train with wliich they traveled was made up
of nearly 2U0 government wagons, each drawn by six
mules, about 25 wagons belonging to merchants and
other civilians, and a company of U. S. cavalry. With
this immense cavalcade travel was necessarily slow,
and when we consider that the distance from San
Antonio to Santa Fe was over 1,000 miles, we win
imagine what an undertaking such a journey was.
The first part of it, from San Antonio to El Paso,
was over 600 miles, and it was by far the worst half
of the .iourney, for it was mostly through barren
wastes where wood and water were scarce, and where
the Comanche Indians roamed in their wild freedom.
The Indians were not liable to attack such a caravan,
but, owing to bad water, many suffered from the
cholera which attacked them in a mild form and no
deaths resulted from this cause.
160 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Six weeks were required for this part of the
journey, but its hardships were partially offset for
the Bishop and his party by some special advantages
not generally found in those long journeys of the
Western pioneers. Father Machebeuf gives a good
account of this trip as far as El Paso in the following
letter :
It is well understood that each one must provide himself
with all kinds of provisions for six weeks or two months in ad-
vance, for we have 675 miles to make without meeting any
human habitation. With the exception of a few fertile valleys
along the rivers, nearly the whole country from 100 miles west
of San Antonio was nothing but a desert or a succession of
high hills. The journey was a trial upon patience and human
endurance, but we had some advantages over the other travelers.
General Stephen W. Kearney, whose wife is a good Catholic,
gave us the privilege of drawing rations each week from the
government supplies, such as were issued to the officers, and
of paying for them at government prices. This was about half
the price we would have paid if we had bought our provisions
at San Antonio and carried them with us. By this an-ange-
ment we were never in need of anything, except water, which,
at times, was very scarce. In fact, we had often to carry water
along with us in barrels both for ourselves and our animals.
We had fresh meat three times a week, and milk was
brought to us daily by the Mexicans who had charge of the
herd of cattle. P^rora time to time our driver, who was a
(Canadian Catholic, treated us to game, such as antelope, rabbits,
ducks, grouse, etc. But the greatest treat was the abundance
of fish. On many occasions we actually had the x)leasure of
catching them with our hands.
As we stopped only to camp for the night, or to let the
mules graze where we found good grass, we had no opportunity
to bake, so we had to content ourselves with sea-biscuit, such as
the soldiers use, but after a few days we became accustomed
to these and found them very palatable. We had a good tent,
loaned us by the General, but the nights were so calm and
beautiful that we almost always slept in the open air. And,
oh, how well one does sleep under a blanket with his saddle for
a pillow after a day's lide on horseback! — and especially, what
1,1FK OK HISHOI' MACHKHEUF. 161
an appetite one lias ! Altogether, we had a very fair trip in
spite of a few privations and an occasional storm which scarcely
deserved the name.
Finally, after six weeks' traveling across plains and over
nionntains infested by Indians, we reached El Paso, the only
Mexican town we saw, and that was not worthy of any special
notice. We stopped there a few days to rest, and the Bishop
and myself were very cordially received by the j)astor. Father
Ortiz, who proffered ns every hospitality in his ])ower.
The usual route from the States to Santa Fe was
not by the way of San Aiitonio and K\ Paso, but from
Independence, Mo., over tlie old Santa Fe Trail.
Boats from St. Louis ascended the Missouri river
and landed at Independence, making this the great
shipping point for our newly acquired territory in
the West. The offer, however, of military protection
througli a country inliabited only by savages was an
inducement for Bishop Lamy to take the longer
route on this, his first trip to his new and distant field
of labor. He wished also to visit New Orleans where
he had relatives, and then he had a prospect of get-
ting a few priests to accompany him to New Mexico
from these Southern missions. P"'or a considerable
portion of the journey also he would be traveling in
his own territory, and thus would be able to form
some opinion of the nature of his work upon liis ar-
rival at Santa Fe.
From El Paso, on the borders of Mexico, to
Santa Fe, the distance was nearly 400 miles. Part
of this, from Dona Ana to San Marcial, alwut 80
miles, was through La .Jornada del Mucrto, or the
.Journey of the Dead. This was a " formidable desert,
where along the road the bleaching bones of mules
162 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
and horses testify to the danger to be apprehended
from the want of water and pasture, and many hu-
man bones likewise tell their tale of Indian slaughter
and assault. ' '
The balance of the way was along the fertile
valley of the Eio Grande. This valley was fairly
well peopled with Mexicans engaged in agricultural
or pastoral pursuits. This made it possible for our
travelers to get fresh vegetables and many other
necessaries along the way, and thus, with lightened
loads and abundant pasture and water, they were
able to travel with less inconvenience in New Mexico
than through Texas.
The news of the coming of Bishop Lamy pre-
ceded him on his journey to New Mexico, and, strange
to relate, it was not received with unmixed joy. The
simple people hailed him with delight, but many of
the influential class held aloof, and among the clergy
there was a marked lack of enthusiasm. Some felt
that his coming meant reform for them or the dis-
cipline, and neither of these was a pleasant pros-
pect. There was also a strong prejudice against for-
eigners, as all not of Spanish blood were termed, and
special hatred against those who came from the
States, The clergy shared this with the people, and
some of them encouraged the bitter feeling among
the people. So strong was this prejudice among the
clergy that more than half of the priests of New
Mexico removed to Old Mexico rather than live un-
der American civil rule or religious discipline.
The Church in New Mexico had long been under
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 163
the jurisdiction of the Bishops of Durango in Old
Mexico, and the distance of 1,500 miles made it ex-
tremely difficult for them to visit this part of their
diocese. Bishop Zubiria had visited Santa Fe twice
before the American occupation and once afterwards,
but each visit was with great trouble and expense, as
he was obliged to have an escort for protection
against the savage Indians who made frequent for-
ays into the more settled parts of New Mexico.
At this time the head of the Church in New Mex-
ico was a Vicar Forane, the Very Kev. .1. F. Ortiz,
who resided at Santa Fe and was a medium between
the priests and the Bishop, but he appears to have
exercised veiy little practical authority. Discipline
had greatly relaxed among the clergy, the apostolic
spirit was gone, and the essential practices of relig-
ion had fallen to a very low ebb among botli priests
and peo])le. The sense of faith was still strong
among the people, but it was more from tra litions
of their early missionaries than from the teaching of
their present pastors. They knew of no other condi-
tions of religion than those they saw around them,
and they could make no comparison of the present
with other times and other places. Hence, they failed
to realize the abuses whicli had crept in, and did not
see the obligations of the (Tliristian faith as we under-
stand them. Many of them were Indians, and a major-
ity of them were only a step removed from the Indian,
and all of them had the Indian love of display which
makes outward show a strong factor in the comi)uta-
tiou of moral worth. They were also at the disad-
164 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
vantage of living in virtual slavery to the landhold-
ers and quasi-lords of the country, who were not
much better instructed, and who were far more occu-
pied with temporal things than with their own or
their subjects' spiritual welfare.
The following description given by Father
Machebeuf of their reception along the way will ex-
plain the conditions which Bishop Lamy had to meet
upon going to New Mexico in 1851 :
After having renewed our stock of provisions for the jour-
ney we resumed our route towards Santa Fe, which is 380 miles
from El Paso. With the exception of 80 miles through a coun-
try uncultivated and frequented by savages, this part of the
journey was as pleasant as the first part had been disagreeable.
Almost every few miles we came across some little parish or
mission, and everywhere the people showed the greatest respect
for the Bishop. Whole villages turned out to receive him in
procession. At the entrance to the villages they erected tri-
umphal arches, under which the Bishop and his party must pass.
The party consisted of myself and two others, a Polish and a
Spanish priest, who had come with us from Texas. In front of
the churches the women spread their shawls and cloaks on the
ground for us to walk upon, and men, women and children came
in crowds to receive the episcopal blessing and to kiss the
Bishop's ring.
This is a country of ancient Catholicity, but, alas, how
times have changed! Instead of that piety and practical re-
ligion which marked the days of the Missions, we have now but
the forms and the exterior of religion. The people are all very
exact in their attendance at the church services, they observe
all the feasts and keep up their confraternities and societies, but
the reception of the sacraments is sadly neglected where it is
not entirely abandoned. In a population of 70,000, including
the converted Indians, there are but fifteen priests, and six of
these are worn out by age and have no energy. The others
have not a spark of zeal, and their lives are scandalous beyond
description. It is plainly evident that Bishop Lamy will need
to exercise the greatest prudence, as well as zeal and devoted-
ness, in the government of such a diocese.
The people in general show the best dispositions. They
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 166
have the docility of children towards the priest, and if the few
remaining Mexican priests who have still the force of youth in
iheni were animated with any good intentions, it would be the
easiest thing in the world to bring these people back to the
practice of their religion. But, alas! the great obstacle to the
good which the Bishop is disposed to do among them, does not
come from the people but from the priests themselves, who do
not want the Bishop, for they dread a reform in their morals,
or a change in their selfish relations with their parishioners.
One of the great neglects of the priests of New Mexico is thai
they seldom or never preach. But how could such priests
preach f
Tlieir appioacli to SaiiUi F('' was lieralded a long
distance in advance, and preparations for receiving
the Bishop were begun on a scale which made it an
event in the history, not only of the Church in New
Mexico, but of the Territory itself. The civil au-
thorities, the military autliorities, the ee<?lesiastical
authorities, the people and even the various tribes
of Indians determined to take part in welcomins: the
Bisho)), and made their preparations accx^rdingly. Of
this, and the numerous other demonstrations along
the way, the Bishop and his party had no knowledge,
only as a rumor might meet them of what they could
ex])ect, but they were totally uni>rei)art\l for the
magnificent ovation with which they were greeted
ui>on their arrival at Santa Fe. A record of the
principal events of this reception was made by Fath-
er Machebeuf a few days fifter it occurred, and we
give his account :
We arrived at Santa Fe on the 8th of August, and the entr>-
of Bishop Laniv into the Capital was truly a triumphal one. The
Governor of the Territory with all the civil and military author-
ities, and thousands of people, met him six miles out from the
city with the finest carriages and coaches of the city, and vehi-
166 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
cles of all sorts for thirty miles around. Some eight or nine
thousand Catholic Indians came also, dressed in the fashions of
their numerous tribes, and their gaudy and grotesque, yet pic-
turesque, costumes were a sight to behold.
The meeting of the Bishop and the advancing cavalcade was
most impressive, and the welcome he received was warm and
earnest. The spectacular features of it were increased by the
Indians on horseback and on foot as they went through eveiy
motion and evolution of war and victory.
As the monster i^roeession neared the city the commander
of the fort ordered a solute of artillery in the Bishop's honor,
and the glad shouts of the people met him at every turn, while
in the background, filled with rage and envy, were the four
Protestant ministers who had been losing their time for the
past two or three years among the Mexicans of Santa Fe,
After the Te Deum, which was chanted to the accompani-
ment of Mexican music, the Vicar of the Bishop of Durango re-
ceived Bishop Lamy into his own house, which he had profusely
decorated and converted into a real episcopal palace, and all
the authorities were invited there to a grand dinner which
made us forget our long trip across the arid plains of Texas.
Here, also, lodgings were prepared for us, and here probably
we shall make our home, for it is the intention of the Bishop to
buy the house, as it stands close to the principal church.
This is a recital of the bare facts and does not
touch on the sentiments which lay behind, nor on
those which must have been aroused by this universal
demonstration of joy and good will. There is no
doubt that the civil and military authorities looked
upon the coming of Bishop Lamy as a blessing. It
detached the Church in New Mexico from its Mexican
affiliations, and made it dependent upon conditions
in the United States. This would have the effect of
strengthening the relations of the people with the
new government, while it removed the danger of any
Mexican influence that might be hostile to the new
order of things. There were no serious indications
that the few remaining natives of the Mexican clergy
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 167
would have op]K)sed American rule, but the United
States goveniment must have been favorable to a
policy which in our days it has pursued in the case of
the Philippine Islands. An ecclesiastical establish-
ment with superior authority in St. Louis would nat-
urally be more acceptable than one dependent upon
Mexico.
The people must have rejoiced for other reasons.
Situated so far from the episcopal city they could not
expect to see a Bishop very often. The Sacrament
of Confirmation had been a rare thing, and now, if
the people were instructed in its utility, they must
have rejoiced in the opportunity of receiving it. In
any case, he was their Bishop, and he was come to
live among them, and as they loved) honor and dig-
nity, the presence of a Prince of the Church among
them was not to be lightly estimated. The senti-
ments of the clergy are not recorded, only in so fai"
as the Vicar, who personally was a very estimable
priest, seemed to enter heartily into the welcome ac-
corded to the new Bishop.
The manifestation of all this in the enthusiastic
welcome given to him must have brought to Bishop
Lamy the deei>est satisfaction, and tended to recon-
cile him to his position as a bishop of a semi-civilized
diocese. It augured well for a rapid development of
religion, and for a vast amount of good which could
be done among these simple children of nature. The
only discordant note in the universal hannony was
the thought that the clergy was not the zealous body
that it should be in so high a calling. If he could
168 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
find some means of re-animating it with the sense of
duty and the spirit of sacrifice, what a bright future
he could see for religion in New Mexico. If this
could be done by gentle and kindly means — in a man-
ner to bind them to him in the same spirit of love and
labor, there would be a glorious transformation, and
where sin abounded grace would the more abound.
This occasion, and his previous experiences and
observations, would suggest thoughts of this nature,
and among such thoughts another would thrust itself
— ^what if the clergy did not respond to his earnest
desires, and his paternal efforts in their regard
should result in failure? Today let that thought be
put aside— time enough to raise the umbrella when
it begins to rain.
CHAPTER XII.
Kxtetil of the Vicariate. — Mixed Races. — Christian and Pa-
gan Indians. — Santa Fe. — Some Events in Its History. — The
Palace. — Tlie Cliurelies. — The Bell. — The P>lui)(ler of a Drunken
Judge. — How He Was Made to Rectify It. — Bishop Lamy Goes
to Durango.— b'ather Machebeuf as Administrator. — Missionary
Work. — Kelisfious Itrnorance and Its Consequences. — Need of
Christian Schools. — Building Bought. — The Sisters of Loretto.
Acadamy of Our Lady of Light.
In 1851 New Mexico was of much greater extent
than today. Its boundaries were not definitely de-
termined, but they included all of what is now New
Mexico and Arizona, except the southern portion,
which came in later as a part of the Gadsden I'lir-
chase, a part of the i)r(*s(Mit State of Nevada, and
most of that portion of Colorado ly'in^^ east (»f tiic
Continental Divide and south of the Arkansas river.
Beyond the limits (tf his vicariate proper, Hisho]>
Lamy had cliar^c of Clah and soine otiier parts of
the Mexican Cession of 184S. The o;reat bulk of his
subjects, however, were within the present limits of
New Mexico, with a few scattering missions in Ari-
zona. The rest of the vast territory was mostly a
wilderness and a home for roving tribes of pagan In-
dians.
The people of New Mexico were the descendants
of former colonists from Old Mexico. Some of these
were of pure Castilian blood, and some were of mixed
blood, as many are found to be in Old Mexico. Again,
a new mixture of blood was added in many c^ses by
170 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
intermarriage with individual members of the vari-
ous tribes of New Mexican Indians.
These classes formed the majority of the popula-
tion, but there was a large element of the pure Indian
race, which might properly be considered as belong-
ing to the population of New Mexico. These were
Indians of sedentary habits, who were living in
groups, or villages, called pueblos. They tilled a lit-
tle of the soil, kept a few goats, sheep or other ani-
mals, and lived generally in a hand-to-mouth fashion.
In some of the arts they were quite skilled, and made
blankets and woolen stuffs of wonderful merit, and
fair samples of pottery. In almost everything they
had the usual Indian characteristics except the rov-
ing disposition, and their constant intercourse with
the Mexicans gave them a touch of the imperfect civ-
ilization around them.
These Indians were not all Christians, but many
of them were, and all of them might have been if New
Mexico had been left to the Franciscans, or if these
Fathers had been succeeded by a zealous body of mis-
sionary priests. The Apache Indians were pagans,
so were the Navajos and the other predatory tribes
which made their homes in these regions.
The faith was first brought to the Indians of
New Mexico by the Franciscans in the 16th century,
but the early missionaries were put to death by the
Indians, and left do permanent work. The first per-
manent missions established date from the end of the
I6th century — the oldest being that of San Francisco
de los Espag holes, or San Gabriel, at the mouth of
TJFK OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 171
the Rio C'haiiia, ami next came that of La Villa Real
de Santa Fe de San Francisco, a name now abbrevi-
ated into Santa F6. These missions became perma-
nent centers of religion, and also of colonies which
finally reclaimed New Mexico from savagery. San
Gabriel was the first residence of the Spanish Pro-
vincial Governor, but he soon saw the superior ad-
vantages of Santa Fe and made tiiat the seat of the
government.
During the succeeding centuries Santa Fe met
with varying fortunes. It was several times taken
by the Indians, who rebelled against Spanish rule,
but was always recovered again by the Spaniards,
yet in all these vicissitudes it never lost its individ-
uality, and thus is the oldest city in the United States
with the single exception of St. Augustine, in Flor-
ida. Its population was never more than a few
thousands, but commercially it was of considerable
importance, and at the time of its acquisition by the
United States its trade amounted to about one million
dollars annually.
Wlien Mexico threw oft" the Spanish yoke, in
1821, all Spaniards were ordered from the country.
The decree affected the S]>anisli Franciscans, who at
that time had charge of twenty Indian pueblos and
one hundred and two towns and ranclies in New Mex-
ico. The Bisho]) of Durango found it impossible to
fill tlieir places, hut he did the best he could to supply
the more imi)ortant missions. In 1832 he sent the
Ver\' Rev. Juan Felipe Ortiz to Santa Fe as Vicar
Forane, with jurisdiction over New Mexico, but the
172 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
scarcity of priests, and the nature of those whom he
did have, left the people in a sad condition of relig-
ious neglect, and, as for education, scarcely any
effort was made either by the government or the
clergy for any kind of instruction.
These conditions lasted, and were growing
worse, until 1846, when General S. W. Kearney took
possession of Santa Fe and established Fort Marcy
on the heights above it. The treaty of GTuadalupe-
Hidalgo confirmed the title of the United States, and
New Mexico was organized as a Territory in 1851,
with Santa Fe continuing as its capital as it had been
under Spanish and Mexican rale.
In Santa Fe there were no imposing sights, such
as are found in many other cities. The buildings
were nearly all very plain, built of adobe, and few
of them more than one story in height. The old gov-
ernment building, called "'The Palace," built before
Jamestown on the Atlantic was settled, is of historic
interest. It occupies one side of the Plaza, is of
adobe and only one story high, but it presents a strik-
ing appearance with its massive walls and colonnade
along its entire front. Originally it formed a square,
with a courtyard within, where the Spanish garrison
was quartered, but that portion of the rectangle
fronting on the Plaza is the only part now preser^^ed.
Bandelier says of it (1890) :
This ancient palace surpasses in historic interest and value
any other place or object in the United States. It antedates the
settlement of Jamestown by nine years, and that of Plymouth by
22, and has stood during the 292 years since its erection, not as
a cold rock or monument, with no claim on the interest of human-
\AFE OF BISHOP MACUEBEUF. 173
ity except the bare fact of its existence, but as a liWng center
of everj'thing of historic importance in the Southwest. Through
all that long period, whether under Spanish, Mexican or Ameri-
can control, it has been the seat of power and authority.
Whether the ruler was called viceroy, captain general, political
chief, department commander or governor, and whether he pre-
sided over a kingdom, a province, a department or a territory,
this has been his official residence. PVom here Onate started,
in 1599, on his adventurous expedition over the Eastern plains;
here seven years later, 800 Indians came from far off Quivira to
ask aid in their war with the Axtaos; from here, in 1618, Vin-
cente de Salivar set forth to the Moqui oduritrj-, only to be turned
back by rumors of the giants to be encountered; and from here
Penalosa and his brilliant troop started on the 6th of March,
1662, on their marvelous exi>edition to the Missouri; in one of
its strong rooms the commissary general of the Inquisition was
imprisoned a few years later by the same Peiialosa ; within its
walls, fortified as for a siege, the bravest of the Spaniards were
massed in the revolution of 16S0; here, on the 19th of August,
of that year, was given the order to execute foriy-spven Pueblo
prisoners in the Plaza which faces the building; here, but a day
later, was the sad war council held which determined on the
evacuation of the city; here was the scene of the triumph of
the Pueblo chieftains as they ordered the destruction of the
Spanish archives and the church ornaments in one grand con-
flagration; here De Vargas, on September 14. Ui92, after the
eleven hours' combat of the preceding day, gave thanks to the
Virgin Mary, to whose aid he attributed his triumphal capture of
the city; here, more than a centurj' later, on March 3, 1807, Lieu-
tenant Pike was brought before Governor Alencaster as an in-
Tader of Spanish soil; here, in 1822, the Mexican standard, with
its eairle and cactus, was raised in the token that New Mexico
was no longer a dependency of Spain; from here, on the 6th
of August, 1837, Governor Perez started to subdue the insurrec-
tion in the North, only to return two days later and meet his
death on the 9th near Agua Fria; here, on the succeeding day,
.Tose Gonzales, a. Pueblo Indian of Taos, was installed as gov-
ernor of New Mexico, soon after to be executed by order of Ar-
mijo; here, in the principal reception room, on Auirust 12. 184(>.
Captain Cooke, the American envoy, was received by Governor
Armijo and sent back with a message of defiance; and here, five
daj's later. General Kearney formally took possession of the city
and slept, after his long and wear>' march, on the carpeted floor
of the palace. (He might have added that here also, while gov-
174 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
ernor of New Mexico, General Lew Wallace finished his tale of
Ben Hnr).
From every point of view, it is the most important historical
building in the country, and its ultimate use should be as the
home of the wonderfully varied collection of antiquities which
New Mexico will furnish.
The old Church of San Miguel, perhaps the old-
est now in the United States, was built nearly 300
years ago. It was burned by the Indians in 1680, but
was restored, and stands substantially the same to-
day, except the front and tower, which were changed
by modern restorations.
In a little room at the base of the tower of San
Miguel is the sweetest-toned bell in America, and per-
haps the richest. It, too, has its history, filled with
poetry and romance of the ages of faith.
In 1356, so the legend runs, the Spaniards were
fighting the Moors. Battle after battle was fought
and lost by the Christians, until the people vowed a
bell to St. Joseph as a gage of their confidence in his
assistance. They brought their gold and silver plate,
their rings and their bracelets, their brooches and
ear-rings and cast them into the melting-pot with the
other metal. The bell was cast, and in its tone were
the richness of gold and the sweetness of sacrifice.
It sounded the defeat of Moslemism in Spain, and
then came to ring in the birth of Christianity in Mex-
ico, and with the Padres it found its way up the Rio
Grande to rest and ring out its sweet notes over the
City of Holy Faith.
"In the old adobe church stands the bell —
From the ancient tower its notes have ceased to swell
O'er the houses, quaint and low.
Oil) San Mil. I ii.'s Cm ki ii.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 175
Whence it summoned long: ago
Spanish conquerer, Indian slave,
All to gather 'neath this nave.
Pealed it many a bygone day
O'er the roofs of Santa Fe.
And before that, century long,
Had it sent its sacred song
O'er the hills and vales of distant, sunny Spain.
Six long centuries have passed
Since the ancient bell was cast,
And sounded forth its first long sweet re f lain.
Strike it now and you shall hear,
Sweet and soft, and silver clear,
Such a note as thrills your heart
With its tender, magic art.
Echoing softly through the gloom
Of that ancient, storied room.
Dying softly, far away,
In the church at Santa Fe. "
Tltere were several other churches and chapels
in various stages of preser\'ation and decay, and
among them the Parrochia, built on the site of the
first churcli erected by Fray Benevides. At the time
of the coming of Bishop Lamy this church was occu-
pied by the government officials, but it was returned
to the Bishop, and upon this site he built his
cathedral.
As a city, Santa Fe has but little of the wonder-
ful, yet it is a picture in itself. The narrow, winding
and irregular streets, the long rows of low adobe
houses, with bleak fronts relieved only by doors lead-
ing to unseen courts and gardens within, the strange
figures u])on the streets — Indians in bright blankets,
Mexicans in every hue and gaud of color, children
almost in nature's garb, cabelleros in boots, spurs
and tasseled fineiy, women with loads ujxmi their
176 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
heads, and moving mountains of wood and corn-
shucks under which by close inspection you wiJl find
a burro, the apparent absence of all worry, the cer-
tain absence of all haste, the bright sunsliine and the
clear atmosphere of 7,000 feet elevation — put all
these together and you have something of Santa Fe.
This brief description of New Mexico and Santa
Fe will give us a better understanding of the condi-
tions under which Bishop Lamy and Father Mache-
beuf had to work. Bishop Lamy had told Father
Machebeuf that he wished him to come with him to
New Mexico ''to share his burdens," and as Vicar
General he had a share in them all. In some cases
the share equaled the whole, and such burdens were
generally the most disagreeable.
The first trouble came from an unexpected quar-
ter, but Father Machebeuf v:as not jilone in it. Their
first care had been to get possession of the churches,
chapels and all ecclesiastical property. There was
no difficulty with any of these except in the case of
the church which had been taken by the secular
authorities during the late troubles. The question
of right seemed to be clear, but an anti-Catholic
prejudice was somehow raised and the Judge of the
Supreme Court at Santa Fe was strongly imbue<i
with it. He was not a total abstainer by any manner
of means, and this was the cause of his undoing.
One certain Sunday night, when he had indulged
far beyond the limits of pinidence, and while laboring
under the effects of his indiscretion, he announced
defiantly that he would not give up the church to
IJP^E OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 177
Bishop Lamy and Father Machebeuf, but that he
would have them both hanged from the same gibbet.
Such an expression might pass in the community
where he had been reared and schooled, but he mis-
calculated his audience when he gave utterance to it
in the presence of five or six Mexicans. Early next
morning the Judge's remarks were known through-
out the whole city, and indignation ran high. A pe-
tition was gotten up and signed by more than a
thousand Catholics, Protestants, civilians and sol-
diers, asking for justice and the return of the church
to the Bishop. In the meantime an excited mob gath-
ered and marched to the i)lace where the bigot Judge
had taken refuge. He called upon the military au-
thorities for protection, but the Commander of the
Fort was disgusted with lum and refused his demand,
at the same time sending an officer to Bishop Lamy to
assure him that the entire garrison was at his service
in case he needed any protection against the Judge
or his adherents. For two hours Father Machebeuf
and a Catholic oflBcer from the Fort stood between
the mob and its trembling victim, who begged for
mercy and promised to do justice. That evening he
went to Bishop Lamy to beg pardon and apologize,
and the next day in open court, held in the church
itself in the presence of the governor and all the civil
and military authorities, he solemnly turned over the
property to its rightful owner, and the episode ended
happily. This was the first and last attempt to raise
the standard of Knownothingism in New Mexico.
This matter being settled. Father Machebeuf
178 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
took charge of this particular church and proceeded
to put it in condition for service. When this was
done Bishop Lamy decided to make this his cathedral
until a better one could be provided.
Besides these churches there were several
smaller chapels for public use, one dedicated to Our
Lady of Guadalupe, one to Our Lady of the Rosary
and one to Our Lady of Light. This last chapel was
also under the special charge of Father Machebeuf.
Having thus formally taken possession of his
diocese and arranged the preliminaries satisfactorily
so far. Bishop Lamy and the Vicar of the Bishop of
Durango set out for Old Mexico. The cutting off of
the territory of New Mexico from the jurisdiction of
the Bishop of Durango appears to have been done
without asking his consent, and he made some objec-
tion to the yielding up of his authority to another
without the usual formalities. This hesitancy on the
part of the Bishop of Durango gave to some of the
New Mexican priests the color of an excuse to refuse
to acknowledge the authority of Bishop Lamy. It
was not that they had any doubt of his authority, but
that they did not want a bishop so near them who
might insist upon a change in their manner of living.
It was to arrange these matters with the Bishop of
Durango and get his formal renunciation of author-
ity that Bishop Lamy set out on this new journey of
1,500 miles only six weeks after his arrival in Santa
Fe. The business of the trip was successfully and
amicably arranged, but Bishop Lamy did not return
until about Christmas, and during this time the ad-
LIFE OF BlJSllOl' MACIIEBEUF. 179
mmistratioii of tlie new Vicariate was in the hands
of Father Machebeuf.
Although Father Machebeuf did not attempt any
great reforms during tliis period, it was in reaJity the
most trying portion of his career in New Mexico. His
knowledge of Spanish was very imperfect, and his
duties left him very little time for study, yet he was
obliged to receive all sorts of visitors and keep up a
correspondence in Spanish with priests and people,
and he complained of the unusual strain upon his
possibilities, but he never ceased in work or en-
deavor. On the contrary, he added to his labors by
beginning to instruct the people in short sermons. It
was a renewal of his first experience at Tifl&n and
Sandusky, but this time he had greater confidence,
brought by time, and also by the nature of his hear-
ers, most of whom were sadly lacking in education,
and were not disposed to be critical.
The scarcity of priests was so great that both
Bishop Lamy and F'ather Machebeuf were obliged to
become real missionaries again. When Bishop Lamy
went through his diocese he traveled as a missionary
and did missionary work cverywliore. and when he
was at home he took his share in the parish work like
an ordinary priest and sent Father Machebeuf on
missionary duty to vacant parishes, and also to those
that were not vacant in order to revive the faith of
the priest and the peo])Ie. Where the Mexican
priests could be reanimated with zeal they were as-
sisted and encouraged, but where nothing could be
done with theni in tliis way thev were relieved from
180 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
duty and permitted to go away, or they were sus-
pended from all exercise of their ministry.
A few exemplary and zealous priests were found
by Bishop Lamy during the first few months of his
administration, who were willing to devote them-
selves to the care of extensive districts until more
help would come, and thus the faith was at least kept
alive. The city of Santa Fe was so well provided for
that, in April, 1852, Bishop Lamy felt able to absent
himself in order to attend the First Plenary Council
of Baltimore, and to leave Father Machebeuf suffi-
ciently free to look after the affairs of the diocese
without being bound down by parish work at one
place. How Father Machebeuf enjoyed this semi-
freedom with hard work may be seen from his own
words in the following extracts from a letter to his
sister from Peiia Blanca under date of May 31, 1852 :
I write you from the beautiful village of Pena Blanca on
the banks of the Rio del Norte, located in a chaiTning valley be-
tween two chains of mountains with the river flowing down the
middle. From the window of my room I can see the richness of
the soil in the abundant harvest of wheat, corn and wine prom-
ised to the laborer, and beyond the limpid Rio the picturesque
mountains with their slopes covered with majestic pines, and
their summits crowned almost with eternal snow, which the
winds and heats of summer fail to dissolve. But it would re-
quire the poetic temperament of a Father De Smet to appreciate
it fully and describe it, as he described such scenes to me from
his own experience of travel in the mountains. I am now quite
accustomed to scaling the mountain heights and crossing the
winding streams, but I have not the gi-and and beautiful boats
as once upon the Ohio, only a pair of neat Mexican ponies with
no poetry in them, and in their company the Muse refuses to
mount to Parnassus. But what need have we of poetry?
You will, perhaps, ask what I am doing in this village of
Peiia Blanca? During the absence of the Bishop, who went, the
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 181
tirst of April, to assist at a Council of the Bishops at Baltimore,
1 am not too busy at the Capital, and I put in my spare time
visiting the abandoned parishes and villajjes. When I say
abandoned I do not wish you to understand that they are en-
tirely deprived of the services of a priest, but that they are
visited only two or three times a year.
The lack of instruction and other helps has left relijsrion in
a deplorable condition in New Mexico. Its practice is almost
entirely lost, and there remains little but the exterior shell.
With such i<rnorance the consequent corruption can easily be
imagined, and all the immorality that must (low from it. Then,
like the physiciar who must breathe the pestilent air while ap-
plying his remedies for the cure of the sick, we are obliged to go
everywhere, and give to all an opportunity of hearing the word
of God, for which most of them are famishing. In spite of their
ignorance and immorality, they hunger for instruction, and they
have a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin. It is a blind de-
votion, and is sometimes mixed with fanaticism and superstition,
but it gives us hope that, explained and properly directed, it will
lead to good results.
A priest in our position, if he wishes to remain faithful to
his sacred character, feels the necessity, here more than any-
where else, of the protection of Mary, the Queen of the clergy,
and the assistance of pious souls. Gladly, then, do I accept the
offer of a union of prayers with the members of your community
and other pious persons, for, if the zeal and charity of pious
souls can do anything to help the missionar>', this, of all the
places in the world, is where it ought to be done, where we are
surrounded by a thousand dangers unknown in France. But,
since it was solely obedience to the designs of God that tore me
away from my dear Sandusky and placed me in this portion of
His vineyard, so overrun with thorns and thistles, I hope that
His grace will sustain me, and while I am occupied combating
His enemies I trust that you and others will not cease to raise
your hands and voices to heaven in prayer for us all.
As the source of evil here is the profound ignorance of the
people, the first remedy must be instruction, and for this we need
Christian schools for the youtli of both sexes, but especially for
young girls. The means of fonning them to virtue, and to good
example, which is rare in New Mexico, is the establishment of
religious houses conducted by persons devoted to their calling,
and filled with the spirit of self-sacrifice. To this end the Bishop
has already opened a school for boys in our house, and he has
182 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
knocked at many a door in the United States in order to secure
Sisters for the girls.
I do not know if his Lordship will succeed in this while he
is away, but in order to have everything- ready upon his return
in August, I bought, just three days ago, a large house at the
other side of the church. It has a frontage of more than two
hundred feet, and a large court in the middle with a portico all
around in the form of a cloister. Besides some outbuildings
there are twenty-six rooms, five or six of which are very large,
and as it is surrounded on all sides by wide streets there is noth-
ing to fear from the neighbors. I bought it from a Frenchman
who lives in St. Louis, and he was very generous in his price and
in the manner of payments. It costs us $6,500. I do not know
where we shall find that sum of money, but the acquisition was
indispensable. The Bishop wished to buy it before he left, but
he did not have the time and he authorized me to buy it in his
name. We can now expect to see a religious establishment soon
flourishing in Santa Fe, and there are over thirty children of the
wealthiest families impatiently waiting for its opening.
Of the many doors at which Bishop Lamy knock-
ed for Sisters, at least one opened to him and re-
ceived him with good will. This was the Mother-
house of the first-born Sisterhood of the West— the
Lorettines of Kentucky. They could hardly refuse
to listen to his appeal, for the work which he offered
to them was in direct line with the plans of their
venerable founder, Father Nerinckx.
The founding of the Order of the Sisters of Lo-
retto, in 1812, was a timely work. There was a special
hannony of adaptation among all the elements and
circumstances of its establishment. The condition of
the Western settlements of America in 1812 was one
of poverty and limited means of instruction. There,
as everywhere else, ignorance, and especially relig-
ious ignorance, was the prolific mother of evil, and
the later sins of New Mexico were not unknown
I.IFK OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 183
among the iguoraut ones of early Kentucky, Hatred
for the Churcli was growing as another consequence
of ignorance, and open persecution was not far re-
moved down in the category of probable coming
evils. Religious instruction would be the saving of
those who should be of the faith — it would reach
many others directly, and indirectly thousands of
others would be affected until the leaven of good
would gradually work through the entire mass of
the poi)ulation. Christian education was a crying
need in Kentucky; a conscious need for the Cath-
olics; unconscious for the others, but not the less
real.
If God ever raised up a man with the spirit of
self-sacrifice of the kind necessary to meet the call
for instruction in these very circumstances, that man
was the Rev, Charles Nerinckx, He had felt the ul-
timate fur\' of ignorance and wickedness, and was a
victim of their suj)reme and ready appeal to perse-
cution. The sins of others had made an apostle of
Father Nerinckx, and he deemed his life, his labors
and fortune of little moment if by them he c^uld only
spare others the contamination of sin, or avc^rt from
them its conse<] nonces.
But, to give any practical effect to his ideas of
instruction for those who could not receive it under
the present difficult conditions, he needed an excep-
tional body of teachers. Others forest^illcd him in
his plans for young men, but not before he had suc-
f^eeded in his efforts for the female sex. For that
part of his work he was wonderfully fortunate, and
184 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
he might have searched the world over in vain for
better material to aid him in carrying out his ideas
of letting in the grace of religious enlightenment
upon the souls of the young to show them the beauty
and the reward of virtue. His assistants came to him
ready and competent to fulfill the desires of his big
heart, and they and their successors were worthy of
their founder. A field for their labors never lacked
them, and, while the visible results of their work are
magnificent, the greatest portion of the good which
they have done lies hidden with God.
Men are prone to judge of the success of an insti-
tution by the signs of its material prosperity. Such
a judgment will ever be among the possibly errone-
ous, unless it be of a financial or industrial institu-
tion, but judged even by this standard, Loretto has
been a grand success, and who will calculate the far-
reaching work done in lives which otherwise would
never have known the beauty of virtue as they
learned to know it there, and the inspiration given to
those lives which made them a well-spring of virtue
to others?
Great monuments are erected with money;
money measures services which have had their re-
ward in Mammon, but God's work is silent, and
labors for the poor build monuments not on earth
but in heaven. There is a thousand times more of
God's history in the plain statue erected in New
Orleans, with the single word ''Margaret" on its
pedestal than in any palace that was ever built.
The great world will say that it never heard of that
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. IHo
statue, while it lias heard of many palaces. This
proves that God works in secret, and the world em-
blazons forth its deeds. Go and learn something of
that statue ; the subject is worthy of the study.
The early days of Loretto were days of ix)verty
and privation, but they were days of honor. Every
one of her old institutions and old buildings can tell
a story of love and labor for God and humanity which
cannot be written in the sculptured marble of modem
piles, where every line of the artist's chisel means an
increase in the distance which separates their work
from God's poor, and that means from the masses of
humanity. These must make sacrifices for necessary
things; the rich alone can pay for life's luxuries.
Good Father Nerinckx understood the divine plan of
preaching the Gospel to the poor, he embodied a por-
tion of it in the Sisterhood of Loretto, and his spirft-
ual daughters carried out well their part of the work.
Every day we are passing away, and as each one
passes there is a reverent memory that lingers, and
attaches, not to walls of brick or stone, which we may
have erected, but to the grandeur of character, which
may have been clothed in tlie simplest and humblest
exterior, but which sought God's glory, and counted
"all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge
of Jesus Christ."
The memories that remain of the departed Sis
ters of Loretto prove their devotion to the great ob-
ject of their order, so well carried out at .the Mother
house, at dear old Bethlehem— the brightest star in
the mother's crown, for it is nearest to the heart of
186 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBETIF.
the work as Father Nerinckx knew it, and it must be
nearest to his heart in heaven— and in their many
other similar establishments throughout the length
and breadth of the land.
To instruct and save the ignorant was the aim
of the saintly Nerinckx, and to this end Loretto has
applied itself and its means. Wealth was the great
danger which he feared for it, and the legacy of pre-
cious rules, drawn up by his own hand for its guid-
ance, concludes with the prayer that this child of his
pains and labors may never meet with the temptation
of riches. Its great work was to be among the poor,
and when it ceased there to labor, then would its right
arm be paralyzed. The field will never be lacking:
"The poor you will ever have with you." "Esto
perpetua ! " Go on thus, and be thou perpetual !
"The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart;
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice —
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget — lest we forget."
Such an institution could not refuse to listen to
the appeal of Bishop Lamy for assistance in saving
the young of New Mexico. Neither God nor His
Church recognizes any patent of nobility based upon
race, color or social standing. If Father Nerinckx
showed a preference it was for those whom the
world esteemed least, and his worthy daughters did
not hesitate now. The distance, the dangers of travel,
the difficulties of language, the certainty of poverty
and the dreary prospect of a life of exile in a strange
\AVK OK BlSHOl' MACllEBEUF. 1«7
land among a strange people did not frighten the
Sisters. For every one of these things they had the
example of Fatlior Nerinokx, and surely they would
DOW have his prayers in heaven while followmg so
faithfully m his footsteps on earth. It was like a
favor to be asked to go, and many a Sister prayed
that she might be worthy of the call.
Six were chosen, but only four of the number
reached Santa Fe; God was satisfied with the sacrifice
of the others. Sickness forced one to return to Lo-
retto after half the journey was made, and another
was taken by the angel of death, and her mortal re-
mains were laid away by her weeping sisters in a
tomb on the border line between civilization and sav-
agery. . ,
Their arrival in Santa Fe marked an era m the
history of the Church in New Mexico. Then began
the wonderful work of reformation which Father
Machebeuf foretold would be accomplished after the
application of this first remedy. The most sanguine
of the trembling hopes of the Sisters was more than
realized, and their fears, if ever they had any, never
returne<l to darken their brightest prospects. 1 heir
school prospered from the beginning, and ei-e long,
ill that land so sadly pictured by Father Machebeuf
a novitiate was established where the daugliters of
New Mexico hastened to consecrate their virginity to
God, and their lives to the redemption of their sisters.
Enlightened religion has done nmch for New
Mexico, and a great portion of the credit for its
spread must be giv(>n to the Sisters of Loretto in
188 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
their well-named Academy of Our Lady of Light in
Santa Fe, and its dependencies in various other parts
of the Territory,
Bishop Lamy and Father Machebeuf , in prepar-
ing for the Sisters of Loretto and bringing them to
New Mexico, builded better than they knew at that
time, for, humble, painful and unpromising as that
beginning was, it was fruitful in consequences for
good, and no less than twelve other establishments
trace their origin to it directly or indirectly.
CHAPTER Xlll.
o ^f tv,p qi^tpr^ of Loretto.-Father Machebeuf Goes
cate of Character.
The expected return of Bishop Lamy from the
States did not take place until towards the end ol
ScDtember, 1852. He had secured six Sisters of Lo-
retto at the Motherhouse in Kentucky for the new
academy, and together they started on their west-
wTrd trip. In later years New Mexico was under
heavy obligations to Auvergne in France for its re-
ligious teachers, when nearly all its priests were n.v
tives of that province, but in the beginning Ken ucky
had the strongest claims upon its gra itude^ Bishop
Lamv was pastor of a church m Covington, K) ..
wh'n he was' appointed Vicar Apostolic of New Mex-
Tco and now the teachers who were to take such an
important part in the religious education and cons^
quent uplifting of the people of N- ^f™"'^''^'^
sent out bv the same Mother Diocese of the West.
All tiie Sisters, however, who set out on that
first mission were not to reach their proposed d<«t.^
nation. The dreaded cholera broke out <»> the boa
upon wliich they had taken passage from St. Loui.
to the frontier town of Independence in Misson k
Sister Matilda, the Superior of the little colony, died
^ he boat, July 13, and was buried at Independence
190 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the following day. Two other Sisters were attacked
by the scourge and their lives despaired of, but they
eventually recovered. One of them, however. Sister
Monica, was so enfeebled by the attack that she was
unable to endure the trip across the plains, and she
remained at Independence until sufficiently recov-
ered to return to Loretto. Sister Mary Magdalen
Hayden was chosen Superior to succeed Sister Ma-
tilda, and with Sisters Catherine, Hilaria and Ro-
berta, began their long journey over the desert.
To say that the trip was without incident would
be putting it very mildly. There were no exciting
episodes, but every day of that long journey was a
day of painful and wearying toil. The sun poured
down upon them during the day and its heat was re-
flected back from the dry and parched prairies, and
were it not for the welcome coolness of the nights,
their sufferings would have been almost unbearable.
They met with no hostile demonstrations on the part
of the Indians, and it was with the greatest sense of
joy that they descried P^'ather Machebeuf coming to
meet them, on the Red River seven days out from
Santa Fe.
Their trip from that time was comparatively
easy, for they were in a partially settled country.
Bishop Lamy left them for a time to visit a few of
his parishes, but he met them again, and their en-
trance into Santa Fe was made by the people an occa-
sion almost similar to that with which Bishop Lamy
and Father Machebeuf were greeted upon their first
arrival a little more than a year before.
UFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 191
The Sisters prepared themselves for their work
by a short but earnest temi of study of the Spanish
language. The people were anxious for the school
to open, but this preparation was necessary, and ma-
terial arrangements had to be made and the school
could not be opened until Januai'v, 1853, but it closed
a most successful terai in August with forty-two pu-
pils. From that time the history of the Sisters of
Loretto forms one of the bright volumes in the rec-
ords of New Mexico.
But to return to Father Machebeuf. A hint is
given in the preceding chapter that bishops some-
times assign the unpleasant duties to their vicars-
general. Some work of this nature fell to Father
Machebeuf in the attempted reformation of the Mex-
ican priests. There was an apparent betterment in
some of them, and a greater display of zeal, but all
did not respond to the paternal advice and efforts of
Bishop Lamy.
Among those who refused to listen to the kindly
counsels of the Bishop wa^ a certain Padre Gallegos,
pastor of the important church of AUnuiuerque. We
have no hesitancy in naming him, as the whole affair
was public, and his previous and subsequent career
was well known.
Albuquenpie was the second city of im[>ortance
in the Territory, and was head(|uarters for a large
number of American troops. The Padre was very
popular with certain classes in the parisli, and these
were the rich, the politicians and business men, few
of whom had any practical religion. With these he
192 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
drank, gambled and danced, and was generally a
good fellow. He was a man of more than ordinary
talent, and on that account he received considerable
respect and deference. His conduct, however, gave
scandal to the good within the fold, and also to those
without the fold, for it furnished them an occasion
for reviling the Church.
Failing to effect any good by exhortations and
warnings, Bishop Lamy was obliged to withdraw all
privileges and faculties from the recalcitrant priest,
and Father Machebeuf was sent to take charge of
Albuquerque and conciliate the people. But we shall
let Father Machebeuf tell the story of his experience
on this occasion :
My position was sufficiently delicate and difficult, for he was
very popular with his set. I took advantage of his temporary
absence in Old Mexico to take possession of the church and to
announce from the pulpit the sentence of the Bishop, suspending
him from the exercise of any priestly function.
Some time later, when I was visiting some Indian parishes
in the mountains, about seventy-five miles from Albuquerque, I
heard that the Padre had returned and was going to dispute the
possession of the church with me the next Sunday. This did not
alarm me, but I thought it best to be prepared, so I sent a mes-
senger in haste to the Bishop to get a confirmation in writing of
the sentence pronounced upon the Padre, and my authorization
in clear terms to administer the affairs of the parish.
I returned to Albuquerque on Saturday night, and on Sun-
day morning I went to the church an hour earlier than usual in
order to be on the ground and ready for anything that might
happen. What was my astonishment upon arriving there to find
the Padre in the pulpit and the church filled with people whom
I knew to be his particular friends. These he had quietly gath-
ered together, and now he was exciting them to revolt, or at
least to resistance. I tried to enter the church through the
sacristy, but this communicated with the presbytery which he
still occupied, and I found the doors locked. Going then to the
main door of the church I entered, and assuming an air of bold-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 193
uess I commanded the crowd to stand aside and make room for
me to pass. Then, as one having authority, I forced my way
through the crowd and passed up by the pulpit just as the Padre
pronounced the Bishop's name and mine in connection with the
most atrocious accusations and insultin;j; refieclions.
I went on until I reached the highest step of the sanctuary,
and then turning I stood listening quetly till he had finished.
Then all the people turned to me as if expecting an answer. I
replied, and in the clearest manner refuted all his accusations,
and I showed, moreover, that he was guilty of the scandals which
had brought on his punishment. I then took from my pocket
the letter which my courier had brought me from the Bishop,
and I read it in a loud voice. To finish, I called upon him to
iustify himself, or at least to answer, if he had any reply to
make But, not a word; he went out as crestfallen as a trapped
fox and left me in peaceful possession of the church. I sang the
hio-h mass as usual, and preached on the Gospel of the day with
out making the least allusion to the scene which had just taken
d1&C6
A few days later, to repair his humiliating defeat, he went
to the neighborinii- villayes and used every means to arouse the
people, and he succeeded in getting together twenty-five or thirty
of the most influential and the richest, with some of his intimate
friends from Santa Fe. These, profiting by the absence of the
Prefect who was an intimate friend of mine, came to me in a
body, a'nd. with an air of insolence and bravado, ordered me to
leave the parish, adding that they did not want any of my ad-
ministration, and if T did not -o they would have recourse to
other measures.
At that moment the good God must have given me patience
and strength that were more than natural, for I answered them
with firmness that I had come to take possession of the parish by
order of the highest ecclesiastical authority, and that I would
receive no orders except from that same authority. I to d them
that they might take such measures as they saw fit, but, like the
sentinel on guard, I would not quit my post, and as the shepherd
of the flock I was ready to die for my sheep rather than aban-
don them. , fu^^.
This short and forcibly given answer disconcerted them,
thev did not have a word to say in reply, but returned to the
Padre to apprise him of the little success of their mission. Ihey
did not know that I was an Auvergnat. -Laisin pas.' Never
^^^ Hardly had they left me when the Prefect, whom some one
194 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
had notified of the affair, came up in a fury. He had already
given orders for their arrest and appearance in court, but I
reasoned with him and finally persuaded him to drop the matter,
for I was sure that such a course would be the best Ln the
end. This, in effect, was the case, for a reaction took place in
my favor and several deputations waited upon me to offer their
services and protect me if necessary. I thanked all of them for
their good will, but I declined any protection, as I did not fear
any trouble. This scene took place on Saturday, and on Sunday
morning I went to the church unattended by anyone except the
sacristan, and the only change I noticed was that everyone I
met saluted me with apparently greater respect than ever. There
were only three men from Albuquerque who took part in the
rebellion ; all the rest were from the Ranchos, or villages on the
lands of the rich proprietors.
From that moment the Padre lost all hope of driving me
away, and, abandoning the Church, he went into politics. There
was no doubt about his talents, and he used them to good effect
in his new field, for through them he worked every kind of
scheme until he succeeded in getting himself elected to the Con-
gi'ess of the United States as Delegate from the Territory of
New Mexico.
This was the most serious trouble which Father
Macheheuf had to meet while he was in New Mexico.
Any other priest sent to Albuquerque would have had
the same trouble and might not have gotten over it so
well, but with his firmness, fearlessness and authority
as Vicar General, Father Macheheuf commanded an
admiration which his opponents could not refuse to
give him, and which gained for him respect and obe-
dience. His conduct, too, when contrasted with that
of his predecessor, showed such disinterestedness and
zeal for the good of the people that they soon came to
love him as they never thought of loving the Padre.
It was not the love for a boon companion, nor for a
master, but for a father whom they saw seeking
their own good both in this world and in the world
to come.
IJFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 195
Elsewhere also in New Mexico matters had taken
a more definite shape. The discipline of the Church
was restored and the work of instructing and saving
souls well inaugurated. The vigor and zeal of Bishop
Lamy's administration was recognized at Rome, and
by letters from Cardinal Fransoni, Prefect of the
Propaganda, bearing date of August 12, 1853, it was
announced that Santa Fe was raised to the dignity
of a diocese.
To sustain and advance the work of reformation
among the people Father Machebeuf seized upon
every means. We have seen where he spoke of their
blind and unordered devotion to the Blessed Virgin.
This he undertook to regulate within proper bounds
and direct in legitimate channels. Without destroy-
ing any of their fervor or confidence, he placed the
devotion on its proper basis, and encouraged it espe-
cially among the younger element of the people.
Another custom among the Mexicans was to have
a novena of high masses just before Christmas. This
novena had been made one long celebration by the
people, and was a season more of revelry and dissi-
pation than of spiritual improvement. P^'ather Mach-
ebeuf did not suppress this celebration, but he deter-
mined to make it an occasion of a religious revival in
a real Catholic sense.
The departure of the Padre had caused no last-
ing regrets, and, as Father Machebeuf now had the
people well in hand with a growing po])ularity, he
announced the novena and promised an instruction
each day. These instructions were practical talks
196 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
suited to the capacity of the listeners, ' ' on the great
truths of religion, the sacraments, and the disposi-
tions necessary for their worthy reception." He
tells us of the wonderful success of the exercises in
the following lines :
Every day the church was filled, and not even one of those
leaders from the Ranchos was missing. The last four or five
days were spent in hearing confessions up to two o'clock in the
morning, and I had the consolation of seeing some of those ap-
proach the sacraments who had been the most bitter against
the Bishop and me. But what touched me most was, that the
people fi'om the Ranchos, whom I had advised to build a little
chapel of their own, came to me and insisted that I should go
and say two masses of a second novena in their chapel, or
rather between its four walls, for the cold weather came earlier
this year than usual and stopped the building before the roof
was finished. Yet they put boards over it and hung up carpets,
etc., which made a temporary and quite ornamental covering.
They also bought two bells, which the women decked out with
silks and flowers, and I blessed these with all the ceremony
possible. There were about fifty communions of men and
women on this occasion.
The other masses of the novena I sang in another chapel
large enough to hold about 300 persons, and I do not remember
ever in my life to have experienced greater consolation than on
these last days of this novena. Besides whole days, I was
obliged to spend the nights in the confessional until two, and
even four o'clock in the morning. The day of the closing of
the novena, when I saw coming up to the sanctuary many an
old sinner who had long abandoned the joractice of religion, and
even some of the leaders in the late mutiny, I was so moved that
I could hardly speak. I wanted to liken this occasion to the
feast prepared by the father at the return of the Prodigal Sou,
but my voice failed me. My emotion choked me, and the
sobbing of the people forced me to stop three different times,
while men and women shed teai's of repentance and devotion.
When I announced to them that I would be obliged to leave
them and go to live at Santa Fe while the Bishop was away,
the entire audience burst into tears again and would not be
comforted until I promised to come one Sunday in the month
during his absence. It was a hard parting for me, but a soft-
ening feature came into it when many of the hitherto neglectful
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 197
ones came lo tell me tliat they would i)iei)aie themselves for the
sacraments at my next cominy;.
These are thinjifs which console us in our isolation, or species
of exile where we are cut otT from the world, surrounded by
high mountains, and separated from the United States, Mexico
and California by vast plains. Oh, if the Bishop could brinj:
us from P"'rance a few good priests what an immensity of good
could be done! What pleasure I would have in seeing my
Rancheros coming back — these same men who came to my room
to insult and threaten me! Ves, the grace of God is powerful.
The absence of Bishop Lainy, to which Father
Machebeuf refers in the foregoing-, was for the i)ur-
pose of a voyage to France and Rome. It would be
the occasion of his first visit ad limina, and he hoped
to induce some of the young and zealous ecclesiastics
of his native country to come to New Mexico. He
had influenced a few by letter, but he felt that lie
would be far more successful if he could speak t<»
them personally. He left Santa Fe about the 1st of
Februaiy, 1854, and was absent until the IHth of
November.
During the absence of Bishop Lamy, Father
Machebeuf was in full control of all the church af-
fairs in New Mexico. With one assistant at Santa
Fe, he attended to all the needs of that place, caring
for the parish and schools, and paying his monthly
visit to Albuquerque. Other parishes and missions
he visited occasionally, and things went on with no
friction. Nothing new could be undertaken, for the
stubboni members of the old clergy had been dis-
posed of and their places were not yet filled. Those
who remained, and the few whom Bishop Lamy had
introduced into the diocese, were doing the best tliey
could to visit the people as often as possible, while
198 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
giving them hope that the Bishpp would bring them
j:)ermanent pastors upon his return.
The only extraordinary affair during this period
was an echo from the old trouble at xA.lbuquerque.
The former Padre refused to give up the presbytery,
and showed title deeds purporting to be from the
Bishop of Durango conveying the property to him.
Father Machebeuf began a suit of ejectment, and re^
covered the property by laying before the court offi-
cials letters from the Bishop of Durango denying any
transfer of the property. The Padre's title was, in
consequence, pronounced fraudulent by the court and
Father Machebeuf entered upon possession without
further trouble. The cause of the Padre had no
longer any adherents, and when Father Machebeuf
at last told the people of Albuquerque that the Bish-
op would return in a few days, and that his next visit
would be to take up his permanent residence among
them, their joy knew no bounds. His own joy was
great also, for he was as anxious to be with them aa
they were to have him. Of them he says :
They are dear to me, for the more a mother suffers from a
sick and petulant child, the more she loves it. So it is with me,
and every day I have new proofs that my parishioners share my
sentiments. They never before testified such respect and confi-
dence as they did at my last visit when I told them that I would
soon come to fix my residence again with them.
Another grand welcome met Bishop Lamy upon
his retura. The whole population turned out to meet
him, triumphal arches were erected over the streets
where he had to pass, a body of cavalry escorted him
and salvos of artillery hailed him. The one sad note
in the chorus of universal joy was the death sigh of
T.IFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 199
one of the Bishop's party, a young subdeacon, of
whom Father Machebeuf writes :
The same day occurred the death of Abbe Vaure, a younp
subdeacon of great talent and eminent virtue The next day
we had another procession, but it was a sorrowful one. It was
sad to see the three subdeacons and one deacon carrying the
corpse of their dear dead countrjman. I hope that the Lord
accepted his sacrifice and will take account of his pious desires.
Several priests also arrived with Bishop Lamy,
and Father Machebeuf installed them in their new
positions and introduced them to their congregations.
He accompanied Father Juillard to Belen, and
Father Martin to Isleta, while Father Avel was left
to assist with the work at Santa Fe.
It may be a matter of some wonder that these
priests were sent out so soon among a strange people
with whose language they were not yet familiar, but
the necessities were such that it could not be helped,
and it was but a rei>etition of Father Machebeuf 's
own case, for he was sent out after three weeks*
preparation, and no one can say that his work was
not efficient and successful.
The new priests were not long in mastering
eveiy detail of their work, and under the united ef-
forts of a more numerous and zealous clerg>' religious
conditions imi)roved rapidly. The people were m-
structed in doctrine and made to see its practical
obligations, and their moral tone was proportionately
elevated They grew more anxious for mstniction
for themselves and for their children. The excellent
work of the schools was evident everywhere a pupil
returned home from the care of the Sisters, and more
200 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
and more the families desired to have their daughters
educated by these teachers who could make them such
refined and Christian gentlewomen. In a short time
the original colony of Sisters found themselves una-
ble to meet the demands made upon them, and it was
necessary to increase their accommodations and
strengthen their teaching force. They applied to the
Motherhouse in Kentucky for additional help and a
new band was sent out to assist them in their work.
The journey of this new colony of Sisters was
much the same as for all travelers over the Santa Fe
Trail in those days, but there was one event which
was a little out of the ordinary, and entirely new in
the experience of the Sisters.
They left Louisville, Ky., on May 12, 1855, and
towards the end of June they reached Independence,
Mo., where they met Father Machebeuf, who was to
be their guide for the remainder of their journey.
The incident was related by Mother Ann Joseph, who
was of the party, and who came from Santa Fe to
establish St. Marj^'s Academy in Denver in 1864.
She died at Florissant, Mo., only a few years ago :
All went well with us until July 16, when the caravan with
which we traveled halted for breakfast. As the ambulances of
the Sisters were the last to enter the circle of wagons they were
placed in the center. Father Machebeuf had put up his tent, in
which he said mass and all the Sisters received holy communion.
After our thanksgiving we had breakfast, and while seated
at our improvised table talking cheerfully we heard the alarm-
ing cry: "Indians! Indians!" Looking towards the east we
saw the whole bluff covered with Indians on horseback, their
faces and arms painted in warlike style.
They swooped doAvn upon us like so many eagles. We were
told to get into our ambulances, the curtains were drawn down
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 201
and fastened, and the heavy duck covers for protection in time
of storms were tied down over them. The horses and mules, to
the niunber of about 200, were driven within the circle of wag-
ons, and there we were in the midst of them. The outside tem-
perature was about ninety degrees, not a shade tree was in sight,
and there we were with no protection but our closed ambulances.
Soon the savages eutei'ed the circle and became vei\v curious
to see what was in the ambulances. The drivers sat on the seats
in fi'ont, and every time an Indian tiied to lift the covers and
peep in they used their whips upon him. The merchants who
owned the wagons and the merchandise with which they were
laden, were very generous to the savages, and gave them many
presents of blankets, calicoes, manta. sugar, tobacco, molasses.
etc. Father Machebeuf gave them many medals, and he was
anxious to redeem a captive Mexican whom the Indians had.
but he did not succeed.
After keeping us shut uj» in our air-tight prisons from ten
o'clock in the morning until four in the afternoon about half
of the Indians left, but the rest of them hung around until about
five o'clock, when the caravan started for a better place to camp
for the night. After a short drive we reached a convenient
spot for camping, and when we descended from our ambu-
lances where we had been imprisoned for so many houi*s, we
were unable to stand on our feet for some time. However, we
were thankful that it was no worse. We have often since
laughed at our predicament when we were in the close, hot am-
bulances, praying as hard as we could, with fear in our hearts
and the perspiration oozing from every pore, but it was no mat-
ter for amusement at the time.
During our journey the good Father Machebeuf often sent
some of his men ahead of the caravan to select a good spot in
which to camp for the night, and instructed them to plant young
trees so as to represent a grove whenever we came to a wooded
part of the countiT, and he would go on in advance and be on
the spot to welcome us to our little garden or grove. He would
often bring into camp beautiful flowers, or shells found upon
the jtrairies, and in every way try to cheer us after a long
weary day of travel. We arrived at Santa F«' on July 24th.
This same story was among Father Macliebuef s
interesting stock of anecdotes. He had a fund of
such, and there were many otliers which lie did not
tell, na thev seemed to him to h<' onlv ordinary inci
202 LIFE or BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
dents. He traveled much and often met with bands
of roving Indians. It was never safe to trust these
too far, for on many an occasion like the one just
described they did not hesitate at a massacre when
they saw that they had the mastery. It was the con-
sciousness of their own weakness that often made the
Indians apparently friendly, but in the midst of their
strongest professions of friendship they were keenly
on the scent for every opportunity of stealing. But
friendly or hostile, they never attempted any harm
to Father Machebeuf, and he did not seem to have
any fear of them. He never put off any journey be-
cause the Indians were on the war path, but he would
calmly set out, saying: "Oh, the Indians would not
hurt me ! ' '
On one of his trips Father Machebeuf, with sev-
eral others, was making the ascent of Apache Canon.
The Indians were more troublesome than usual, and
had killed several soldiers in the vicinity only a few
days before. When part way up the steep ascent he
mounted his horse and rode on, leaving his com-
panions toiling slowly along. At the summit of the
mountain the stage people had a station for the
change of horses. When Father Machebeuf came
near the station he found it besieged by a party of
Indians. Without any signs of fear he approached
and the chief met him half way.
"Are you Captain?" asked the Indian.
"No, Captain," said Father Machebeuf, show-
ing his crucifix.
"You Padre?" said the chief.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 20H
"Yes, I am Padre," answereil Fatlier Mache-
beuf.
"How d'ye do?" said the chief.
Then the chief and all the Indians shook iiands
with him. Next they asked him if he had seen any
soldiers on tlie road, and Father Machebeuf told
tliem that there was a troop now coming uj) the
mountain. The Indians then held a consultation, and
mounting their ponies they cried: "A<lios, Padre,"
and rode away. Father Machebeuf found three
Americans in the beseiged station, and they looked
upon him as the ])reserver of their lives, which wa>
probably true, and they made him stay with them
until the next day.
An amusing instance of his experience with the
Indians wliich he used to tell, was when a band of
Indians with a petty chief early one morning rode
into his camp on the plains. It is the singular privi-
lege of an Indian to be always hungry and asking
for something to eat. This band, of course, was
hungry, and Father Machebeuf supplied them as
liberally as he could from his own slender store.
The chief became very friendly and insisted upon
sounding his (»wn praises, and repeating that he was
"Heap good Indian." To prove his assertion, he
produced a certificate of good conduct which he had
received from an army officer in the service of the
United States at some post on the frontier. He wns
very proud of it and he wanted Father Machebeuf
to read it and be convinced. Upon looking at the
paper. Father Machebeuf found it to read as follows:
204 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
* ' I hereby certify that the bearer is the biggest thief
unhung, and I warn all who may read this paper to
be on their guard against him. ' '
Father Machebeuf smiled when he read the
paper, and the Indian, taking this for a sign of ap-
proval, insisted upon an additional line from him.
The more recommendations he had, the better would
be his chances in begging. Feeling that he could not
well refuse. Father Machebeuf added the following
postscript : ' ' I have met the person described in the
foregoing, and I have found no reason to dispute the
truth of the above declaration, or the necessity of the
warning. ' '
Carefully stowing his double certificate of char-
acter in a greasy pocket the savage went off prouder
than ever, no doubt fully convinced that he could now
prove to the satisfaction of the most skeptical that
he was indeed * ' Heap good Indian. ' '
CHAPTER XIV.
Building Material.— Repairing the Churches. — New Organ.
— Father Machebeuf Starts for France. — Incidents of Travel. —
In France. — New Recruits. — Double Celebration at Sea. — Ar-
rival at New York. — Interesting Relation by Father Ussel. —
Returns to Albuquerque. — Grand Welcome.— Begins to Preach
in English. — Converts. — Establishes Catechism Classes. — Goes
Again to the States.— Tricks the Indians. — Return Party.—
Mademoiselle Lamy and Companion.— Leaves Albuijucrque for
Santa Fe. — Efforts to Retain Him in All)uqueri|ue. — Reception
at Santa Fe.
The ordinary material for building in New Mex-
ico was adobe. This was the natural clay of the soil
made into large bricks and dried in the sun. Walls
built of this, if laid upon foundations of stone to raise
them above the moisture of the earth, would last for
ages. The old Missions were built of adobe, and
their walls, from three to eight feet thick, still stand.
The churches and chapels were built of the same
material, and some of them were of veiy early date,
but pro])pr care had not been taken of them, and at
the time of the arrival of Hislioj) Lamy and Father
Machebeuf many of thorn were sadly in need of re-
pairs. The old clergy were too busy in providing
for themselves to do much for the churches, and the
first material care of the new ])riests was, of neces-
sity, to rei>air the churches, decorate them and sup-
ply them with new vestments, altar furniture, linens,
etc., of which all of them were in need, for in those
distant missions they had been but scantly provided
with these things in the beginning.
At All)uquer(|ue Father Machebeuf set about re-
206 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
pairing and renovating his church, and when it was
done the people were so pleased that they looked for
the opportunity of doing more, and one of the prin-
cipal members of the parish offered to provide an
organ at his individual expense. The organ was an
instrument almost unknown in New Mexico at that
time, and were it not for a providential circumstance
Father Machebeuf would have been obliged to re-
fuse the gift, for there was no one in Albuquerque
who could play upon it. It happened just then that
the old organist whom Father Machebeuf had for
two years in Sandusky was anxious to go to New
Mexico to be with his old pastor, and had written
letters to Father Machebeuf upon the advisability of
the move. Father Machebeuf accepted the offer of
the organ and wrote his old friend to come. Both
his friend and the organ arrived at about the same
time and were duly installed, and the music fairly
enraptured the Mexicans, who, from time immem-
orial, had been accustomed to hearing the mass sung
to the accompaniment of a violin. On grand occa-
sions another violin and a few guitars might be
added, but only a few places could afford such mag-
nificence. In many churches of the Mexican and Cen-
tral American States the entire musical service is to-
day rendered by an automatic music box. Albu-
querque, with its new organ and professional organ-
ist, was on the advance line of civilization and cult-
ure. The chant was mostly in the Gregorian style,
from ponderous tomes which may yet be seen,
and which are still used in some places where the
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 307
vocal musical ( ?) program is carried out by the older
members of the parish.
When Bishop Lainy was in France in lf^r)4, he
tried liard to interest the students and young priests
of Auvergne in his missions. We have seen that sev-
eral came to New Mexico with him, but there were
others who could not make up their minds at that
time, or were not suthciently advan<'ed in their
studies to offer themselves. Those who had come in
the early part of Bishop Lamy's administration, and
those who came with him in 1.S54, had written to their
friends of the good work that was being done, and
of the still greater work that remained to be done,
and thus the missionary spirit was aroused and kept
active. Bishop Lamy now judged that the time was
again propitious for securing more help, and accord-
ingly he sent Father Machebeuf on this missionary
errand to France.
Father Machebeuf left Santa Fe about the mid-
dle of March 1856, with a few companions to see him
safe across the plains, and his farther journey was
to St. Louis, thence by boat to Louisville, Ky., and
from there to Loretto, Oethsemane, ('incinnati, and
to Fayetteville in Brown county, Ohio, where two of
his former confreres were with the llrsuline Sisters
whom he had brought from France in 1845. Only
one i>ortion of tliis journey is rei^orted, but that part
shows some of the incidental lia]>iH'nings in the life
of the early missionary in the Far West.
When we were four days mil Iroin K<nt Union on I he
borders of New Mexico, the Iif,'ht vehicle in which we rode broke
down. We had hnt one other small wairon for our ba>riri>i^« -'ind
208 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
provisions, and for two days we were obliged to walk through
the snow in order to overtake a caravan of Mexican and Ameri-
can merchants who were going to the States to buy their stock
of goods. They took pity on us and loaned us an enormous
wagon drawn by ten mules. In this there were six passengers
with their beds, baggage, provisions, and corn for twenty beasts.
It was not a very fashionable nor a very agreeable mode of
traveling, but we had our recompense in other ways. We saw
thousands of buffaloes, deer, antelopes, etc., and they were the
main supply of our table, which we set up in the snow and at
which we ate standing, like the Israelites, with our staffs in our
hands and our loins girt for our journey.
After the long and tiresome days of such traveling we pas-
sed no wakeful nights, but always slept well between two buffalo
robes, even when we lay upon snow and an additional covering
of six inches fell upon us during the night. The wolves were
so plentiful and bold that they came into our camp every night,
and they would carry off everything eatable that they could find.
They even took parts of our harness. One of my companions
saw them several times prowling about my bed, but I had for-
gotten all about the world at that time and their presence did
not worry me.
The rest of the journey was made by the ordi-
nary modes of travel, and he reached France strong
in body and buoyant in spirits. It was eleven years
since his last visit to his home, and this visit was con-
soling both for himself and his relatives, but he lost
no time in sentiment. From the time of his arrival,
about the middle of May, until the first of August he
worked for the object of his mission so well that he
succeeded in getting six volunteers for New Mexico
and a large assortment of articles necessary for the
churches.
When the time drew near for them to start on
their long sea voyage Father Machebeuf grew solici-
tious, as was his custom, for the comfort of those who
were to travel with him. He had secured passage
LIFE OF BISHOP iM.\.CHEBEUF. 209
for bis party, but be wisbed to make sure of com-
fortable quarters for tbem, so be weut to Havre iu
advance, and on July 30, be wrote:
Not being able to form an exact idea of the places they
had reserved for us, I left i'aris yesterday eveniii'i' for Havre
where I arrived at five o'clock this morning. After waiting
a little while so as to give time to the employes of the Bureau
to get up and take breakfast, I went to inspect the vessel, the
Alma, before speaking to any one. I took note of the cabins and
thus was able to make very advantageous arrangements with the
Director.
First, we shall have the same table as the Captain, with
wine and all other privileges granted to the passengers who
pay 550 francs, and we shall pay but 400. Then, we shall have
very comfortable cabins, but less luxurious than some of the
others. We are thirteen persons— the seven from ClermiMit.
the Abbe Maurice who is returning to Bulfalo with his sister,
and the Abbe Martin from Brest with three Sisters for the
Diocese of Cleveland.
I have always had the happiness of starting out on my
journeys, or arriving at the end of them on some feast of the
Blessed Virgin, or during an octave, or the month of May. 1
ought not to be afraid when the Lord arranges such co-inci-
dence.s. It is exactly on the feast of Our Lady of the Snows
that our steamer will weigh anchor.
Good Protestants and all sorts of iulidels will
look upon tbis pious confidence of Fatber Macbel>euf
as supei-stition, but would tliey take any notice of
tbe fact tbat tbere were tbirteon in tbo ])nrty! Tbat
did not seem to strike Father Maclicbeuf as anything
objectionable, and all his long journeys were singu-
larly fortunate, which, perhai)s, drew bis attention
to tbe co-incidences. He did not forget, however, to
ask for prayers for bis safe journey, and he tells his
sister to ask her little pupils to remember him in
their prayers, and he recalls to her mind an occasion
which lU'ofoundly imi>ressed him when, he says, "I
210 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
saw them all in their little chapel, dressed in white
and singing hymns worthy of the angels, and I
seemed to be no longer on this earth but beholding
some celestial vision."
They sailed under these happy auspices, and on
the feast of the Assumption, which was the national
feast of France also, they had a double celebration.
Father Machebeuf gave an account of this celebra-
tion and of their further journey, from which we
take the following incidents, leaving it for another
of the party to give a fuller account of the voyage,
which to him was memorable as being his first, and
among scenes that were entirely new.
On the 15th of August they had a high mass at
which Father Machebeuf preached a sermon in
French. The cannon was fired at the Elevation and
again at the close for the Te Deum. There were
twelve communions at the mass, and a singular
phenomenon was observed on the occasion. It was
raining before the mass, but the sun came out and
shone brightly during the whole time of the mass,
and as soon as the mass was finished the sky suddenly
darkened and they had barely time to dismantle the
altar, which was set up on the deck, and carry the
things to a place of safety before the rain fell again
in torrents. A grand dinner was served to all the
passengers by Captain Bocandy, and again the can-
non boomed, while the intervals between the dis-
charges were punctuated by the popping of cham-
pagne corks and toasts to the Emperor, the Church
and France.
LD^E OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 211
Tliey reached New York, August 21, and four
days later started westward on tlieir land journey
across the continent. They rested a few days at
Sandusky and Cleveland while Father MachelHnif
went to Cincinnati to visit Archbishop Purcoll who,
he had heard, was sick. There he found his old
fellow-missionary. Bishop de Goesbriand of Burling-
ton, Vermont. His visit was concluded by a call u\)-
on his friends in Brown county, to whom he brought
the latest news from France.
Returning to his party he resumed his .journey,
and towards the end of it he wrote the last letter of
his trip: "From Our Camp in a Dense Forest,
Twelve Miles from the First Habitation of New
Mexico, November 3, 1856." In this letter he tells
Mr. Desjardins, the Superior of the Grand Seminary
of Montf errand, that he is writing at eleven o'clock
at night by the light of a blazing fire of pitch \Viuq
logs, while his dear charges are soundly slee])ing up-
on a soft mattress of snow. He says that they are in
excellent health and seemingly stronger from their
experience of the wild life of the desert. Only
twice were they visited by Indians, and these they
satisfied. by giving them a little tlour, biscuit and
sugar. He hoped to make the remaining hundred
miles to Santa Fe before the following Sunday.
Of that journey under the guidance of such an
experienced traveler and solicitous father as was
Father Machebeuf the venerable Father Ussel, the
present cherished pastor of Walsenburg, Colo., gives
us his recollections m the following very interesting
narrative.
212 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
My first acquaintance with Father Machebeuf was in 1856,
when I was a deacon in the Seminary of Montferrancl. Father
Machebeuf came there from New Mexico to enlist the services
of missionaries for the Diocese of Santa Fe. I was struck by
the high consideration in which he was held by the venerable
Bishop of Clermont, as also by the Sulpieian Fathers of the
Grand Seminary and the clergy of Clermont in general. He
was Father Machebeuf and the Vicar General of Bishop Lamy,
and that was sufficient recommendation.
Bishop Lamy had been over two years before and had taken
the Fathers Egiiillion and Juillard, and the Messrs. Paulet, Guer-
in and Yaure with him to America. Now he had sent Father
Machebeuf for more help. In answer to Father Machebeuf 's
api^eal in the Seminary of Montferi'and six seminarians offered
themselves, namel}^: the deacons, J. M. Coudert and Gabriel
Ussel, and the Messrs. Fialon, Fayet, Ralliere and Truehard.
The day set for sailing found ns all ready and cheerful
at Havre, but for the next few days we were a sick lot of
clerics. We were over our sea-sickness and well enough to
celebrate the feast of the Assumption, as Father Machebeuf
has described it, and to enjoy the hospitality of Captain Bo-
candy and finish a glorious day with the singing' of the Ave
Maris Stella, which was intoned by the stentorian voice of Mr.
Truehard.
At New York there was the usual delay at the custom-
house, and, as our ignorance of English prevented us from giv-
ing' any help to Father Machebeuf, we put in the time quietly
resting: or seeing; the city from the street cars.
From New York we went to Niag'ara and Father Mache-
beuf gave us a drive out to the falls. We had read Chateau-
briand's description of this eighth wonder of the world, but
the sight of it was really overpowering and at the same time in-
spiring.
Our next stop was at Sandusky, which Avas the former home
of Father Machebeuf, and the reception they gave him there
will never leave my memory. Crowds came to see him, and a
mere shake of the hand was not enough — they stayed to talk
and listen, and their hearty, happy laugh showed how interested
they were in his history of New Mexico, of the Indians, and of
his life in the Far West. They pressed him to make a long
stay Avith them, and in this they were joined by their pastor,
Father Bot¥. but Father Machebeuf could not promise to stay
longer than two days. That very night he must preach and
give the Papal Benediction, and for two daj's it was like a high
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 213
festival, with mass and communions, preaching and Benediction
of the Blessed Sacrament, and the Te Deuni in which every one
took part. It ^iwe us a hi<rher idea of our -rood Father, and a
greater love for him.
At St. Louis we went to the College of the Jesuits, and, as
it was yet vacation, we had the I'un of the whole house and
grounds for nearly three weeks, thanks to the generous hospi-
tality of the good Fathers. There I had the pleasure of meet-
ing that great Indian missionary. Father De Smet. In after
years I learned that he had tried, but without success, on some
of his mission trips in the vicinity of New Mexico to get into
communication with Father Martinez of Taos, one of my pre-
decessors in that parish. On Sundays I caught myself in a
distraction wondering at the strange mixture of whites and
blacks kneeling together before the same altar in harmony and
without apinuent distinction. "You wonder at that." said
Father Macliebeuf, "just wait until you see the Indians with
Mexicans and Americans together in New Mexico."
At St. Louis Father Machebeuf had the honor of being ap-
pointed to lay the corner-stone of a new church in the then
suburbs. It was actually in the woods, and our wagon came near
heiuix upset as we drove out to it. When the ceremony was over
we found dinner prepared for us at a farm-house close by.
The reason for this long delay in St. Louis was that we
were waiting for the wagons to come from Santa Fe to meet us
at Kansas City. Father Machebeuf wrote to Bishop Lamy
when we arrived in New York, and we were to receive word at
St. Louis when all would ready for us. While here we were
joined by another student. Mr. Thomas Hayes, who was then
in minor orders.
As soon as all was ready Father Machebeuf received his
letters and we left St. Louis, going by railroad as inr as St.
Charles where we took the boat on the Missouri rivai* for Kan-
sas City.
We stayed a few days at Kansas City, for we had more
bairsage than the wailing wagons would carry, and Father
Machelieuf had to buy more mules. Kansas City was a small
place then, with no large buildings of any kind, and the only
Catholic church there was a log building about 25x40. set in the
midst of a thicket of oaks.
Towards evening on October 4, we left Kansas City on our
journey across the plains. A few miles out we camped for the
night, and such a night as we spent. It was our fii-st experi-
ence in camping out, and the beds, spread upon the gi-onnd, were
hard and uncomfortable, and the coyotes howled the whole
214 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
night. The next morning when we complained to Father
Machebeuf he said: "You dreaded the monotony of the plains;
these are a few of their many distractions. You ought to be
glad to have a free band to serenade you. If you do not like the
music, Mr. Truchard with his magnificent voice can intone the
Ave Maris Stella, as he used to do for us on the ship." This
Mr. Truchard then did and we all joined in the singing, and it
was our regular hymn every evening during the trip, except
when we were afraid of the Indians.
We did not see things in as favorable light as Father Mache-
beuf did, and when we relapsed again into a moody silence he
said: ''Well, young men, what is the matter? Have you lost
your voices? You do not seem to be enjoying your breakfast;
perhaps the coffee does not agree with you? Well, let me work
a miracle." and with that he went to the wagon and brought
us in a vessel some good wine, and it brought our spirits back
like a charm.
After bi-eakfast Father Machebeuf decided to apportion out
the little duties and services of the trip, and addressing us he
said: "For order and good government we must elect officers.
Honors first to the deacons, as is their right. Mr. Coudert is
proposed for chief cook and superintendent of the provision
wagon." To this we all agreed. "Elected," said Father Mache-
beuf, "and now for fireman to gather wood, and other combus-
tibles when wood is scarce Mr. Ussel has every vote, so he will
be our man of wood, and for the double office of wagon boss,
to pick out good camping places, etc., and as majordomo, to get
you up in time in the morning, we will appoint our good, strong
Mexican, Filomeno." Thus were the offices parceled out, and
every selection was an excellent one.
The next morning before daylight Filomeno roused us with
the cry: "Up, Senor Ussel, and make the fire." "Seiior Cou-
dert, hurry up with the breakfast." "Senor Fialon, tend to
your carriage mules. ' ' It was a jolly party even if the circum-
stances were somewhat adverse.
Only the second day out Father Machebeuf said: "Why
don't you speak Spanish with our men?" To our answer that
we did not know how he replied: "Oh yes you do! and I shall
prove it to you. Now, here are the conversation books ; I shall
read the Credo very slowly while you follow me in Latin,"
Then he gave us some simple rules for the formation of words
and we had mastei'ed the system in five minutes. After that
we had no great difficulty in conversing with our Mexicans.
When Sunday came Father Machebeuf said: "We will
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 215
have mass this niorniiiir, and now while I prepare the altar you
may i)repare yourselves for confession," and at ei^ht o'clock
we had a coni;:re<,''ation of sixteen persons besides four non-
Catholics who were travelin-j: with our party. We had mass
every Sunday, and a few other days when the caravan did not
start too early. We traveled at the rate of about twenty miles
a day, and once in a while the caravan stopped for a day or two
to rest and recruit the animals wlieie the irrass was irood.
We got sight of g^eat herds of buffaloes, and for three
weeks bullalo hunting was the sport of many of our caravan.
Bishop Lamy had sent us a tine hunting horse and oui men kept
us well supplied with fresh meat. During this time especially
the coyotes besieged our camp at night, and the wolves came
also, but they kept at a respectable distance, — they probably
smelled the smoke of our powder. The weather was very
favorable — there being but two little storms during the thirty
six days of our trip.
The Indians were peaceable, and only once was there any
excitement, and that proved to be a false alarm. Shooting was
heard, and the cry of "Indians!" was raised, but upon slowly
advancing we met a troop of U. S. cavalry and found that the
shooting was by a soldier who had mistaken one of their mules
for a bear.
Just before coming to the crossing of the Arkansas river a
party of Indians came upon us. They were friendly— in fact,
too friendly, for they annoyed us by their incessant begging
for money, bread, sugar, etc., and they admired our fine animals
in a ver\' suspicious manner. In order to get rid of them we
pushed forward until ten o'clock at night, and very early the
next morning we forded the Arkansas river and kept on until
two o'clock in the afternoon before stojiping. Then we halted
for dinner, and a good dinner we had, for Father Machebeuf
had provided many delicacies, such as pickles, presented fruits,
etc., and we had fresh meat, dried meat, salt meat, vegetables,
bread, butter, coffee, etc., and Mr. Coudert proved himself an
expert cook. We had also a real table and camp chairs, and all
necessary table furniture. Father Machebeuf said grace, a cus-
tom he never omitted, and we all sat down. Just then four or
five of our Indian friends of the day before rode up, and follow-
ing them in stragtrling bands came as many as fifty in all, men,
women and children, on horseback.
The Chief introduced himself as Captain Napa, and imme-
diately bent over the table and helped himself to several spoon-
fuls of suffar. We had not recovered from our astonishment
216 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
at his assurance when Father Machebeuf offered him a pickle.
While eating it he made a grimace which set us all laughing, but
he, without further delay, asked for another, which he gave to
his squaw, who just then came up, and then he had a great
laugh at her.
In the course of the conversation he told Father Machebeuf
that he had six wives, but only one of them was the real wife,
and her son was heir to his dignity as chief. The others were
but second-class wives, and his greatest desire now was to find
another one.
During the dinner the teamsters discovered that there was
a captive Mexican boy among the Indians. He had been taken
from some village in the southern part of New Mexico which he
named, but he could not remember the name of his parents.
Father Machebeuf wanted to redeem him and restore him to
his family, and, after some bargaining, the Chief said that he
would trade the boy for a mule and a hundred pounds of sugar.
Then the Chief went to speak to the boy, and when he returned
he demanded his sack of sugar and two mules. Father Mache-
beuf then judged that the boy was too much interested in the
trade, and that probably he would run away the next night and
go back to claim his mules and a share in the sugar, so he
dropped the matter. That night we traveled all night to get
away from the Indians and save our mules, for Father Mache-
beuf did not like the way they admired them. At our next
safe stopping place Father Machebeuf told us of many cases of
captive Mexicans among the Indians, and then he suddenly said :
"And that boy wanted my best mules. Now let me tell you a
little story about that span of bay mules.
' ' Some four years ago, when I had so much traveling to do
all over New Mexico, it happened that my saddle horse gave out
near Albuquerque. There was the ranch of a rich Mexican close
by, and I went there to try to borrow a horse to take me to
Santa Fe. I was not acquainted with the proprietor of the
place, but I introduced myself and made known my wants.
'Certainly,' said the owner, 'but do you prefer a horse to a
mule?' In a few moments both horse and mule were brought
out, and I was told to take my choice. 'No,' said I, 'you know
more about them than I do and can make a better choice.'
'Very well,' said he, 'that bay mule is a good traveler, gentle
under the saddle and in the harness — in fact, he is my favorite
animal. ' ' And how long may I keep him ? ' I inquired, ' a week,
a month or a year?' 'Oho!' answered the man, 'I think I see
your point, Senor Vicario. Just wait a minute. ' And with that
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 217
he sent a peon for another mule, which was a perfect match for
the fii-st. 'Now,' said he, 'there are two mules; do you think
you need them both?',' Surely,' said I, 'Bishop Lamy needs a
mule as badly as I do; but how Ion? may we keep them?' 'I
leave that to j-ou, Senor Vieario. ' he answered, 'and I shall not
object to your time.' 'Then,' said I, 'we need them for sixteen
years!* 'All right, Seiior Vieario, you have said it,' he re-
turned; 'you may take the mules, and I am happy to be able
to do you this little service.'
" 'And now,' added he, 'in return would you do me a very
great favor? Have the goodtiess to stay with us all night, or
my old wife will declare a regular war with me, so please do
stay.' 'I shall do so with great pleasure,' I answered, 'and
say mass in the morning, but the Seiior Vieario has the invaria-
ble custom of requiring all in the house where he stops to go to
confession and communion. Now, do you see that point also?'
'Yes, Seiior Vieario,' he replied, 'and I shall be at the head of
the procession.' And he was as good as his word.
"Now, my young friends," said Father Machebeuf, "we
will hitch up, and I ^v^sh you as good luck in getting your mules,
and at the same price. And that little rascal wanted my span
of bay mules! No, never!"
On November 1, All Saints' Day, we had our last mass in
the wilderness. On that day Father Munnecom came to meet
us and pay his respects to the Seiior Vieario, and in the evening
we reached Fort Union. It did not eoiTCspond to our idea of a
fort, and while Father Machebeuf was telling lis of the hospi-
tality we would find there, and how we should conduct ourselves,
we continually interrupted him by our objections to the name
"Fort," as applied to such a collection of shanties and adobe
walls. "Oh," said he, "you know nothing about it! You are
always the same, and you must remember that you are no longer
in France. Call it what you like, but it is a government mili-
tary post. Over there are the officers' quarters, and we shall
go there first. There are some good Mexicans living near here,
and I shall send them word that there will be mass tomorrow
morning in the Post Chapel. The Chaplain is a Protestant, but
he will not object to our using the chapel." At this we again
objected, but he answered, "Will you keep still? You think
you know it all! Just wait until we get through, and then you
may talk. You will find that there are some Catholics among
the soldiers." And mass we had, and a good congregation, and
we were obliged to admit that there was some Catholicity out-
side of France.
218 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
The next day we met our old friend and college-mate,
Father Guerin, who had come to New Mexico two years before.
We were nearly wild with delight, and Father Maehebeuf left
us to ourselves while he visited old friends along the way. How
strange everything seemed to us ! the queer villages, the adobe
houses, the adobe churches, the Mexican dress, the Mexican
customs, and all the rest ! How natural it all seems now.
Three or four miles out from Santa Fe we were met by
Bishop Lamy and various committees, military officers, crowds
of people and the Sistei-s with their pupils. It was a very
affecting meeting of the father with his children. Father
Maehebeuf presented each of us to the Bishop, who gave us his
blessing, and a hearty shake of the hand as a token of welcome.
Our first visit at Santa Fe was to Our Lord in the Cathedral, to
thank Him for our safe arrival at our journey's end. It was
the 10th of November, 1856.
On the 12th of December following we were all ordained in
the Chapel of the Sisters of Loretto at Santa Fe, and then came
our assignment to our different missions.
Upon his return to New Mexico Father Maehe-
beuf went again to Albuquerque to resume his labors.
His arrival there was the signal for another display
of loyalty on the part of his parishioners. The Pre-
fect and all the civil officers, with an escort of sixty
mounted men, met him six miles outside of the town,
and the road was lined with people to welcome him.
Cries of ' ' Viva El Senor Vicario ! " " Como le va,
Padrecito?" ''Gracias a Dios!" greeted him at
every step, and his arm was sore from shaking hands.
.It was with difficulty that he could enter his house,
where he found his friend Father Paulet with re-
freshments provided for the inner man, and toasts
were exchanged between pastor and people, and
France was not forgotten for the noble sons whom
she had sent to uplift an unfortunate but good
hearted and willing people.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 21fl
Almost the entire body of Catholics in New Mex-
ico was of the native population, and the sorvioes of
the Church had been conducted especially for them.
Among those attending Father Machebeuf 's church
there were some Americans, both from the fort and
from the town. Most of these were Catholics and
familiar with the service, but some were not Catho-
lics, and Father Machebeuf thought to make it more
interesting and profitable for all the Americans by
adding a short sermon in English for their especial
benefit. The result was a larger and a more con-
stant attendance of Americans, and ere long he had a
class of converts under instruction. He baptized
an officer from the fort, a number of soldiers and
several civilians as the fruit of these instructions.
Tlie Mexicans were surprised and pleased to see the
Americans, and especially the soldiers, at mass and
communion, for they have been taught to believe
that all the Americans were heathens and deadly
enemies of the Catholic religion. This serv^ed to
soften their racial and national prejudices, and
helped on the work of reconciling them to the new
order of things in the affairs of government.
While giving this particular attention to the
Americans Father Machebeuf did not neglect his
Mexic^nns. On the contrary he entered more zeal-
ously into the work for their good and visited them
more frequently. His parish was about sixty miles
in extent and had twelve churches and chai>els. and
each of these, he or his assistant. Father Coudert
managed to visit almost each week. This was the
220 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
case when lie was preparing the younger ones for
their first communion.
The preparation for first communion gave him
the occasion long desired of establishing catechism
classes for the children, and he tells us that he had
hard work to make the Mexicans understand the
necessity for such classes. He gained his end by
firmness, and, as the Mexicans were naturally sub-
missive, they gradually sent their children for in-
struction. It may seem incredible, but Father
Machebeuf assures us that catechism classes were al-
most entirely unknown in New Mexico before that
time. Once established however, these classes be-
came very successful, and the parents themselves
came with the children to receive the benefit of the
instructions, and they had as much need of it.
By these classes Father Machebeuf partially
supplied the want of religious education among the
people, but it was his great desire to see a Catholic
school in every large parish conducted by religious
men and women, and in 1857 he was already hoping
that the Brothers of the Sacred Heart of Mary might
be induced to come from France to take up their
portion of this work. He made some attempt to-
ward securing them at that time but nothing ever
came from his efforts in that direction.
In 1857 the affairs of the diocese rendered
another trip to the States necessary, and Father
Machebeuf was chosen to make it. He did not ob-
ject to the trip for he was always ready to do the
business of the diocese, and, besides, he hoped to meet
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 221
some missionaries who had promised to follow him
when he was in France the year previous, but who
could not arrange their affairs so as to accompany
him at that time. In this he was disappointed, for
they did not come.
His journey across the plains was peaceful, but
there were a few incidents in it sufficiently amusing
to bear recounting. He says:
I left Santa Fe, July 15, in a li-ht wa-on with a single
Mexican as a companion. We traveled in company with the
mail carrier, but as he had only two passenprs and one of them
was sick most of the time, we would have been but four in case
of an attack by the Indians. Then, being- a man of P^ace, 1
could fisht only with my tongue. I might have spoken to them
in English, French, Spanish, Latin or several kinds ot patois,
but, thank God, we were not put to such a test.
One dav, about midway of our jouniey along the Arkansas
river, a lone Indian met us. He told us that the road was good
and that his whole tribe were encamped a little farther do^^^l m
that direction and would be glad to see us. There happened to
be another road just there leading over the bluffs, and his news
was the best reason we could find for taking it. We ran the
risk of ooino- without water unless we could find it in pools from
previous rains, but we did not suffer much, and we escaped the
Indians and found a shorter road.
A few days later twelve or fifteen Indians, well aimed,
came to our camp where we had halted for dinner We were
sittin..' on the ar..und partaking of our little repast when they
came^lind unceremoniously invited themselves to share our ham
and biscuits. As one of them knew me. they honored my table
with their first call. I gave them a piece of salty meat and
this they did not want to eat. Then one of them noticed a little
gi-ev powder in a bottle and he wanted some of that, i ffave
him' a spoonful of it, and he gave us a free exhibition of facial
contortion which was interesting and ainusing. The powder
was pepper! Another one spied a bottle half full of what he
thouo-ht was whiskey, and he wanted a taste. I gave him a big
spoonful, which he ;;wallowed, but he threw the spoon away and
be-an to coutrh- He said that such whiskey was good only tor
thedo-s. He had tasted of my vinegar! Finally I gave them
some coffee, su-ar and biscuit to satisfy them. They then went
222 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
to the mail carrier to enjoy his hospitality, but that individual
was in a great huiTy about that time and could not wait to en-
■ tertain them.
These Indians are not of such bad composition after all.
If they were as bad as they are strong it would be impossible to
cross these plains without an escort of soldiers. They are gen-
erally lazy, and thieves by necessity, but they do not attack
travelers except to avenge the death of some of their tribe, or
to defend themselves. By some special protection of Providence
I have never felt that I was in any danger from them.
Father Machebeuf must have had great confi-
dence in the Indians when he ventured to play such
tricks upon them, and it is hardly probable that he
would have done so a few years later, when they
were committing depredations which made him
change his opinion of their gentle character.
In September Father Machebeuf was ready to
return. His party now numbered ten, but he would
not risk the trip across the plains this time unless
with one of the large caravans which were starting
out from Kansas City every few days. It was not
that he had any fears for himself, but he had with
him, besides three Mexican drivers for his wagons,
three Frenchmen who were going to Santa Fe, a
young Irish student, Mr. Welby, and two young
girls. Of these last he says :
One is the niece of Bishop Lamy, who has spent six years
with the Ursulines of New Orleans, She is a young girl of
fifteen years of age, as innocent as an angel, and she will prob-
ably enter the convent at Santa Fe as a postulant. The other
is a niece of one of our excellent missionaries from Besancon.
She is of the same age as Mademoiselle Lamy, and will also
enter the convent.
The subsequent history of these two young girls
did not entirely verify Father Machebeuf 's pre-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 223
diction. Mademoiselle Lamy entered the convent
at Santa Fe, rose to be the superior of that insti-
tution, and, at present writing, is the worthy Mother
Vicaress General of the Order of the Sisters of
Loretto, with residence at Loretto, Ky. The other
chose a life in the world, made an unhappy marriage,
was divorced and lost from view.
Upon his return to New Mexico Father Mache-
beuf went again to his dear Albuquerque, but his stay
there was not to be very long, although neither he
nor his people knew of this at the time. The dis-
tance from Santa Fe to Albuquerque was about 70
miles, and this distance Father Machebeuf was
obliged to travel twice every time that business
called him to Santa Fe. Bishop Lamy consulted
him upon all important matters, and frequently it
was necessary for them to meet in personal confer-
ence. The old troubles at Albuquerque had passed
away leaving no shadows behind, so Bishop Lamy
resolved to call Father Machebeuf to Santa Fe where
as Vicar General he naturally belonged. He would
then be near him for consultation, and in the proper
place for administrating the affairs of the diocese
when he himself would be absent. There were also
some other weighty matters which could be attended
to only by the Bishop or his Vicar General, as we
shall soon see, and Bishop Lamy wished to have
Father Machebeuf where he would have more time
to give to these important affairs.
There was a great deal of solemnity as well as
opposition to this transfer, which shows the esteem
224 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
in wliicli Father Macliebeuf was held both by his
Bishop and by his people. The following account
of it was written by Father Machebeuf himself to
his brother Marius in France.
Santa Fe, July 16, 1858.
My Dear Brother:
I have to announce to you that I am no longer pastor of
Albuquerque. Bishop Lamy must go to St. Louis this year to
attend the Pro\dncial Council which will be held in September,
and he is obliged to absent himself, sometimes for several
months at a time, from Santa Fe while making his pastoral vis-
its of the diocese. On such, and many other occasions, I was
obliged to go to Santa Fe for the affairs of the diocese, and now,
to put an end to these trips and avoid loss of time, he has de-
cided that I should take up my residence altogether at Santa
Fe. Behold me, then, pastor of the Cathedral (of mud) of the
Capital of New Mexico. Father Lebrun, whom I knew in New
York in 1843, has been transferred from the pastorship of the
Cathedral to that of the church in Albuquerque.
Although I have many advantages here which I could not
hope for at Albuquerque, it was with pain that I left there. I
was the more attached to the place as I had greater opposition
to contend with there in the beginning. Happily, that has all
passed away, and when the news of my approaching departure
from Albuquerque was sjDread abroad, there took place a few
things which I consider rather striking co-incidences, and I
mention them to you to show you how we stand among the
Mexicans.
You know that certain ones tried to make us out selfish,
and having no interest in the jDeople. It was even said in open
court by the opposing lawyer, in my suit for the recoveiy of the
presbytery at Albuquerque, that the French priests were so poor
at home that they were obliged to eat frogs, and that they had
come to New INIexico to live on the fat of the land. My lawyer
answered that they may have eaten frog's in France, but the fat
of the land was coming to them in New Mexico in the shape of
**el bendito frijol y el santo atole!" (the blessed bean and holy
porridge!) AYe have something better than the fat of the land,
for we have the sincei'e affection of these poor people who were
never before treated as if thy belonged to God.
The very man Avho, in 1852, was chosen as leader of the mob
to drive me out of Albuquerque, was now chosen to preside at
M ARILS MAt'llKliEL r,
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 225
a monster meetiiii-, which was held as soon as they heard of my
proposed chani^erand the secretaiT who drew up the old notice
to quit, now oot up a petition, si-ned by 2,000 pei-sons, and ad-
dressed to the Bishop askino' him to leave me at Albuquerque.
From the meetino- they went to my house, nch and poor, men,
women and children, and the house was filled and the yard out-
side. I was in the church at the time, but a boy came to tell
me, and when I went to the house I could not get to my room
for the crowd. It was Saturday, and they learned that I was to
leave on Monday. Then one of the leaders, acting as spokes-
man, began by saving that in 1852 he had ordered me to leave
Albuquerque, "but now he had another command to give me,
and that was for me not to dare to leave the place until they had
the time to send a messenger with their petition to the Bishop.
I replied, smiling, that I knew the roads and paths too well
not to be able to find a way of escape. Then the women said
that they would put guards on all the roads and paths to watch
me and give the alarm if I attempted to go. I finally gave them
three days, but I knew it would be useless, for I had sent two
letters and a messenger to the Bishop for the same purpose my-
self, but without effe^ct. Neither my request, nor the petition of
the people, could make the Bishop change his plans.
When the people found that I must go they gathered to see
me off, and about fifty of them accompanied me several miles on
the way. We finallv separated with many a handshake, washing
one another prosperity and happiness, and I must say that my
heart was pretty full.
I tell you these things to show you that we can make
friends anvwhere, and that the people know how to appreciate
devotedness and sincere friendship wherever they find them.
But I must tell you of my reception at Santa Fe.
The Bishop, knowing that I was to arrive on the follo\ving
Friday, wrote me to wait about six miles from Santa Fe until
the airival of an escort which w\as coming to meet me. At that
point clouds of dust on the road showed me that they were not
far away. Soon thev came up, and I saw the Prefect and the
principal men of the "town, the priests of Santa Fe and the near
missions, the four seminarians and many others in carriages
and on horseback. Turning, they faced toward Santa fe. and
we all moved forward, and, as we entered the tovm, the tour
bells of the Cathedral began to ring. Thus I made my solemn
entry into Santa Fe, as proud as Napoleon III could have been
on the Boulevard de Sebastopol. At the residence of the Bishop
his Lordship was waiting for me with a wanii welcome and a
226 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
bountiful collation, both of which formed a combination which
cheered me up and put me in good spirits.
You see that in New Mexico they do things in grand style,
and if I mention these details, it is to show you that God does
not forget us even in this world for the little we do for Him.
If you only knew the gi'eat consolations that the Good Master
gives us for the little sacrifices made for His glory, it would be
an additional motive for you to serve Him with greater gener-
osity and confidence.
Less than five years before Father Machebeuf
wrote: ''What pleasure I would have in seeing my
Rancheros coming back — these same men who came
to my room to insult and threaten me." A great
change had taken place in those five years. Then
the Cross was uppermost, now the Crown was prom-
inent and the cross seemed small in the distance. ' ' A
lying witness shall perish : an obedient man shall
speak of victory." The false priest was gone and
practically forgotten, while the priest true to his
calling under God was speaking of victory. His
Rancheros had come back, and the longed-for pleas-
ure was his. He can now write of ' ' little sacrifices ' '
and ''great consolations."
CHAPTER XV.
Threefold Work.— Father Martinez.— Father Taladrid.
Schism at Taos.— Kit Carson, Beaubien and St. Vrain.- Excom-
munication of Fathers Martinez and Lucero.— Fathers Mache-
beuf and Ussel Go on a Mission.— Rio Colorado.— Costilla.
Conejos.-Don Jesus Velasquez.-Lafayette Head.— Adios and
Gifts. — Mutual Pleasures. — Fort Massachusetts. — Culebra.
Father Avel.-His Sad Death.— Unjust Suspicions Against
Father Munnecom.-His Character Cleared.— The Mails.-More
Territory and More Work.
At Santa Fe the work of Father Machebeuf was
of threefold character. As pastor of the parish he
had the responsibility of some 5000 souls. In his
pastoral work, however, he had the help of two zeal-
ous assistants in the persons of Fathers Truchard
and Coudert whom he had brought to New Mexico
two years before. He had also the administration
of the diocese in the numerous absences of Bishop
Lamy, and he had missionary work to do as only
Father ^facliebeuf knew how to do it. He felt the
''solicitude of all the churches," and he feared not
the perils in the wildeniess, the perils from false
brethren, the hunger and thirst, the cold and naked-
ness. Never since the days of St. Paul was this
more fitly illustrated in all its particulars than in his
first mission after his removal to Santa Fe.
One of the most important parishes in New
Mexico, outside of Santa Fe, was that of Taos. Its
pastor, from 1826, was Father Martinez. In his
younger days Antonio Jose Martinez was married
and had one child, a girl, but death early robbed him
228 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
of both liis wife and daugbter. He then began his
preparation for the priesthood in a seminary in
Mexico, and made very brilliant studies. After his
ordination he entered the Concursus for the parish
of Taos, recently vacated by the Franciscans, and
received the appointment. He was a man of great
learning, and he was not long at Taos before his zeal
led him to open a school in which he himself was the
principal instructor. He also established a printing
office, the first in New Mexico, in which Tie printed
his own school-books, catechisms, and some few
books of church ritual and service. For a short
time also, he published a small newspaper, El Crep-
usculo — The Dawn — the first newspaper ever pub-
lished in New Mexico. His own house was used for
this quasi-college, and many of the priests of New
Mexico during those early times made their studies
under him.
It was said that he had much to do with the up-
rising of the Indians and Mexicans at Taos, when
Governor Bent and about fifteen Americans and
their Mexican sympathizers were massacred on Jan.
19, 1847. He at least shared with the Indians and
Mexicans in hatred for the Americans, and, in their
ignorance of events and conditions outside of their
little valley, they imagined that they were but begin-
ning a patriotic war which would result in freeing
their country from the foreigner, who was supposed
to be an enemy to their race and to their religion.
The suspicion is probably well founded, although
the U. S. Government did not find Father Martinez
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 229
guilty of direct complicity in the unfortunate insur-
rection.
In^l856 Fathfix^Iartiaez Qjffered his resignation
Qf the parish of Taos to Bishop Lamy, giving as his
reasons old age and infii'mity. Bishop Lamy ac-
cepted the resignation of the old pastor and ap-
pointed to the place Father Damaso Taladrid whom
he brought from Europe in 1854.
Father Taladrid was a Spaniard, and, unfortu-
nately, he entertained the idea that, as such, he was
upon a somewhat higher plane than his Mexican
brethren. It was not long before friction developed
between him and Father Martinez, and the pride of
both would not admit of any mutual concessions.
AfteiJiis-xesignation, and. retirement Father _Max.-
tijjez said mass, and occasionally officiated solenmly
at the parish church, and the difficulty arose over the.
marriage ceremony between some of tlu' relatives of
Father Martinez. Tiistrad of referring tluir differ-
ences to the Bishop for settlement they si)read their
troubles among their friends, finally coming to an
open rupture, and Fnthf^r Ar.nrtinez set up an inde-
pendent church. Bishop Lamy, hearing of this,
went twice to Taos to confer with the two priests,
but Father Martinez had fallen into the hands of bad
advisers and refused to submit. No alternative was
left to Bishop Lamy, after all sorts of fatherly ad-
vice and admonitions had been unheeded, but to sus-
pend Fatb^r^Martinez from the exercise of every
priestly fjonction.
^This did"not end the trouble, for Father Mar-
A 230 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
tinez continued in his rebellion, anr] was followed
into scMsHLby a large number of those-wliQJmd-al-
ways known and respected him, and who could not
now imagine that he could be in the wrong. Besides,
his relatives were powerful in Taos and had the
pride of wealth and position, which would perm.it
neither them nor him to accept what they considered
a humiliation.
In addition to this case, there was a Mexican
priest, Mariano de Jesus Lucero, at Arroyo Hondo,
twelve miles north of Taos, whom Bishop Lamy was
obliged to suspend for irregularities and schismati-
cal tendencies, andjwho was a former pupil and great
friend of Father Martinez. These two now joined
their forces and continued their opposition to Bishop
Lamy, until he was obliged to go to the extreme in
punishment and to pronounce upon them the sen-
tence of excommunication.
Here is where Father Machebeuf enters upon
the scene, and to him was given the disagreeable
task of pronouncing the sentence upon the rebellious
priests, in the very pulpits where they had so often
preached the doctrines of that Church from which
they were now to be cut off, and before the same
people whom they had taught to obey its laws.
Many of these simple people knew nothing of
the discipline of the Church, and they looked upon
this as a persecution against their old pastor. They
were willing to stand by him even in opposition to
the Bishop, and the relatives of the priests and their
more influential friends were cunning enough to take
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 231
advantage of their ignorance and friendship in order
to arouse still more this spirit of opposition, and to
intimidate the Bishop if possible. The old idea of a
foreign tyranny was also injected into the contro-
versy, and when it became known that Father
Macliebeuf was coming to publish the sentence of ex-
communication threats of personal violence were
openly made.
There were living in the Taos valley at this time
Kit Carson, Charles Beaubien, Ceran St. Vrain, and
other prominent Catholics, both American and Mex-
ican, who were friends of Bishop Lamy and Father
Machebeuf. These men got together with their
friends and gave warning to the opposite party that
no repetition of Jan. 19, 1847, was to be permitted,
and if any indignities were offered to the Senor
Vicario there would be war from that moment, and
it would be war to the death, Boaubien had lost a
son in the niassncre of 1847, and he had no love for
Martinez, who, ho saitl, " has. alw^y^s been treacher-
ous, and is now aftlick'd with the bighead. Let him
look out!" And these men were making no idle dis-
play of bravery; they were in earnest and the others
knew it.
For three Sundays the admonitions^ere pub-
lished in the two parisli clinrches, and the calls were
made for the subiiiissiou and repentence of the two
priests, but there was no losponse. On the ai»i)oint-
ed Sunday the big church at Taos was packed with
people and crowds were standing outside unable to
get in, and the friends of Martinez were well repre-
232 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
sented. Father Machebeuf sang the high mass, and
in his sermon he explained the nature and effects of
the excommunication, and then pronounced the
terrible sentence upon Martinez amidst the most in-
tense silence, and closed the scene by calmly an-
nouncing that he would remain in the parish for
some days to assist the pastor in hearing confessions.
The people then quietly dispersed, scarcely daring
to speak above a whisper, and not a sign of any
hostile movement was made by the friends of the ex-
communicated priest.
Let it be said here that Carson, Beaubien and
St. Vrain were thoroughly prepared and had their
men advantageously posted to watch every move-
ment of the enemy, and any attempt at creating a
disturbance would have been vigorously met. "We
shall not let them do as they did in 1847," said Kit
Carson, ''when they murdered and pillaged. I am
a man of peace, and my motto is : Good will to all ;
I hate disturbances among the people, but I can fight
a little yet, and I know of no better cause to fight for
than my family, my Church, and my friend the
Senor Vicario."
Later in the day when Father Machebeuf was
at the house of Mr. Beaubien, Carson and the others
were speaking in high terms of his courage, but he
simply remarked : ''Wliy should I be afraid? I did
but do my duty ! ' '
The following Saturday Father Machebeuf set
out for Arroyo Hondo in company with the pastor
of that parish, the Rev. Gabriel Ussel. His friends
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 233
at Taos wished to furnisli him with an escort, but he
thanked them, saying that there was no need of it as
he did not feel that tliere was any danger.
The next Sunday the same solemn and sad scene
was enacted at Arroyo Hondo in the case of Lucero,
and the same absence of all disturbance marked the
occasion. The friends of the rebellious priests kept
up the opposition andjhe oi.iMoition .■ImrrU until
offov fhft H^ath of Martinez, who died and was
>.iv,-ipH hv T.uc^ro in schism. A mission given by the. 1
Jesuits, in 1869, brought . back, the Martinez family, r^\
and the return of the others_was easy. JJ
When the disagreeable part of his mission was
concluded Father Machebeuf was heartily glad, and
thanked God that it was over. *'It it always the
way," he remarked to Father Ussel, -Bishop Lamy
is sure to send me when there is a bad case to be
settled; I am always the one to whip the cats."
(fouetter les chats).
The same evening he said to Father Ussel:
''We will rest to-morrow, as I need time to write to
Bishop Lamy a full account of this unfortunate
business, and then I will stay with you a while and
go with you on some of your missions. I have seen
all the others who crossed the plains in our little
band, and now that I am with you I want to visit
with you a few days. I need a change of work and
fresh air, so we will make a trip through your mis-
sions and go as far as the Conejos. We can arrange
so as to be at the larger settlements for Sundays
and visit the smaller ones during the week. I would
234 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
not be surprised if we were to have five or six hun-
dred communions during the trip. ' '
In his letters to his friends Father Macheheuf
spoke of his journeys to and from the States, but of
his missionary trips he said but little in recent
years. They seemed to have lost their special in-
terest by their frequency, and he merely referred to
them as his "little trips." It would be almost an
endless task to follow him in all of them, but we
shall take this trip as a sample of all in its general
outlines, and allow Father Ussel to tell the story of
it. It will show the details of missionary work in
New Mexico, and be the more interesting as it
touches some of the early history of the diocese over
which Father Machebeuf was called to preside, and
will form a connecting link between his work in New
Mexico and some of his later work as Bishop of Den-
ver. The following is Father Ussel 's recital.
The immediate preparations for our trip were very simple.
They consisted in packing the necessary things for the altar
and mass in a valise— then another valise for Father Mache-
beuf with a change of linen, and a few prayerbooks, catechisms,
beads, etc., and our roll of blankets. These, with a scanty sup-
ply of provisions in case of need, were loaded upon a pack-mule
and given in charge to a boy who rode another mule. We kept
our saddle-bags and overcoats with us, and we each had an extra
mule as a mount when our horses were tired. In those days
there were few vehicles of any kind in that part of the country,
for there were scarcely any roads, and besides, the only hope of
escape if attacked by Indians was in a good saddle horse.
The first day we had but a short journey to make to reach
Rio Colorado, which was only fifteen miles north of Arroyo
Hondo. This settlement was about fifteen years old, and con-
sisted of about a hundred families Only the walls of the
church were up yet, for church building was slow among the
poor Mexicans, It was the custom for each family to give one
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 235
day, or its value in money, every week to the building of the
chm-ch-either in making the adobes, laying them up, or |etUn|
timbers for the roof, or helping in some way The ^o^fs of those
early churches were flat, or nearly so, and covered with clay
'^'XeV^^'tre had received word that the Senor Vicario
was coming and they were ready to receive us. They had pre-
pared for us the largest room in the largest house, and this we
used for a chapel, and we had over a hundred communions as a
rp<;nlt of our dav's work here. _, ^^ .
TMrty miles to the north was Costilla Three attempts
had been made to settle the Costilla valley, but each time the
settlers were obliged to abandon their houses -"^^ field and fke
before the murdering hordes of savages. It was only eight yea.s
before that a pei-manent settlement was made, and now there
were four small villages and a few scattering ranches. Some of
the better houses were built of adobe, others ^^r^ ^f /°f ' ^u^
the greater number were jaca?.— houses made by setting posts
close to^^ether upright in the ground and filling the crevices with
mud There wfs no church at Costilla, and Father Machebeuf,
after praising them for their courage and enterpnse in redeem-
in^ sifch a fertile valley from the Indians whose fierceness he
kn^ew, told them that they must now go to work and bu d a
church. It should be no chapel, but a large church with a house
for the priest, and when the Bishop would come the next year
he would find evervtliing ready for a resident pastor.
It required two busy days here, for there were two hundred
and fifty communions, and then the confessions of the smaller
children had to be put off until the pastor could pay them an-
other visit.
The good-byes were said and we set out for our nex ob-
iective point, which was the Conejos. The day was beautiful,
}hP roads were good along the Costilla river, and not bad over
le bluffs to the crossing of the Rio del Norte There we stop-
ped to rest our animals and eat a bite of lunch given us by the
ffood people of Costilla. Upon remounting we took out our
Seviaries^ and Father Machebeuf said: - Always say your
breviary as soon as convenient, and then you will have time for
whatever comes afterwards. Y,.u are not always sure of a can-
dle at the house where you may stop."
Soon heavy clouds came up and brought a cold rain with
sleet "This morning," said Father Machebeuf, we had
God's weather, but now the other fellow is giving "« ^^^ turn at
U We must suffer a little bit, and I take this as a sign that the
236 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
old boy is angry with us on accovint of the success which is
awaiting us in our work at Conejos. ' '
Trot, trot, trot, for hours — and were we not cold and wet?
And the road seemed so long! It was dark when we reached
the Conejos river^ and nine o'clock before we could find a ford,
and then we were obliged to strip our animals and carry the
baggage over ourselves before we could make them enter the
deep cold stream.
If I had an enemy — which God forbid! — I would wish him
no greater evil than that he might have an experience similar
to ours— and then only on condition that he would not swear!
A little farther and we reached a welcome hamlet called
Los Cerritos, and there we roused the inhabitants of the fii-st
well appeai'ing house, who, luckily, were able to accommodate
us, and soon we were warming and drying ourselves before a
glowing piiion fire. They gave us as good a supper as they
could prepare upon such short notice, but the beds were soft and
clean, and litei*ally invited us to sleep, and indeed we needed no
second invitation.
Tlie next morning there were but few for mass, as we were
not expected, and we started early towards Guadalupe. This
was the place which I had fixed upon for Sunday. It was cen-
trally located in the valley of the Conejos, and a number of
small hamlets were in the immediate vicinity. Guadalupe was
but a small place, only five years old, built, unfortunately, on
the low lands near the Conejos river and subject to inundation
in times of high water. For this reason the Guadalupe people
had laid out another town close by on the high ground of what
was called "The Island," as it was nearly enclosed by the Con-
ejos river on one side and the San Antonio creek on the other.
This is the present town of Conejos, the county seat of Conejos
county.
Here let me correct an error which gives me the pleasure
of saying the first mass at Conejos. Mass had been said in the
valley from about 1853 by priests from Abiquiu, and Bishop
Lamy gave confirmation there about 1854. Father Lucero went
there once from AiToyo Hondo. My first visit to the valley
was in 1857, when I said mass at four different points among
the settlements.
The first persons who came to meet the Senor Vicario were
Don Jesus Velasques and Lafayette Head. These were the
principal men of this miniature commonwealth. Mr. Velasques
was a native of New Mexico, and Mr. Head had been a resident
of New Mexico since he was about eighteen years old. He was
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 237
a convert to the Catholic faith, havinp: been baptized by Bishop
Lamy and also married by him to a Mexican lady of very good
family. In after years Mr. Head was Lieutenant Governor of
Colorado, and Mr. Yelasques was a member of the Legislature.
At that time their houses consisted of but two rooms each,
a kitchen and a large hall, and we lodged in the hall of Mr.
Velasques and used the hall of Mr. Head for our temporary
church. ,11*
Two days were necessary here, for there were hundreds ot
confessions and communions, and then, arrangements must be
made for the building of a new church. Father Machebeuf
went over the new town and picked out a good location, and a
jacal church was built that same summer. This was replaced
later by a fine church which was begun by Father Vigil and
finished bv Father Rollv. The same church was afterwards
greatly beautified by the Jesuit Fathers, and it is still in use
in Conejos. , , ^ -, ^ ■ u-
When it was time to go Father Machebeuf opened his big
valise and oave prayerbooks to some, rosaries to the fathers to
lead in daily prayers, catechisms to the mothers to teach the
children, and medals and pictures to the children. He made
them all happy, and they begged him to come again soon, ^or
did they forget to put up a nice lunch of cakes and buttalo meat
for us on our jouniey. Then a last blessing was given, and we
left with the sound of their prayers following us : God bless
you, and may Our Lady of Guadalupe accompany you
When we were on the way Father Machebeuf said : Don t
you like this kind of missionaiy life? I hate to stay at home
even for a month at a time. For me, to work is to live, and
such trips as this are full of consolation. It is the reverse
however, when the Bishop sends me to discipline some poor un-
fortunate priest, but it has to be done and I try, like the Good
Samaritan, to pour some oil with the wine on the bleeding
wounds. But such days as these at Conejos I love to think
over I admire the simplicity and the faith of these good
people, and their testimonials of love for the priest are but ex-
pressions of their love for God Whom they honor in the pnest.
The Mexicans may have queer ways in the eyes of some people-
they are ignorant", they are poor and not veiy saving, but every-
body has' his faults, but they have redeemmg qualities, and
often more of them than their critics. „ „ , ..^q
-By the way, you have never been to Fort Massachusetts?
Then ymi cannot'^be familiar with American life, and st. 1 less
with soldier life. I am glad we are going there; it will be a
238 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
change of people and of language. I visit Fort Union and all
the other military posts in New Mexico. There is no one else
to do it, and the soldiers must have a chance to go to their
duties. You will be surprised tomorrow to see the faith of
these soldiers; it is a pity that they cannot be attended better."
At the fort we were very hospitably received. The Catholic
soldiers were relieved from duty the next morning, and I
counted twenty-five communions. I was surprised to see them
decorating the altar, and more so when I saw two of them serve
mass as well as the best altar boys. Fort Massachusetts was
moved a few miles some years later for strategic reasons and
renamed Fort Garland.
All went well so far, but here six inches of snow fell upon
us, and it was the 3rd of May! However, we managed to leave
for the Culebra villages, and there, on a smaller scale, it was
a repetition of the work at Conejos. There was no church
then at Culebra, but one was built shortly afterwards at a
place called San Pedro, and a better one was built later at
San Luis.
This ended our mission in this direction, and we made oui
way leisurely back to Arroyo Hondo.
This was but one of Father Machebeuf s jour-
neys. Similar journeys were made through every
part of New Mexico. He traveled on horseback,
and generally he had two animals for the saddle and
a pack-mule. On the mule, besides his blankets and
ordinary baggage, he carried a large valise which
was a veritable Noah's Ark, filled with religious arti-
cles for free distribution among the people. The
Mexicans had almost nothing of this kind before
1850, for everything up to that time was brought
from Mexico on pack animals, and even the churches
had but very little furniture or vestments. In sup-
plying these things Bishop Lamy ran so far in debt
that he almost despaired of ever getting out.
Father Machebeuf was also generous in his bene-
factions to the churches and poor priests, and thus
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 239
kept himself poorer than any of them. He gave
them all something, and visited all of them, and as
for the people, every man, woman and child had
some pious souvenir that came from his hand, and
most of them had received it personally from his
hand. There were few in New Mexico to whom he
was a stranger, and when asked where he lived now,
he would jocosely answer: "In the saddle!" or,
''They call me El Vicario Andando (The Traveling
Vicar), and I live on the Camino Real (the Public
Highway)!" Who, knowing Bishop Machebeuf
only in his later days, could ever imagine him in the
saddle? Yet it would be impossible to calculate the
many thousands of miles which he traveled on horse-
back during the first twenty-five years of his mis-
sionary life.
In the summer of 1858 Father Machebeuf was in
charge of the Diocese of Santa Fe while Bishop
Lamy was attending the Second Provincial Council
of St. Louis. During that time an event took place
which tested Father Machebeuf 's sense of justice,
and showed that he could not shield a supposed
criminal, no matter what might be his position in
life, nor refuse reparation when an injury was made
'manifest. The occasion was one of inexpressible
sadness, for it was at the death of Father Avel, and
what made it more sad was that he died under the
impression that an innocent person was the cause of
his death, and this suspicion was the reason why a
worthy priest rested for two years under the fright-
ful charge of murder.
240 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Father Stephen Avel was ordained a priest at
Clennont in France, about the year 1844. He was
pious, talented, energetic, a good organizer, and
zealous for the gloiy of God. These qualities
recommended him to Bishop Lamy, and this prelate
induced him to join the band of missionaries whom
he was bringing to New Mexico in 1854.
Upon arriving at Santa Fe Bishop Lamy kept
Father Avel at the Cathedral where he labored with
marked success. When Father Machebeuf was
transferred from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, Father
Avel was sent temporarily to Albuquerque, then to
Socorro, and finally to Mora. His predecessor at
Mora was the Rev. P. J. Munnecom who came to
America in the same party.
In the parish under Father Munnecom tliere
was a woman living in a state of unlawful cohabita-
tion with a man named Noel. The scandal was
public, but the parties brazened it out until the
woman fell dangerously ill. Father Munnecom was
sent for but he would do nothing unless the woman
would send the man away. This she did and was
then reconciled to the Church, dying repentant a
short time afterwards. The man was enraged and
made some threats against Father Munnecom, but
no one thought anything of them at the time.
Father Munnecom remained at Mora for some
time after the arrival of Father Avel, assisting
willingly and amicably in the work of the missions
until ready to take the new position to which he had
been assigned. During this time Father Munnecom
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 241
regularly said the first mass on Sundays when he
was at home, but upon a certain occasion when he
was expected, he did not return from his mission in
time for the early mass, and Father Avel took his
place at that service at nine o'clock. At the com-
munion Father Avel detected something wrong with
the sacred species in the chalice, and he suspected
that the wine had been tampered with. Calling for
fresh wine he completed the sacrifice, and by this
time he was convinced that the wine had been pois-
oned. Noel came to his relief to administer reme-
dies, and incidentally to suggest that Father Munne-
com must have poisoned the wine through jealousy
at having been superseded in the parish.
A messenger was sent to Las Vegas for Father
Pinard, although it was suggested that Father
Munnecom be found and brought to him. To this
Father Avel objected, saying that he could not con-
fess to a priest who wished to poison him. He made
a short will, in which he forgave his murderer, and
left his books to Bishop Lamy, but whatever money
he had we wished to go towards founding a hospital
at Santa Fe. Father Munnecom finally arrived, as
also Father Pinard, but too late, — Father Avel was
dead.
Father Munnecom immediately dispatched a
messenger to Santa Fe for Father Machebeuf, who
set out at once for Mora. Going by the way of Las
Vegas he met there the man Noel, who told him his
version of the occurrence and accused Father ]\[un-
necom of the crime, adding that Father Avel had
242 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
smiled at him as at bis best friend wbile be vv^as try-
ing to relieve bim in bis agony. Fatber Macbebeuf
knew notbing of Noel, and this story, told with
sucb evident concern for Fatber Avel and witb no
apparent rancor against Fatber Munnecom, was
sufficient to disturb bim and make bim suspicious of
Fatber Munnecom.
Upon investigation no reasonable motive could
be found to connect Fatber Munnecom witb tbe
crime, and no evidence was brougbt except tbe re-
ported words of Fatber Avel, and Fatber Munne-
com's failure to say tbe early mass tbat day.
Motives were found to connect Noel witb an attempt
to poison Fatber Munnecom wbo was expected to
say tbe first mass tbat day, but wbo was accidentally
detained until it was so late tbat Fatber Avel said
tbe mass and drank tbe fatal dose. Tbe Freemasons
kept up tbe persecution of Fatber Munnecom for
two years, upon tbe absurd plea tbat Fatber Avel
was a brotber mason, but tbe courts finally com-
pletely exbonorated Fatber Munnecom.
As for Noel, be disappeared completely after
telling bis story to Fatber Macbebeuf and was never
again seen in Mora. He bad a piece of land and a
flock of sbeep, but be never returned to claim tbem.
It was afterward reported tbat be wandered about
in New Mexico and finally settled in tbe soutbern
part of tbe Territory, wbere be was killed by some
unknown person witbout any apparent provocation,
but it was tbougbt tbat Noel's deatb was an act of
revenge by some sufferer from some of bis later ras-
cality.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 243
Father Munnecom was reinstated, his honor re-
stored to him, and no one rejoiced more sincerely
with him than did Father Machebeuf. He officiated
for several years afterwards in New Mexico with
credit to himself and benefit to his flock, and was
then given charge of the growing mission of Trini-
dad in southera Colorado. Here he remained mitil
1875, when he retired and went to spend the re-
mainder of his years in well-merited rest in his
childhood's home in Holland.
Another trip of Father Machebeuf 's tliis year
was toward the west from Santa Fe, and he traveled
nearly 500 miles inspecting the different parishes
and missions, and dispensing the word of God to
many who had not heard it for years. He looked
anxiously for the era of better roads and the com-
ing of the railroads, and he foresaw in the distance
its sure arrival. Civilization seemed to be coming
on apace, and how he marks its progress.
In 1851 we had no regular mail — the caravans carried our
letters. In 1852 we had a regular monthly mail; later every
fifteen days, and now (1858) from the beginning of July it is
weekly. Soon we shall have a railroad and a telegraj)!). The
question is being discussed in Congress now. We are advancing
with giant strides.
Again lie spoke of mail coming three times a
week, but the giant strides were necessarily slow in
reaching New Mexico. There was, however, a
gigantic addition to the Diocese of Santa Fe, which
placed upon Father Machebeuf an increase of work
which made his former journeys appear like pleas-
ure trips in comparison with his later travels. We
shall speak of this in the following chapter.
CHAPTER XVI.
International Difficulties. — The Gadsden Treaty.— New
Territory Added to the Diocese of Santa Fe. —Father Mache-
beuf Goes to Mexico. — Incidents of the Trip. — Captain Mache-
beuf. — Rumors of New Vicariate. — Visits Tucson. — Indian
Tribes.— San Xavier del Bac— Efforts to Obtain New Mission-
aries.— Last Trip to Arizona. — Recall. — Ruxton on New Mexico
and Its Inhabitants.
The treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo settled the
question of war between the United States and Mexi-
co, but new issues grew out of that treaty, which
threatened to embroil the two countries in war
again. The first of these was the determination of
the boundary line between New Mexico and Chihua-
hua, and the second was the demand for indemnity
to the Mexicans on the frontier for losses caused by
marauding Indians whom the United States govern-
ment was bound to restrain. The Mexican govern-
ment tried to settle the first question by taking
armed possession of the disputed territory, and
made fabulous claims which might run as high as
$30,000,000, in settlement of the second.
The United States government committed to its
minister in Mexico, James Gadsden, an investigation
of the troubles and, if possible, a settlement of the
difficulties. Through him a new treaty was made,
which marked a new and definite boundary line,
taking in more than 45000 square miles of new ter-
ritory, and annexing to the United States the Mexi-
cans who had suffered from the Indian raids. In
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 245
return tlie United States a<2:reed to pay to Mexico
the sum of $10,000,000.
This new territory was taken from the States
of Chilmaliua and Sonora and added to New Mexico
in 1854, It now forms the soutliern portion of New
Mexico and Arizona. It was then organized into a
new County of New Mexico and named Arizona
County.
Coming into tlie possession of the United States,
this territory naturally should come under the juris-
diction of Bishop Lamy of Santa Fe. The Church
authorities at Rome regarded the matter in this
light and made the transfer accordinsrly, and in due
time Bishop Lamy was notified of this new addition
to his diocese. This was sufficient territory for a
new vicariate, and there were rumors afloat that one
was to be established with Father Machebeuf at its
head.
• At any rate, similar reasons to those which made
Bishop Lamy visit Mexico in 1851, rendered another
visit necessary now. ^Matters of jurisdiction were
to be settled, transfers of diocesan property made,
and a general understanding entered into between
Bishop Lamy and the Mexican Bishops. To eifect
all these arrangements Bishop Lamy sent Father
Machebeuf on that long journey, and upon liis re-
turn. Father Machebeuf wrote to his sister the fol-
lowing account of liis mission.
I left Santa Fe on the 3rd of November, 1858, and stopped
a few days at my old parish of Albuquerque, and at several
other missions on my route. Towards the end of November I
arrived at El Paso, a very pretty town in the northeast extrem-
246 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
ity of the State of Chihuahua, within a few miles of the boun-
dary betAveen New Mexico and Texas. Here is the residence of
Dom Ramon Ortiz, the Vicar General of Mgr. de Zubiria, Bishop
of Durango. I had already made his acquaintance when we
were on our way to Santa Fe in 1851, and he received me now
as an old friend. He was verj' kind and hospitable, but when
I broached the subject of his resignation of the jurisdiction
which he exercised over the different villages of Arizona he
raised a cloud of objections and difficulties upon the pretext
that he had received no instiiictions to that effect from his
Bishop. I then showed him the original decree from the Car-
dinal Prefect of the Propaganda, Avhich aggi'egated to the
Diocese of Santa Fe all the population of Arizona within the
new boundaries. He took a copy of this and promised to send
it immediately to Durango and to act according to the orders
which he would receive from the Bishop of that city, nine hun-
dred miles from El Paso. He gave me permission to say mass
wherever I wished to do so, but I did not care to stop any
length of time for mission work until I had all the necessary
faculties and full jurisdiction.
I said mass at an American fort located close to the fron-
tiers of the three states — Texas, Chihuahua and New Mexico—
and there I learned that a detachment of soldiers had just
started from Santa Barbara for Tucson, which was the end of
my journey in that direction. I made all haste to overtake
them, and came up with them about nine o'clock on the evening
of the second day. After answering the challenge of the sen-
tinel and convincing him that it would be safe to let me pass, I
went straight to the tent of the commanding officer. That indi-
vidual did not wish to get up, but he gave ordei'S that I should
be furnished with everything that was necessary. This was
just what I wanted, and I spent the night in peace.
Learning that there was no danger from the four or five
tribes of savages through which I had to pass, I left the sol-
diers, who were on foot, and with two Mexicans pushed on to
Fort Buchanan, Avhere I arrived without accident. After say-
ing mass there a few days and one Sunday, I started for Tucson,
a village of about SOO souls, built around an ancient Mexican
fortress. Nine miles from Tucson I came to the Indian village
of St. Fi'aneis Xavier among the Pima Indians, a tribe almost
all Catholics. I had the pleasure of finding there a large brick
church, very rich and beautiful for that country. It was begun
by the Jesuits and finished by the Franciscans. From here I
visited Tubac, the site of an old Mexican fort among the silver
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 247
and copper mines, also Tuniacacmi and several other Indian
villages.
Continuing my journey, I spent Christmas at Santa Magda-
lena, a large parish in the Diocese of Sonora. New Year's Day
I was at San Miguel, 300 miles from Tucson, and Epiphany at
Hermosillo, a beautiful city of 12,000 souls.
My ne.xt j)oint was Guaymas, a seaport on the Gulf of Cali-
fornia. There I took a boat on the Pacific and went about 200
miles fariher to Alamos, where I found Mur. Dom Pedro Loza,
the Bishop of Sonora. He received me very cordially, and after
reading the decrees of the Propaganda, renounced his jurisdic-
tion with the best of gi-ace, and gave me a document in form to
show the transfer of authority to Bishop Lamy. He also gave
me the faculties of his diocese, and a personal letter of recom-
mendation to the priests and people under his jurisdiction. I
made good use of this, and profited not a little by it on my way
home.
And now, after satisfying your curiosity about my little
trip of 3,000 miles, I want to rectify a false rumor going around
in regard to my future. It is a noise in the air and nothing
more. Father juillard, whom we call the chatterer, very prob-
ably brought it to your ears. It is true that Bishop Lamy, con-
sidering the immense territory bought from the Mexican Re-
public, several times expressed his opinion on the necessity of
making it a new vicariate, but the time for that has not yet
arrived. There are as yet only a few new colonies in it, and
some old missions of Sonora, abandoned in part these many
years, and the population is not large enough to call for such a
division of the diocese. The entire population of the district
is only about 14,000. It is true, also, that the President in his
message proi>nsed to take possession of the two States of
Sonora and Chihuahua to satisfy certain claims, aggregating
some .$10,000,000, a<rainst the IMexican government. If that idea
were carried out there would be two immense dioceses to add
to the Province of St. Louis, but Congi-ess rejected the proposi-
tion of the President, and the question was laid on the table
indefinitely.
Before all these political questions are settled there may be
many changes, and even should there be a division of the dio-
cese, the Bishops of the Province will find many other subjects
more suitable and more capable than I am in every way. This
is the least of my worries. Man may propose, but God will
dispose.
The new territory begins about 300 miles south of Santa
248 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Fe, and may be 800 miles from east to west and 400 miles from
north to south. It is a beautiful country, rich in mines of g'old
and silver, but in certain parts is very arid. I shall soon start
again over the same gi'ound on a fresh missionary trip, omitting,
of course, that special part of it to Sonora.
On his Mexican trip Father Machebeuf intended
to go as far as Durango and see Bishop Zubiria in
person, and for this purpose he planned to sail from
Guaymas to Mazatlan, the nearest port to Durango.
At Guaymas he met with a disappointment in the
failure of the regular steamer to arrive, but General
Stone, an American and a Catholic, who was the
chief engineer of a company employed in the Mexican
Coast Survey, came to his aid and fitted out a sailing
vessel, furnished him a crew and provisions for the
voyage, appointed him Captain and sent him on his
way rejoicing.
From Bishop Losa he learned that a state of
civil war existed at Mazatlan and that the port was
blockaded. At this news Captain Machebeuf re-
signed his naval commission and sent back the boat
against the heavy currents to Guaymas, while he
made the return trip by land, visiting the many par-
ishes and Indian missions on his way. He was well
received everywhere he went, even by the Indian
tribes who were reported to him by the Mexican of-
ficials as being fierce and warlike, but whom he found
to be the very contrary. They were all Catholics and
deeply religious, and the reason they were not friend-
ly towards the officials was that these same officials
had abused them and sacked and burned several of
their villages and churches. Father Machebeuf spent
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 249
several weeks on these various visits, and thus his
long trip was made pleasant and profitable.
The Arizona of that time was not the Arizona of
today. Then it began at El Paso and Mesilla on the
Rio Grande, and extended westward to California.
The present Arizona includes the western half of this
territory and the western half of the old Territory of
New Mexico, and the eastern parts of both, as they
then existed, were joined to form the new Territory
of New Mexico. Arizona was organized as a sepa-
rate Territory in 1863.
The western part of the newly acquired territory
was subject to the Bishop of Sonora in spirituals, and
the eastern part to the Bishop of Durango. These
prelates had so much territory under them that a
visitation of all of it was practically impossible. It
is not known when the Bishop of Sonora visited Tuc-
son, but the Bishop of Durango, as we have seen, with
an armed escort, went to Santa Fe on three different
ocasions in about twenty-five years. He was perhaps
the first Bishop to visit New Mexico.
When Father Machebeuf returned to Santa Fe
he drew up a full report of his mission for the So-
ciety of the Propagation of the Faith, and he added
to it, on the part of Bishop Lamy, a detailed account
of the condition of religion in the whole Diocese of
Santa Fe.
The new journey to which Father Machebeuf re-
fers was begun on May 3, 1859, and it lasted until the
following September. It was a journey which com-
bined missionary work with exploration. There were
250 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
colonies and communities am^ong the Mexicans and
Indians, which were Imown to have been Catholic at
some time in the past. A few .of these had been at-
tended at irregular intei'vals by a priest in later
years, and the faith was found to have survived, al-
though its practices were greatly obscured or forgot-
ten. Many other places where the faith once flour-
ished had been left unattended, and in these the re-
membrance of the faith was all that survived. The
passing of a missionary among some of the Indian
tribes was still a tradition brought down from the
remote past. It was as if a messenger from heaven
had visited them ; they reverentl)^ preserved a mem-
ory of it and tried to keep up some of the practices
he taught them. Thus, among many of the Indian
tribes of New Mexico and Arizona were found ves-
tiges of Christian practices mixed with pagan relig-
ious ceremonies. For generations they had no
religious care — in fact, the destruction of the Mis-
sions was the end of real Christianity for them. They
were then left without religious teachers and guides,
and the passing away of the older members of the
tribes left the younger ones with ever weakening
recollections of the Christian religion and the grow-
ing temptation to return to their ancient supersti-
tions.
The larger settlements, aromid the Missions or
where the Mexicans were gathered, were better at-
tended and some of them had a resident pastor for a
time, or a priest came at intervals to visit them. Few
of these remote settlements, however, were perma-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 251
nent. They were established for tlie pui-poses of
mining, and when the mines ceased to be profitable
the people went elsewhere and left the Indians to
their own resources.
\\aieu Father Machebeuf went to Arizona he
found himself alone to attend to this entire western
district. During the month of May he made his way
slowly from station to station, this time with full
ecclesiastical authority, from the Mesilla valley west-
ward, crossing the valleys and streams tributary to
the Gila river, stopping wherever he found any set-
tlements or pueblos with any religion in them. He
could not prepare many for the sacraments, but he
baptized their children and validated their mar-
riages. He also gathered all the information that he
could get about other places, to serve him for future
purposes in visiting them or sending them priests.
It was June when he reached Tucson, and there
he spent two months in work worthy of an apostle.
He visited all the neighboring missions and pueblos
of Papago, Pima and other Indians, in addition to the
many tribes he saw on his way going and returning.
He also took steps for the repair and preservation ot
the old Mission Church of San Xavier del Bac. This
old church, built in by-gone and almost forgotten
times, was a ruin like the rest of the Mission churches,
but it was susceptible of repair and partial restora-
tion At subsequent visits he urged the further work
and succeeded in putting it in such condition that it
could be used for services. It was a grand old church
before abandonment and desolation came ui>on it,
and one who saw it in its ruins could thus describe it :
252 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
"Away towards the glowing Southland, neath a dome of azure
hue,
Near where the Santa Cruz rambles thro' the plain 'mid the
mountains blue,
Majestic among the hillocks where the cactus luxurient grows,
Looming up 'gainst the distant mountain crowned with mid-
summer snows.
Stands the old Church of San Xavier, lifting its tower high,
And its cross gleams out to the distance Avhere the Rockies
touch the sky.
Gaze at its massive portal, bearing upon its arch
The date of a century vanished in the ages' onward march.
And mark above the entrance to the ancient temple bless 'd,
Preaching love and penance, the old Franciscan crest.
Like a crown bereft of its brightness above this crest so good,
Remains but the lone pedestal where once a statue stood.
Glance at the shattered casements, looking so grand and grim
That the twilight almost shudders ere it ventures to enter in.
Pause at the noble gateway, study the stately towers
That, looking down the vallej', have seen a century's flowers.
List to the old bells chiming fi'om their windy room above.
While back from the mountain is echoed the music of faith and
love.
Step within the gateway, pause in the atrium dim.
See in the shade of the tower the mortuary chapel grim.
Chapel 'd beneath this tower is the tarnished font — once bright.
Whence flowed the saving waters on many a neophyte.
And on the wall beside it is pictured the Baptist gi'ave,
Pouring on Christ the water caught from Jordan's wave.
Enter the ancient temple, stand in the sacred pile,
Trace in its every outline the well-marked Moorish style.
A sigh will come unbidden, like a troubled ocean wave.
And you drop a tear of sadness as you pass thro' its only nave.
Measure the lofty arches— each a vision recalls —
Resting, as if by magic, on the pillars in the walls.
Turn to the right and ponder, pictured upon the wall.
The chosen ones, all kneeling, where tongues of fire fall.
Then turn away from the vision of the bright descending Dove,
To read the frescoed s\ory of the ancient Supper of Love.
In the epistle chapel, with gently folded hands.
Beneath the cross, all tearful, the Mother of Sorrow stands.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 253
And on another altar, where sculptured angrels wait,
Shrined in a golden nimbus, stands the Immaculate
Look at the walls around you, whence our Queen of the Rosary
stoops ,. ,
To give the mystic chaplet to the kneeling angel groups
Thefe too, the'work of the artist, dimmed by the breath of time,
Shows the scene at Nazareth, in the life of Him divine.
Come to the gospel chapel and look at the face so mild
Of the gentle Foster-father guarding the Saviour Child
Kneel at its shrine of sorrow, where the story of ove is old
By the cross, the nails, and the scourges, and the dead Chnst
pale and cold. . j. er a
Here, too, the well-traced picture, which time has not effaced,
Shows our Infant Lord in the temple, in Simeon's fond em-
brace.
And again, the brush of the artist, moved by some train-ed
hand, ., ,. , ■,
Tells the '^tory of Sarragossa in the trans-atlantic land.
And pictured upon the banner is Our Lady of Guadalupe-
Flowers are clust'ring 'round her, and wond'nng angels group.
And still in its dim old comer, seeming to smile at time.
Stands the tribunal of penance— that mercy seat sublime.
Turn we to the altar— like warriors clad in steel-
Guarding the chancel gateway, crouch the Lions of Old Castile.
Above the sacred table, clasping the cross in his hands.
Clad in his sable habit, the sainted Xavier stands.
And yet above the Patron, as watching over all,
Appears the Virgin Mother, guarded by Peter and Paul.
And 'mid the half-burned tapers, and vases old and odd.
With the crucifix above it, is the home of the captive God.
And in the fading pictures on the chancel walls, to the right
Behold the adoring Magi, and the Holy Family's flight.
While near the gospel corner with Mary, face to face.
Appears the Great Archangel, hailing her, "Full of Grace.
And the cold wall tells the story of the morning scene of yore,
When the shepherds came from the hillside the new-born God
t 'adore,
like sentinels ever watchful on Sion's ancient towers,
254 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Stand on either side tb' apostles 'twixt vases of moldering
flowers.
While out from the antique niches look Franciscan saints of
old,
And bright-winged cherubs cluster on the ceiling high and cold.
Climb we the stairs to the choir, and study the pictured walls,
Where chanted the tonsured Friars in their dark old oaken
stalls,
Dimm'd by the veil that a century's dust has over them
spread.
Look down the four great authors from the frescoes overhead.
And Blessed Francis, carried in a fiery chariot of love.
Seems to take flight from this drear land to realms of joy above.
And Dominic, all enraptured, with fixed and upturned face.
Receives the blessed chaplet from the beautiful Mother of
Grace.
One more picture we notice ere our pious task is done,—
The quiet home at Nazareth, where dwelt the Holy One.
It looks but the caipenter's dwelling, with the walls unadorned
and bare,
But, Oh ! 'tis effulgent with gloiy, for Jesus and Mary are there.
And Joseph, the Foster-father, as lil}- undefiled.
Sits near the Virgin Mother, caressed by the Holy Child.
Carefully down the stairway we slowly wend our way.
Filled with an awe and sadness, that moves the heart to pray—
Pray that old San Xavier's may not for aye be forgot.
And again the lamp of religion may burn in the holy spot.
Soon may the Papagoes gather beneath the sacred shade
Where their fathers knelt 'round the Black-robe, listen 'd, be-
liev'd and prayed.
Soon may the Black-robe's labor the treasures of faith unfold.
And this Mission bloom in the valley, as once it bloomed of old.
May its fading pictures be biighten'd, its statues newly dress 'd.
And the touch of the artist emblazon its old Franciscan ci-est.
May its arches again re-echo the sound of the Vesper hymn,
And fervent souls to worship kneel in the shadows dim.
Brushed from each shrine and altar the gathering dust and
mold,
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 255
May the daily oblation be offered which the Prophet had fore-
told,— , ,, ,,
May its broken cross be uplifted, and its bells more sweetly
chime, . ,,
And its sh>»T remain untarnished until the eve o± time.
Tlie above was written by the Rev. Nicholas
Seallen, a priest of the Diocese of Dubuque, who died
a few years ago a member of the household of Bishop
Scanlan of Salt Lake. Father Seallen was a poet
of no mean ability and wrote under the name of
Tldefonsus.
xVt the beginning of the year 1860, we find
Father ^laehebeuf again at Santa Fe, ready to set
out upon another of his missionarj^ trips after a sea-
son of suffering from malarial fever, contracted
during his labor and exposure in Arizona, but with
his mind ever alert for the good of his people, and
intent upon securing every possible benefit for the
diocese. On Feb. 2, 1860, he wrote this last letter
from Santa Fe to his sister :—
To-moiTow I start upon a short tour of four or five weeks,
and, not wishin- to make you wait for answei-s to your last
three letters which I received all at the same time, I write to
tell you that I am now in f^ood health. I say "now," because,
after my return from my lon.a: trip to Arizona I was sufferine:
for nearly two months. From what my brother Manus tells
me I judge that vou are not yet very strong yourself after
your late illness. But what matters the strength of the body,
'provided we have enough of it to fulfill the various missions
which God has entrusted to us, and show Him that we have no
other desire than to spend and be spent for His glory and our
own salvation? To illustrate this by a practical application
of it to our own case, here is something which we can do.
Bishop Lamv would have written long ago to the Superior
of the Fathers of the Holy Ohost, and of the Sacred Heart of
Marj', but the expenses, and also debts, occasioned by new ad-
256 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
ditions to the Convent of the Sisters of Loretto, and especially
by the purchase and re-modeling of a building for the College
of the Christian Brothers, left him no time to think of any-
thing else. The prodigious increase of the population causes
us to feel the want of priests now more than ever, notwith-
standing the re-enforcements which Ave have received at three
different times. Trusting to Providence he has decided to write
to the Superior of the Cellule with whom Father Eguillon got
acquainted. The letter is enclosed in this, and I wish you to
address it, for the Bishop has forgotten the Superior's name,
and forward it immediately. The Bishop also asks me to
recommend this project, which is almost his only resource, to
your prayers and those of the community, and do not forget
to bring it to the notice of Madame Andraud who has shown
so much zeal for the establishment of religious orders. The
Diocese of Clermont is now so well supiDlied with such estab-
lishments that it is no more than just that the Diocese of Santa
Fe, which is almost entirely served by priests from Auvergne,
should have some benefit from her generosity.
This is especially true now since the new territory has
been added to our burdens, and I am interested above all
others in the success of the idea, because the Bishop has given
me charge of those far-off missions. There is no one else avail-
able, and, until new aiTangements can be made, it will be my
duty to visit them twice a year in spite of the 600 miles which
separate them from Santa Fe. They are in what will be the
new Territory of Arizona, but as yet it is only a count}' of
New Mexico, but eight times as large as the other counties.
Pray for me fervently and often, for these long journeys
are not favorable to piety, but I have confidence in God, and
your prayers will help me to keep up my courage and pious
practices.
Father Machebeuf called those "short trips,"
which did not occupy more than a few weeks. His
visits to Arizona were not of this kind, but of months'
duration, for he had an extent of a whole diocese
to visit. Going and coming he actively officiated
along the entire way, and his work in and around
Tucson and the western part of Arizona required
much time and travel. When he returned from this
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 257
short trip he set out again to make one of his semi-
annual visits to Arizona, It was to be his last visit,
although no one suspected it then, for no one fore-
saw the turn which events would take within the
next few months. On the occasion of this trip his
absence was more than usuall)' felt by Bishop Lamy.
They had been friends from boyhood, were in the
seminary together, came to America at the same
time, and had labored as neighbors during all the
years of their early missionary life. From time to
time in Ohio they visited each other to rest and be re-
freshed by a few days of life in the atmosphere of
friendship and brotherly love. Their familiar ex-
pression "Latsin pas" (never give up), was always
a signal for renewed courage and fresh effort.
It was this friendship, in addition to necessity,
which made Bishop Lamy bring him to Santa Fe,
and now the bond, strengthened by closer associa-
tion, made long separation a trial. Somehow Bishop
Lamy felt the separation, and it wore upon him until
he sent word to Father Machebeuf, asking him to
hasten his return. To Father Machebeuf this was
equivalent to a command, and he lost no time in mak-
ing the 600 miles of the return trip.
Upon arriving at Santa Fe he was welcomed by
the Bishop, who, however, made no allusion to the
cause of his recall. Father Machebeuf was obliged
to ask for the reasons, when Bishop Lamy replied:
*'0h, there was nothing in particular, but I wanted
to see you. We have not been enough together, and
you were so long away that I was lonesome for you
258 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF,
and longing for your return. Just stay here with
me now for a while and rest. It will be pleasant to
talk over old times. We have not too much consola-
tion of this intimate sort and I feel that we need some
now. In a short time you can go ag'ain. ' '
Dearly as Father Machebeuf loved Bishop
Lamy, he was not quite satisfied with this explana-
tion. The work of God called him, and he looked at
the good which he might be continually doing. Idle-
ness was distasteful to him, and even friendship
could not reconcile him to a long continuance in it.
Time and again he thought of starting out, but the
BishoiD always restrained him, telling him it was too
soon and asking him to wait a little while longer.
Sometimes there are mysterious feelings and
longings which cannot be accounted for at the time,
but for which a reason seems to appear later. It may
be God 's way of accomplishing His designs, or it may
be merely a co-incidence which leads us to look for a
supernatural explanation of the phenomena. These
longings of Bishop Lamy to keep Father Machebeuf
with him at this special time may have been but the
outgrowth of their great affection, or they may have
been given to him for a purpose then unlvuown, but
which was a part of God's plans for the future. In
any case, they seemed to have been the starting point
for the turning of the life of Father Machebeuf in
an entirely new and different direction, and one
which logically led to the Bishopric of Denver.
Father Machebeuf 's work in New Mexico, like
his work in Ohio, was that of the pioneer. The ma-
LIVE UF BlSllor MACliKHiaF. 259
terial portion of it was but temporary, but the moral
part was permaneut. It formed the foundation upon
which his successors built grander edifices, and
achieved greater visible results. Without this pre-
paratory work little could be done, and both in Ohio
and in New Mexico the transformation was but little
short of the wonderful. In Ohio we can trace much
of it to the natural develoinnent of the country, but
in New Mexico we nmst look for other causes, for the
change is less in the material development of the
country than in the moral uplifting of an entire
people.
The following extracts are from "Adventures
in Mexico and the Rocky Mountains," by George F.
Ruxton, an English traveler who gives his im-
pressions of New Mexico after a trip made in 1846.
Ruxton was a member of the Royal Geographical
Society, the Ethnological Society, etc., and was not
supposed to be writing romance.
The houses are all of adobe, inside and out, one story high,
and with the usual azotea or Hat roof. They have grenerally a
small window, with thin sheets of talc (which here abounds)
as a substitute for glass. They are, however, kept clean in-
side, the mud floors being watered and swept nuiny times a
day. The faces of the women were all stained Avith the fiery
red juice of a plant called alegria, from the forehead to the
chin. This is for the purpose of jirotecting their skin from
the effects of the sun, and preserving them in untanned beauty
to be expo.sed in the fandangos. Of all the people in the world
the Mexicans have the greatest antipathy to water, hot or cold,
for ablutionary pui-poses. The men never touch their faces
with that element, except in their bi-monthly shave; and the
women besmear themselves with fresh coats of alegi'ia when
their faces become dirty; thus their countenances are covered
with alternate strata of paint and diit. caked, and cracked in
260 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
fissures. My first impressions of New Mexico were anything
but favorable, either to the country or the people. The pojDU-
lation of Socorro was wretched-looking, and every counten-
ance seemed marked by vice and debauchery. The men ap-
pear to have no other employment than smoking and basking
in the sun, wrapped in their sarapes; the women in dancing
and intrigue. The appearance of Soeoi-ro is that of a dilapi-
dated brick-kiln, or prairie-dog town; indeed, from these ani-
mals the Mexicans appear to have derived their style of archi-
tecture. In every village we entered, the women flocked round
us begging for tobacco or money, the men loafing about, pil-
fering ever>' thing they could lay their hands on. As in other
parts of Mexico, the women wore the enagua, or red petticoat,
and reboso, and were all bare-legged. The men were some of
them clad in buckskin shirts, made by the Indians.
The churches in the villages of New Mexico are quaint lit-
tle buildings, looking, with their adobe walls, like turf-stacks.
At each corner of the facade half a dozen bricks are erected in
the form of a tower, and a center ornament of the same kind
supports a wooden cross. They are really the most extraor-
dinarj' and primitive specimens of architecture I ever met with,
and the decorations of the interior are equal to the promises
held out by the imposing outside.
The families of Armijo, Chaves, Perea, and Ortiz are par
excellence the ricos of New Mexico — indeed, all the wealth of
the pi'ovince is concentrated in their hands; and a more grasp-
ing set of people, and more hard-hearted oppressors of the
poor, it would be difficult to find in any other part of Mexico,
where the rights or conditions of the poorer classes are no more
considered than in civilized counti'ies is the welfare of dogs
and pigs.
Santa Fe, the capital of the province of Nuevo Mejico,
contains about three thousand inhabitants, and is situated
about fourteen miles from the left bank of the Del Norte, at
the foot of a mountain forming one of the eastern chain of
the Rocky Mountains. The town is a wretched collection of
mud-houses, without a single building of stone, although it
bonsts a palncio — as the adobe residence of the governor is
called — a long, low building, taking up the gi'eater portion of
one side of the plaza or public square, i-ound which runs a
portal or colonnade supported by pillars of rough pine. The
appearance of the town defies description, and I can compare
it to nothing but a brick-kiln or prairie-dog town. The in-
habitants are worthy of their city, and a more miserable, vie-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 261
ious-lookinpf population it would be hard to imagine. Neither
was the town improved, at the time of my visit, by the addi-
tion to the population of some three thousand Americans,
the dirtiest, rowdiest crew I have ever seen collected together.
Crowds of drunken volunteers filled the streets, brawling
and boasting, but never fighting; Mexicans, wrapped in sarapes,
scowled upon them as they passed ; donkey-loads of hoja — corn-
shucks— were hawking about for sale; and Pueblo Indians and
priests jostled the rude crowds at every step. Under the por-
tals were numerous montc-tables, surrounded by Mexicans and
Americans. Evei-^' other house was a grocery, as they call a
gin or whiskey shop, continually disgorging reeling, drunken
men, and every where filth and dirt reigned triumphant.
The extent of the Province of New Mexico is difficult to
define, as the survey of the northern sections of the republic
has never been undertaken, and a great portion of the country
is still in the hands of the aborigines, w'ho are at constant
war with the Mexicans. It has been roughly estimated at six
thousand square miles, with a population of seventy thousand,
including the three castes of descendants of the original set-
tlers. Mestizos, and Indios Manzos or Pueblos; the Mestizos, as
is the case throughout the country, bearing a large proportion
to the Mexico-Spanish portion of the population— in this case
as fifty to one.
The Pueblos, who are the original inhabitants of New
Mexico, and living in villages, are partially civilized, and are
the most industrious portion of the population, and cultivate
the soil in a higher degree than the New Mexicans themselves.
In these Indians, in their dwellings, their manners, customs,
and physical character, may be traced a striking analogy to
the Aztccans or ancient Mexicans. Their houses or villages are
constructed in the same manner as, from existing ruins, we
may infer that the Aztecans constructed theirs. These build-
ings are two, three, and even five stories, without doors or any
external conmiunication, the entrance being at the top by means
of ladders through a tra))-door in the azotea or flat roof. The
population of the different Pueblos scattered along the Del
Norte and to the westward of it is estimated at twelve thousand,
without including the Moquis, who have preserved their in-
dependence since the year 1680.
It is remarkable that, although existing from the earliest
times of the colonization of New Mexico, a period of two cen-
turies, in a state of continual hostility with the numerous sav-
age tribes of Indians who surround their territory, and in con-
262 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
stant insecurity of life and property from their attacks— being
also far removed from the enervating influences of large cities,
and, in their isolated situation, entirely dependent upon their
OAvn resources— the inhabitants are totally destitute of those
qualities which, for the above reasons, we might naturally have
expected to distinguish them, and are as deficient in energy of
character and physical courage as they are in all the moral
and intellectual qualities. In their social state but one degree
removed from the veriest savage, they might take a lesson even
from these in morality and the conventional decencies of life.
Imposing no restraint upon their passions, a shameless and uni-
versal concubinage exists, and a total disregard of moral laws,
to which it would be impossible to find a parallel in any country
calling itself civilized. A want of honorable principle, and con-
summate duplicity and treachery, characterize all their deal-
ings. Liars by nature, they are treacherous and faithless to
their friends, cowardly and cringing to their enemies; cruel, as
all cowards are, they unite savage ferocity with their want of
animal courage; as an example of which, their recent massacre
of Governor Bent and other Americans may be given.
The Pueblo Indians of Taos, Pecuris, and Acoma speak a
language of which a dialect is used by those of the Rio Abajo,
including the Pueblos of San Felipe, Ysleta, and Xemes. They
are eminently distingTiished from the New Mexicans in their
social and moral character, being industrious, sober, honest,
brave, and at the same time peaceably inclined if their rights
are not infringed. Although the Pueblos are nominally
Cristianos, and have embi*aced the outward forms of la santa
fe catolica, they yet, in fact, still cling to the belief of their
fathers, and celebrate in seci'et the ancient rites of their re-
ligion. The aged and devout of both sexes may still be often
seen on their flat house-tops, with their faces turned to the ris-
ing sun, and their gaze fixed in that direction from whence they
expect, sooner or later, the god of air will make his appearance.
They are careful, however, not to practice any of these rites be-
fore strangers, and ostensibly to conform to the ceremonies of
the Roman Church.
I found all over New Mexico that the most bitter feeling
and most determined hostility existed against the Americans,
who certainly in Santa Fe and elsewhei'e have not been verjf
anxious to conciliate the people, but by their bullying and over-
bearing demeanor towards them, have in a great measure been
the cause of this hatred, which shortly after broke out in an
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 263
orj^anized rising of the northern part of the province, and occa-
sioned great loss of life to both parties.
Several distilleries are worked both at Fernandez and El
Raneho, the latter better known to the Americans as The Ranch.
Most of tlieni belong to Americans, who are generally trappers
and huntei"s, who, having married Taos women, have settled
here. The Taos whiskey, a raw, fiery spirit which they manu-
facture, has a ready market in the mountains among the hunt-
ers and trappers, and the Indian tradei"s, who tind the fire-
water the most profitable article of trade with the aborigines,
who exchange for it their buffalo robes and other peltries at a
"tremendous sacrifice."
I was obliged to remain at Rio Colorado two days, for my
foot was so badly frozen that I was quite unable to put it to
the ground. In this place I found that the Americans were in
bad odor; and as I was equipped as a mountaineer, I came in
for a tolerable share of abuse whenever I limped througii the
village. As my lameness prevented me from pursuing my tor-
mentors, they were unusually daring, saluting me, every time I
passed to the shed where my animals were corraled, with cries
of "Jackass, jackass, come here and eat shucks!" "Hello,
game-leg, go and see your brothers, the donkeys!"
Ruxton was a vivid painter but ho worked with
a heavy brush, and he looked for scenes to suit his
lurid colors. His pictures, in consequence, were ex-
aggerated while having a semblance to tnith and na-
tu'*e in them. Father Machebeuf s letters show that
tliere was a great deal of depravity among the ]\Iexi-
cans, but they show also that there was much good,
and when they were properly treated they could
make friends and stand by them. There was a
foundation upon which to build by teaching and ex-
ami)le, and Father Machebeuf found it although Mr.
Ruxton could not see it.
It is possible to disagree with a writer in some
of liis conclusions witliout discrediting liis entire
work. ^Ir. Kuxton's book is rich in vnhiabie in-
264 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
formation upon a subject that was new and fascinat-
ing, but it bears the marks of limited observation.
His trip through New Mexico was about as rapid
as he could make it from El Paso on the Rio Grande
to Pueblo on the Arkansas river. It occupied from
November 14, 1846, to January 1847. At that time
the Mexican war was in progress, and the Americans
were cordially hated. Every Anglo-Saxon was con-
sidered an American by the Mexicans, as Mr. Rux-
ton says, unless proof to the contrary was given, and
Euxton did not fly the British flag before him. That
he was not received with greater civility was partly
owing to this state of affairs. Then Mr. Euxton was
an Englishman and a Protestant, and would, for this
double reason, naturally be suspicious of Spanish
Catholics. This was his misfortune and not alto-
gether his fault.
His book, while very valuable, shows evidences
of the hurried trip, and his logic is faulty in that he
judges the character of an entire nation from the
actions of a few individuals, and all times by what
he witnessed in a season of unusual excitement. He,
also, from his observations on the same trip, formed
the judgment that ''the American can never become
a soldier ; his constitution will not bear the restraint
of discipline, neither will his very mistaken notions
about liberty allow him to subject hmself to its nec-
essary control." Both judgments are based upon
equal grounds, and should merit equal modifications.
After making all necessary allowances, we must
still conclude that the New Mexico of today is but a
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 265
faint picture of the New Mexico of sixty years ago.
Riixton made his sliadows too dark; Father ^Maolie-
beuf may have drawn them witli too light a liand;
to-day neither of them would find his old picture in
the actual conditions.
To what must we attribute the improvement?
Not principally to the inilux of Americans and Amer-
ican ideas, for every one knows that the Americans
who have gone to New IMexico for any other pur-
pose than that of exploiting the resources of the
country and enriching themselves, have been so few
that their influence could have no appreciable effect
upon the people as a whole. The philosophy, as well
as the facts, of history points to the work of Bishop
Lamy, Father Machebeuf, and the other Catholic
missionaries, as the great cause in the reformation of
the New Mexican, and in his elevation to his present
condition of comparatively intelligent, honest and
moral civilization.
Writers are apt to be less careful in their as-
sertions if their subject is new, and contradiction im-
probable for lack of information. Kuxton wrote
upon a new subject, and at a time when criticism was
impossible, for very little accurate knowledge of
New Mexico was then obtainable, and he knew, too,
that he was writing for a public that symi^athized
with him, and drank in with relish his every state-
ment and thirsted for more. His book would pass,
even if the facts were overdrawn. There was a cer-
tain foundation for them at the time, but a similar
book to-day would be a libel on a prosperous and
266 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
growing commonwealth. Yet, such things are some-
times said now, and pictures of fifty years ago are
not infrequently drawn as representing present con-
ditions. In this way a great injustice has been done,
and a limited public opinion has been formed which
misjudges the people of New Mexico and classes
them as undesirable citizens. The American people,
however, are lovers of fair play; they also recognize
truth and merit sooner or later, and, with these
characteristics, they have arrived close to the time
when they will do justice to New Mexico and allow
her to take her stand upon an equal footing with
her sister States.
CHAPTER XVII.
Critics and Criticisms. — Honor to the Pioneer. — Apoloiretic.
Early Explorers. — Coronado.— Lieutenant Pike. — James Purs-
ley.— Colonel Long and Dr. James. — Fremont. — Sage.— Park-
man. — Ruxton. — Gilpin. — Hunters and Trappers.— Discovery of
Gold. — Cherokee Indians. — Russell and Party.- Aurana, First
Town. — Pike's Peak. — Rush of Gold Seekei-s.- Adventurers.
Territory Organized. — Religion. — Scenery. — Climate. — Weather.
Topography.— Roads.— Towns. — Bishop Miege in Denver.— Dis-
trict Annexed to Dioees of Santa Fe.
Tliere is something in our nature which makes
us look for perfection wherever we go, and we expe-
rience a feeling of disai^pointment when we do not
find it. Somehow we class that expectation among
our rights, and its lack of fulfillment is secretly re-
sented as a sort of injustice. However, this does not
prevent us from taking possession of what we find,
but it disposes us to find fault with those who pre-
pared the legacy for us because they did not leave us
more. Instead of holding them in grateful remem-
brance for what they did, we are prone to criticise
them and depreciate their labors, and to conclude
that the world is well-rid of such old fogies and back
numbers, and out-of-date people whose longer stay
would have been but to cumber the earth. What a
pity we were not with them to give them the benefit
of our superior knowledge!
]\rany who come to Colorado today profess to be
surprised at not finding fine churches and schools,
and halls and other religious institutions in every
parish on the same scale of magnificence and perfee-
268 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
tion as in the older sections of the country where they
lived in the East. They fail to consider that this is
a new country, and that it is still well within the
memory of the living when Colorado was the home
of the wild beast and the wilder savage; when its
mountains were unexplored fastnesses; when the
most prolific product of its now fertile fields was the
sage-bush and the cactus, its most settled inhabitants
the owl, the rattlesnake and the prairie-dog, and
when the sound of the saw and the hammer was not
heard within hundreds of miles nor the whistle of the
locomotive within a thousand miles of its borders.
The industrial progress of Colorado in one genera-
tion has been marvelous. We cannot say that all its
desert is blossoming like the rose, or that it will ever
do so, but the word marvelous, in the literal sense, is
appropriate in this connection, and it will be found
equally so when applied to the religious development
of this portion of the West.
To realize this progress we need but glance at
the conditions prevailing in the earlier times, to
weigh the material at hand and the means provided
to shape it into its present form. We can then ap-
preciate the character and labors of those men who
drew order out of this chaos, and who leveled the
mountains and filled up the valleys, and laid the
foundations for themselves and others to build upon.
These pioneers were less dainty, and so'metimes less
cultured, than their successors, but for hard and
effective work their equals are yet to be found. The
early settler and the early missionary are brothers in
LIFE OF HlSllDl' MACHEBEUF. 269
honor, and we sliould not forget that the advantages
whioh we possess over them, botli in a material and a
spiritual sense, are the fruits of their labors, and
nmst ever stand as their monuments.
A volume might easily be written on the early
days of the peopling of Colorado, and every page of
it would be interesting reading. Only a rapid sketch
within the limits of a ('hai)ter can be given here, for
the scope of this book includes that subject only so far
as it may be useful in giving an idea of the new field
in which Father Machebeuf was to labor.
We say "peopling," for in those days few
thought of settl'uig. They came for immediate gain,
and they expected to go away as soon as their object
was attained — and of its attainment they had but lit-
tle doubt. Tlie mines would not last forever, and the
heritage of the soil was not thought worthy of consid-
eration on "The Great American Desert." Even
Father Machebeuf at first shared the general feeling,
for he says: "Temporarily I am located at the foot
of the Rocky ]\[ountains, but I do not know where I
may be before I die." Few ever came to Colorado
in the early years who did not hope soon to go again
and leave it to its natural denizen — the Indian.
All the country now known as Colorado was
once claimed as S])anish territory. Spain's title to
that portion of it lying south of the Arkansas river
and west of the main range of the Rocky Afountains
was never disputed until her Mexican colonies pro-
claimed their independence; the remainder followed
the changes incident to that vast tract now known as
the Louisiana Purchase.
270 LIFE OF BISHOP JklACHEBEUF.
Wliile belonging to Spain, this was practically
an unknown land — only one attempt having been
made to explore it, and that was without any perma-
nent results. Coronado with his party of Spaniards
and Indians crossed the mountains in a northeasterly
course from the Rio del Norte in 1542 and reached
the ^^ buffalo plains," going as far north as the for-
tieth parallel in search of gold. He failed to find the
precious metal in any of the streams encountered,
and with his followers he returned to Mexico. This
is the sum total of the recorded Spanish or Mexican
explorations north of the Arkansas river in Colo-
rado.
Lieutenant Zebulon Montgomery Pike seems to
have been the first American to attempt an explora-
tion of these regions. On November 15, 1806, he
came in sight of the mountain peak wliich bears his
name, but in his account Pike speaks of a man whom
he met at Santa Fe, one James Pursley, of Bards-
town, Ky., who, as a captive among the Indians, had
visited the same regions before him, and had found
gold in the headwaters of the Platte river. The Mex-
icans had tried to find out from Pursley where he had
discovered the gold, but he refused to disclose his
secret to anyone but an American.
Colonel S. H. Long and Dr. E. James explored
the country in 1820. In 1843 Colonel John C. Fre-
mont made his first trip through the Rocky Moun-
tains of Colorado, and at about the same time Rufus
B. Sage, with a party of trappers, spent a couple of
seasons trapping along the streams on the eastern
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 271
slope of the mountains. Sage mentions a settlement
of whites and iialf-breeds on the Arkansas river
about thirty miles above the mouth of the Fontaine-
Qui-Bouille, and a trading post at the mouth of that
stream ocoujHed by ten or twelve whites living with
or married to ^lexioan women, and carrying on a
thriving trade with the Indians.
Parkman, in 1846, went tlirougli from Fort Lar-
amie to "The Pueblo" on the Arkansas river, and
spent some time at the trading post before returning
East along the Arkansas to civilization. Ruxton
was here in 1847, but none of these travelers and ex-
plorers discovered anything to indicate that the coun-
try would ever be made inhabitable by a race of civ-
ilized people.
William Gilpin also made extensive explorations
of these regions, and, like Caleb and Joshua in the
Promised Land, he found a great deal of good to say
of the country. Many of his prophecies, which were
considered at the time as but visionary flights of an
exalted imagination, are now being literally fulfilled.
Besides these passing visitors who have left us
some account of their observations, there were, from
the earliest times, hunters and trappers working
along the streams for beaver and other peltry, but it
is a question whether these as a whole should be
counted among the civilized or not. Ruxton says of
them :
The trajipers of the Rocky Mountains beloiiij: to a ircnus
more approximatinjf the primitive savagfe than perhaps any other
class of civilized man. Their lives are being spent in the re-
mote wilderness of the mountains, with no other companion than
272 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Nature herself, their habits and character assume a most sin-
gular cast of simplicity minoled with ferocity, appearing to take
their coloring from the scenes and objects which surround them.
Knowing no wants save those of natiire, their sole care is to
provide sufficient food to support life, and the necessary cloth-
ing to protect them from the rigorous climate. This, with the
assistance of their trusty rifles, they are generally able to effect,
but sometimes at the expense of gi-eat peril and hardship.
When engaged in their avocation, the natural instinct of primi-
tive man is ever alive, for the purpose of guarding against
danger and the provision of necessai^y food.
Keen observers of nature, they rival the beasts of prey in
discovering the haunts and habits of game, and in their skill
and cunning in capturing it. Constantly exposed to perils of
all kinds, they become callous to any feeling of danger, and
destroy human as well as animal life with as little scruple and
as freely as they expose their own. Of laws, human and divine,
they neither know nor care to know. Their wish is their law,
and to attain it they do not scruple as to ways and means.
Firm friends and bitter enemies, with them it is "a, word and a
blow," and the blow often first. They have good qualities, but
they are those of the animal; and people fond of giving hard
names call them revengeful, bloodthirsty, drunkards (when the
wherewithal is to be had), gamblers, regardless of the laws of
meum and tuum — in fact, ''White Indians." However, there
are exceptions, and I have met honest mountain men. Their
animal qualities, however, are undeniable. Strong, active,
hardy as bears, daring, expert in the use of their weapons, they
are just what uncivilized man might be supposed to be in a brute
state, depending upon his instinct for his support of life. Not
a hole or a corner in the vast wilderness of the "Far West" but
has been ransacked by these hardy men. From the Mississippi
to the mouth of the Colorado of the West, from the frozen re-
gions of the North to the Gila in Mexico, the beaver hunter has
set his traps in every creek and stream. All of this vast coun-
try, but for the daring enterprise of these men, wovdd be even
now a terra incognita to geographers, as indeed a great portion
of it still is; but there is not an acre that has not been passed
and repassed by the trappers in their perilous excursions. The
mountains and streams still retain the names assigned to them
by the rude hunters; and these alone are the hardy pioneers
who have paved the way for the settlement of the western
country.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 273
Again we are obliged to take issue with Mr.
Ruxton and modify bis general statement. When
we single out the exceptions to bis description we
have the entire bone and sinew of the trapping in-
dustry. There remains to fit the description only
the lower element — the irresponsible, migratory and
careless class of adventurers, and Kuxton need not
have gone beyond the confines of London to make
application of his remarkably vivid picture. Among
the exceptions we meet such men as Carson, Gerry,
Lupton, Bent, Boone, St. Vrain, Wootten, Head and
others, to whom civilization was not strange or dis-
tasteful when it came upon them with the advancing
tide. It is true that they did not all have drawing-
room manners, but Bent was sufficiently cultured to
fill the office of Governor of New Mexico, and Lafay-
ette Head was elected Lieutenant-Governor of the
great State of Colorado. Neither will the honor of
these men suffer in comparison with that of men of a
later civilization. \Vlien some of the later aristoc-
racy complained that certain white men shocked
their refined souls by continuing to live with their
Indian wives, Elbridge Gerry, a grandson of a signer
of the Declaration of Independence, replied: "I mar-
ried my wife when there wasn't a white woman with-
in a thousand miles of me, and when I never expected
to see a white woman here. My wife is as true and
my children as dear to me as those of any man alive,
and I will die a thousand deaths before T will desert
them."
The causes, however, which gave rise to the ao-
10
274 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
tual settlement of Colorado are of much more recent
date. It is said that a party of Cherokee Indians,
going to California in 1852, discovered gold on Ral-
ston Creek, a small tributary of the Vasquez Fork
(now Clear Creek) of the Platte river, a few miles
west of the present site of Denver, while making
their way from the Arkansas river to the overland
route at Fort Laramie, Upon their return trip, in
1857, they renewed their search and gathered some
small quantities of gold which they exhibited on their
way home through Kansas.
It seems that they must have gone all the way to
their homes in Georgia and Florida, for the first to
seek the new gold country was a party of Georgians
under the leadership of Green Eussell. These
started from Auraria in Dawson county, adjoining
Cherokee county in Georgia, on February 9, 1858.
They arrived at their destination about June 1st, and
immediately began their search for gold. Some par-
ties from Kansas were also exploring their way up
the Arkansas river to the mountains, and northward
towards the Platte.
It was some time before fortune favored any of
them, but when almost discouraged Russell hit upon
a spot in the sands of a small dry creek which falls
into the Platte about seven miles above the mouth
of Cherry Creek which yielded gold in such quanti-
ties as to raise their hopes and enthusiasm to the
highest pitch. News of their success soon reached
Kansas and the East, and other parties were rapidly
formed and set out for the new fields.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 275
The name of this locality was called Placer
Camp, but new and more promising discoveries were
made at the mouth of Cherry Creek, and on Nov. 4,
1858, a townsite was platted at that point and the
name of Auraria was given to it by the Georgians,
after their native town.
The general impression now is that what is
known as West Denver was originally Auraria, but
Ovando J. Hollister, who came to Denver about June
1, I860, and who, only seven years later, wrote what
is called "the best historical sketch of the State ever
published," has this to say about Auraria:
On the 31st of October ten inches of snow fell abont the
mouth of Platte Canon. Next day the adventurers were con-
fined to their camps, and true to their instincts began to talk
politics and town sites. By the 4th of November a town-plat
had been surveyed on the west side of the Platte opposite the
mouth of Cherry Creek, by William Foster, and christened
"Auraria" by Dr. Russell, whose party had come from a town
of that name in Georgia. This region was then within the
bounds of Kansas, and a county was defined and called "Arap-
ahoe," after the neighboring tribe of Indians. An election was
held on the 6th of November, there being abt-ut two hundred
inhabitants in the new place, "six hundred miles from
nowhere," as they designated it.
As this question is not essential to this history,
we simply note the discrepancy and leave it to others
to disentangle the facts. Our own opinion is that
Hollister was mistaken.
Shortly afterwards another town was laid out
on the east side of the Platte and below the mouth of
Cherry Creek by men from Lawrence, Kansas, and
called St. Charles. That winter the "Denver
Town Company" was formed and bought out the in-
276 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
terests of the St. Charles company, added more
ground and named their town in honor of General
Denver, who was then governor of Kansas Territory.
The town of Auraria continued as a separate corpor-
ation for some time, but was eventually consolidated
with the new town, and from that time the united
coi-porations bore the name of Denver City. In
passing it may be remarked that there was a tendency
in those days to designate the new camps with the
high sounding title of '' cities." A change has come
over them since then — many of those "cities" have
gone out of existence, and all of the others which
could conveniently drop the title have done so.
The name of Denver City, however, designated
but one spot, and the geography of the New West
was so little known that few knew the location of that
spot. In the beginning the gold-hunters set out for
Pike's Peak, and the entire world soon accepted this
term as a general designation of all the country for
a hundred miles around.
The spring and summer of 1859 saw thousands
of fortune-hunters coming to Pike's Peak and scat-
tering out in all directions to look for the precious
metal. It was found in many places, and at each
place a new town, or ''city," would spring up like a
mushroom in one night. All the streams forming
the headwaters of the Platte and Arkansas rivers
were found to bear gold, and the mountains along
them to be rich in mineral. News of this, exagger-
ated in every form, brought an enormous rush from
all parts of the country, and soon the mountains
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 277
and plains for a hundred miles to the west and south
of Denver City were alive with people. The roads
were literally lined with the coming throngs, and
with many also returning in disgust, with their hopes
broken and their high expectations disappointed.
Those who ex})ected to gather gold by the shovelfuls,
or quarry it from the mountain sides, soon betook
themselves to their homeward way, and they spread
reports as untrue in condemnation as the wildest
stories were untrue in praise. There was gold, and
plenty of it, but it could be gotten only slowly and
by hard work. Some thought that the gold was got-
ten by means of a sort of flatboat provided with
knives on the bottom, and this was taken to the top
of Pike's Peak and allowed to slide down the moun-
tain while the knives would shave off the gold and
fill the boat. Some brought a supx^ly of grain sacks
all the way from Council Bluffs, which, they said,
they intended to fill if it took all summer.
Those who c^me were not all legitimate miners
by any means, nor wore they animated by legitimate
intentions. Many were mere fortune-hunters in the
worst sense of the word, and not a few were of the
criminal classes, to whom the far-off mining reg-
ions opened up a new field of adventure, where, too,
they would find safe refuges for past crimes and
greater prospect of immunity for future lawless-
ness.
Necessity forced the honest and order-loving
portion of this miscellaneous agglomeration of men
to organize for protection, and to establish local
278 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
laws with officers and courts to enforce them, yet in
spite of all this, the first few years were years of
continual excitement, with a record of crime that
would be appalling under any other conditions.
Saloons, gambling houses, dance halls and worse
were the order of the day and of the night in every
camp, so that it might be said as truly of the entire
district as was said of a later camp by one of that
modern class of literati — the miner's poet:
"It was always day in the daytime,
And there was no night in Creede."
Some one put it very fairly when he said, * ' game
was plenty in those days, and consisted of bear, deer,
antelope, jack-rabbits, monte, faro and seven-up."
Order grew with organization, and justice was
administered by the People's and Miners' Courts un-
til life and property were comparatively safe. At
the time that the County of Arapahoe was formed,
a Territory was planned and called Jefferson, but
the Territorial organization was not recognized by
Congress until Feb. 26, 1861. On that date a bill
was passed authorizing the new Territory of Colo-
rado, a name that was suggested by General Denver.
The question of religion did not enter far into
the calculations of the gold-seekers of Pike's Peak.
They came to find a fortune, not to seek religion —
that could be done at home, and they were all going
home as soon as their fortune was made! The ''de-
vout sex" was but poorly represented during those
first years, and a majority of the women who came
first were anything but devout. As late as 1861,
]AVK OF BISHOf^ MACHEBEUF. 279
when Colorado was under its permanent govern-
ment, when order reigned and "Society" was begin-
ning to form, the first Territorial census numbered
4,484 females of all ages in a total population of
25,329.
As a matter of course, there was the usual num-
ber of Catholics in the oncoming crowds, some good,
some bad, and many indifferent, but all, perhaps, as
thoughtless as the rest of everything except the yel-
low metal. As soon as they got their share of that
they would go back to "God's country." They knew,
too, that the priest would make his way there before
long, and they would have the benefit of his minis-
trations if the favors of fortune should be delayed
beyond the term of their present hopes.
It was not long before the ministers of the sects
c^me, and some of them began to organize their par-
ticular denominations and preach to them in halls
and other phices; some of them organized union
services and gathered together members of several
denominations, and some began to preach on vacant
lots and street corners to all who would listen. Sun-
day at first was not different from other days, but
gradually a distinction was made by many of the
miners, who set it aside as the day for washing their
dirty clothes.
The scenery has been so often and so enthusias-
tically described that the powers of language have
been exhausted; this subject is of far greater inter-
est to the tourists of today than it was to the pioneer
of 1858, and the question does not suffer for lack of
treatment.
280 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
The climate was of more importance, and
brought a new experience to everybody. The days
were filled with sunshine, not too hot, and the nights
were delightfully cool. The air was pure and clear,
but the pilgrim discovered a new quality in it which,
he said, filled him ' * plumb full of short wind. ' ' Its
rarity, purity and dryness made it a preventative
against some diseases and a remedy for others, but
the dreaded pneumonia, brought on by exposure or
dissipation, and aggravated by lack of care, seemed
more deadly here than elsewhere. The death of many
was pronounced by the doctors to have been caused
by "too much whiskey, and not enough blanket."
If a man escaped this disease his prospects for a long
life were good, unless the other fellow was more
ready with his "shooting irons."
The weather was one of those things which one
could never count upon with certainty, and it is
somewhat of a puzzle yet to the experienced calcula-
tors of Uncle Sam. It was never just what was ex-
pected, but, apart from an occasional season of
winds, it was a pleasant surprise to the new-comers.
Most of those who came in 1858 feared to spend the
winter in the mines, but all could not get away, and
those who remained gave such favorable reports of
the mild and balmy weather during nearly the entire
winter, that the erroneous notions of harsh winters
in the mountains were corrected, and no one left
thereafter on that account.
Topographically, there is little to say that is
new, for there is not much change in that way. It
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 281
lias been said that Colorado sits upon the Rocky
Mountains like a man astride upon a horse. The
illustration is only partially true, for, although the
State is cut in halves by the Continental Divide, the
western portion of it is broken by mountains
throughout its whole extent. Enclosed by these
mountains there are the Parks, and other valleys of
greater or less expanse, but the man should rather
sit ** lady- fashion," and even then he would have a
decidedly rough seat.
Yet topographically there is some change, for
then there were no railroads with their palace cars,
nor even wagon roads with their gradual slopes and
graded beds. The best was the Indian trail, and the
worst was avoided by the mountain goats as too
laborious. The mountain torrent was the pioneer
road builder, and its right of way was not subject to
dispute. If there was additional room between the
abutting mountains or the torn sides of the gorges,
man might utilize it. If there was not room he might
wade the stream where the current was not too deep
and strong, otherwise he must blast a passage from
the bordering steeps, or make his way over the moun-
tain heights among the rough and jagged rocks, and
by roundabout ways come back to his watery guide.
The making of roads was the work of years, and
when made they were so difficult and dangerous that
it was the custom in many i)Iaces to double, treble and
quadruple the teams to haul their loads to the top of
the hill, and to make the descent on the other side
safer, the teamsters stayed their wagons with ropes
282 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
attached to trees as to a capstan, or fastened a fallen
tree to a wagon to act as a sort of counter-force while
dragging them both down the steep incline. An np-
set, a smashup, and a wagon gone to the bottom a
ruin, was an ordinary occurrence, and for many years
there might be seen immense boilers and other heavy
pieces of machinery, which had cost from 15 to 20
cents a pound for transportation from the States,
rusting and decaying where they had fallen while in
transit.
Gold was found in all sorts of places, and no
matter how difficult of access the place might be, all
manner of supplies must be brought in, and that nat-
ural mountain climber — the burro — did not come
with the pioneers, but was a later importation.
The best and most traveled of the mountain
roads was the one leading from Denver City to Cen-
tral City, and a traveler going over it on June 7,
1860, thus describes it as he found it :
As you approach the great barrier which forms the shore
line you discover that it has a serious look. It is cloven from
top to bottom by numerous escaping mountain streams, but you
can see no chance of ingress. At last, when you get within
less than ten yards of the wall, you distinguish the mouth of a
deep cut opening shortly to the left instead of befoi-e you. You
enter and cross a little stream fifty-eight times in the course of
eight miles. Sometimes you travel in the bed of it for rods
together. Then you climb and descend a sharp ridge, and strik-
ing another brook, follow it four miles to the top of another
ridge. Down, across, and up a third stream, five or six miles
to the top of ridge the third. Down a pretty steep hill four
miles, across a dashing creek and up a gulch that rises four
hundred feet to the mile. Such was the old road to Central
City — Nevada and Missouri Cities being each a mile farther up
the forks of the gulch, with an ascent of eight or ten hundred
feet.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 283
In the early days one met the Indians on these
roads, making their trips between the mountain parks
and the plains. An occasional footpad was also en-
countered, and even the bear and the mountain lion
did not disdain the use of the roads. It was said that
these animals rarely molested a man unless attacked
first, or when they were hungry. They were ani-
mals, however, which it was best not to trust, but to
judge them to be, like the Indians, always hungry.
Towns, or camps, were established in innumera-
ble places among the mountains — at Niwot, Left-
Hand, Deadwood, Magnolia, Gold Hill and Caribou
in the north; at Central City, Mountain City, Mis-
souri City, Nevada City, Black Hawk, Lake, Russell,
Twelve Mile and Gold Dirt in the west ; and south of
these were Grass Valley, Jackson, Idaho, Spanish
Bar, Fall River, Montana, Mill City, Downieville,
Empire, Georgetown and Elizabeth. In the South
Park, or Bayou Salada of the early trappers, were
Hamilton, Jefferson, Montgomery, Alma, Fairplay,
Tarryall and Buckskin Joe, and farther to the south
and west were Texas Creek, Hardscrabble, Trout
Creek, Cottonwood, Granite, Cache Creek, Malta,
California Gulch, Breckenridge, Chihuahua, Monte-
zuma and Argentine. At the base of the mountains,
or a short distance away, were Cache-a-la-Poudre,
Boulder City, South Boulder, Golden City, Denver
City, Colorado City, Canon City, Pueblo, and a few
of the older settlements then being formed.
These were the principal camps, but others were
scattered at different points on both sides of the main
284 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
range and along the streams leading away both east
and west. Many of these have since ceased to exist,
but they were lively camps in their day and each had
a respectable quota of inhabitants. All these inhab-
itants were human beings and had immortal souls.
Many of them realized this and felt that they should
save their souls, but who was to help them in the
work of saving them? Until towards the close of the
year 1860 the Catholics among them might have
asked themselves that question without receiving any
answer.
Pike's Peak was within the limits of the Vicari-
ate Apostolic of the Territory East of the Rocky
Mountains. The spiritual head of this vicariate was
the Right. Rev. John B. Miege, who resided at Leav-
enworth, Kansas, more than six hundred miles dis-
tant. Between Leavenworth and the gold fields there
was nothing but the immense stretch of arid plains,
over which the Indians roamed at will. Across these
plains the gold-seekers were daily leaving Leaven-
worth, as well as other points on the Missouri river,
for their long pilgrimage to Pike's Peak, and in the
spring of 1860, Bishop Miege set out on the same pil-
grimage, but it was for the purpose of investigating
religious conditions in that distant part of his juris-
diction. He went as far as Denver City, and found
the conditions as we have just described. He saw
that there was work here for many priests, and he
had none to spare for the task; he could only console
his exiled children and give them hope for the future.
At Denver City he consulted with the prominent
V-i^ ^. y^cy^-^^'j
UFE OF BISHOP AtACHEBEUF. 285
Catholics, and then called all together in a general
meeting to take counsel with them and decide upon
a plan of action. The Denver Town Company made
him a donation of a plot of ground for a church, and
with this encouragement it was decided to put up a
churcli building. The Bishop gave them a simple
plan and authorized a conmiittee to collect funds and
proceed with the work. He then returned to his
home to devise some means of procuring for the
Catholics of Pike's Peak the necessary ministrations
of their clergy.
Denver City was nearer to the settlements of
New Mexico than it was to Leavenworth, and its spir-
itual welfare might be provided for from Santa Fe.
Bishop Miege thought of this, and of his own inabil-
ity to send priests to those far-off regions which were
in pressing need of them. He consulted with the
Archbishop of St. Louis and the other Bishops of
the Province, and they concluded to attach the Pike's
Peak country tem])()7arily to the Diocese of Santa
Fe, and to write to Kome in order to have their action
confirmed and the transfer made permanent. In the
meantime they advised Bishop Lamy of their action,
and thus was laid u])on this prelate the additional
burden of providing foi- the spiritual needs of the
Catholics of Pike's Peak.
CHAPTER XVIII.
News in New Mexico.— Appointment for Pike's Peak. —
Goes to Denver City with Father Raverdy. — Condition at Den-
ver City.— Central City. — Mines and Mining Camps.— Instabil-
ity of Population. — Mission Trips. — Movable Home and Travel-
ing Chapel.— Many Permanent Churches Impossible.— First
Mission Chapel at Central City.— His Eighth Trip.— Falls Sick.
—Father Ussel, a Messenger from Bishop Lamy.— Goes to New
Mexico. — Charitj^ of the Mexicans.— War in New Mexico.
The friends of Father Machebeuf, writing from
France, asked him if he was so completely cut off
from civilization that he did not hear of what was go-
ing on in the world. In answer he told them that he
received the papers regularly from the United
States and from France, and, although there was
no telegraph to Santa Fe and the mails were slow,
the echo of all great events finally reached him in
New Mexico. At that time there was no direct regu-
lar means of communication established between
Santa Fe and Pike's Peak, but the eastern news-
papers told the story of the discovery of gold and of
the rush of people to the new mines, and in this way
the news became known to Father Machebeuf. He
said that he first heard of Pike's Peak when he was
in Arizona. He heard of it as he heard of the war
in Italy, and with less interest, for his countrymen,
the French, were waging the war, while Pike's Peak
and its excitement were separated from him by the
dividing lines of races and tongues. He heard of it
as a matter of news and as easily forgot it.
He was still at Santa Fe, entirely oblivious of
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 287
tlie destiny wliicli was shaping itself for him, when
Bishop Lamy received the information that this new
country was committed to his care. The Bishop
sought out Father Machebeuf and together they con-
sidered the matter of sending one or two priests into
the new acquisition. The solution of the question
was not easy until Bishop Lamy said: "I see but
one thing to be done. You have been complaining
because I sent for you and have kept you here at
Santa Fe, — now, don't you see tliat there was some-
thing providential in all this? I do not like to part
with you, but you are the only one I have to send,
and you are the very man for Pike's Peak."
In these simple words Father Machebeuf re-
ceived his mission, and in as few words he accepted
it. "Very well," said he, *'I will go! Give me an-
other priest, some money for our expenses, and we
will be ready for the road in twenty-four hours."
It was not done so hastily, but it might have
been, as far as Father Machebeuf was concerned, for
he was not overburdened with the world's goods and
had few preparations to make. Their actual prepar-
ations consisted of a wagon to carry the necessaries
of church service in his new field where he might
have several chapels, a few personal effects, blankets
and buffalo robes for their bedding, and provisions
for the journey. This, with a lighter conveyance
called an ambulance, for their personal comfort and
for later travel among the mines, was the prepara-
tion, and four mules, including the span of bay mules,
furnished the powers of locomotion.
288 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Thus provided, Father Machebeuf left Santa Fe
towards the end of September, 1860, with the Rev.
John B. Raverdy who was ordained only a few
months before. He chose Father Raverdy on account
of his youth, his good health and his steady persever-
ing qualities, all of which would be necessary in the
rough life they would be obliged to lead in the new
mission. Father Raverdy was ignorant of English,
but in this he was not worse off than most of the
priests of New Mexico. His few months of exper-
ience had given him a working knowledge of Span-
ish, which would be of use in the Mexican settlements
which were growing up in the southern part of the
new Territory. The older parish of Conejos and its
outlying stations along the Costilla river were re-
served by Bishop Lamy to be cared for from Santa
Fe, but the remainder of the new Territory was con-
fided to Father Machebeuf that he might establish
parishes and provide for new churches wherever they
might be needed. He retained his office of Vicar
General to Bishop Lamy, but in addition he was
given special powers of administration within the
territory over which he had been sent to preside.
The two missionaries made their way north
from Santa Fe, camping out when they got beyond
the limits of the settlements, and saying mass regu-
larly in camp when the weather permitted until they
reached the outposts of civilization again on the
north. At Pueblo they found a few Mexican fam-
ilies, who had wandered away from their brethren
farther south and now saw a priest for the first
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 289
time in years. Marriages here were to be blessed
and children baptized, and then they moved toward
Pike's Peak which was in plain sight before them.
Their next stop was at Colorado City where they
first met the goldseekers of Pike's Peak. Here, in
the actual shadow of Pike's Peak, they set up their
tent for the night, and here they offered the Clean
Oblation for the first time in the history of the
American settlement of Colorado.
Denver City was reached about October 20, and
pitching their tent on a vacant lot they took their
first survej^ of their future home town and Father
Maehebeuf 's future episcopal city. They found Den-
ver a town of about 3000 people of various national-
ity and description. There were perhaps ten Catho-
lic families, a number of men more or less perma-
nent, and a passing stream of others that raised the
number of their flock to about 200 souls. The church
had been begun, but work on it had stopped before
it was much more than a foundation, for lack of
funds and of any responsible head.
The first work of Father Maehebeuf was to re-
sume the building of the church, and for this he
added his own little fund to whatever he could gather
from the people. In the meanwhile he held services
in private houses and halls wherever he found a con-
venient place, and sought to get acquainted with the
individual members of his congregation.
The church was a plain brick structure, 30x46,
and by hard work he had it under roof for Christmas,
and the first mass in it was the Midnight Mass sung
290 LIPE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
by Father Eaverdy. It was not plastered and was
without windows, but the mountain evergreens hid
the rough walls and added a little decoration, and
canvas kept out some of the cold wind from the win-
dows without obstructing the light. Almost in this
condition it served for more than a year, while
Father Machebeuf was laboring to give all an occa-
sional opportunity of hearing mass, and preparing
in other places temporary shelters which might at a
later period be replaced by buildings deserving the
name of churches. To his unfinished church at Den-
ver he built a rear annex, a wooden shed 12x30, and
this served as the first home for himself and his
assistant. A little later he added a few more rooms
to this, and thus it remained his residence for ten
years.
At Santa Fe Bishop Lamy once said to Father
Machebeuf : ' ' Do you remember that when we were
in Ohio we used to long for the chance of getting be-
yond the lines of our narrow parishes to do mission-
ary work on a grand scale f Well, our wishes have
been so fully granted here in the West that there is
nothing left to be desired in that way. There is
nothing beyond us now but to leave civilization and
travel with a band of roving Indians." Ah! but
there was something beyond them, and Father
Machebeuf found it when he came to Colorado. In
New Mexico all the time that he could spare from
his other duties was given to missionary labor, but in
Colorado he had no other duties, and all of his labors
were of a missionary character. Waiting only to ar-
UFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 291
range the preliminaries of a parish organization at
Denver, he left that place to the care of Father Rav-
erdy and set out on a tour of the principal mining
camps.
His first trip was westward to Arapahoe City,
Golden City, and thence to Central City and the
populous camps in the vicinity, forty miles from Den-
ver in the heart of the mountains. Father Mache-
beuf was never slow in looking for his people, and
he was not long at Central City before he had the
nucleous of a congregation around him. Arrange-
ments were made for a Sunday mass in the hall of
the Sons of Malta, where about 200 men gathered
and a few women. Altogether there were not many
women in the district at that time. The first white
woman to enter the district came June 1, 1859. She
was an excellent woman and a practical Catholic.
Her name was Mary York, and she was married by
Father Machebeuf on December 30, 1860, to William
Z. Cozzens, the sheriff of the county. This was the
first marriage performed by Father Machebeuf in
northern Colorado. Marriages were not frequent
then, but the reason of this was not aversion to mar-
ried life, nor dread of domestic infelicity — there
were no divorces then — , but sheer lack of opportun-
ity. A writer at that time fitly describes the situation
when after speaking of the rich mines, the newly-
made fortunes, the glowing prospects, etc., he says:
"But these things make a poor Christmas after all.
One would rather see a row of little stockings care-
fully arranged about the fire than to hear of these
292 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
old matter-of-fact affairs. Big red apples, and red
cheeks, and bright eyes will occur to a fellow in spite
of himself on such occasions as this (Christmas Eve).
Don 't you think we could raise an immigrant aid so-
ciety for girls'? Colorado needs a thousand to-day,
and by New Years a thousand more might find snug
homes, warm hearts, and strong arms to keep them
till death."
At subsequent visits Father Machebeuf said
mass in various buildings, but principally in Had-
ley's Hall, a large upper room in a two-story log
building at Mountain City. This was the largest hall
in the place, and it was used for public gatherings of
different kinds. It was fitted up with a rude stage
that made it sought for as a place for theatrical
representations, balls, etc., and the sounds of revelry
had sometimes scarcely died away in it when Father
Machebeuf came to set up his altar.
Other camps were visited in order until Father
Machebeuf learned the location of most of his peo-
ple, and then he made systematic tours, some of
which lasted for weeks at a time and included as
many camps as possible in a single continuous trip.
Father Raverdy took an occasional turn at mis-
sionary work, but at first he visited only the Mexi-
can settlements at Pueblo, and on the San Carlos and
Huerfano rivers. Later, when he became familiar
with English, he relieved Father Machebeuf to a
certain extent, but the principal part of the mission-
ary work was always the portion of Father Mache-
beuf.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 293
Milling operations have been of two sorts in
Colorado as tiiere were two classes of mines. There
were the placer mines and the lode mines. In the
first the gold lay in the sands and gravel along the
streams, and in the second it was in upright veins
and crevices which penetrated the mountains to un-
known depths between walls of solid rock. The gold
in the placer mines was in the natural state, and was
recovered by merely washing the sands away. In
the lode mines it was in chemical combination with
other minerals and yielded only to the smelting pro-
cess. These last gave promise of permanency, but
when the sands were thoroughly washed over their
productiveness was exhausted. They were more eas-
ily worked, requiring only a pick and shovel, and a
pan to wash the dirt or a few boards for a sluice, and
they were often very rich. It was easy to get up a
mining excitement, and when new mines were re-
ported there was immediately a stampede of miners
to the new diggings. Towns grew up in a day, and
if the fields did not prove remunerative, they were
as rapidly abandoned. The best of the placer mines,
where small fortunes were sometimes made in a
week, were doomed sooner or later to exhaustion and
abandonment.
In 1860 most of the mining was done by the
washing process. Five years later this sort of min-
ing had practically ceased, or become only a local
feature. Like the washings of California they were
rich but short-lived, but unlike California, Colorado
possessed in greater abundance and richness the
294 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
sources of all these surface mines, in the inexhausti-
ble lodes that seamed its mountains throughout its
whole extent. To work these latter mines profitably
capital, system and science were necessary. The
capital came from the very start, but system and
science were lacking, and, in consequence, after the
decline of placer mining there was a season of dis-
couragement in the mining business, and Colorado
lost heavily in population, in prosperity and in fame.
Another reason for the instability of the popu-
lation was the disappointment following the dispell-
ing of illusions. Almost every man who came to
Pike's Peak in the early days hoped to find a gold
mine for himself. Many discovered their error early
and went away at once. Others clung longer to the
hope and rushed from place to place, but the lucky
ones were necessarily few. The great majority were
forced to work for wages, which, however, were good,
averaging five dollars a day, but that seemed only a
pittance to men who had hoped for thousands, and it
left them always ready to start out when the next
rainbow of fortune appeared, for surely this time
they would find the end of it and discover the fabled
pot of gold.
These conditions made it impossible for Father
Machebeuf to organize many parishes, or even to at-
tempt the building of mission chapels, which, in
many cases, would have to be abandoned almost as
soon as they were built, but they made his work es-
pecially heavy in following the people to each new
camp while not abandoning those who remained be-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 296
hind in the old ones. Each fresh trip for him was
longer than the last, and a single trip was sufficient
only for one section. Thus, a trip in the Boulder
section would mean Gold Hill, Caribou, Ward Dis-
trict, and might be extended as far as Cache-a-la-
Poudre. A trip to the camps around Central City
would include Fall River, Spanish Bar and adjacent
districts, and a trip to the South Park meant the
Tarryall district with Buckskin Joe, Fairplay, etc.,
and a possible run over the range into Breckenridge,
or it might be diverted around by Trout Creek and
up the Arkansas through various cam])s to Cache
Creek, Dayton, and the Colorado, Iowa and Cali-
fornia gulches, and even beyond. Then again, there
were the trips towards the south to Colorado City,
Pueblo, Canon City and the Mexican settlements.
These were but a few of Father Machebeuf 's trips,
but they serve to show the nature of his work and
the many calls upon his time.
For those trips Father Machebeuf had to pro-
vide his own means of travel. He generally gave up
horseback riding and used his heavy buggy. It was
of a peculiar shape, with square top, side curtains,
a half curtain in front to be let down in cases of
storms, and a rack behind for heavy luggage. It
was not long before it was known in every camp, and
the sight of it was sufficient notice to the people that
the priest had come. Stowed away in this he carried
his vestments for mass, his bedding, grain for his
horses, his own provisions and his frying pan and
coffee pot. It was a movable home, and it made
296 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
him independent of hotel accommodations and free
to stop where night overtook him. It was also a
movable church for him, and many a time, for want
of any other roof, he set up his little altar on the
rack at the rear of this buggy and offered the Holy
Sacrifice under the dome of heaven. It was the prim-
itive chapel car, — less perfect than its modern suc-
cessor in non-essentials but more perfect in the es-
sentials.
From all this we can see that the times and
places were not generally favorable for church build-
ing, yet Father Machebeuf was not altogether idle in
that way. He kept his eye open for the main chance,
and where prospects were good for a permanent
town he began his preparations early for a church.
We have seen that he had a roof over the Lord at
Denver, and at Central City he outstripped all the
ministers, although they had the advantage in time,
and was the first in the entire district to possess a
church building.
He urged the matter upon his people at each
visit, but nothing was done until he resorted to heroic
measures. One Sunday at the close of the mass he
had the doors locked and the keys brought to him at
the altar. Then he declared that no one would be
permitted to leave the hall until the question of a
church was settled. The first man to respond with
a donation was John B. Fitzpatrick, a mine superin-
tendent and a practical Catholic. Others followed,
and in a short time the possession of a church of
their own was assured. In a few days a two-story
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 297
frame house was bought and men were set to work
fitting it up as a church and a residence for a priest.
Father Machebeuf gives us an idea of his work
in a letter written to his brother on the first of Sep-
tember, 1861. He says:
Besides the principal parish, established at Denver, w*t
have begun another in the center of the mountains forty miles
from here at a place called Central Citj'. Next Sunday I shall
go there and say mass for the fii"st time in our temporarj'
church. After a few days there I shall set out on my eighth
trip across the South and Middle Parks. Although I have to
cross the highest range of mountains several times to visit our
poor Catholics, who are almost buried alive in the depths of the
mines, I have alwa>"s preserved my good health. Providence
has given me strength in proportion to my work.
In crossing the Snowy Range I can see through the gorges
far off into the Territory of Utah where the Mormons live, and
in my trips through the parks and to California Gulch I often
sleep under the stars, and sometimes in the midst of the snow —
I did this last July— but, thanks to God, I sleep as soundly there
as upon a feather bed. I shall return only at the end of Sep-
tember, to pass a few^ days at Denver and Central City, and
then, in October T shall go to Santa Fe, Albuquerque, etc., in
New Mexico, to secure a supply of church goods and mass wine,
and I hope to be back again in Denver for Christmas.
Father Machebeuf speaks very liglitly and
prosaically of these trips. It is true that he told us
years ago that he was no poet, but at least he might
tell us that California Gulch was 170 miles from Den-
ver, that there were at one time 5000 people in it,
that there were many other gulches of almost equal
importance, and that his side trips sometimes nearly
doubled his mileage. Of his sjiecial sick-calls he says
nothing. We can .judge of them from what we know
of missionary countries in general, at least from
the near-by camps, but from all accounts they were
298 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
few to the district camps; most people died as they
lived, as a priest could not reach them upon a sud-
den call, and it is to be hoped they lived as they
would wish to die.
There is a limit to the endurance of the strong-
est man, and in this trip Father Machebeuf reached
the end of his forces. He did not measure his
strength, and, as we have seen, did not spare himself.
On this trip he was taken sick, and making his way
back to Denver as best he could, he lay for nearly
two months ill of typhoid fever. Writing to his
brother in the following January from New Mexico
he says :
Last September, while among the highest mountains at
California Gulch, where the range is alwaj^ covered with snow,
I fell sick of the mountain fever, and T was two months without
being able to say mass. There is no mail between Denver and
Santa Fe, but Bishop Lamy heard fi-om some people that I was
sick, and from others that I was dead. Not knowing which to
believe he sent Father Ussel to find out, but when he came I
was up and walking about in my garden with the help of a cane.
I kept Father Ussel for two weeks, and when I was able to
travel I went with him to Santa Fe. I spent the greater part,
of the month of December at Albuquerque, where the care and
good old wine of Father Paulet contributed not a little to the
re-establishment of my forces. Thanks be to God, I am now
as well as ever. My church in Denver is not yet plastered but
we have been using it for a year.
Father Ussel who was his traveling companion
on this visit to New Mexico wrote an account of the
trip, and we condense from his interesting notes the
history of Father Machebeuf 's share in it.
Late in the fall of 1861, when I was pastor of Taos in
New Mexico, I received a letter from Bishop Lamy stating
that Father Machebeuf was very sick at Denver, and, as he
UFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 299
could not go to Denver himself, he wished me to go, and, if
possible, bring Father Machebeuf back with me to Santa Fe.
Taking a boy with nie I set out on horseback for ray three-
hundred-mile ride. There were no railroads, or even coaches in
those parts at that time, and people thoujiht no more of a trip
of that length on horseback than they do now of the same dis-
tance by rail, and there was less grumbling about it.
In due time I reached Denver, and found Father Machebeuf
80 much improved that he was able to be up most of the time,
and the thought of a visit to Santa Fe seemed to act like a tonic
in building him up, so that he grew stronger very rapidly.
While waiting for him to gather strength for the journey
I took a trip with Father Raverdy into the mountains for the
pleasure of the experience, and at the same time to assist in a
limited way in the work of the missions. We visited Central
City and vicinity, and I could see the nature of the work and
the inevitable privations under which the powerful constitution
of Father Machebeuf had given way, and I wondered how he
had been able to stand up under them so long.
Denver had about 3,000 inhabitants, and there were a good
number of Catholics but they seemed to be very poor, for the
modest little church Avas without windows and in a general un-
finished condition. Before we left Father Machebeuf was able
to say mass, and on Sunday he spoke to the people in a way
that surprised me. He announced his intended trip to New
Mexico, and in the course of his address said: "You may won-
der at the pleasure I anticipate in New Mexico, for you never
have a good word for the Mexicans, and you seem to despise
them as an inferior race of people. The only thing about them
which you seem to care for is tlieir pe.sos— their dollars! Well,
when I go among them I am going to ask them for some of
their pesos to put windows in the church for the (^atholics of
Denver ! ' '
This had some effect anyway, for that evening several car-
penters came and pledged their word to Father Machebeuf that
they would have the windows in for Christmas.
We left Denver in Father Machebeuf 's heavy ambulance,
which was stocked with provisions for our journey, our bedding
and other baggage. The weather was good, and on our way
south Father Machebeuf should stop at several of his mission
stations to give the people a chance to hear mass and go to the
sacraments.
In good time we reached the first Mexican settlement, on
the Huerfano river. Here we were served with a remarkablv
300 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
good dinner and chile Colorado in abundance. Father Mache-
beuf was delighted with it. He had a wonderful relish for chile.
A child was baptized here, and the good Mexicans were ex-
tremel}' pleased with the visit of the priest.
From the Huerfano we climbed the Sangi'e de Cristo
mountains at Blanca Peak and night came upon us while we
were still on the high range. We chose a partially sheltered
ravine for our camping place and spent a fairly quiet night.
The gentle zephyrs maA' have poetry and music in them for
some when heard from the cozy corner of a warm house, but it
is different with the traveler camping out in November on the
heights of the Sierra Blanca.
The next day the journey Avas long, but we arrived at San
Luis de la Culebra in time for the first vespers of the patronal
feast of the village. There was an illumination of pitch pine
fires for the evening services, and in the morning there was a
high mass and a procession bj' a happy lot of people in most
gaudy attire. Then came the games, — horse-racing, foot-racing,
burlesque dances, a short comedy, and other innocent sports, all
in the open air and enlivened by a band of music. It was a red-
letter daj^ in the village, and it is so in every Mexican village,
but there was no novelty in it for us old wamors who had seen
such things so often in our various rounds, yet I noticed that
Father Machebeuf enjoyed it again after his different ex-
perience in Colorado.
At Taos Father Machebeuf stayed three days with me, and
when he was ready to leave it was with difficulty that we found
a man who could drive the ambulance to Santa Fe. There were
no wagons or vehicles of any kind at Taos, for there were no
roads upon which thej^ could be used, so there was no one who
knew how to drive, or at least, who would undertake to drive a
conveyance of this kind over the mountains to Santa Fe. At
last we found a man who said that he had driven a coach at
Durango in Old Mexico and we engaged him. He was in real-
ity a good driver and took Father Machebeuf safely to Santa
Fe. Since that time a good road has been made, and it was
through the efforts of the Delegate to Congress — the former
Padre Gallegos.
Father Machebeuf spent some time with Bishop Lamy at
Santa Fe, and with his friends among the priests farther south.
He also visited among the people, and we will see that he did
not forget the pesos. He used to say to them, "I need money
for my church in Denver, and I need many things for myself.
My house is a miserable shanty, — I have a few chairs but our
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 301
beds are sacks of straw dignified by the name of mattresses,
etc." He did not tell them of the sermon he preached in Den-
ver, so the men gave him money and the women did their share
in other things.
One thing the Mexican women pride themselves on is their
soft, clean beds, and Father Machebeuf touched a sympathetic
chord when he spoke of his poor beds. One lady made him a
present of six mattresses and feather pillows; another gave him
a dozen pillow slips, hemmed and trimmed with lace by her own
daughter. "Good!" said Father Machebeuf, "you have
started the ball rolling, and I am sure others will keep it go-
ing." And they did, until he had a neat sum of money and a
large miscellaneous supply of other chattels. He was a good
beggar and he dia not refuse anything. "You have such fine
chile Colorado and we have none in Denver," said he to one,
and she hastened to reply: "My daughter, Juanita, has hun-
dreds of ristras (strings) of it, and ground chile, and she will
give you all you want."
At last he had so much promised that he was at a loss to
know what to do with it. In his difficulty he said: "Here I
am now with beds, bedding, chile, onions, and so many things,
but how am I to get them to their destination? I need a wagon
and a yoke of oxen. Well, let us trust in God and maybe He
will send me a charitable friend with the wagon and the oxen!"
Sure enough, the charitable friend came, and he got his wagon
and oxen.
Towards the end of January' I received a message from
Father Machebeuf asking me to meet him at Mora, the home of
Father Salpointe. When I arrived there Father Salpointe took
me to the corral to see the equipment of the Senor Vicario.
There is was — a big ox wagon, besides his own ambulance, and
both filled with provisions, furniture and various articles, and
two men to help him on his way. "Hands off!" cried Father
Machebeuf, "that is my property!" "How much did you pay
for all this?" I asked. "Pay?" said he, "I paid nothing for
it. I am not so simple as to offer pay to the good Mexicans!
They were only too glad to do a meritorious work, and I gave
them plenty of chance, too! When you come to Denver the next
time you will not pull the straws out of the pillows and present
them to me as American feathers as you did the last time !
When he was leaving Mora Father Salpointe and myself
went with him as far as Cimarron. The first day was cold and
windy, and the night was so bad that we could get but very lit-
tle sleep in our camp. The next day was worse, with a veritable
302 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
hurricane blowing. We met a troop of cavalry and they had
one man tied upon his horse, for the wind had blown a piece
of rock or slate from the hillside, striking him on the head and
disabling him.
At night we reached the Cimarron and were made welcome
and comfortable at the ranch of Lucien Maxwell who was an
old and warm friend of Father Machebeuf. The next day we
each took our way for our respective homes.
The older Catholics of Denver still remember
when Father Machebeuf came home with that big ox
wagon, which was a real Noah's Ark without the
animals, and they will learn now, probably for the
first time, how he got it and its wonderfully made-up
load.
Some additional information of this trip is
given by Father Machebeuf himself in letters where
he describes conditions in New Mexico at that time.
The Territoiy of New Mexico is in a sad condition at the
present moment. The Texans have taken several forts in the
south where I attended two years ago. There was but a small
number of them but they found no difficulty in taking the forts,
for the U. S. officers surrendered without firing a shot. Four
forts were taken and a number of villages were plundered, and
the prospects of greater and richer pillage brought re-inforce-
ments to the Texans, who number about 3,000 and threaten the
conquest of the whole Territory.
Besides the trouble with the Texans, the people have the
Indians to contend with. Two very strong and fierce tribes—
the Apaches and the Navajoes— have revolted and are com-
mitting depredations along the frontiers and even in the inter-
ior. Not a week passes when we do not hear of their ravages.
Only a few days ago when I was at the Bishop's ranch sixteen
miles from Santa Fe, forty savages passed within a mile of us
one night and, attacking the herders and shepherds, drove off
their flocks. Last year they massacred sixty persons in one
parish west of Albuquerque. The small-pox is also ravaging the
settlements, and altogether. New Mexico is in a bad way.
Thank God, everything is quiet in Colorado. The Texans
are too far away, and the Indians are afraid of the Amei'icans.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 303
During mj' fourteen months there I did not hear of their killing
anyone, and I always made my long mission trips in perfect
safety. In Denver I have built a little temporary home at the
rear of the church, and have secured an excellent Belgian fam-
ily to keep house for us.
I am now in the parish of Father Salpointe on my way to
Denver. Father Ussel is here and we are waiting for Father
Guerin, Father Jonvenceau and an old French priest who was
for twelve years an otTicer of dragoons under Louis Philip. To-
morrow, Jan. 21, we will celebrate the patronal feast of the
parish of Mora.
Father Maohebeuf visited his missions without
fear of the Indians. Highwaymen were more to be
feared, yet they never bothered him. The Indians
murdered several small parties of prospectors in the
South Park in earlier times, and they were still on
the lookout for those who ventured into remote re-
gions, but they kept clear of the camps. They had
reason to fear the Americans, and a regiment of these
Americans two months later went from Pike's Peak
into New Mexico, and drove the Texans back into
their own State and quieted the Mexican Indians
likewise.
CHAPTER XIX.
Completes the Church at Denver. — Location of the Church.
— Farming in Colorado. — The Desert Conquered. — Father Mache-
beuf Secures Lands. — Location for New Churches. — The Ceme-
tery.— Revenue and Cost of Living. — Sad Accident. — Lamed for
Life.— Boys' School.— St. Mary's Academy. — Proposed College.
Father Ussel's Mission to the Benedictines.— Fire in Denver. —
Flood.— Indian Massacres.— Fright in Denver.— Father Maehe-
beuf 's Courage. — Usual Mission Trips.— Battle of Sand Creek. —
Desperadoes. — Later Missions.
Upon his return from New Mexico Father
Machebeuf resumed the work of visiting the missions
which had necessarily been somewhat neglected dur-
ing his absence. As soon also as the weather per-
mitted he set about completing the church in Den-
ver, and improving his humble residence and bleak
surroundings. The church at that time seemed far
out upon the prairie, for houses were few and scat-
tered above Larimer street, and foot-paths crossed
the lots in any direction, for of streets there was lit-
tle knowledge outside of the sun^eyor's office, and
few bothered themselves about them.
The church was at the crossing of F and Stout
streets, and F street, or Fifteenth as it was later
called, was a well-traveled thoroughfare, for it was
where the Cherry Creek road led in from the South,
and also where a large portion of the traffic entered
the city from the East, but it was five squares up
from Larimer street, and most of the business was
done farther down, on McGaa (now Market), Blake,
Wazee and Wyncoop streets. Father Machebeuf put
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 305
a fence around bis little cottage, planted flowers and
vines and made it a little oasis in the desert. He also
dug a well, and planted and watered his flowers with
his own hands, and he did not forget the little gar-
den spot for lettuces, radishes, onions and chile.
The question of fanning did not present itself
to the early comers of Pike's Peak. The great plains
were ''The American Desert," and they reached to
the bases of the mountains. So little rain was sup-
posed to fall that the country was known as the rain-
less district. Of course, people saw the grass grow-
ing and nourishing thousands of herds of buffaloes
and other wild animals, but then, the geographers
had always written this region down as a desert only
second in extent and barrenness to Sahara, and no
one thought of disputing the dictum of these
scientists. So strong is error oft-repeated that it
stands in the face of truth.
Irrigation was a science known in Egypt, Peru
and Mexico, but the word was not yet in the Amer-
ican farmer's vocabulary. When the idea was first
broached it raised such a cloud of difficulties and
seeming impossibilities that those who had been
reared in eastern farming districts were appalled,
and thousand's of them then, and for years after-
wards, passed by the opportunity of a free farm in
what is now the most prosperous agricultural dis-
tricts of Colorado with the expression: ''Colorado
may be all right for farming, but I would rather let
some one else try it. ' ' When cabbages weighing fifty
pounds, and potatoes of more than five pounds, and
u
306 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
onions twenty inches in circumference, and other
snch-like products of the soil were shown, many of
the people shook their heads in a way that indicated
a doubt of weights and measures. Anyway, it was
said, these were but phenomena and samples spec-
ially chosen, and could be produced only by irriga-
tion, and irrigation was the bugbear. Irrigation has
since ceased to be the bugbear, and those phenomena
have become so common as to cease to attract notice
in Colorado.
Father Machebeuf had spent nine years in New
Mexico and was familiar with the methods and ef-
fects of irrigation. He saw the possibilities in Colo-
rado and was not slow in taking advantage of them.
He secured a small tract of land on the Platte river
two miles below Denver, and another larger body
containing over 500 acres on Clear Creek, eight miles
west of Denver. The land on the Platte was after-
wards included within the limits of the city, and of
the larger tract a portion was sold, but the greater
part was retained, and upon the eastern end of this
remaining land is laid out the present beautiful ceme-
tery of Mount Olivet. He also secured land for a
cemetery almost upon his arrival, about three miles
from Denver on the road leading out bej^ond F
street, and there were many in the early days who
complained that he had gone so far out on the plains
towards Kansas City to choose a resting-place for
their dead that a pious visit to their graves was al-
most an impossibility. Since that time things have
changed. Then there was not a house between the
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 307
church and the graveyard, and now Mount Calvary
Cemetery is in the center of the aristocratic Capitol
Hill residence district, whose denizens, for reasons
best known to themselves, have been trying for years
to close the cemetery against further burials, and, if
possible, force the removal of the bodies already
buried there that the sacred ground may be con-
verted into a pleasure park.
Upon his other lands Father Machebeuf began
the cultivation of vegetables and grain upon a lim-
ited scale, but, with others, he showed that agricul-
ture might be a profitable industry in Colorado.
From a field of ten acres, sown in March 1863, he
reaped more than 300 bushels of grain in August.
There were several drawbacks in the beginning, such
as inexperienced farmers, the grasshopper pests, etc.,
but in the long run his farms were paying invest-
ments.
It was not as investments, however, that Father
Machebeuf held these lands. From the first he hoped
to utilize thorn for the good of religion and the sav-
ing of souls. In his mind's eye he had a picture of a
grand institution, conducted by some religious order
of men, in which homeless and destitute boys would
be cared for, properly trained and taught some trade,
or useful and honorable mode of making a liveli-
hood. More than once in those early days he took
the writer over the grounds and pointed out the very
spot where he proposed to erect the buildings, and
drew the plans of them on the ground with his cane.
A third piece of farming land he secured in
308 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the fertile valley of the South Boulder, and that
piece remains attached to the church at that place to
this day.
Father Machebeuf was also on the alert for lo-
cations for churches where he found Catholics in
new towns which were likely to be permanent, and
many of the church buildings now in Colorado stand
upon ground secured by him in his missionary days.
Other properties, in Denver and elsewhere, he
bought early when values were low, hoping to see
them in time occupied by educational and benevolent
foundations. Of mining property he had but little,
and none of any special value.
From notes and memoranda left by Father
Machebeuf it would seem that one-half of his Sun-
days were spent in missions outside of Denver. At
least one Sunday in each month was given to Cen-
tral City where he had his first mission church and
a numerous congregation. His collections there, in-
cluding a few baptisms and an occasional marriage,
were about forty dollars a month. This at first was
mostly in gold dust, when, instead of a pocketbook,
every miner carried a little buckskin bag for the vir-
gin metal, and they became such experts in handling
it that, taking a pinch from the bag as a man takes
a pinch of snuff from a box they could calculate the
value of a dollar so closely that they asked no change
either way.
This compensation was not very much for
Father Machebeuf when we consider the times.
There were no millionaires in the congregation, but
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 309
work was plenty and waj2:es were good. His living
expenses were high, for tea was two dollars a pound,
sugar fifty cents, flour was cheap at eighteen dollars
a hundred, grain for his team was from ten to twenty
cents a pound and hay was thirty dollars a ton.
Everything else was in proportion where, so to
speak, it was not out of all proportion. Among the
names on the books of his Central City congregation
are those of John B. Fitzpatrick, Richard Glennon,
John B. Sutton, Thomas :McGrath, Richard White,
Jeremiali Hogan, Daniel Murphy, Robert Kirkpat-
rick, Patrick Glynn, Philip Smith, Miles Cavanaugh,
Patrick Casey, ]\richael Soden, George Powell, John
Ryan, Charles Desmoiueaux, John McKenna, Albert
Selak, J. Sherry, J. H. Reid, Dennis Tierney, etc.,
etc. These are all gone now, but many of their
descendants remain, and they must acknowledge that
their ancestors were not over-generous towards their
self-sacrificing pastor.
On Sunday, June 14, 1863, Father Machebeuf
was with his peo]ile in Central City as usual. lie
spent ^fonday among them attending to some mat-
ters pertaining to the new church, visiting those
who were sick, and making a few other friendly calls.
On Tuesday, June 16, he started for Denver. After
leaving Central City and Black Hawk the road left
the Clear Creek canon and made an ascent of four
miles to cross a high ridge. At best this road was
narrow and dangerous, for it was, as it were, chis-
eled from the side of the mountain nearly its entire
length. Near the top of the ridge Father Machebeuf
310 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
was met by a number of heavily laden wagons, and
in his attempt to make room for them to pass he, un-
fortunately, drove over the edge of the road. His
conveyance was upset and he was thrown out upon
the rocks, breaking the bone of his right leg com-
pletely off at the thigh joint. He was taken to the
house of David Kerr, a Catholic who lived near the
scene of the accident, and medical aid was sum-
moned, but, owing to his age, or the unskilfulness of
the physician, the broken bones failed to unite prop-
erly, A notable shortening and weakening of the
limb resulted and he was ever afterwards very lame.
When able to be moved he was taken to Denver, but
he was unable to say mass until about the first of
November.
News of the accident reached Bishop Lamy at
Santa Fe, and he started for Denver not knowing
whether he would find Father Machebeuf alive or
dead. He brought Father Salpointe of Mora with
him, and both were made happy by the sight of
Father Machebeuf hobbling about, although he
was on crutches.
While laboring under this disability, however,
Father Machebeuf was not idle. He attended al-
most as usual to the temporal administration of af-
fairs from his invalid chamber, and at the same time
he was not unmindful of the spiritual needs of his
people. During this time he succeeded in getting
the first priest to come from the East to help him,
the Rev. Thomas A, Smith, and in September, 1863,
assigned him to Central City as its first resident
pastor.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 3U
The quostion of Cntliolie odiK^ation, over dear
to the heart of Father ^Machebeuf, now came up be-
fore him while he had time to think of something
besides mission journeys. To establish Catholic
schools was one of liis greatest desires, and, while it
was not possible, perhaps, to get men and women of
religious orders to help him just then, he could try to
help himself while waiting for the time to come when
something better could be provided. "With this idea
he bought a vacant building, had it moved to the lot
beside the church and fitted it up for a day school.
He engaged a lady teacher, a j\Iiss Steele, who
opened the school in the fall of 1863 with a fair num-
ber of i)npils, some of whom were not Catholics.
In the meantime lie entered into correspond-
ence with the Sisters of Loretto in Kentucky for the
purpose of inducing them to open an academy for
the education of young ladies at Denver. In this he
was earnestly seconded by Bishop Lamy, with the
result that the Mother Superior promised to send
him a colony of Sisters during the following sum-
mer.
With this cheering prospect in view Father
^fachebeuf, in March, 1864, purchased a large two-
story frame house, the residence of Mr. Geo. W.
Clayton, on a plot of ground fronting on California
street and extending from E to F streets, making
an inunediate payment of $2,000 and giving his own
personal note for a balance of $2,000 more payable
in sixty days. It was an ideal proi>erty and only
one block from the church. The building was very
312 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
large for a residence at that time, and was one of
the finest in Denver when nothing was on a very-
grand scale.
In June four Sisters of Loretto came from
Santa Fe and took possession of the house and pre-
pared to open their school. Those first Sisters, if
we mistake not, were Sisters Ann Joseph, Joanna,
Agatha and Louise. This was the beginning of St.
Mary's Academy, since grown to such magnificent
proportions both in size and in reputation.
St. Mary's Academy has a history of its own,
and we do not intend to follow it out, although we
shall from time to time find occasion to refer to it
in the course of this narrative. Let it suffice here to
say that it was dear to the heart of Father Mache-
beuf, and he never counted anything a sacrifice that
he could do for St. Mary's Academy, and it can be
as truly said that the Sisters of Loretto never
abused his benevolence, nor forgot any favor which
he ever did for them. One thing they began to do
for him at once was to teach the children in his Sun-
day school, and thus they relieved him of a part of
his work, yet he never failed, when at home and able,
to give a short instruction to the children at the
close of their catechism lesson.
But Father Machebeuf did not wish to do things
by halves. He thought of the boys of his flock as
well as of the girls, and wished to provide them with
the means of a Christian training while pursuing the
higher branches of secular learning. He had suc-
ceeded in his efforts for an academy for the girls,
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 313
and now he turned his attention to a college for the
boys. His hopes for success in this direction lay in
the possibility of inducing the Benedictines of Atch-
ison, Kansas, to establish a house of their order in
Denver and open a college.
In July 1864, Father Ussel came to Denver on
his way to France, and Father Machebeuf commis-
sioned him to speak to the Prior of the Benedictines
at Atchison upon the matter. As Father Ussel was
to visit the old home in France Father Machebeuf
made him the bearer of the following letter, which
speaks of this idea among other things.
Denver, July 22, 1864.
Very Dear Sister:
Although I am vei-y busy I must take advantage of the
passing of Father Ussel on his way to La Belle France to
send you a word. I shall not give you particulars of anything, —
Father Ussel will do that by word of mouth far better than I
can by letter. He has spent a few days here with me to rest,
and I have given him full information about all my affairs. He
will tell you of the good Sisters, of our project of a college next
spring under the Benedictine Fathers, of the prosperity of the
new Territory', and also of the great flood which carried away
a part of the city and destroyed the crops along the banks
of the Platte river.
For the first time in its history four priests are together in
Denver to-day. I shall write to you again before F'ather Ussel
leaves France. When our convent is opened I shall have a lit-
tle more time. Our Sisters belong to the Order of Lorctto,
founded in Kentucky b.y a holy priest under the direction of
Bishop Flaget, whom you will remember, and in whose cojn-
pany I came to America. They have many flourishing houses
in the States and three in New Mexico. We hope to have a
good number of boarders.
Father Ussel gives an account of his visit to
Denver on that occasion, and of his mission to the
314 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Benedictines with its results. We subjoin from his
interesting notes.
In July, 1864, while pastor of Taos in New Mexico, I ob-
tained from Bishop Lamy a six months' leave of absence to
^^sit my relatives in France. Father Machebeuf knew my
uncles, and I was acquainted with his brother and sister, so I
went by the way of Denver to be able to bring them late and
direct news from the Senor Vicario.
Passing over our conversations about France, old friends,
old times, etc., I come at once to the matter of his proposed
college. Father Machebeuf was a man of large views, of great
enterprise, and of undaunted courage in the service of God and
of the Church. Colorado was but four or five years old, yet, for
Father Machebeuf, it had passed its uncertain stage, and he
had unbounded faith in its future. He not only foresaw a pop-
ulous and prosperous State in the heart of a mag-nificent West,
but he predicted the Catholic Church as its strongest moral
force, sustained and directed from an Episcopal See at Denver.
"I realize," said he, ''that Providence has placed me here for a
purpose. Already the Catholic Church is in the lead of all the
other denominations, and the strongest in the field has the
advantage. Towns are springing up on all sides, and in the
beginning locations are easily secured for churches, schools,
hospitals, etc., and for these works the people are genei'ous.
I try to secure these locations and do what I can to make a
beginning of some of the works, so that when a bishop comes
he will find the field prepared, with a portion of it yeilding
fruit and the remainder of it ready for the plow. This is my
work in preparation for the future, but I must also meet the
needs and seize the opportunities of the present.
"I have been fortunate in providing a good school for the
girls, and I think the time has come when I should do as much
for the boys. This also is the desire of Bishop Lamy, but he
has more than he can do in New Mexico and he wishes me to
do what I can here. We shall soon need more priests, both
secular and regular, and I have been thinking of the Benedic-
tines. I like those religious, and they would be just the men
for a college in Denver. Now, I want you to stop at Atchison
and speak to Father Wirth about it. I wanted to go myself,
but could never spare the time, but you can be my representa-
tive and take up the matter with him. Of course, you will
make no definite arrangements or binding promises, but just
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 315
state the proposition and explain the situation, and let me know
if I may hope for jrood results."
Father Machebeuf's letter of introduction procured me a
warm welcome with the Benedictines, and I rested there sev-
eral days. I told Father Wirth, the Prior, of the desires of
Father Machebouf and gave him my ideas of Colorado as best
I could. He acknowledged that Atchison was a small place for
a large college, but the floating population of Colorado made
the future of Denver uncertain, and after a conference with the
Fathers he said that they tiiought it best to wait a while longer,
and that he would write to Father MJaehebeuf and learn more
about the situation.
When I reached New York I met another friend of Father
Machebeuf and Bishop Lamy. This was Father Lafont of the
French church. I could hardly satisfy his desire for informa-
tion about New ^lexico and Colorado. These were the ideal
missionary lands for him, and Bishop Lamy and Father Mache-
beuf were the ideal missionaries. Of Father Machebeuf he
said: 'The little man has his wishes for space and freedom
gratified. In France he was always complaining that he could
not breathe easily and he went to Ohio for more room. Then
he crossed the desert to New Mexico, and now he has half the
world to himself in Colorado. I wonder if he is contented now?
I can see him in my imagination, always on the go, looking for
Catholics, bringing back the stray sheep, stirring up the luke-
warm, planning for chapels and schools, inspiring his fellow-
priests with greater zeal, and then looking for something more
to do."
The names of Bishop Lamy and Father Machebeuf were
as titles of recommendation for me, and I received many favors
for their sake in France, and, upon my return to America with
my ten clerics, I found a welcome and a much-needed rest with
Father Lafont in New York, and with the Benedictines at
Atchison. At Denver, too. Father Machebeuf had provided
lodgings for us until we could resume our journey to Santa Fe.
Most new towns have their baptism of fire, and
it generally proves to be a blessing, for it removes
old makeshifts of buildings which are succeeded by
better and safer structures, and the citizens inaug-
urate more efficient moans of protection. In Ai)ril,
1863, the business center of Denver was destroyed
316 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
by a conflagration, and it had scarcely risen from its
ashes when a baptism of water swept over the low
lands, inundating West Denver and all that part of
East Denver lying along the Platte river. On the
evening of May 20, 1864, a wall of water nearly
twenty feet high came down the usually dry bed of
Cherry Creek, carrying away houses, tents, bridges
and everything in its immediate course, and flood-
ing the entire lower districts of the city. The prop-
erty loss was great, but fortunately there was little
or no loss of life.
Father Machebeuf was out of the range of both
these disasters, but he lent what assistance he could
to the actual sufferers and took part in the public
spirit which enabled the city to recover so rapidly
from its misfortunes.
A third baptism, and this was a baptism of
blood, came to Denver in the latter half of 1864.
The Indian tribes on the plains refused to sign a
treaty with the United States for the purchase or
exchange of their lands, and made open war upon
the whites to drive them off their grounds. About
fifty actual or prospective citizens of Denver and
vicinity were massacred, all of them while crossing
the plains, or at their homes on the ranches. Wagon
trains were attacked, plundered and burned, the
stage stations along the Platte were destroyed, the
valleys were swept almost clear of resident whites,
and the mails were so disarranged that for a time
it was necessary to send mail from the Missouri
river to Denver by the way of Panama and San
Francisco.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 317
No Indians appeared in the immediate vicinity
of Denver, but reports of their coming were not
lacking, and at times the town was in an uproar of
excitement. Upon one occasion a panic seized upon
many of the people, — the women fled from the out-
skirts of the town, men hid in cellars and out-of-way
places, and even in dry goods boxes on the streets,
for the Indians were reported to be on what is now
Capitol Hill. Father Machebeuf had a housekeeper,
Sarah Morahan, a strong, well-built Irish woman,
and Sarah marched forth and back with an old
musket guarding the house for a part of the night
against the Indians who never came. The alarm
passed away when it was found that the supposed
savages were only a few herders with a flock of
sheep. Old Sarah was really brave, for a short time
after that she routed a party of soldiers who were
robbing her henroosts. She actually seized one of
them as he was scaling the fence, and he cried out:
"Oh, let me go, let me go ! I haven't got but two !"
She let him go, but it was because he tore himself
from her grasp.
During these Indian troubles Father Mache-
beuf visited his mountain missions as if nothing
unusual was going on, and he showed his utter dis-
regard for danger by a trip to the Las Animas river
and to Santa Fe, going in October and returning in
the beginning of December, for the Immaculate Con-
ception, the patronal feast of his church in Denver.
The Las Animas river flows within forty miles of
the Sand Creek battle-ground, where, on Nov. 29,
318 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
1864, between five and six hundred Indians were
killed, and the force of the war broken.
During the years 1863-4, the South Park in the
mountains was the scene of many murders and rob-
beries by the Espinosas, and the Eeynolds band of
desperadoes, yet Father Machebeuf went fearlessly
on his way where duty called him. Most of these rob-
bers and murderers met an untimely death. Some
of them were captured alive, but before the law could
take its course there was generally a reported at-
tempt at escape which always resulted disastrously
for the prisoners, and no one cared to ask any
further questions.
A change now began to creep into the character
of the missions of Father Machebeuf. Placer min-
ing was on the wane, and many of the old camps
were being deserted. Quartz mining was so little
understood, and so expensive as it had been hitherto
carried on, with no adequate returns, that most men
were afraid or unable to undertake it. There re-
mained the Central City district, now cared for by
Father Smith. Caribou was still good, Idaho
Springs and Empire had a fair population and
Georgetown was coming to the front. There was
something yet in the Buckskin and Tarryall dis-
tricts, but the rich gulches along the Arkansas river
were drawing towards their end as mining centers.
The Blue River and Ten Mile regions no longer
swarmed with miners and prospectors, but enough
remained to make an occasional visit of the priest
necessary. The mining population was being sifted
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 319
out, and a large portion of the unstable element was
disappearing.
On the contrary the valleys were growing into
prominence by the steady increase of an agricul-
tural class and required an increasing attention.
Golden City, ISfount Vernon, Morrison and Brad-
ford were the nearer missions, and Marshall, Bould-
er City and the fertile valley of the Boulder, the Big
Thompson and the Cache-la-Poudre had their scat-
tered Catholic families. There was also the Smith
Settlement on the Platte, and other stations on
Cherry and Plum Creeks, and in the Bijou Basin.
Towards the south were Colorado City, Pueblo and
Canon City, and farther away the Mexicans were
locating on the Purgatoire, or Las Animas river,
the Cucharas, the Huerfano and the Greenhorn,
and as intermediate stations came Joe Doyle's, Zan
Hicklin's, Dotson's, etc., and Fort Reynolds with
many others was shortly added to the number. In
the extreme south the town of Trinidad was growing
up and needed attention. For this last place Father
Machebeuf induced Bishop Lamy to give him Fath-
er Munnecom to organize the Catholics there and
along the neighboring streams.
Settlers also, especially from New Mexico, were
gradually going up the San Luis vaJley, and these
would soon need more attention than could be given
to them from Conejos. These conditions continued
and grew more accentuated until the revival of min-
ing under improved methods gave a fresh impetus to
that industry, and the coming of the railroads in-
jected new elements of progress into the rapidly
growing Territory.
CHAPTEE XX.
Colorado and Utah Settlements. — Mormon Policy.— U. S.
Troops. — Visit of Father Raverdy to Utah.— A Box of Peaches.
— Bells. — Father Maehebeuf Sick.— Trompe-la-Mort.— Father
Raverdy Goes to Central City. — Father Faure Comes to Denver.
— Recreations at the Ranch. — The Choir. — New Church in Golden
City. — Itinerai-y of a Mission Trip.— ProgTess of the Church.—
Father Machebeuf's Voluntaiy Poverty.— American Influences
Predominate. — Steps for a Vicariate. — Father Machebeuf's Hu-
mility Alarmed.
The settlement of the Rocky Mountain States
was due, principally, to the discovery of gold and sil-
ver mines. This drew to the locality people of every
race and religion, and when the great moving crowds
were satisfied, or disappointed, and had sought new
regions there was always a permanent element left
behind strong enough to form the beginnings of new
Territories after the transient population had floated
away. Utah was an exception to this rule. It was
settled by the Mormons as an agricultural commun-
ity, with an exclusive religion and a desire to bar all
outsiders. Thej^ knew of the existence of gold and
silver in the Territory but their leaders discouraged
the search for mines. ''We cannot eat gold and sil-
ver," said Brigham Young, ''neither do we want to
bring into our peaceful settlements a rough frontier
population to vitiate the morals of our youth, over-
whelm us by their numbers and drive us again from
our hard-earned homes. " Consequently, but few peo-
i>le went to Utah except Mormons, and naturally no
Catholic who cared for his religion would isolate
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 321
himself from his Church and his brethren under
such circumstances.
That part of Bishop Lamy's diocese, then, was
not much of a burden in the earlier years, but, in
the sixties, a slight change was noticeable. On the
24th day of July, 1847, Brigham Young is reported
to have said: ''If the Gentiles will let us alone for
ten years I'll ask no odds of them!" Brigham
Young was an American but he misunderstood the
American character if he expected to defy the na-
tion, or exclude the American settler. Ten years
from that time, to the day, Brigham Young and his
followers were celebrating the anniversary of their
coming to the Salt Lake valley when the startling
news reached them that a United States army was
marching upon them from the East. Their haughti-
ness and seditious conduct and utterances had of-
fended the government to such an extent that force
was considered necessary to subdue them and keep
them within proper bounds. This insured civility
towards the few strangers who were in their midst,
and was like an opening wedge for a greater Gen-
tile immigration.
In October, 1862, Colonel P. E. Connor, with his
command of United States volunteers from Nevada
and California for the civil war, was ordered to
Salt Lake City, where he established Fort Douglas
and did service against the Indians, while keeping
his eye upon the Mormons.
By implication Utah was under the care of
Father Machebeuf, on account of the unity of
322 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
language and the lesser difficulty of access, and in
September, 1864, lie sent Father Raverdy on a mis-
sionary visit to Utah, with instructions to investi-
gate the religious conditions of the Territory. He
knew from his own experience that Catholics would
be found among the soldiers, and a visit to them,
in addition to the information to be gotten about
any other Catholics, would repay for the trouble
of such a visit.
Father Raverdy was warmly received by Col.
Connor, but he found few Catholics outside of Fort
Douglas, and, leaving Utah, he extended his journey
to Bannack City, then the center of the gold-mining
excitement of Montana.
The valleys near Salt Lake were teeming with
fruit, and before Father Raverdy left them he sent
a large box of peaches as a treat to Father Mache-
beuf in Denver. Father Machebeuf was surprised
at receiving them, but more surprised at receiving
with them a bill for sixty dollars express charges.
There was no fruit growing then in Colorado ex-
cept such as grew wild, and, while apples were
freighted in by wagon, the peach was too perishable
for a journey of thirty days.
To re-imburse himself for the cost of trans-
portation Father Machebeuf hit upon the idea of
offering a number of the peaches for sale at the
seemingly extraordinary price of one dollar each.
But peaches were an extraordinary fruit just then,
and he had no difficulty in disposing of a suffcient
number at that price to pay the cost of carriage, and
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 323
he had enough left for an abundant treat for him-
self and the Sisters and pupils of St. Mary's
Academy.
In 1863 Father Maehebeuf procured a bell for
his church in Denver. It was the first bell of the
kind in Colorado and weighed nearly one thousand
pounds. It was set up on a wooden frame like a
derrick, but a violent wind storm in the late autumn
of 1864 blew the structure over and the bell was
broken by the fall. In January, 1865, he began a
subscription for a new bell, and in July the new
bell, twice the size of the old one, arrived, and with
it a smaller bell for the Sisters' Academy. They
were from the foundry of Stuckstede & Co. of St.
Louis, and the freight alone on them was $305.90.
The beautiful tones of these two bells, as they float
out over the Queen City of the Plains, have been
admired for more than forty years. At the blessing
of these bells, Sept. 24, 1865,'Father Smith of Cen-
tral City preached the sermon, and a collection taken
up on the occasion realized $123.00.
On the day of the blessing of the bells Father
Maehebeuf was forced by sickness to give up work
again. That year there was an epidemic of bloody
dysentery and many died of the disease. Father
Maehebeuf was suffering for some time before he
gave up altogether, and his case was so severe that
several times during the next two weeks there were
reports spread of his death. Strong constitutions
seemed to weigh but little against this plague, and
men who knew not what sickness was until now were
324 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
carried off in a short time. Two of the writer's own
immediate family, living within a stone's throw of
the church, were victims of the same fell destroyer.
Fervent prayers were offered by the Sisters and all
friends of Father Machebeuf, and who knows how
much they may have helped, but he withstood the
strain and recovered. He spoke of this sickness in a
letter to his sister, and, as usual, passed lightly over
his own sufferings. His sister complained of the
scarcity of his letters, and told him the news of the
death of their aunt and foster-mother. In reply he
said:
Your letter of Sept. 15 has reached me. Until now your
lettei's have generally been a source of consolation to me by their
cheerful spirit and pleasant news, but this brings me sad news
mdeed. I cannot express to you the pain and son-ow I feel at
the news of the death of that dear aunt whom we have all had
reason to love as a good mother. But if Providence gave her to
us to lavish upon us the cares and affections of the mother whom
we had the misfortune to lose so young, let us bless that same
Providence which now takes her away, and show our gratitude
to this good aunt and mother by offering our prayers and good
works for her benefit. You may be sure that I did not neglect
to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for her, and I shall do so
as often as I can, and not only for her, but for all of you. It is
a great consolation to know that this good aunt died in such
holy dispositions, surrounded by every care and help that the
Church could give. Happy would we be if all the dear members
of our family, so closely united here, could merit by their fidel-
ity to be united forever in heaven. Let us pray fervently to ob-
tain the grace of this great happiness.
It was an additional pain for me to learn that you did not
receive any letters from me lately. This was not my fault, for I
wrote immediately after the return of Father Ussel to thank
you and Mai'ius and the other members of the family for all the
precious gifts and souvenirs sent me. The cause of this lies
probably in the fact that the mails have been very irregular dur-
ing the past year, and sometimes stopped altogether in conse-
LIFE OF BliSUOP MACHEBEUF. 325
quence of the massacres, robberies and ravages of the various
tribes of savage Indians scattered over almost the entire COO
miles separating us from the Missouri river. They robbed not
only the mails, but whole caravans, murdering the men, pillaging
the stocks of merchandise, burning the wagons, stampeding the
mules, and carrying the women and children away into captivity.
It happened to nie in 18G5 not to receive the letters addressed
to me from St. Louis, and many others have suffered the same
inconvenience. Things are better now, for the government has
troops stationed along the route to protect the mails, as well as
travelers and all sorts of traflfic.
I was sorry to hear that you were so near death's door with
the typhoid fever, and 1, too, had my little turn of sickness.
Last September I had a severe attack of dysentery which was
very prevalent in Denver at that time, and claimed many victims,
some of whom were my very nearest neighbors, and I was so
near the grave with it myself that more than once rumors of my
death were spread through the city, and friends came to assure
themselves of the foundation for the reports. I laughed at
them and told them not to put themselves out about such reports,
that at the proper time I myself would let them know of the day
and hour of my funeral. If Bishop Rappe knew of these rumors
he would have still more reason to call me the Deceiver of Death
(Trompe-la-Mort) than he had in 1849, when the newspapers of
Sandusky put my name in the list of the victims of cholera, or
when I was reported dead in 1861, I am now in very good
health, but a little more lame than before.
Our parish has grown considerably since the close of the
civil war, and several new settlements of Catholics are being
formed in the vicinity which require an occasional visit. Father
Raverdy, my dear and devoted assistant, has been away on the
missions now for two weeks, and I am but awaiting his return
to go myself and visit the Mexican villages 150 miles south of
Denver. Our convent school is progressing very satisfactorily,
although there are eight or ten other schools with which it must
compete. We are preparing, but very slowly, the way for a
college for boys.
This trip to the south which Fatlier Machebeuf
speaks of occupied seventeen days, from Feb, 21, to
Mar. 9, 1866, and it was the last long trip which he
took for some time. Troubles arose in Central City
and Father Smith left the dioc«se in May. To fill
326 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the vacancy thus created Father Machebeuf was
obliged to send Father Eaverdy to Central City,
thus depriving himself of his dear and devoted
assistant in Denver, and leaving to himself the task
of attending alone to Denver and the valley mis-
sions. Bishop Lamy came to Denver in May on ac-
count of the troubles at Central City, and he ap-
proved of the appointment of Father Eaverdy, who
took permanent possession of his new parish on
June 1, 1866. The Bishop promised to send another
assistant priest to Father Machebeuf in Denver, but
this priest, Eev. John Faure, did not come until to-
wards the end of the year. He was completely ig-
norant of English and could do but little more than
to say mass, but this was a great help to Father
Machebeuf, for it gave him some little opportunity
for visiting his missions. Before the arrival of
Father Faure only such as could be reached during
the week were attended with any sort of regularity,
and the distinct missions were visited but seldom,
for on such occasions Father Machebeuf was obliged
to leave the congregation and the Sisters at Denver
without mass on Sunday, which in fact he did sev-
eral times. During the late summer of 1867 Father
Faure had a severe attack of typhoid fever, and
upon his recovery he returned to New Mexico leav-
ing Father Machebeuf again alone in Denver.
These times when Father Machebeuf was at home
alone were his busiest seasons. When traveling he
was getting his "rest in action," and he used to
complain that so many called upon him with all sorts
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 327
of business, and without any business whatever,
that he liad scarcely time for his breviary and his
correspondence. Every caller seemed to think that
he or she was the only caller Father Machebeuf had,
and it was like an act of charity to keep him com-
pany as long as possible.
On his Clear Creek ranch he had a reserved
portion of the house and a neat chapel fitted up in it,
and he often went there for a day or two to rest. He
was not idle there, for he would walk over the whole
farm and inspect the crops, and plan for furtlier im-
provements in the buildings, the fences and the
ditches to bring more land under cultivation. He
would sometimes have the farmer carry him on his
back across the creek that he might show him a nice
spot on the island for a garden or something of the
kind, but he had a suspension bridge made over that
part of the stream after the farmer one day acci-
dentally fell with him in mid-stream, giving him an
involuntary bath. He could never quite convince
himself that it was altogether an accident, but in
this he wronged the farmer, for the good man had
too much reverence for Father ISfachebeuf to play
such a trick upon him. The wire suspension bridge
was not much safer, but Father Machebeuf would
crawl over upon the swinging structure rather than
risk another bath when unprepared for it. Under
proper conditions he enjoyed a bath in the cold
stream, and often took it, for he had no convenience
of that kind in his house at Denver.
On several occasions he gave the Sisters on out-
328 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
ing for a day at this ranch, and he did the same
thing for his choir. It may be remarked that he had
a good choir, and the music of Mozart, Weber, Hay-
den, etc., was familiar to the singers. Professor
Schormeyer was organist and director, and he had a
most efficient quartet in Miss Buttrick, soprano,
Mrs. Schinner alto, Mr. Koch tenor and Mr. Kratz
bass. There were others for the chorus, but these
were the principal and permanent singers, and on
grand occasions their work was enhanced by the
addition of an orchestra.
One of Father Machebeuf's missions which at
that time gave promise of future prosperity was
Golden City. There were not many Catholics in
the town itself, but there was a number in the near-
by country, and there were coal mines, iron mines,
smelters, flour mills, potteries and foundries in the
town or close by, and these would probably bring an
influx of Catholic laborers. The citizens of Grolden
City were very ambitious at that time, and were do-
ing their utmost to outclass Denver and make their
town the leading city of Colorado for all time. And
these men were not lunatics or dreamers, but men
of good business capacity and active enterprise, and
when they finally saw Denver leading them per-
manently they turned in and helped her along.
With the encouragement of these men Father
Machebeuf began the erection of a small church at
Golden City in 1867. In writing to his brother he
said of this undertaking :
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 329
Nothing new at Denver, unless it is that we have had a
very severe winter, but the fine weather has corae afrain and
things are moving. I came home yesterday from Golden City — I
should rather say Iron City, for there is no gold there, but they
have found some very rich iron mines. Our little church there
is almost finished, although there are but two Catholic families
in the town, and these represent four different nationalities.
They have each subscribed $100, and some of the farmers have
subscribed .$100 also, and the Americans help us liberally. The
church will cost at least $2,000. This winter I collected $1,000
for our convent from the Americans, who give with good grace.
I often state the sum that I expect them to give, and they smile
and pay it to me. Then I show this to others and they give their
share, too. I once got $100 from a Methodist preacher for the
convent, but he was a public man, a Colonel Chivington of the
army. Thus Providence is assisting us in all sorts of ways.
The little church at Golden City was opened
for services on Sunday, May 19, 1867, and Father
Machebeuf brought his choir from Denver to make
the occasion as memorable as possible. The writer
helped him the day before to clean out the new
building, to put up the temporary altar and to dec-
orate both church and altar as far as the limited
time and means would allow. It was a gala day for
Golden City and the church was thronged, mostly
with non-Catholics, and, naturally, the collection
was small. It amounted to only $26.15. The ex-
pense alone of bringing the choir from Denver was
$17.00.
On his other missions Father Machebeuf fared
a little better, but it was hard work and he could not
go very often. When his visits were too close to-
gether his perquisites decreased in projwrtion. We
print the following extract from his diary, showing
the itinerant of just one of his many trips. It ai>
330 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
pears to us to-day as a curiosity, jet it is a fair
record of his ordinary missionary life.
Tuesday, July 30, 1867. — Preparation for trip. Sun-
dry expenses, $8.50.
Wednesday, July 31. — Depart. Junction House.
Paid, $3.50.
Thursday, Aug. 1. — At Famum's. No mass. Rec'd
$0.00.
Friday, Saturday, Sunday. — At Marshes. Rec'd
$65.00.
Monday. — Mass at Breckenridge. $25. French
Gulch, $18. Paid blacksmith, $1.25.
Tuesday. — Hamilton. Paid hotel, $4.00.
Wednesday. — Buckskin Joe. Mass. Rec'd, $15.00.
Lecture on Rule of Faith.
Thursday. — Go to Montgomery. No mass. Rec'd
$0.00.
Friday. — Fairplay. Mass. Rec'd, $0.00. Lecture
on Papal Supremacy.
Saturday, Sunday. — California Gulch. Mass.
Rec'd, $60.00. Lecture on Rule of Faith.
Monday.— Ditto. Mass. Rec'd, $5.00. Go to Day-
ton. No mass. Lecture on Papal Supremacy.
Rec'd, $0.00.
Tuesday. — Cache Creek. No mass. Rec'd, $0.00.
Wednesday. — At Frank Mayol's. Mass. Marriage.
Rec'd, $5.00.
Thursday, Aug. 15. — Mass at Hugh Mahon's. Rec'd
$2.00. Go to Cottonwood and South Arkansas.
Lecture on the Real Presence.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 331
Friday. — Mass at Mrs. Weaver's. Rec'd, $7.00.
Camped to-night on the Arkansas — alone!
Saturday. — Crossed the Arkansas with buggy loaded
on big wagon with two yoke of oxen. Cam^x^d
at Weston's. Four preachers!
Sunday. — Start early. Mass at Guiraud's. Nice
trout.
Monday. — Mass. Rec'd, $10.00. Go to Famum's.
Tuesday, Aug. 20. — Junction House. Paid, $5.00.
Return to Denver. Found Father Raverdy in
Denver.
Twenty two days — 350 miles in his own con-
veyance— almost daily mass, sermon and confessions
— five special lectures — and $200. Average $9 a day
for man and team. Take the weather as it comes,
the roads as you find them, and the rivers on ox-
wagons. At the same time we find an entry in his
diary as follows: "To Thomas Conroy, for work
on the Gallery, 20 days at $6.00— $120.00." It was
better to be a carpenter than a missionary in those
days. We also find a recipe for the destruction of
vermin — (pour detruire les poux). Yes, the mission-
ary had many little inconveniences as well as great
ones. It is all very interesting and amusing now,
but the romance of missionary life does not appeal
at the moment as strongly as at the distance of about
forty years. There were no lecture bureaux then
to make that single feature more easy and more re-
munerative, but the lecture bureaux cannot visit the
scattered miners in their gulches and cabin cities
clinging to the mountain sides, and provide them
332 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
with mass and the sacraments. That is left yet to
the successors of Machebeuf and the pioneers of his
class.
In 1867, the Church in Colorado had taken
shape, and its future could be forecast. Its course
thus far had been one of formation, and its future
progress was now seen to be along well defined lines.
When Father Machebeuf came there was nothing but
the scattered elements, without cohesive force or a
prospect of a permanent union. He had to treat
them as units until he could choose his parts and
bring them together as a unity. He found them
mixed with the froth and scum and driftwood of civ-
ilization, and when this floated away he had three
churches ready, and others waiting only the co-op-
eration of a pastor to rise into being; he had the
school system started in both primary and academic
branches; he had ground ready for charitable and
beneficient institutions sufiScient for a decade of
years to come, and he had his mission routes system-
atically laid out to reach the farthest Catholic at
stated times. One half of the world was busy wag-
ing wars and changing temporarily the boundaries of
nations and the political complexion of states, and
the other half was looking on with wonderment, but
Father Machebeuf was quietly and almost unnoticed
working laying the foundations of an empire which
was to grow and endure.
When Bishop Lamy said: ''You are just the
man for the Pike's Peak region," it was like a
prophecy. The idea that Providence had singled
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 333
him out and placed him in this exceptional position
was enough to make Father Machebeuf feel the im-
portance of his work, and he did it as if answering
directly to Providence for its faithful performance.
As every opportunity arose he was quick to seize it,
and his grasp was rendered more tenacious by his
regard for the future, which the occupations of the
present never blotted out. He might pass away but
his work would remain. He may not have thought
of it, but he was the John the Baptist of the Church
in Colorado, to prepare the way for him who was
to come and reign over the people as shepherd of the
flock. Certain it is that he did not wish to be that
one, although he probably hoped to be able to point
him out, the greater than he, while he himself would
remain as a voice crying in the wilderness until the
end of his career.
How did he accomplish so much of this work?
Mostly by his zeal, his energy and his self-sacrifice.
Once in his life, while in France, Father Machebeuf
had the pittance of a salary; the remainder of his
thirty years was given freely to the Church. He
gave all to the Church in Ohio, in New Mexico, and
what were his resources in Colorado? We have
looked the matter up, and we find that ten dollars a
Sunday will cover his Denver collections for these
seven years. He had a few pews in his little church,
but people paid, or neglected to pay, pew rent then
as now. The combined collections at Christmas and
Easter were about $500 annually, and he had a few
festivals which netted from $400 to $1,400 each.
334 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Then take the cost of living when necessaries ranged
from three to ten times the prices of to-day, and
building material and labor were in proportion. We
must wonder how he did so much, and secured and
held so much property in so many places for the
Church. If he and Father Eaverdy had but one
overcoat to serve for both of them, it was not be-
cause of positive poverty but of voluntary sacrifice
for God. ' ' He must increase, but I must decrease. ' '
The subject of his supposed wealth will be treated
later on.
As a part of the Diocese of Santa Fe. Colorado
was beginning to feel its disadvantages. The Mexican
settlements of the south could well be administered
from New Mexico, but the rest of the country had
little in common with the Spanish civilization as it
filtered northward through the Indian tribes of New
Mexico. The origin of the people, their character
and temperament and their aspirations were en-
tirely different, and their commercial relations were
in different directions. As Father Machebeuf had
said, there was no love between the races, and no
communication except such as was founded upon the
pesos. New Mexico was Mexican, and Pike's Peak
was American. Railroads from the East were hast-
ening to connect this natural offshoot from Anglo-
Saxon civilization with the parent stem, from which
henceforth it would receive its social and business
life. Under these conditions New Mexico could not
be a proper training school for successful priests in
Colorado.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 335
The Fatliers of the First Plenary Council of
Baltimore, in 1866, saw this, and petitioned the Prop-
aganda to erect Colorado into a separate ecclesiasti-
cal jurisdiction, and their judgment led them to pro-
pose Father ^Machebeuf as their unanimous choice for
the head of this Vicariate. Bishop Lamy was deputed
to carry the decrees and recommendations of the
Council to Rome for the approval of the Pope, and
he did not leave Father Machebeuf in ignorance of
these proceedings nor of their probable results.
Father Machebeuf, however, spoke of these things
only to his superiors, and to his most intimate
friends who might advise him as to the course which
he ought to pursue. His own relatives received the
first news of it from Bishop Lamy while this prelate
was in France on this occasion. Here is Father
Machebeuf 's first communication to his family upon
these matters :
Denver, Sept. 13, 18G7.
Very Dear Sister:
I hasten to answer your last letter, dated Aug. 11, in which
you ask me to relieve your anxiety caused by reports of misfor-
tune to Bishop Lamy and his party.
I am happy to announce to you that Bishop Lamy arrived
safe in Santa Fe the very day you wrote to me. More tlian 2,000
persons, with the Governor and civil authorities at their head,
went out from the city to met him, and made his entry into the
town a grand home-coming amid the ringing of bells and the
joyful acclamations of the people. lie has written to me twice
since. He was quite worn out, and sulYering in conse(iueiice of
the fatigue, privations and dangers to which they were exposed.
The Indians, to the number of nearly 300, at lacked them twice,
but the men of the caravan were so well prepared to defend
themselves that none of the Bishop's parly were killed, al-
though several received slight wounds. The cholera, wliicli was
very bad among them crossing the plains, was more deadly than
336 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the Indians, and carried off several persons, two of whom be-
longed to the party of the Bishop. Sad to say, one of these was
a young American Sister, eighteen years of age and a model of
piety. She died partly of fright after the attack of the Indians.
The other was an excellent young man of French descent who
was accompanying Bishop Lamy to Santa Fe. As it is more
than probable that Bishop Lamy has written and given you the
details of his whole journey before now, I shall add nothing
more.
You know that three Spanish-speaking Jesuit Fathers, and a
Belgian who speaks Spanish and French as well as English, have
come with Bishop Lamy. The Belgian, whose name is De Blieck,
is now giving a retreat to the Sisters at Santa Fe, and he will
direct the retreat of the clergy in October. After that I expect
this worthy Father, who was at one time president of the college
in Cincinnati, and whom I knew there, to come to Denver.
Do you ask what he will do in Denver? Notwithstanding
the hesitation I feel in touching upon a question which is no
longer a secret from you, I must say that the matter of a vicari-
ate for Colorado seems to be settled. I have news from Bishop
Lamy and others, and I only wait the return of the Archbishop
of St. Louis from Rome for positive assurances that I am
named to preside over it. I cannot commit to paper my feelings
in the matter, nor the reasons which make me tremble at the
thought of such a position being offered to me. I have already
taken some steps to avoid it, and I intend to protest still more
befoi-e things go too far, but if I am obliged to bend to the bur-
den and accept the inevitable, Father De Blieck will take my
place here in Denver and remain during the time when I shall
necessarily be absent. I hope that Providence will dispose
events so as to relieve me of this burden, for my responsibility
is already too heavy, rendered so by personal and local consider-
ations and circumstances which I may take occasion to explain
to you when we are face to face.
I have not yet received the things sent from France with
Bishop Lamy, but Father Raverdy will bring them to me from
Santa Fe when he returns from the retreat.
Pray always for the poor cripple !
CHAPTER XXI.
First Mission iu Denver.— Father De Blieck.— Official No-
tice of Appointment as Bishop. — Fitness for the Work.— A Beg-
ging Tour. — Consecration. — Return to Denver. — Reception.
Responsibilities and Resources. — Episcopal Missionary Trips.
To Central Citv.— To Conejos.— To Salt Lake City.— To Trini-
dad.
Denver, April 14, 1868.
Very Dear Sister:
I received your very kind letter and that of my two dear
nephews two months ago. Many times I was ui)on the point of
answering them when something always occurred to prevent it.
At one time it was some one coming to visit, at another it was
pressing business affairs, etc., but I must write now that I am
upon the eve of that temble journey to Cincinnati which I can
put off no longer.
The celebrated missionary. Father De Blieck, came to Den-
ver over a month ago from Santa Fe, where he had preached
several missions and retreats. He gave a mission in our prin-
cipal mountain parish where I was with him for a week, and he
began one here in Denver on Friday of Passion Week. Unfor-
tunately he was taken very sick on the third day of the mission,
and was in bed until Easter Sunday, when he managed to get up
and hear mass. The work of finishing the mission fell upon me,
and I did the best I could with two sermons a day. The good
Father Raverdy came to assist me in hearing the confessions,
but he has so little confidence in himself that I could not induce
him to preach. Another young French priest, Father Matthonet,
came from Santa Fe just before Christmas, but he does not
know enough English yet to preach. In spite of the difficulties
and fatigue I carried it through, thanks to Providence. We had
large crowds, and a veiy large number approached the sacra-
ments. My voice is somewhat husky, but otherwise I am feeling
quite well.
But I spoke to you of a journey. Father Cheymol, who is
aware of all, must have written the news to Sister Clenience, but
I cannot neglect telling you myself that two months ago today
I received from Cardinal Barnabo the official notice of my ap-
pointment as Vicar Apostolic of Colorado and Utah. The Bulls
have not yet come, but I read today in the Catholic Telegraph
of Cincinnati a copy of a letter from Rome which g^ves the title
IS
338 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
of each bishop-eleet, and that which falls to my heritage is
Bishop of Epiphany in partibus infidelium. Although the facul-
ties have not yet come, I must go immediately while the Jesuit
Father is here to take charge of the parish. I shall have a great
many things to arrange, and some embarrassing matters to set-
tle— my debts, for instance, and to provide in a way for the
future until I can get something from the Propagation of the
Faith.
You will tell my brother Marius and my nephews to have
patience until after the ceremony of consecration, which will
take place in Cincinnati, and I hope during the beautiful Month
of Mary. If I can find a good priest to replace me here I shall
start for Europe in October, but I cannot say for certain what
Providence may determine. In the meanwhile you must not
lose any time, but you and the Sisters must pray earnestly for
me, and that the blessing of God may be on my future work. A
diocese larger than the whole of France.
Thank Marius and the others for the vestments, sacred ves-
sels, altar linens, flowers, etc., which I have received.
"The best laid schemes o' mice and men
Gang aft agley."
In these lines Burns expresses but a familiar
truth, and it is always seen in the end when men's
plans counter with the designs of Grod. Father
Machebeuf had his feelings of opposition to accept-
ing the burdens of the episcopate, but they were
mingled with sentiments of resignation to Grod's will
and to the designs of the Church. He had a filial
reverence for authority during his whole life, and
now, at the bidding of authority, he was ready to
offer himself for this new sacrifice. We know not
what steps he may have taken to avoid the honors
and burdens of the episcopacy, but they were not
successful. And who was better fitted for the work?
The letter of Cardinal Barnabo, the Prefect of the
Propaganda, was dated Jan. 24, 1868. The Brief
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 339
erecting the vicariate was of March 3, 1868, and the
Bulls appointing Father Machebeuf were dated
March 16, 1868.
The work of a bishop in Colorado was a con-
tinuation of the same work which Father Machebeuf
had been doing, with the addition of conferring those
sacraments reserved to the episcopal order, and the
responsibility of supplying priests for the new dio-
cese. The administration of church affairs had been
in his hands ; the acquisition of new properties and
the formation of new parishes were his duties, and
he had been doing everything that could be done to
prepare for diocesan institutions, and to inaugur-
ate them when possible. Any other, as bishop, would
be obliged to pursue the same course, and it is
doubtful if he could do so with more energy. The
former missionaiy conditions had not passed away,
and the new bishop must adopt the life of a travel-
ing missionary. In all these things Father Mache-
beuf had shown an admirable zeal and a fair judg-
ment, and it would have been difficult to find an-
other as well adapted for the actual work in Colo-
ardo. From a human standjxjint it would seem that
he was the logical successor in the episcopate of his
position in the priesthood, and that the ''personal
and local considerations and circumstances" of
which he spoke had behind them his own humility as
the foundation for his fears. But now Kome had
spoken, — the die was cast, and the matter was set-
tled.
Father Machebeuf started from Denver upon
340 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
that "terrible journey" April 21, leaving Father
De Blieck and Father Matthonet in charge of his
parish, but neither of these remained until his re-
turn. It was indeed a terrible journey when we
think of its length in distance and time, and the ob-
jects for which it was made. First and foremost
was his consecration as bishop; then he wished to
find priests who would come and labor in his vicar-
iate, and last, but not least, he needed money, for he
was in debt and his creditors were pressing him for
money while he had not a sufficient amount to fur-
nish his episcoi>al wardrobe and chapel. His jour-
ney was literally a begging tour for men and means.
The first stage of his journey was through Chey-
enne, Omaha, Leavenworth and St. Louis to Cincin-
nati. Here he made his first appeal for assistance,
and he repeated it in Baltimore, Washington, Phil-
adelphia, New York, Albany, Troy, Burlington,
Montreal, Toronto, Buffalo, Cleveland and in his old
parish of Sandusky. At the seminaries in Cincin-
nati, Baltimore, Emmetsburg, Philadeli^hia, Troy,
Montreal and Cleveland he spoke to the students to
inspire them with a desire for missionary life in the
West. He also sought for priests who were already
in the ministry, and in all these things his success
was but limited. He sums up the results of a por-
tion of his trip in the following letter to his brother :
New York, July 8, 1868.
Very Dear Brother :
Finding myself separated from Clermont by a voyage of
only ten or twelve days, I cannot continue my journey without
bidding you good day in passing. My thoughts and my heart
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 341
have often made the voyage between us, but I must wait till
some unknown time in the future to make it in person, although
the distance to you now is less than from here to Denver.
I leave here tomorrow for Montreal. For two months I
have been on the lookout for a good priest who understands
English, and I shall not be consecrated until I find some sort of
a \acar, even if I cannot make him my vicar-general as was
my intention. After fifteen days spent in Cincinnati and Brown
county T went to Baltimore, where I spent more than a month,
then seven days in Philadelphia and twelve in New York, and in
all these places the Most Rev. Archbishops received me most
kindly.
As you are a man of business I must tell you that in 1863-4,
I exhausted all the resources of New Mexico to secure at Denver
favorable locations for churches, schools, convents, hospitals,
cemetery, etc., hoping that the increased Catholic immigration
would furnish me the means of existence, but since the war the
high taxes are ruining us. The Catholic population will increase
notably only when the railroad comes. I was thus obliged to
borrow money from the banks and from private individuals at
very hidi rates of interest, and thus I have increased my in-
debtedness to a considerable sum. I wished to concentrate all
in the hands of one person at reasonable interest, but the ques-
tion was to find that person. I brought with me titles and de-
scriptions of all the properties, which I am willing to give as
security, but the cai>italists did not appreciate their value. It
was only here in New York that I succeeded in finding a man
who would help me. He is an American and a good Catholic.
He knew the value of the church holdings at Denver and in the
vicinity, and he assisted me greatly in my present difficulties.
Besides this, I have made many interested visits, and managed
to collect over $000 for my missions and a number of presents of
things necessary for a bishop.
Father Maoliebenf gives us here the key to the
cause of his financial troubles. To secure and hold
property for the church he had borrowed money,
and the interest and taxes were eating hiin uji. His
accounts show that more than one usurious money-
lender made a small fortune by the necessities of the
Church in Colorado, and none of them liad any
342 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
scruple in demanding the highest rates of interest
possible from Father Machebeuf in his difficulties.
Father Machebeuf was a good collector, and this
sum of $600 represented the fruits of his appeals in
different churches, and donations from special
friends and others to whom he had letters of recom-
mendation. He made a good impression wherever
he went, and his story of his missions found inter-
ested listeners. At Baltimore he met Bishop-elect
Gibbons, and he was present at the consecration of
Bishop McQuaid in New York, and he made a large
number of acquaintances whose friendship he after-
wards spoke of with pleasure. His journey from
New York took him as far north as Montreal and
then down to Cleveland, from which place he wrote
the following letter :
Cleveland, July 29, 1868.
Very Dear Sister:
I am here with Bishop Eappe since Sunday. I have been
obliged to postpone my consecration until August 16, to give me
time to find a good priest, as I told Marius, and I have not yet
succeeded in my search. I found several French and Irish
students, but they cannot be ordained before two or three
years. Several zealous priests offered to devote themselves to
the missions in Colorado, but they could not get the consent of
their bishops, all of whom complain of the lack of good pi'iests.
Tomorrow I go to Sandusky. The pastor himself came to
me with the invitation, and I cannot refuse my old parishioners.
Next week I shall be in Cincinnati and shall go to visit the
Motherhouse of the Sisters of Loretto in Kentucky, to see if I
can get two or three more Sisters. Then I shall go to the Trap-
pists, who have a fine house close by at a place called Gethse-
mane. There I shall make my retreat and return to Cincinnati
for the Assumption and the consecration.
As I have other letters to write, and it is near midnight, I
must make this short, but I hold to telling you the exact day of
my consecration that you and all the nuns and pupils may pray
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 343
fervently that I may be worthy to receive the graces of the
Holy Ghost. After the consecration I shall send to all of you
my episcopal benediction.
This program was carried out. On the day he
wrote this letter he first donned the purple robes of
a bishop, and thus received the profession of several
nuns at the Ursuline Convent of Cleveland, sang
the high mass and gave the benediction with the Sit
nomen Domini, etc., but his voice choked and almost
failed him in the emotions of this new experience.
At his old parish in Sandusky he had a magnifi-
cent reception from his former parishioners. His
four days among them was a continual ovation, and
he left them with an additional $180 in his purse.
At Columbus he spent a day with Bishop Eose-
crans, then two days in Cincinnati making final ar-
rangements, and when he arrived at Loretto the
Sisters complained because he could give them only
three hours after they had waited three months for
his coming. His retreat was made under the Trap-
pist Father Jerome, and at its conclusion he went
to Cincinnati where his consecration took place on
Sunday, Aug. 16, 1868. Archbishop Purcell was the
consecrating prelate, assisted by Bishops Rappe and
De Goesbriand, and in the sanctuary were Bishops
Rosecrans and Carrell and many priests. His first
mass as bishop was said at the Convent of the Sis-
ters of Notre Dame, and his emotion was so great
that it was with difficulty that he finished the Holy
Sacrifice.
Three days after his consecration Bishop
344 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Machebeuf was on his way to his diocese. At St.
Louis he was joined by five Sisters of Loretto. From
Leavenworth he sent to his relatives in France his
episcopal benediction accompanied by the following
touching words :
May the good God grant you health and prosiDerity, and
above all, the fidelity to fulfill all your religious duties. May
Divine Providence protect all of you and preserve you for many
years in peace, in union, and in the grace of God. May Our
Lord nourish and increase in my dear Jules these first inclina-
tions and the blessed dispositions to consecrate himself to the
service and glory of God and the salvation of souls. Bishop
Lamy left at the seminary in Baltimore a nephew for his eccle-
siastical education — how happy I would be if one daj^ I could
have near me one of my dear nephews as a help and consolation
to his bishop-uncle who begins to feel the weight of his infinn-
ities, but whose health and courage, thanks to God, are not
failing. I close by wishing all of you a thousand blessings.
Eight short months later Bishop Machebeuf had
occasion to write another letter, and we anticipate
here to give an extract from it referring to his dear
nephew from whom he hoped for help and consola-
tion.
After the terrible blow which has fallen upon us in the
death of our dear Jules, I feel the need of assuring you of my
sincerest affection and my deepest feeling of sympathy in the
great sorrow which has come upon you. It is my sorrow also,
for he was Tny Jules, and you know he gave himself to me with
such a good heart. In the midst of my grave obligations and
heavy occuiDations tears found time to flow in abundance, and
I did not fail to offer the Holy Sacrifice for him and for your
consolation. What can I say to you but to counsel resignation
to the ways of Providence. What we deplore as a misfortune
and a real loss for us, is certainly a gi-eat happiness for our
dear Jules, who had already, in answer to the appeal which I
made to his affection and his zeal, made the sacrifice of himself.
You sanctioned and blessed his resolution, and gave him to me
for God's service. He belonged no longer to you nor to his
country, and God has accepted his double sacrifice and with-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 346
drawn him from the world before he could know its dan^rers
to reward his pious intentions. I must offer this saeritice and
he is my victim. May this victim draw down the blessins^s of
God upon my heavy labors in the be<rinning of my new office as
shepherd of a larfjer flock, and may the sacrifice increase in all
of us that lively faith which reminds us that Ave are but
stranjifers and pilgrims on earth, far from our true country. In
taking away from us so soon those whom we love, God wishes
to detach us from all that is perishable, and to teach us to fix
our eyes, our thoughts and our affections ujwn heaven. "For
where your treasure is, there will your heart he also."
From Leavenworth the Bishop and his party
continued their journey to Omaha, and thence to
Cheyenne by rail. They left Cheyenne by coach on
the evening of August 28, and arrived at Denver the
following afternoon almost worn out but happy to
be at their journey's end.
A reception had been prepared for the Bishop
upon his arrival, and an address of welcome was
made by General Bela M. Hughes on the part of the
Catholics of Denver. The reception was partici-
pated in by the clergy, the Sisters, and the people ir-
respective of religious affiliations, but the demon-
stration lacked the spectacular feature which marked
the recei)tions given to him and Bishop Lamy at
kSanta Fe, yet a small delegation headed by Father
Raverdy, the Sisters of Loretto and a number of
prominent citizens met him several miles outside of
Denver and made his entry into his episcopal city a
somewhat notable event. The representation of the
clergy was necessarily small, consisting only of
Father Baverdy, who came from Central City for
the purjx)se. It could not well have been much
larger, for there were but three priests in his vast
346 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
vicariate, and the other two were hundreds of miles
distant on the borders of New Mexico. In all his
travels Bishop Machebeuf had found but one priest
to accompany him to Colorado, Father 0 'Keef e, and
his stay was only about a year. Bishop Machebeuf
arrived home on Saturday, and on Sunday he en-
tered upon his duties as Vicar Apostolic of Colorado
and Utah by celebrating Pontifical Mass, preaching
a sermon and again ofiQciating at Pontifical Ves-
pers.
From what has been said in the foregoing pages
we are able to form a fairly correct idea of the cir-
cumstances in which Bishop Machebeuf found him-
self at the beginning of his episcopal administration.
His responsibility was limited only by the bound-
aries of two large Territories, his flock was scat-
tered at intervals over nearly all their extent and
many of the gaps were beginning to fill up. For
helpers he had but three priests outside of Denver,
and each of these had more work than he could do
well in his own district. In every camp, town and
growing settlement something ought to be done as
a beginning of church work, and alone he could do
but little, for his office as Bishop made him hasten
from place to place to administer confirmation over
most of this territory where no bishop had ever vis-
ited. He was almost without funds, and in debt,
but he had an unbounded zeal, an unconquerable de-
termination, a courage that could not be shaken and
a faith in Providence which would lead him to ask
the removal of a mountain if he thought it an ob-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 347
stacle in the way of duty. But he was responsible
only for what he could do and God must take care
of the rest.
One week was all that Bishop Machebeuf gave
himself to recuperate from the fatigues of his four
months of travel. His first visit was to his principal
parish of Central City. Here the good people organ-
ized a reception, and Mrs. J. B. Sutton on the part
of the ladies of the congregation presented him with
a fine gold watch as a token of their respect and es-
teem. Returning to Denver he loaded his traveling
carriage with the necessary baggage and provisions,
and with his faithful driver, Billy Moore, set out,
Sept. 17, on his first extended pastoral visit.
He first made his usual tour of the South Park,
and crossed over the mountain pass to the head of
California Gulch, Continuing his way down the
Arkansas river he passed through the various camps
to South Arkansas — now Salida. Here he found a
camp of 800 Ute Indians, who laid before him their
usual complaint of being hungry. The Bishop divid-
ed his little stock of provisions very sparingly with
the chief and proceeded on his journey, which lay
this time up the South Arkansas river, across the
Poncha Pass and down into the head of the San
Luis valley in the direction of Saguache. From
Saguache he went to Fort Garland, and then wan-
dered about in different directions for ten days to
visit every hamlet and settlement in that part of
the valley. At every place the people gave him a lit-
tle reception of welcome, and frequently this took
348 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
place in the middle of the road, because there was no
room in their little cabins for such a ceremony. He
put them to no trouble about lodging him, unless
when he came to the house of some Don, for he car-
ried his usual camp furniture with him, including
even his shaving utensils which he often used while
making his camp toilet.
During the trip he said mass, heard confessions,
gave confirmation, preached and lectured, chose lo-
cations for chapels and formed committees to build
them, blessed cemeteries and bells, and any and
every sort of work which a traveling missionary
bishop could be imagined to do among a population
of that kind. Lest it should be thought that he re-
quired very little instruction for confirmation, it
may be noted here that among the Mexicans the cus-
tom obtains of confirming children even before they
have come to the use of reason, and Bishop Mache-
beuf confirmed 145 such children on this trip.
At the southerly extremity of his diocese he al-
lowed himself a slight diversion and continued his
journey farther southward to spend a few days with
Bishop Lamy and his old friends among the priests
of New Mexico. At Arroyo Hondo, Father Ussel
had gathered a company of ten priests in anticipa-
tion of the Bishop's arrival, and the occasion was a
happy one when these grown up children met their
old spiritual father, who could be as much of a child
as any of them.
From here he went to Santa Fe for a couple of
days, and then started on his way to Denver again.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 349
The return trip was made along the old familiar
grounds of the upper Las Animas, the Huerfano,
Greenhorn, San Carlos, etc., and his work was a
rei)etition of that in the San Luis valley. It is pos-
sible that he visited every known Catholic family
in the entire section. Two days he spent at Pueblo
and one at Colorado City. His friends at Colorado
City endeavored to dissuade him from setting out
alone for Denver, as Indians were reported to be
prowling around and stories of their depredations
were being told, but Bishop Machebeuf made light of
the danger, saying that the Indians would not hurt
him. Afterwards when he spoke of the fears of the
people he said: ** Indian scare! Why, I saw only
five Indians ! ' '
Just eight weeks from the day he set out
Bishop Machebeuf returned to Denver. We might
expect him now to interrupt his travels and go into
winter quarters, but Bishop Machebeuf had no win-
ter quarters, and he would not have occupied them if
he had them. Ten days later we find him setting
out for Salt Lake City, to carry some of the conso-
lations of religion to those of his flock who lived in
the stronghold of the Mormons.
He left Denver by stage coach on Nov. 23, and
at two o'clock the following morning he arrived in
Cheyenne. There he could find no bed at any of the
hotels, but, luckily, a former neighbor of his at Den-
ver had lately moved to Cheyenne, a Mr. Wm. Row-
land, and upon hunting him up the Bishop found a
welcome and a warm bed for the rest of the night.
350 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
From Cheyenne he had the regular train on the
Union Pacific railroad as far as Laramie, which was
as far as the road was open for traffic at that time.
The construction train carried him to G-reen Eiver
where he again took the stage. Arriving at Fort
Bridger at eleven o 'clock at night he found no hotel,
but managed to get a good sleep lying upon sacks
of grain in a store wrapped in his buffalo robe.
From here it was the coach again for two days, over
mountain ranges where the piercing night wind
chilled the bones, and through canons where the sun
seldom penetrated at that season of the year, and
all this time he sat outside with the driver, who he
says was very sociable, leaving the inside of the
coach to those more delicate, or more selfish.
At Echo City there was a change of drivers,
and Bishop Machebeuf regretted it until he found
that his new driver was none other than Bill Up-
dyke, the famous whip who had often driven him
over the mountains in Colorado. With him he fin-
ished his journey and arrived at Salt Lake City at
four o'clock p. m, on Saturday after six days of
travel.
On Sunday morning he was escorted to Fort
Douglas by General Connor, the commanding of-
ficer, where he said mass and remained as a guest
for a week. Every day, except one when he was not
well, he said mass and lectured at night. He also
prepared a class for confirmation among the sold-
iers and administered the sacrament the following
Sunday.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 351
From the fort he visited Salt Lake and sought
out the few Catholic families there. He also met
Brigham Young and other dignitaries of the Mor-
mon church, as well as many of the prominent citi-
zens, of all of whom he afterwards spoke very fa-
vorably. He could not speak highly enough of the
kind treatment accorded him at the fort by Gen.
Connor, Colonels Lewis and Reynolds, Capt. So-
bieski, Sergt. Keller and the ladies of the fort.
At Salt Lake he found ground for a church with
a house on it, but as yet there was no church build-
ing. The house was occupied by a Catholic family
named Carroll, who, with three other families, con-
stituted the settled Catholic population of Salt Lake
City. On three days of the following week he said
mass at the house of a Mr. Marshall for the bene-
fit of his little flock, and for the edification of a num-
ber of Mormon ladies whom curiosity or some other
motive brought to witness the services. He also
baptized three children in the family of a Mr. Sloan,
and one in another family, and he had two mar-
riages on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
On Thursday, Dec. 10, he started on his return
trip in a blinding snow storm, but, owing to delays,
he did not reach Fort Bridger until noon on Mon-
day. The most serious mishap of the trip was the
upsetting of the coach in Bear River at eleven
o'clock at night on Friday, and the rest of the night
was spent by the passengers drying their wet
clothes at the next stage station.
At Fort Bridger he was kindly received by
352 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Colonel Morrow and Judge Carter. He said mass
here and performed a baptism and a marriage. An-
other day was spent at Carter's Station because he
was too late for the construction train, and still an-
other among the railroaders at Bryant, and then
the ride of 22 hours to Cheyenne. On the train he
met Father Kelly of the Vicariate of Nebraska, who
was visiting the men along the railroad, and whose
duties had formerly taken him on several occasions
as far as Salt Lake City.
It was now Friday, and, although the weather
was bitter cold, Bishop Machebeuf took the coach
that night for his ride of over 100 miles to Denver.
A few days before some thief had stolen his cloak,
and when he arrived in Denver he was sutfering
from a cold, yet he was in the pulpit on Sunday, but
for two days afterwards he was in bed and unable
to say mass.
One more trip remained to complete the visita-
tion of the diocese, and Bishop Machebeuf made
that from Feb. 9 to Feb. 27. During that time he
visited Trinidad and the neighboring missions, and
also the stations between them and Denver. Thus,
in the first six months of his episcopate, Bishop
Machebeuf made a complete visitation of his vast
vicariate, and traveled over 2600 miles, nearly two-
thirds of which distance was made in his own con-
veyance.
CHAPTER XXII.
Priests and Their Locations. — Fire at St. Mary's Academy.
Bishop Starts for Europe. — P^'irst Students. — Father Bouchet of
Louisville. — Bishop Goes to Rome. — Visits Ireland. — Business
and Sociability. — First Priests Ordained. — Returns with New
Priests. — Ordains Future Bishop of the Santa J\' Trail. — New
House. — Church Enlarged. — Various Crosses and Disappoint-
ments.—French Sympathies. — Utah Transferred.— Conditions
at the Close of 187i.
Tlie duties of Bishop Machebeuf prevented him
from taking his proposed trip to Europe in October,
but circumstances were more favorable in the spring
of 1869. He secured tlie services of three j)riests, at
least temporarily, and a fouitli wouhl be ordained in
June. Fathers Munnecom, Merle and Eolly were in
charge respectively of the missions of Trinidad, Cos-
tilla and Conejos, Father Raverdy was at Central
City, and at Denver Father O'Keeffe assisted tlie
Bishop, as also for a time did Father H. Bourion,
while Father Robert A. Garassu would come fi-om
Baltimore immediately after liis ordination. Father
Garassu was ordained June 30, 1869, by Archbishop
Spalding, and was the first ])riest ordained for Colo-
rado. These could do the essential work now while
the Bi-shop would go to secure other priests and
more abundant means to meet the growing wants of
his vicariate.
The partial destruction by fire of St. Mary's
Academy, while Bishop Machebeuf was saying mass
on Sunday, April 18, came near interfering with his
plans, but he secured at once the willing help of
354 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
many sympatliiziiig friends who contributed freely,
not only to repair the damage but also to enlarge the
building. This caused a short delay, but it was suf-
ficiently long to prevent him accompanying his old
friend, Father Salpointe of Mora, New Mexico, on
this same journey to France. Father Salpointe had
been appointed Vicar Apostolic of Arizona, and, de-
siring to be consecrated in France, he made the trip
by the way of Denver, hoping to make the rest of it
in the company of Bishop Machebeuf. The Bishop-
elect could not wait, and Bishop Machebeuf, com-
menting on his haste, said :
Bishop Salpointe may have special reasons for wishing to
arrive in France before me. He will have his choice of mis-
sionaries and I shall come only to glean. But I shall not be
very exacting at Clermont. I need French priests, but I need
Irish and German priests more.
Bishop Machebeuf left Denver, May 3, 1869,
taking the coach to meet the train at Sheridan, Kan-
sas. Stopping a day at St. Mary's and another at
Topeka, he went to Leavenworth, where he found
Bishop Miege quite unwell. To accommodate this
prelate he delayed a few days and gave confirmation
at Lawrence and Prairie City, and then proceeded
on his way to St. Louis. From St. Louis he went to
Cape Girardeau, where he found a young student,
Mr. Henry Robinson, willing to face missionary life
in Colorado. At Cairo he visited the Sisters of
Loretto, and from there he went to Louisville, Ky.
Here he called upon Bishop McCloskey and a former
friend and fellow-countryman. Father Bouchet, then
chancellor of the Diocese of Louisville.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 355
With Father Boiichct, Bishop Machebeuf vis-
ited St. Thomas' Seminary at Bardstown, and tlie
Sisters of Loretto at the Motherhouse. At St. Thom-
as' he had already one student, and he endeavored to
enlist the co-oi)eration of others, but previous obli-
gations prevented them from offering their services,
although several were strongly so inclined.
During this part of his trip Father Machebeuf
was in very good spirits, for he was confident that
he had at last secured a priest after his own heart.
The Rev. Michael Bouchet was born in Clermont,
France, not far from Bishop Machebeuf 's own home.
In 1853, while in deacon's orders, he came with
Bishop Spalding of Louisville to work upon the
Kentucky missions. The missionary spirit was still
strong in him, and when Bishop Machebeuf, for
whom he had great regard, told him his story of the
Western missions, this spirit blazed up afresh aiid
he offered himself for this new field. Bishop Mach-
ebeuf was happy in the thought of securing the ser-
vices of such a priest. He had been on the search
for just such an assistant before his consecration,
and he now offered to make him liis vicar-general
upon his arrival in Colorado. The offer of the honor
had, probably, little to do with Father Bouchet 's res-
olution, as he never was a man to care specially for
honors, but it might have had some influence with
Bishop McCloskey, who, if the circumstances had
been properly explained to him, would have seen
that this was but a step to possible higher honors.
As it was. Father Bouchet did not get the necessary
356 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
permission from Bishop McCloskey, and lie lived on
in Kentucky until a few years ago, when he died a
Eight Rev. Prelate of the Church and Vicar General
of the Diocese of Louisville. How small a thing
may turn the course of events and change the history
of men and countries !
At Cincinnati Bishop Machebeuf conferred the
order of deaconship on a number of young ecclesias-
tics, and, with the permission of Archbishop Purcell,
he spoke to the students in the seminary, telling them
of his need of priests, and depicting the life of a
missionary among the Rocky Mountains. The result
of this appeal was that two young men offered them-
selves to serve in his missions if the Lord would
spare them to be ordained. One of these became so
terrified later by the imaginary dangers pictured to
him by his fellow-students, who in pretended seri-
ousness told him of the Indians, how they would
scalp him, tie him to a tree and dance the war dance
around him while burning fagots were roasting him
to death, etc., that he left the seminary and became
a farmer. It was, perhaps, the best he could do, for
his mind was not well balanced. We say this with
no intention of reflecting upon the farmer. The
other young man was not disturbed by these wild
tales, but persevered in his first resolution, went to
Colorado, and is now the distinguished occupant of
the Episcopal See of Denver.
Bishop Machebeuf again visited the seminaries
at Baltimore, Philadelphia and Troy, but with no
better success than upon his visits the year previous.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 357
The aspirations of young men brought up so far
East did not seem to harmonize with the Bishop's
pictures of clerical life and labor in the Far West.
With nothing more to delay him, Bishop Machebeuf
sailed from New York and arrived at Brest in
France, June 21.
His visit to France was priuci})ally for business
and he set about it at once. The day after his ar-
rival he was at the seminary in Rennes looking for
recruits ; two days later he was taking up collections,
and three days later still we find him at the Bureau
of the Propagation of the Faith pleading the neces-
sities of his missions. At the home of his relatives
he spent but very little time before turning towards
Rome to visit the Holy Father. The following ex-
tracts from letters written to Father Raverdy will
give us an idea of his work :
Clermont, Aug. 20, 1869.
Reverend and Beloved Friend :
At last I can write asjain to you. Since my last from
Lyons it has been almost impossible to write to anyone. I com-
mence by tellini; you that I am, and always have been well since
I left Paris, but instead of finding any rest at hi)nie, I am over-
crowded with a thousand things. I never was so busy receiving
and returning visits, attending dinners which I cannot refuse,
officiating, preaching, presiding at distributions of premiums,
etc., and it is only late at night that I can find time to say my
office and other prayers.
At Clermont I found Bishop Salpointe who had delayed his
consecration two or three weeks for me, but as I could not ar-
rive in time, he was consecrated on June 20, the day previous to
my landing at Brest. As he was also waiting for me to go to
Rome, I spent but one day at Riom with my sister, and two
days at Clermont. We started on Sunday, July 11, after I had
officiated and triven confirmation in the college at Riom, where
I studied nearly forty years ago. We spent three or four days
at Lyons and Fourvierc, visited Chambery, the Graiul Char-
358 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
treuse and Annecy, and went through the Mont Cenis tunnel to
Turin, then to Aneona, Loreto and finally Rome, where we ar-
rived on the 23rd of July. We spent twelve days in Rome and
had the happiness of seeing the Holy Father three times. We
came back to Lyons through Pisa, Florence, Milan, the Simplon
and Geneva.
From the information you give me of your plan for a big
store, hospital and church at Central City, I see that there is
but a very poor chance of doing anything this year. Circum-
stances will change and times will be better. It would be im-
prudent to commence at present. We must follow Providence,
not go ahead of it. This is the advice of St. Francis of Sales,
and God will speak by events. I am doing my best to borrow
from some friends, and I hope to succeed so as to pay off some
of my debts and commence to build a house on the church lot in
Denver. Don't let the congregation build anything by way of
a surprise. Their plans might not suit — but I believe there is
no danger of their building anything the wrong way or the
right way, or any way. I cannot start for home before the end
of October.
Sept. 10.— I am very much grieved to hear that your health
is failing. God help us. If the air of Central City is too light
for you, why don 't you move to Denver, at least for a time, and
take mj-" room ? Send Father Garassu to Central City until I re-
turn. I have written another letter to Father Bouchet of Cler-
mont, now chancellor of Louisville, to start before me to Denver
if he can get leave from his bishop, and he thinks he can. I am
sorry that I am detained so long, but I cannot help it. I must
wait until the opening of the seminaries, the colleges and the
academies in order to get some means from the boarders. I
have not lost my time, for if I have to officiate, preach and ac-
cept dinners, I make them pay pretty well for it. I will not go
until I succeed in negotiating a loan for a good sum. My
brother will be my security. I must build or buy a house. I
have just received notice that the Propagation of the Faith will
allow me 25,000 francs!
I have written to Carlow and to All Hallows' in Ireland,
and to Louvain, inquiring for a few pious and disinterested
young priests or students. I expect answers in a few days, and
then I shall know whether there is any hope or not from these
directions. Bishop Salpointe will sail in a few days with five
deacons or sub-deacons. God bless you!
The information from Ireland was rather en-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 359
couragring, and Bishop Machebeuf went to Dublin.
He spent the last week of September visiting All
Hallows', Maynooth, Carlow, Kilkenny and Water-
ford. At all these colleges he received offers of
young men, but in the cases of most of them the ex-
penses were beyond his means. The actual fruit of
this trip was one priest, and one student whom he
sent to Rome.
Bishop ^lachebeuf 's visits to the various relig-
ious institutions and social gatherings in France
were made interesting by his descriptions of mis-
sionary life, and he scarcely ever failed to excite the
charity of his listeners, who generally contributed
from a few francs up into the hundreds to the cause
of the missions. Sometimes, but not often, he en-
countered a religious superior whose formal polite-
ness chilled him, and several of these are designated
in his diary as "cold," "haughty"!
In his ancestral parish of Volvic where his
father was bora and many of his relatives still lived,
he officiated on Sept. 5, at the laying of the corner-
stone of a new church. The old church had served
its time and was being replaced by a new one, but
for some reason this new church was planned to be
of rough uncut rubble. A vast concourse of people
graced the occasion, but it was also to do honor to
one whom they considered a child of the parish, and
had come from the far-off wilds of America for the
ceremony. The Prefect, the Mayor and all the pub-
lic functionaries were there, and our humble Bishop
was the lion of the day. After the Pontifical Mass
360 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
he thanked the dignitaries and congratulated the
people, and went on with his sermon, but in a
changed strain. He expressed astonishment and re-
gret that they, in the midst of quarries where stone
was cut for their Cathedral, and for monuments and
churches around them, could not afford cut stone for
their church from their own quarries when parishes
half their size were sending to them for cut stone
for their churches. He was but a poor missionary-
bishop, and must borrow money to return to his
rough board episcopal palace and his little brick
cathedral 30x40, but he would donate the corner-
stone of a church worthy of them. The plans were
changed, and when Bishop Machebeuf visited Volvic
again ten years later he found a beautiful church of
cut stone and the people thanked him for it.
When ready to return to America, Bishop
Machebeuf had secured two priests whom he or-
dained the day previous to his sailing at Eennes,
Fathers Joseph Percevault and Francis Guyot; one
deacon, Philibert Domergue of St. Flour, and the
Rev. Thomas McGrath, who was to sail from Water-
ford, Ireland, and join him on the way to Denver.
The voyage was unpleasant for most of the pas-
sengers, for the weather was very rough during a
great part of the time and many were sick, but
Bishop Machebeuf was a good sailor as usual and
was not called upon even for the accustomed "resti-
tutions." He said mass whenever the weather per-
mitted, and the last Sunday of the voyage, when the
weather was fine and the passengers had recovered
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 361
from their indisposition, a large congregation as-
sisted at the mass, singing hymns and listening at-
tentively to the sermon which he preached to them
in French. A further sketch of his journey he gives
in a letter to his l)rotlier, written a few weeks later,
from which we copy :
Embarked at Brest Nov. 6, landed in New York Nov. 17,
we arrived at Denver Dec. 5, a little tired, but all in good health.
Two days were spent in New York, four in Cincinnati and
Brown county, two in St. Louis and one at Sheridan, Kansas.
Not having received in time the letter of Father Raverdy upon
the subject of the lines of railroad west of the Missouri, I was
led into error by the agents of the railroads and others, and we
took tickets for the Kansas Pacific, which is still 225 miles from
Denver, and we had to make that distance by stage, while the
Union Pacific is finished to within 45 miles of Denver. Apart
from the fatigue, and the loss of time in the slow coaches, we
suffered no great inconvenience. Most of the baggage arrived
before Christmas, but that was soon enough, and I could use my
gold vestments on that solemn occasion. Other boxes with
candelabra, altar vases and the like are still on the way, but
I expect them at any moment. The young Irish priest joined us
at St. Louis. I have him with me here and I am very much
pleased with him.
The Bishop did not mention the many little
troubles he had making the way clear and smooth for
his almost helpless companions, nor did he tell of the
few hours delay at Leavenworth where he ordained
his first priests in America. It was the morning of
the 29th of November that he reached Leavenworth,
and he left it the evening of the same day, but in the
interval he officiated at the Cathedral, with his old
friend of Indian missionary fame. Father De Smet,
as assistant priest, and ordained to the ])riesthood
the Rev. W. J. Dalton, at present a pastor in Kansas
362 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
City, Mo., and the Rev. J. J. Hennessey, now the
Bishop of Wichita.
It is a somewhat remarkable incident in our
growing civilization that Bishop Machebeuf should
ordain a priest and live to see him a bishop in a flour-
ishing city of 20,000 inhabitants situated midway on
that Slanta Fe Trail, which he himself had traveled
so often while the wild beasts and the untamed sav-
ages were roaming its entire length at will, and had
done so for ages before, with prospects of doing so
for long years to come.
Bishop Machebeuf was in a happy mood when
he greeted his people on the Sunday following his
return home. He told them of his joy at being again
with them, and also of his regret at not being able
to attend the Vatican Council just opening, but that
the Holy Father had dispensed him in view of the
necessity of his presence at home, and he made the
sacrifice cheerfully, and for them gave up the honor
of being a member of the most august assemblage
ever gathered together. He told them how happy
he was to have brought four new priests to help him
in the diocese, but how it pained him to have no ^Dlace
to lodge them decently. He said the time was come
when a new house was a crying necessity, and urged
them to an active and liberal effort in providing
shelter for their priests, who, for lack of better ac-
commodations, were living in rooms little better
than closets and sleeping upon the floor. He told
them that his trip had cost him $4,000, only a small
portion of which he had collected, and the balance
of the expense must be borne by the diocese.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 363
His appeal was not witliout effect, for a good
collectioD was given at Christmas, subscription lists
were prepared, and plans were made for a festival.
With these good prospects the building of a portion
of a fit residence was begun, and this portion was
finished, furnished and occupied by the end of May,
at the cost of about $4,500.
Tlie new French priests were soon located in
the southern part of the diocese, and as each mis-
sion was organized Bishop Afachebeuf went with the
new missionary to install him in his new position
and initiate him into his special work. Father Mc-
Grath, because he spoke Englsh, was kept in Denver,
and Father Bourion was given charge of the mis-
sions of Utah.
Some of the priests who had promised to come
failed to do so and disappointed him, even after he
had been at considerable expense for them, and
some of those who came from various places were a
still greater disappointment to him, and he was glad
to get rid of them. Xor were all the good and will-
ing ones adapted for such a life as a priest must lead
in this new country, and for all these reasons there
was a constant coming and going of priests during
the early years of Bishop Macliebeuf's episcopate
which was very trying on the Bishop and productive
of little good among the people.
The railroads reached Denver in 1870, and with
them came a great increase in the population of the
entire Territory. The church at Denver became
altogether too small to accommodate the congrega-
364 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
tion, and Bishop Macliebeuf began the enlarging of
it the next winter. It was extended to the street in
front and a tower was built, chapels were added at
both sides and the roof was raised nine feet above
the original structure to give it the proper propor-
tions. It was his intention to add transepts and
sanctuary, but means were lacking and this part of
his plan was postponed and never realized. His let-
ters during this period show the trend of his efforts,
his hopes and his fears :
I am receiving letters from all parts of the two Territories
asking for priests. I am organizing two new parishes, and I
have applied for the Sisters of Charity for a hospital, but this
is a heavy expense and my house will cost a good sum. For
the house I count upon you to boiTow some money for me. — (To
his brother, Jan. 3, 1870).
The two priests from Rennes are in their missions for some
time, also the one from Lyons who came ahead of me. I have
with me the young Irish priest, and Father Domergue, whom
you saw. I could not get Father Bouchet, as his bishop would
not let him go, at least for the present. Bishop Lamy wrote me
that he would return in May, and this will be a good oppor-
tunity for you to send me, if possible, 10,000 or 12,000 francs.
I had to borrow money at high interest to finish my house. — (To
the same, April 20, 1870).
I am happy to be able to tell you that Father Raverdy will
probably go to Europe in the autumn, or the beginning of win-
ter. He has now been ten years laboring with zeal and courage
in Colorado— in the valley, in the mountains and everywhere.
A stay in France, in Belgium, perhaps in Germany, hut surely
in Rome, without forgetting Auvergne, where I know he will be
received as he deserves for all the services which he has ren-
dered to nie as a veritable friend— all this will bring back his
strength and enable him, perhaps, to recruit a few new laborers
and some additional means for our immense Diocese of Colo-
rado. For a long time I hesitated to dispense, even for a short
time, with his services and his vigilance. I was afraid. But
Providence is working out things slowly, yet favorably.
Oil) Caihkdkai, ai Dknvir.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 365
It is true that I have many embarrassments and contra-
dictions. I could not get Father Bouchet of Louisville. His
Bishop has learned to appreciate him and will not give him up
at present. Upon starting for Europe the Bishop told him that
he would, perhaps, gi-ant the permission if he could get a good
number of priests there for his diocese. You see, then, that his
coming rests only on a perhaps.
A young German student, almost ready to be ordained, let
himself be frightened at the thought of the dangers and diffi-
culties of the ministry here and refused to come. Among five
or six priests of different nationalities who offered themselves,
I chose two who were well recommended, but I found that they
could not be relied upon, and I was obliged to send them away
after I had spent about $300 upon them. Even my young
priest, Domergue, played an ugly trick u|ion me. While wait-
ing his turn for a place in the Mexican portion of the Diocese,
he became discouraged and ran away with the intention of
joining the Trappists. The Bishop of Omaha stopped him and
sent him back to me, ashamed and repentant. He is good and
pious, but he has too little confidence in himself. In a few daj's
I shall take him and place him as an assistant in a good Mexi-
can parish.
Father Bourion, whom I sent among the Mormons, could
not get a living there and has returned. I intend to send him
to Central City and bring Father Raverdy to Denver as my man
of confidence, and as soon as I can find some one to fill his place
he will start for Europe. I am delighted with the young Irish
priest ; he sings mass, hears confessions and preaches well, but
he cannot yet replace Father Raverdy for the affairs of the
Diocese.
The railroad is finished as far as Denver, to the great joy
of every one. My brick house is also finished and I have been
in it for six weeks.— (To his sister, July 2, 1S70).
Upon my return from my last pastoral visit two weeks ago,
I found your letter awaiting me. After offering the mass for
the safety of your community I imagined myself transported in
sjiirit into your midst and addressing you a few words of con-
solation and hope. Courage ! May God direct the consequences
of this terrible war! Anarchy is hidden behind the mask of
this republic of France where republicanism is so badly under-
stood. I hope (hat your pious sanctuary may not be i)rofaned,
and that Divine Providence and our good Mother may protect
the Church of France, its clergy and its faithful people, and its
366 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
pious communities now occupied, I am sure, in doing A^olence
to heaven by their pi-ayers, their good works and their pen-
ances.—(To the same, Sept. 23, 1870).
I begin by felicitating you upon the end of this frightful
war. But what humiliating and fearful disasters for our poor
France! Let us hope that the precious and innocent victims
immolated by the rage of the impious may satisfy, at least in
part, the justice of God, and mark an end to the misfortunes of
France and of the Church. Let us all humble oui-selves and
pray earnestly that God may deig-n to re-establish order and
peace.— (To the same, June 6, 1871).
We see here an indication of the great interest
Bishop Machebeuf still took in French atfairs. It
is true that the whole world was watching the course
of events in France, and Frenchmen everywhere
were more or less anxious, but Bishop Machebeuf 's
primitive loyalty to his native land had never been
overshadowed by any other allegiance, and his in-
terest was therefore very keen in the events trans-
piring there. He loved America for its spirit of
fairness to every man and to every religion; he ad-
mired it for its enterprise and progress, and he ex-
tolled its religious policy far above that of France,
yet France was always his mother, and he never
withdrew himself from her influences or became in-
different to her welfare. When among the Mexi-
cans, whom he loved as children and of whom he
was never tired of speaking, it might seem that he
would get farthest away from France and willingly
assimilate a congenial atmosphere, but here it was
that he was most thoroughly French. Here the main
sources of his most successful work were from
France, and his most intimate companions were his
French brother priests, and with these only could he
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 367
unbend from the seriousness of liis labors and busi-
ness, and in lighter vein talk of their common liome
and friends. With their voices his own often blend-
ed while they sang the sacred hymns of their child-
hood, alternated with the folk-songs of their native
land and the Mai*sellaise,
It was even said that he had some French preju-
dices in the administration of his diocese. TMs
would not be altogether unnatural, for his great de-
pendence during the first years of his episcopacy was
upon France, and although he often met with great
disappointments from that source, it must be said
that his early experiences with other nationalities,
both among the clergy and the laity, were not of the
kind to create any special predilection in their favor.
Let the accusation pass now — it was generally made
by parties with interested motives — he never medi-
tated injustice, or acted with any but the best inten-
tions in dealing with men of all nations. It is just
possible that he may have heeded too strongly the
advice of others who had deeper prejudices.
From the time of his return from France, Bish-
op Machebeuf had been trying to be relieved of the
burden which the care of Utah imposed upon him.
He wrote to the Holy Father upon the matter, to the
Prefect of the Propaganda and to several American
bishops of the Council, who, in turn, proposed to
other American bishops to take upon themselves the
res))onsibility. None wished to do so until Arch-
bishop Alemany of San Francisco agreed to provide
for it, and thus Utah was added to his ecclesiastical
368 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
province in 1871. This action on the part of Arch-
bisliop Alemany brought about a correspondence
which gave Bishop Machebeuf an ''occasion to ad-
mire his zeal and devotedness, " and created a last-
ing friendship.
The transfer of Utah brought the return of a
priest, Father John Foley, from Salt Lake City to
Denver, and with him as pastor, Bishop Machebeuf
organized the mission of Georgetown, which had
hitherto been attended only occasionally from Cen-
tral City or Denver. This was the second parish
outside of Denver in the northern half of the diocese
to receive a resident priest, and Golden City fol-
lowed next, when Father McGrath was sent there in
the spring of 1872. A priest was sent to Pueblo in
1871, but the Catholics were too few to support him
and he was sent elsewhere.
In the southern part of the diocese the parishes
on the Conejos, the Culebra and Cucharas rivers
were growing, and Trinidad was so flourishing that,
in 1870, a convent and school were established by the
Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. At the end of 1871
Bishop Machebeuf had eight priests laboring among
the Spanish missions of the south, and five among
the English speaking Catholics in the northern half
of the diocese. Others had come — and gone; all
were not to stay, but the number was not to diminish
now that permanent stations were appointed for
them. He had also four young men studying for the
Colorado missions — Henry Eobinson at Cape Girar-
deau, almost ready for ordination; Nicholas C.
LIFE OF BISHOP M.\CHEBEUF. 369
Matz at Cincinnati, one in Minnesota, and another
at Bardstown, Kentucky. The Convent of Loretto
had twelve Sisters.
There were still many small settlements and min-
ing camps outside of these missions, which were at-
tended from Denver, and the more distant and diffi-
cult of them were generally attende<l by Bishop
Machebeuf himself. Towards the close of 1871 he
wrote:
Things are taking shape, but at great expense, and my
means are so limited. I could organize two more parishes if I
had the means and the priests. I am almost continually ab-
sent except during Lent. The good Father Raverdy is my sec-
retary. He is administrator in my absence, and my man of
business to keep my books and regulate my accounts. When I
return from one missionary trip I send him out on another. As
soon as I can spare him he will take a trip to Europe. The
voyage will do him good, and the consolation of seeing his
parents whom he left twelve years ago will, I hope, have the
effect of making him a well and strong man again.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Growth of Denver.— Father Raverdy Vicar General. — Pro-
posed Jesuit College.— St. Joseph's Hospital.— Coming of the
Jesuits.— Priests in Pueblo, South Park, Boulder and Colorado
Springs.— Father Raverdy in Europe. — Father Bourion's Prize
Drawing. — Great Fire at Central City.— General View.— Conse-
cration to the Sacred Heart.— Bad Times. — Loans.— Sale of
Property. — Sisters at Pueblo. — Golden Jubilee of Archbishop
Purcell. — Conference of St. Vincent of Paul. — Lake City. — Car-
riage Upsets. — Smallpox Rages.— New Church at Boulder.
Confidence in God.— Trip to St. Louis.— To Santa Fe.— To Cin-
cinnati.—Sisters at Conejos.
Tliat Bishop Macliebeuf was a very busy man
during these years we may judge from the fact that
Father Raverdy was not able to take his contem-
plated trip to Europe until 1873. The work of the
diocese called for both of them until the Bishop
could get more help. Denver alone might have kept
them and others occupied, for it had grown to be a
city of 12,000 inhabitants in 1872, shortly after the
arrival of the railroads. The Bishop's description
of it may cause a smile today, but the advance was
really great at the time (June 22, 1872), and with its
streets lighted by gas, and a line of horse cars, Den-
ver did surely put on the ' ' airs of a great city. ' '
Denver has more than doubled its population in two years.
We were obliged to transform and enlarge our church by addi-
tions to the front and both sides. We hope to extend it in the
rear and give it the form of a cross at some future time when
we have more means. The Propagation of the Faith sent me
but a mere bagatelle in comparison with my needs.
Improvements are going on rapidly in Denver. A rich
Irish capitalist, whose wife is a Catholic, has built an immense
pump, operated by steam, to furnish water to every j^art of the
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 371
town. Its iron pipes are buried three feet under the principal
streets, with hydrants in case of fire, and the lawns, gardens,
and houses upon every floor are furnished with water. Our
walks, bordered with shrubs and flowers, are sprinkled by
means of rubber tubes which a child can handle, and the force
of the water is such that a stream can be sent to any part of
the yard by merely directing the nozzle. The streets are lined
with trees, and the houses with their lawns give beauty and
healthfulness, and suggest many other improvements, in which
I cannot take part, for only a portion of my house is built, and
the location for the rest if it I have sown with white clover,
which will look nice in a short time. You see that our town is
putting on the airs of a great city.
I am absent from Denver a great part of the time while
I ought to be here, especially for the preaching. Father Mc-
Gratii is now pastor in another parish. Father Raverdy, who
is now my Vicar General, has great difficulty in speaking, and
another young priest whom I ordained a short time ago is j^et
too timid. I was away all the month of May, and next week
I must go again on a trip which wdll occupy six weeks through
the extreme south of Colorado for first communion and confir-
mation. Sunday at Trinidad, Monday with the Sisters of
Charity, and so on. Yet in spite of all these wearing trips with
their difficulties and duties, thank God I am in good health.
In the San Luis valley, 200 miles southwest of Denver, we
have two parishes, and another will be fomied as soon as I have
a priest for it. A rich English company which owns 40,000
acres of land in the valley has offered me ground for a college
under the direction of the Jesuit Fathers, two of whom are
already in charge of missions there. I shall meet the Superior
there this time and make final arrangements, and when the
college is built I shall give them charge of the entire valley,
which is cut off from the rest of the Territory by high moun-
tains.
"We have also a beautiful plan (on paper) of a hospital at
Denver under the direction of the Sisters of Charity. Of the
five railroad companies three have offered to help us, and
Protestant and Catholic alike will assist us in putting up the first
wing of the building. We hope to begin next fall, bi;t I cannot
tell yet, as I have so little means and am so busy with other
matters. Everywhere it is churches and schools to build or
repair, new parishes to start, money to borrow, and I must see
to it all myself. Loans into the thousands are now due, the
expenses of my students go on, and I do not know where to
372 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
turn for help unless some arrangements can be made for a good
loan in France.
Here we see some of the plans of Bishop Mach-
ebeuf for the future, but the realization of them was
to be the work of many years, and then — with such
m^odifieation of detail that he might have saved him-
self worlds of trouble if he had but the patience to
wait.
Father Raverdy's idea of a hospital at Central
City was abandoned when he removed to Denver,
although plans were drawn for the building and Sis-
ters had been invited from Leavenworth to assume
charge of the work, but the next year Bishop Mach-
ebeuf invited them to Denver, For them he made
his "beautiful plan (on paper)," but when the Sis-
ters came in 1873, the plan had to be abandoned as
unsuitable and beyond their means, after the ex-
pense of preparation and the laying of a part of the
foundations. Yet the idea was carried out along
other lines of detail, and the magnificent St.
Joseph's Hospital of Denver is its culmination.
The college was to be built, but not in the San
Luis valley, although the Jesuit Fathers came and
took charge of the parishes in that district. Conejos
was their first parish, and this was the first parish
established within the limits of the present Diocese
of Denver. It was organized in 1858, with Father
Montano as pastor, and he built the first jacal or
picket church. His successor, Father Vigil, two
years later, began a better church, which was finished
by Father Michael Roily, who was pastor from 1866
until 1871.
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 373
On the 9th of December, 1871, Father Salvador
Persone, S. J., and a lay brother, reached Conejos.
Father Persone was the first of the Jesuit Fathers
to take 11}) i>ermanent work in Colorado. Two
months later he was joined by Father Leone, S. J.,
and another brother. They then made a visitation
of their mission and found about 3,000 souls in
twenty-five different placitas in a territory 120
miles long and 25 miles wide.
This shows what Bishop Machebeuf 's work was
when he visited his Mexican parishes. This and the
other parishes were so large that the presence of the
parish priest was often necessary in other parts of
the parish, and the Bishop had generally to make
his visitations alone. The Jesuit Fathers had 2,500
confessions the first year, and Bishop Machebeuf
could have had but little less on his visits, for it was
his custom to make everyone go to confession when
he said mass in a settlement.
The parish of the Seven Dolors was established
in 1869 for the Mexican settlers on the Cucharas and
Huerfano rivers, but between that and Denver, a
distance of 175 miles, there was no priest until
Father Pinto, S. J., took charge of the lower half of
this territory in 1872, with headquarters at Pueblo.
In 1874 the Jesuits succeeded Father Munuecom in
the mission of Trinidad. The same year Father
Robinson took charge of the South Park and tribu-
tary missions, and the following year ]>riests were
located for the first time at Colorado Springs and
Boulder City. These arrangements covered pretty
374 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
well the settled territory of the diocese, and placed
the advantages of religion within easier reach of all
the faithful.
Few of these missions in the beginning were
able to support a priest and provide the means to
build a church and a shelter for their pastor. They
were able and willing to do something in that way,
and they generally planned and began improvements
which they were unable to finish. In their difficul-
ties they always turned to Bishop Machebeuf for as-
sistance, and his diaries show that he was constantly
helping one or another of them by donations to the
priest or church, by loans made to them — often not
paid back — or by signing notes which in many cases
he had to pay. This naturally kept him in debt, and
debt was the great cause of all his worries. The
visit of Father Raverdy to Europe, and his prolonged
stay of nearly the entire year 1873, were principally
for the purpose of procuring funds, and Bishop
Machebeuf hoped for much from his efforts. He
says :
I thank God a thousand times for having given me such a
co-laborer. What a comfort he has been to me in my loneli-
ness and troubles ! What a void in the house and in the parish,
and how painfully I feel his absence ! But I ought to accept
the privation — his voyage has for its end only the greater glory
of God. I have confidence that my dear patron and faithful
provider, St. Joseph, will dispose everything for ihe best.
Father Raverdy succeeded in getting some addi-
tional help from the Propagation of the Faith, and
donations of many things for the mission churches
from other sources, but in the great matter of a loan
of money he got no encouragement in France, on
,^1i^'-/^' /o^^^^^^^'"**"'^^
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 375
account, as he says, of the unsettled condition of the
countr)^ and the unwillingness of cai)italists to in-
vest in securities so far away and so little known.
In his necessities Bishop ^fachebeuf was the
more willing to catch at straws, and, with the best of
faith, he allowed his name to be connected with a
grand prize-drawing at Central City, in which the
first prize was to be the finest hotel in the place. The
proceeds, over the expenses, were to go towards
building a church, school, etc. Father Bourion was
the prime mover, and was very enthusiastic over the
plan, but, unfortunately, the treasurer ]-)roved to be
a rogue and decamped with the funds when the
scheme was only well under way. No responsibility
rested on the Bishop, and no real blame should have
been attached to him, but he was made to suffer from
the criticisms of many who had bought tickets. The
worst feature for him was that plans had been made,
and partly carried out, for the building of a church
and school on a large scale, and thus an additional
debt was thrown upon him.
A new church was necessary at Central City, for
the old one was burned in the fire which destroyed
the greater ])ortion of the town on May 23, 1873.
The school building was completed, but the church
never rose above a costly basement, which was roofed
in and served as a church for twenty years, when a
new church was built and the old basement demol-
ished.
Great as were the difficulties of Bishop Mache-
beuf, he bore up under them and carried his burdens
376 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
with the help of his friends and his own inexhausti-
ble ingenuity in finding ways to satisfy his creditors
for the time being. His financial trials, however,
did not seem to abate his ardor in planning new es-
tablishments for the advancement of religion, or in
organizing new parishes, all of which became an ad-
ditional drain upon his slender resources. During
these years his work is best traced by his own hand.
Here is his outline of it:
I cannot give you an idea of the growth of the Church in
Colorado that would be equal to the fact. Many times I have
wished to write to the Annals of the Propagation of the Faith,
and I could tell them so many things that would interest the
associates, but it was impossible. At the time of my last voy-
age to France we had but three parishes in the south and two in
the north. Today there are five in the north and material for
ten in the south. While I was in France, Father Raverdy was
for a time all alone to attend to Denver and the mountains;
now, thanks to God, we have in Denver, besides Father Raverdy,
two young priests who speak our three languages, and I am ex-
pecting another. Our boarding school of Loretto has a good
number of pupils, and we opened our College of St. Joseph last
September under the direction of a veiy experienced French
priest. However, it is only in its infancy and has as yet no
great resources, but they will come in time, and our three pro-
fessors will then be better paid. Our hospital is going up slow-
ly but surely, and while waiting for it the Sisters occupy a
rented house.
At Central City the old church, residence and Sisters' house
were burned in 1873, but a stone church is being built, and a
three-story convent is finished upon a hill dominating the town.
The cost was great and we must mortgage the convent as securi-
ty for a loan we are about to make. At Denver I would com-
plete my house— the present ''episcopal palace" is only the
dining room, kitchen and servants' quarters— only I dread the
additional debt. I shall be obliged to sell a beautiful piece of
ground near the church which I have kept for fifteen years for
a college or seminary. The city will buy it for a city hall, or a
court house, or some public building. The Sisters of Charity at
Trinidad are succeeding very well in a mixed American and
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 377
Mexican population. I promised to go down to their distribu-
tion of prizes at the end of June.
You have no doubt learned that Santa Fe has been made an
Archbishopric, and our IMtivince is a little AuverLnie. for the
Archbishop, his two suffrai-ans and three-fourths of the priests
are Auverjrnats. Another piece of news that will interest you is
that on the Sunday after the feast of the Sacred Heart, the
Diocese of Denver was consecrated to this Divine Heart of
Jesus. I wrote a pastoral letter in English and Spanish to
prepare all the missions for the ceremony of consecration.
Immediately after the confirmation here in June I shall be-
gin again my long pastoral visits towards the west and south.
Last year on one of these trips I traveled over 800 miles and
crossed thirteen counties.— (To his sister, May 14, 1875.)
The past year has been a bad one. There were many fail-
ures of banks and business houses, and the grasshoppers de-
stroyed our crops. These misfortunes have brought on a stag-
nation in business, and consequent hard times. Our poor Cath-
olics suffer like everybody else, and many have been obliged to
go elsewhere for work. Yet I have done something, for I have
succeeded by loans from two New York companies in reducing
my interest from 18 per cent to 12 and 10 per cent. An old
parishioner of mine in New Mexico, Don Jose Perea, loaned me
$7,000, and $3,000 more for the Sisters of Loretto. His name
is Joseph and mine is Josejih, and we were in the month of St.
Joseph, so it looks as if my Patron Saint had something to Jo
with it. In the same month I won a suit in the Supreme Court
for the title to a block of ground I am reserving for a cathedral.
Yet God 's plans are sometimes different from ours. Our Col-
lege of St. Joseph is closed, leaving a deficit of $500 or $600
which I must pay.
I have sold my block of ground to the county for a court
house, and received $18,000 for it, but I used the amount imme-
diately to pay some of my debts.
When I was at Sandusky, Bishop Rappe said to me: "My
dear sir, on Saturday and Sunday I am priest and bishop to
confess, preach, officiate, etc.; on ^londay and the rest of the
week I am banker, contractor, architect, mason, collector, in a
word, a little of everything." I did not fully understand the
remark then, but it exactly describes my position in Colorado,
where everything must be built up from the bottom. I wonder
I am not sick, but I have not the time. A real American has no
time to be sick, no time to eat or sleep, no time for anything ex-
cept the "go ahead."
378 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Last year I organized another parish at Boulder with an
excellent young German priest, ordained at Baltimore. He is
poor, but satisfied with his place. There is no house or church,
but I gave part of the money and went security for more to
build on ground which I had secured some time befoi'e. A new
school has also been opened by the Sisters of Loretto at Pueblo,
and they will buy a house with the money I borrowed from my
old friend at Albuquerque. Three Jesuit Fathers are doing
good work there now, and three more will be located at Trini-
dad to take charge of all the south.
The Golden Jubilee of Archbishop Purcell will take place
at Cincinnati on May 21. I shall probably go, as will Arch-
bishop Lamy also, and I shall go on to the Centennial Exposition
at Philadelphia. In November I shall have two Jesuit Fathers
come to Colorado to preach the Jubilee. This may seem late,
but we have taken advantage of the year of extension accorded
by the Holy Father.
We have established a Conference of St. Vincent of Paul,
and it is working well under the direction of Father Raverdy,
who also directs the Confraternity of the Living Rosary. Our
two Sodalities for young people, numbering sixty members, are
in charge of an Irish joriest recently ordained at Baltimore. —
(To the same, April 21, 1876).
Before telling you the news of poor Colorado I want to
thank you and Marius and all the friends for the many things
sent me. They were safely brought to me by my young Amer-
ican priest from St. Sulpice, and I wish also to thank you for
the kind attentions shown him upon the occasion of his visit
among you.
I was very much interested in reading the little book with
the sketches of your deceased religious, especially of the good
Mother Fournier, who was superior when I was at the seminary.
Every time I use the beautiful alb which she made for me I re-
member her at the mass. I reserve it for feast days at the Sis-
ters' chapel, where I say mass every week-day at six o'clock.
Father Raverdy is chaplain there, at least in name, for he is so
busy at the Cathedral that he goes there but once a week on
the day when he hears the Sisters' confessions. The young
priest attends the missions around Denver and along the rail-
roads.
You ask me if I know Mr. Eugene Gaussoin, a Belgian ? In-
deed I do, and very intimately. He was a member of the Con-
stitutional Convention of Colorado and afterwards a senator.
IJFE OF BISHOP MACHERErF. 379
While in Denver he often came to see me and dined with us.
Ho was highly respected by the Americans, and he rendered
nie srreat service in the lejjislature. He lives on the Las Animas,
or Purjratoirc, river, about a liundred miles from Trinidad and
thirty-five miles from the villasre of Las Animas. On my last
tri|) to the southeast I visited him, and celebrated tiie feast of
the Immaculate Conception at the house of one of his sons whom
I had married to an estimable Mexican lady. They have fine
places and are heavy dealers in cattle. They will be atn'eeably
surjjrised to learn that by the roundabout workincrs of the laws
of marriajre we are almost relations. I shall be pleased to re-
mit any lettei-s to them which Madame Guasco or Mr. Brosson
may send them in my care.
At Denver the news is both good and bad. Money is
scarce, and I need it worse than ever to pay interest and church
debts, and my own personal oblifi:ations for jn'ound bousrht for
churches, schools, etc.
I am just back from my first visit to a new town called Lake
City. It is only two j-ears old, but it has 2,500 inhabitants. It
is nearly 300 miles from Denver, and from the valley of the Rio
Grande I was four days in reaching: it, crossing high mountains
and camping out evei->' night towards the end of October. The
roads and bridges were very bad and we were liable to accident
at ever>' step. One day as I was returning from a visit across
the high range where the road was really dangerous, everything
went well owing to our great carefulness until the danger
soemed to be past. My driver was a young man from Denver,
Albert Gerspach, and in the buggA* with me was Father Hayes,
a man six feet high and built in proportion. Coming down a
little incline, not more than fifteen feet high, the bug?y ran into
the hoi*ses. crowding them to the edge of tlie precipice and pitch-
ing us over ui)on the rocks. I was on the lower side, and in fall-
ing Father Hayes came down upon me. He was greatly alarmed
and asked nie if 1 was hurt. I answered that I would tell him
if he would get up and give me a chance to find out. Through
the protection of the Archangel Raphael, whose mass I had said
that morning. I escaped with only a few scratches on my nose,
and they were well in a few days. The top of the bugiy was
broken into a thousand pieces. It happened in the sight of a
house of a good German with whom we were sroing to stop, and
he saw the accident and came with others to help us out. He
was so kind that he sent the buggy to his own blacksmith shop
and had it repaired at his own expense — $30. Until my own
380 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
buggy was repaired this good man took me in his wagon to visit
all the Catholics in that section. My buggy was a new one
given me by a good friend in Denver, but the horses I bought,
and as usual, upon credit.
This was not the only instance I had of the protection of
St. Raphael, for the smallpox was raging, especially among the
childi'en of the Mexicans, and my boy-driver and I had often to
eat and sleep in the very room where three or four were sick,
and it might be one or two dead, but we never had the slight-
est symptoms of the disease.
During this trip of three months ending just before Christ-
mas—traveling 1,500 miles— over mountains and through valleys
and plains — in sunshine, in rain and in snow — sometimes trans-
fixed with cold in the conveyance — I returned home fatigued
but in good health, and the next Sunday I was officiating and
preaching as usual. I was even told that I had grown fat, but
"that is to laugh," for I am as thin as ever, yet more vigorous
than half of my young priests. Two of them in poor health left
me the past year, one to go to Germany and the other to Califor-
nia. But I have received five others who have come to Colorado
for their health. The climate of Colorado is becoming known
for its salubrity and many people are coming here for its bene-
ficial effects.
In 1869 I had but three priests, now I have twenty-three.
Archbishop Lamy asked me to let him have some of those from
the south, as Father Truchard is alone at the cathedral of Santa
Fe, and I could not refuse him. He gave me Father Ussel, who
is now in a fine parish in Colorado.
I was sui-prised last week to find a neat church and resi-
dence at Boulder, due partly to the generosity of a pious lady
convert, who also directs the choir and plays the organ.
Thus you see the life of a missionary, and how Providence
protects him in all sorts of dangers. Why should we fear sick-
ness and death? We are at the service of a Master Who dis-
poses of us for His ^loiy. We have only to be faithful and
obedient and He will do the rest. Help me to thank Him for
His numberless benefits. — (To the same, Jan. 29, 1878).
Bishop Macliebeuf generally began his letters to
the members of his family by excusing himself for
his long delay in writing, alleging press of business,
innumerable calls, and almost constant travel on his
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 381
missions. When he was at home the calls upon him
were so numerous that he announced publicly from
the altar that he would receive no callers in the fore-
noon. Like many other announcements from the
altar, this was not heard, or at least little heed was
paid to it, and when we add the work which he mere-
ly indicates to that which he expressly describes, we
have a picture of a very busy life. Nor was his
work, although for the diocese, all confined within its
limits. He never left the diocese for mere recreation,
and seldom for ceremony only.
In 1874 we find him in St. Louis in the financial
interests of the diocese, and at the same time he takes
advantage of the occasion to refresh himself spirit-
ually by a retreat of eight days at the noviciate of
the Jesuits at Florissant.
In 1875 he went to Santa Fe to take part in the
brilliant ceremony of conferring the pallium upon
Archbishop Lamv. We condense here a report of
this ceremony from Father Defouri's "CathoUc
Church in New Mexico":
The old Cathedral was entirely too small for the occasion,
and it was arranged to have the ceremony take place in the court
of the Colle-e of San Miguel. The place was large and the
surrounding porticos would give protection from the sun.
The 16th of June was one of our spring days here-clear
and calm. At the break of day the roar of the cannon aroused
the faithful. Immediately the band of the College of San
Miguel entered the garden of the Archbishop and began dis-
coursing sweet music. At nine o'clock the Pr^^^f «i«" ;^'«f
formed at the Cathedral-the clergy, Bishops and Archbishop,
and religious societies followed by a vast multitude of people-
and proceeded to the grounds of the College.
At ten o'clock Pontifical Mass was commenced by Bishop
382 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Machebeuf, while before the altar stood the Archbishop, as-
sisted by Fathers Eguillon and Gasparri. Bishop Salpoiute,
who was delegated to confer the pallium, had an elevated seat
on the epistle side. After the Gospel the Veiy Rev. P. Eguillon
addressed the people in Spanish, and after the mass Bishop
Machebeuf spoke in English. These sei-mons produced a pro-
found impression upon the hearers, both Americans and Mexi-
cans.
The day was spent in general rejoicing, and in the evening
a grand illumination took place throughout the city. In front
of the Cathedral were four beautiful transparencies represent-
ing Pius IX, Archbishop Lamy, and Bishops Machebeuf and
Salpointe. Speeches were made in English and Spanish, and a
torchlight procession terminated the celebration.
At the Golden Jubilee of Archbishop Purcell,
in 1876, Bishop Machebeuf was the official repre-
sentative of the Province of Santa Fe, for Arch-
bishop Lamy did not find it convenient to attend. On
this occasion Archbishop Purcell presented Bishop
Machebeuf with a beautiful gilt and enameled chal-
ice and cruets to match, as a token of lasting esteem
and affection for his zealous little missionary of
thirty years before.
Bishop Machebeuf extended this trip to Balti-
more and Philadelphia — incidentally visiting the
Exposition, — New York, Cleveland, Marquette, Mil-
waukee, Chicago and St. Louis, everywhere seeking
in some way to find an opportunity of advancing the
material or spiritual condition of his diocese. At
Chicago he arranged for the Jesuits to come and
give missions in Colorado, and at St. Louis he se-
cured a colony of the Sisters of St. Joseph to take
charge of his new academy at Central City, which
had been vacated by a previous order of Sisters who
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 383
were frightened away by the heavy debt, and left it
standing, as Bishop Machebeuf said, ''very beauti-
ful, very large, and very empty."
Upon his return from this trip Bishop Mache-
beuf set out again on one of his pastoral visits. At
Trinidad he gave confirmation to 260 persons on
Sunday, Sept. 3, 1876. The next day news was
brought to him of the sad death that day of the Rev.
Louis Merle, pastor of Walsenburg. Father Merle
had set out from Walsenburg to meet Bishop Mache-
beuf at Trinidad, but his conveyance was overturned
on the way, and in the accident Father Merle was
caught in the wreck and his neck was broken. He
lived a few hours in a unconscious condition, ten-
derly, but in vain, cared for by his traveling com-
panion.
The Bishop and several priests went to Walsen-
burg for the funeral, and then charging the Jesuits
with the care of Walsenburg for the time he set out
for Santa Fe to obtain a priest from Archbishop
Lamy, to whom he might confide the parish so rudely
de})rived of its pastor. In this mission Bishop
Machebeuf was more successful than he scarcely
dared to hope. Archbishop Lamy yielded to him
the Rev. Gabriel Ussel, and when the history of the
parishes of Colorado is written, Father Ussel and his
work of over thirty years at Walsenburg will fill a
long and edifying chapter.
Bishop Machebeuf returned by the way of
Conejos, continuing his pastoral work and arriving
at Walsenburg, Saturday, Oct. 14. The following
384 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
day he installed Father Ussel as pastor in the parish
where thirty years later he celebrated the Golden
Jubilee of his priesthood, and where he will live and
be loved for many years yet if the prayers of his
countless friends avail before God.
In 1875, three Sisters of Loretto went from Den-
ver to Pueblo and opened a school in a little wooden
building which they rented. In a few months they
moved to a small brick cottage where they took a
few boarders, and not long afterwards they bought a
half-block of ground upon which was a brick house
of four small rooms. Here they moved their pupils,
and for a time these four rooms served as living and
study rooms during the day, and as sleeping rooms
when beds were spread upon the floor at night and
removed next morning. From this humble begin-
ning the Loretto Academy of Pueblo grew into its
magnificent proportions of to-day.
The second branch from the Loretto Academy
of Denver was established at Conejos under better
conditions. A very modest house was being pre-
pared for them there when, at the close of a very
successful mission given in the parish by Father
Gasparri, S. J. in April, 1876, it was suggested that
the Sisters' house be made larger and completed as a
memorial of the mission. A number of the various
placitas agreed each to build a room and in a short
time a house of ten rooms was finished. The Sodal-
ity of Christian Mothers of the parish supplied the
most necessary articles of furniture and put in a
stock of provisions sufficient for a month, besides
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 385
getting donations of calves, slieej) and chickens. The
school was oi>ened in September, 1877, by three Sis-
ters, one of whom, Sister Fara, died of smallpox,
Jan. 5, 1878. Of her Bisliop ^rachcbouf says : ' ' She
offered herself as a victim to appease the diviiie jus-
tice and obtain a cessation of the plague." This Sis-
ters' school has also the unique privilege of being
the public school, and during all these years one or
other of the Jesuit Fathers has been a member of
the school board. President Snyder of the State
Normal School at Greeley pays the Sisters the well-
merited compliment of a place in his re]>oi-t, and
adds: "The Catholic Sisters are among the first
teachers of the land."
When the Jesuits took charge of Conejos and
Trinidad with their outlying missions, the priests
formerly in charge did not care to begin again the
labor of acquiring a new language, and Fathers
Roily, Guyot, Percevault, Domergue and Garassu
went to New Mexico, and Father Munnecom retired
to Holland. The work, however, in time became too
heavy for the small number of Jesuits available, and
the field was divided and a portion given to Rev. J.
H. Brinker and Rev. J. B. Pitaval. In 1888, the
Jesuits again assumed full charge, with mission cen-
ters at Conejos, Trinidad and Del Norte. Their
church at Del Norte was the first church to be conse-
crated in the Diocese of Denver.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Rise of Leadville.— Father Robinson.— Church and Hos-
pital.—St. Elizabeth's Church in Denver. — Sacred Heart
Church.- Bishop Goes to Rome. — Settling Difficulties.— New
Residence.— St. Patrick's Cuureh.— St. Joseph's.— St. Ann's.
New Church in Pueblo.— Hospital.— Aspen Mission.— Orphan
Asylum. — Good Shepherd's Refuge. — Sisters of Mercy. — French
Bonds. — Colorado Catholic Loan and Trust Association.— Jesuit
College. — Goes to the Council of Baltimore. — Consecration of
Bishop Bourgade. — Golden Jubilee. — Franciscans. — Love for
Mexicans.— Oioinion of Father Matz. — The Mexicans.
The year 1878 saw the beginning of a season of
greater prosperity for Colorado, for it was the year
of the opening of the mines in the great camp of
Leadville on the slope of California Gulch, The ro-
mance of gold still lingered around the diggings
which hail given up fortunes fifteen years before, and
a few sanguine miners tarried on with the vague
hope that they might find a treasure in some over-
looked pocket of nature from which they might fill
their own pockets. Until now it was a long and toil-
some search for gold, and the persevering prospect-
ors, with an eye only for gold, were forced to re-
move at the cost of much hard labor rocks and earth
of every formation which did not show signs of the
coveted metal. This waste and troublesome material
in California Gulch was of a strange character, but
it carried no gold and was considered valueless.
Only in 1876 did anyone think of examining scien-
tifically this apparently waste material, and then it
was found to be rich in lead and silver carbonates.
TJFE OF HISIIOP MACHEBEUF. 387
Til ls77 a few more prospectors were drawn to
tlic ili.striet by tlie report of tlie new discoveries, but
in May 1878, when a few j^oor miners combined their
interests and sold tlieir claims for the fabulous sum
of $250,000, T^adville ])ecame famous, and the story
of all new minins? caiiii)s Ix'ffan to be re-enacted ui)on
a vast scale. The history of Leadville is, however,
but an incident in the life of Bishop Machebeuf, and
only as such do we touch upon it.
Since 1874 Father Robinson had been in charge
of the South Park missions and the upper districts
along the Arkansas and Blue rivers. The labor was
hard, the spiritual fruits were small and the ma-
terial results were still less. The missionary made
a living, — that is, he did not stai"\^e, but lie was ob-
liged to work for every meal.
Wlien Leadville was founded Father Robinson
was on the ground looking out for the interests of the
Church, and among the first buildings to go up was
a Catholic church, and this was almost immediately
followed by a hospital in charge of the Sisters of
Charity, whom he introduced into that wild camp.
Of this wonderful camp, and of other matters nearer
home, Bishop Machebeuf, in February 1879, speaks
thus :
It is my fixed determination to go to Europe this year if I
can possibly get away. Hut you cannot form an idea of the
maimer in which new work comes up to demand my attention
and occupy my time. Just now it is the entliusiasm, the fever,
ami 1 might almost say. the madness of the crowds coming from
all parts Of the United States, of every nationality, and every
shade of religious belief, and of no belief at all except in money,
all bound for Leadville, the new silver mining camp, which out-
388 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
rivals, at least on paper, the richest mines of California and
Nevada. The camp is only a few months old, but already there
are 15,000 people there, and there will be 30,000 before next
winter. Some of the mines are reported to be producing as high
as $4,000 a day.
We have a church at Leadville, but it is much too small.
The Catholics come, but the crowd is such that one-half of the
people strive to hear mass kneeling in the cold and snow outside
the church in the street. I have only one priest there, one whom
I ordained in 1872, and he is badly in need of an assistant, but
I have none to send him. We have also established a hospital
there with five Sisters of Charity, and they are overburdened
with work.
At Denver last fall we built a brick business block, 50x75.
The lower story is rented for stores, and above we have assem-
bly rooms for all our societies, and for a flourishing parish
school which is now taught by the Sisters of Loretto.
I have also a Prussian exile priest to whom I have given the
care of the Germans in Denver, and I have api^lied to the Fran-
ciscans for two priests to establish a house of their order and
a parish here, and then, too, I expect two Jesuit Fathers soon to
found a parish in Denver and later to build a college. If all
these enterprises do not prevent me I shall go to France, and to
Rome to make my report after ten years and offer my homages
to Leo XIII.
Bishop Macliebeuf's prophecy in regard to
Leadville was fully realized, and its subsequent his-
tory is well known. The Bishop visited it again in
May, and he tells us of his visit in a later letter.
His work in Denver was progressing. Father
Wagner was Ms Prussian exile but he did not remain
in Colorado long, and Bishop Machebeuf called the
Rev. Frederick Bender from Colorado Springs to
take up the work among the Germans, and soon he
had the parish of St. Elizabeth well organized and
the members attending mass in a neat little church of
their own.
Three Jesuits instead of two came that summer,
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 389
aiul. witli Father Guida as pastor, established the
parish of the Sacred Heart in the eastern portion
of the city, opening a temporary c'ha})el, Sept. 12, in
tlie parlors of their own residence recently pur-
chased. Such were the beginnings of the second and
third parishes in Denver, and the riches of Lead-
ville brought such prosperity and growth to Denver
that other }>arishes were soon necessaiy. The ad-
vance then obtained has never been seriously
checked, and the church has kept pace with it, and
the end is not yet.
Sejitember 22, 1878, Bishop Machebeuf wrote to
his venerable sister the last of this long series of
letters which have come into our hands, and shortly
after, as he intended, started on his visit to Europe
which was to occupy all of the next year.
Very Dear Sister:
I have just returned from a seeond trip of six weeks among;
the hitrhest mountains that I have visited in Colorado. They are
in the southwestern part of the state near the borders of New
Mexico, and many new mines have been opened among: them.
I was there at the end of April, but I could not visit all of them
then on account of the deep snow. I then turned in another
direction and went to the new town of Leadville, which has now
2."), 000 inhabitants. There is but one church there, and it is en-
tirely too small. While I was preaching: the people tilled the
church, stood upon the platform of the altar, and even out in
the streets, althouirh a heavy snow was falling:, and it was in the
month of May. The priest has beg:un a large church and will
convert the old one — only a year old! — into a school. He built
a hospital and it was too small before it was plastered, and he
was oblifred to make it twice as larg:e. There are seven Sistei-s
in it, but the work is too heavy for so few, and the Superior has
fallen seriously ill.
At Denver I have received .several priests who have come
to Colorado for their health. One of these is a priest with whom
I stopped several times in Cincinnati, and in less than three
390 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
months he has built a neat church in the western part of Denver.
The church was opened for services yesterday. In the east end
of the city the Jesuit Fathers are building- a church and school.
Three parishes in Denver, a population of 39,000 and increasing
daily !
In a veiy short time I shall see you, and then I can speak
to you of the progress of our holy religion in Colorado. I am
preparing to start during the month of November. Then, au
revoir, and pray for your brother.
The zeal of Bishop Machebeuf, either as a priest
or as a bishop, never flagged. His purpose was ever
single — to save souls and advance the interests of
the Church, his work was always in this direction
and his activity was unceasing. In all these things
he was above criticism. His mistakes — and who has
not made mistakes? — came from his very virtues.
His heart was too big and his confidence in men and
things was too great. His difficulties, as we have had
ample occasion to see, were principally financial.
His embarrassment was known to the clergy and
hierarchy throughout the country, and they spoke
of his liabilities without seeming to know anything
about his assets. The rumors did not fail to reach
Rome, and when Bishop Machebeuf arrived there
he found a less cordial reception than he had ex-
pected. It was a long time, also, before the Roman
Court could understand the situation, which, at best,
was a tangled one.
While waiting for Rome to investigate and learn
the facts of his case, Bishop Machebeuf retired to
France among his own people. Wliile there, with
the advice of friends, he evolved a plan which he
hoped would relieve the difficulty. It was to issue
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 391
bonds on the diocesan proi>erties and his personal
holdings, and dispose of them upon the French mar-
ket. Thus he hoped to raise money enough to pay
off all his indebtedness, and later he would redeem
these bonds with the proceeds of property sales and
various other diocesan revenues. The plan was
si^ecious, and the bonds were issued and placed in
the hands of agents in Paris.
After months of waiting Bishop Machebeuf was
called again to Rome for further infonnation and
explanation. Rome recognized his difficulties and
the possible weakness which had led him into them,
but it could not doubt his zeal and disinteresteflness.
While waiting for a solution of the affair Bishop
Machebeuf thought to cut the Gordian knot and sim-
plify matters by offering his resignation. Rome,
however, refused to listen to such a proi>osition. He
should remain in office, and a coadjutor would be
given to him, who would bear a part of his burdens
and give him the benefit of wise and cool counsel.
With this assurance Bishop Machebeuf returned to
his diocese and took up again the reins of its gov-
erament.
During the Bishop's absence Denver had ke])t
up its growth, and the rest of the state was showing
signs of an eijually rapid improvement. His friends
at home thought that this was ample justification
for comiileting the episcopal residence, and when he
returned he found his old ]>lan of a house carried out
and a new building ne^irly ready for occupancy.
Here again the Bishop's credit was called upon, for
392 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
cnly a small portion of the cost had been raised
from other sources.
The growth of Denver made another parish
necessary and St. Patrick's was established in 1881.
Two years later St. Joseph's and St. Ann's were or-
ganized— the latter subsequently re-named The An-
nunciation. Outside of Denver Bishop Machebeuf
found the need of sending a priest to Breckenridge,
from which place he might also attend the former
missions of Father Robinson who found an abund-
ance of work in Leadville where the mining excite-
ment was still unabated.
Pueblo also had grown, and the new parish of
St. Patrick was organized in 1882 by the Jesuit
Fathers. The same year the Sisters of Charity of
Cincinnati came to Pueblo and opened a hospital for
the sick. A new town called Aspen was also coming
to the front, and in 1883 Bishop Machebeuf sent the
Rev. Edward Downey to organize a congregation in
that promising camp.
But missionary work and church building were
not the only things which appealed to Bishop Mache-
beuf. His big heart was ever open to the wants of
the needy, and he saw around him a growing num-
ber of helpless and otherwise unfortunate beings
for whom no provision had been made. To provide
for the orphans he secured a suitable location in
Denver, and under the Sisters of Charity of Leav-
enworth the St. Vincent's Orphanage was opened
in 1882. His next care was for the fallen, against
whom society closed its doors and thus forced to re-
LIFE OF HI SHOP MACHEBEUF. 393
main outcasts, and for those whose feet were at the
head of the slippery path leading to the precipice.
For this ])iiri>ose he visited St. Louis in 1883, and
obtained a colony of the JSisters of tlie Good Shep-
herd, who came to Denver, Sept. 18, 1883, and
opened a refuge. Tlie five acres nyyon which the var-
ious buil(lini!:s of their fine institution now stand
were his gift, and he helped them in every way
possible.
For the further care of the sick he sent the Sis-
ters of Mercy among the mines of the southwestern
part of the state in 1882, and induced the Sisters of
the Franciscan Order to take charge of the Union
Pacific Hospital in 1884. All these works crowded
Bishop Machebeuf and, with his visitations of the
diocese and other duties, made him a very busy man,
besides rendering it impossible for us to give them
more than a passing notice. Their present condition
shows their magnificent development as time passed.
Let us now return to Bishop Machebeuf 's finan-
cial affairs. The business of his French Iwnds he
had entrusted to men who passed as professional
agents for bishops in need of funds, but in this case
they i)roved to l)e but little better than professional
thieves. The bonds found ready sale, but the agents
failed to make correct returns, and the Bishop was
obliged to send Father Raverdy to Paris in the be-
ginning of 1883 to investigate and regulate the mat-
ter. The agents refused satisfaction to Father Rav-
erdy, and tlie matter was taken to the courts. Little
resulted from this, Init the further issue of bonds by
394 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the dishonest agents was stopped, and an effort was
made to ascertain the whereabouts of the bonds
which had been sold. The bond plan, then, resulted
in burdening Bishop Machebeuf with additional ob-
ligations without the equivalent offset.
In his aggravated situation Bishop Machebeuf
determined upon heroic measures. He resolved to
make an assignment of the property of the diocese to
a corporation specially formed for that purpose,
which would also assume all his obligations and thus
save him from financial ruin. His debts had been
contracted in his endeavors to assist individual
churches and missions, and in securing property for
diocesan purposes yet unassigned, and as nothing
to him was considered purely personal, he judged
that the diocese which was to benefit by all the favors
should also accept the obligations to which these
favors were subject. By reason of various objec-
tions, and some strong opposition, this plan was
modified so as to include only such properties as
were in the Bishop's individual name and to which
no particular church organization or other institu-
tion could lay any claim.
He called together the most representative
business Catholic laymen of Denver, explained the
situation to them and asked them to organize such a
corporation and assist him over his difficulties.
After due consideration each and every one of these
men declined a task which did not seem to them ta
promise a successful issue.
At this juncture several priests of the diocese
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 395
came to his relief and organized the Colorado Cath-
olic Loan iuid Trust Association according to the
proposed plan. Interest bearing bonds were issued
and) sold to large and small investors, and the money
used to i^ay the most imjwrtunate of the creditors,
and pieces of projjerty were sold for the same pur-
pose as fast as a fair price could be got for them.
In this way nothing was sacrificed, and every claim
was finally settled and every bond redeemed. It re-
quired years to accomplish this, nor was it all done
during the lifetime of Bishop Machebeuf, but when
it was done there remained a considerable balance
to the credit of the diocese. Bishop Machebeuf was
never insolvent, but the danger was tliat some timid
or impetuous creditor might start an action which
would bring on a crisis, and force the sale of prop-
erty when there was no market for it.
From the time of the organizing of the Loan
and Trust Association Bishop Machebeuf labored
with a lightened heart, and the fact that he was
practically without means did not prevent him from
continuing his efforts on l)ehalf of his older institu-
tions, and of undertaking new establishments. The
rai)id growth of Colorado made many of these nec-
essary, and Bishop Machebeuf saw an opportune-
ness in the others. His idea of a college liad not
died with the failure of his first and second attempts
to realize it, and in 18ft4 lie made a third and suc-
cessful effort.
The Jesuits had opened a college at Las Vegas
in New Mexico and were getting a fair portion of
396 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the patronage, but it was from New Mexico almost
exclusively, and the fact was that this section could
be cared for by the Christian Brothers of Santa Fe.
Bishop Machebeuf saw a wider field for them, and
the fulfilment of his own hopes, and with the con-
sent of the Archbishop of Santa Fe, he indtuced them
to remove their institution to Colorado. He secured
for their first location a large and commodious
building at Morrison, 16 miles from Denver, known
as the Evergreen Hotel. Here the Fathers brought
their students in 1884, much to the joy of Bishop
Machebeuf who thus saw another of his cherished
wishes realized. A better location was soon secured
in Denver itself, and the magnificent new College of
the Sacred Heart, opened in 1888, was the successor
of the more modest institution at Morrison.
The Thirdl Plenary Council of Baltimore called
Bishop Machebeuf away from the diocese for a lime
in 1884, and this trip was one of more ease, rest and
relaxation than any of his previous journeys, for
his heart was less pressed by anxiety and he was
beginning to see the works and sacrifices of years
crystalizing into the solid shapes and forms which
his hopes had given to them during all his years of
waiting.
In 1885, he was again at Santa Fe assisting at
the consecration of Bishop Bourgade of Arizona,
and it can also be readily understood that in his con-
dition of comparative freedom from the carking
cares which had for years beset him, he enjoyed the
occasion, which the people of Santa Fe made a repe-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 397
tition of the magnitit'ent t'elebratioii when ten years
before their great Archbishop received the insignia
of his high office.
Bisliop ^fachebeuf dated his priestliood from
1836, and his year of jubilee was now uj>on him.
For forty-nine years his liand had been on the })low
— his only cessation from labor was when sickness
made work impossible, and his only vacations were
his numerous trips and journeys for the benefit of
his field. The fiftieth year was not different from
the others, and he would have let it go by like the
others had not his friends resolved to make at least
one day of it memorable, even in a life as long and
as eventful as his.
For the convenience of visitors from a distance
the date of the celebration was set for Dec. 16, 1886.
Most elaborate i)reparations were made, and the
program was fully carried out. Without giving the
details, it consisted of a Solemn Pontifical Mass by
the Bisho]) himself, a jubilee oration by that ]irince
of orators. Rev. H. L. Magevney, a special address
from the clergy by Father Matz, one from the laity
by the Hon. E. L. Johnson, testimonials in money
and tokens, and a ]niblic re('e]>tion which last(Hl all
day and far into the night. The addresses were all
that they should be, and breathed tlie spirit of grate-
fulness and filial devotion, and a prayer that he
might live to sit as Bishop of Denver enthroned in
a cathedral worthy of his long labors and of the
beautiful city over which he ruled as its spiritual
head.
398 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
The venerable Bishop was greatly touched, and
in reply he referred to his labors as a priest and
bishop, saying that it had been his constant aim to
seek first the things that were more essentially of
God — the care of souls, the instruction of the ignor-
ant, the relief of the suffering, the protection of the
orphan and the lifting up of the sinner. For this
he had sent out priests and built churches, estab-
lished houses of education, hospitals and asylums,
and had seemingly neglected his cathedral. ''After
all," he continued, ''a cathedral is a question of
money, of stone and of mortar, while my work was,
and should have been, a question of souls. ' ' He said
that he would rejoice to see the grand Cathedral of
their wishes materialized, but he dared scarcely hope
for a consummation of their desires during his life-
time. ' ' God knows best. Let His will be done ! ' '
The ordinary work of Bishop Machebeuf dur-
ing these years was the same as we have already
seen, but the growing number of missions made nec-
essary greater efforts to procure priests and build
churches, and more constant travel to visit them.
For Denver he secured the Franciscan Fathers and
gave them charge of St. Elizabeth's church in 1887,
with the care of all the Germans in the city. He then
established St. Leo's church for the English-speak-
ing population rapidly increasing in West Denver,
making seven churches in Denver where eight years
before there was but one.
In the meanwhile Eome had not given him the
promised coadjutor, although he had sent his list
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 399
of candidates for the office and was waiting with
patient ex}>ectanee. He had his hopes and prefer-
ences, for he knew tlie i)oonliar composition of his
diocese. The Mexican }>()rti()n of it wa.s of great im-
portance and constantly growing. A bisliop must
understand the Mexicans and love tliem, else, he
feared, they would suffer. Ho loved them and thoy
loved him, and when he was among them he was their
father and they were his little children. Tlie R<?v.
Father Brucker, S. J. gives the following short
paragraph on Bisliop ^facliebeuf 's love f^r the Mex-
icans.
There can be no doubt that Bishop Machebeuf had a very
warm spot in his heart for the ^Mexicans. The reason of tliis
was not only because he had first worked amonc: them in New
Mexico as vicar general of Bishop Laniy, but jiarficularly on
account of their simple and lively Catholic faith, and, we may
add, on account of the childlike manifestation^ of their love for
their Bishoj). I'pon the occasions of his visitations he enjoyed
as much as they did themselves their hearty and irenerally very
noisy display for his reception, when he encountered from 80 to
100 men on horseback ndins: out two or three miles to meet him,
then nearer to the town the various church societies in proces-
sion with banners flyinpr, and all this to the accompaniment of
song, music and fireworks. He displayed also a wonderful pa-
tience with all their peculiar ways. The ceremony of confirma-
tion, for instance, was a very strange sight to American eyes — a
hundred or more babies, all crying, and at the same time the
Bishop trying to make himself heard, and stopping out of sheer
exhaustion to catch his breath.
He would never pass a night at a hotel if there was any sort
of a passable Mexican house in the j^lace where lie could get
accommodations. I well remember one occasion at Del Norte—
I wished to take him to the Windsor Hotel, as we had no pas-
toral residence in the place at that time, but the good Bishop
exclaimed: "Ah, let me alone with your Windsor Hotel! I will
stay over night with my old friend Don Nereo Montoya."
Montoya was a genuine old patriarch and the best Catholic in
400 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
the vicinity, but he was not a rich man. So we went to his
house, where he gave us the best room he had, but as he had
but one room to spare and only one bed in it, we divided the
bedding and I slept at the Bishop's feet.
His patience in hearing their confessions was something
wonderful, and he* would sit for hours until the last one had a
chance to go, and he had the same condescending kindness for
the little children.
Some months before the official appointment
of a coadjutor was made Bishop Machebenf had
private advices from Rome, and was very much
pleased with the prospective outcome of the matter.
In a heart to heart talk at his own fireside with his
old-time friend, the venerable Father Ussel, he said :
Yes, a coadjutor is to be given me. I am getting old, and
there is work for two. For some time I feared that Rome
might send me an outside man, either a German or an Irishman.
Understand, however, that I have no prejudices against these
nationalities — the opposite would be nearer the truth— but this
far west— in New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado— the popula-
tion is an amalgamation of all nations, with the Mexican pre-
dominant. The clergy is mostly European, yet we are all in
America and in time must all be Americanized, and a very spe-
cial man is required at the head of the Church here. An East-
ern man would hardly suit, and Father Eguillon of Santa Fe,
of whom you are thinking, would not do. He knows veiy little
English, and he is too old to accommodate himself to conditions
here where there are so many Americans and a mixed clergy.
He is a saintly man, and his virtues would be appreciated at
their full value, but he would not wield the influence which a
bishoi> should have in a community so progressive as we have
in Colorado.
I know now who it will be. I have reliable information
that it will be Father Matz, and I am glad to think that it is so.
I must tell you that he was my choice from the very first. I
judged him fit for the place, and I know of no one more worthy
of the position. I ordained him and he has always given full
satisfaction in both parish and school work. He is well liked
by priests and people — a man of study, and easily the peer of
any priest in Colorado or New Mexico. Born in Europe, but
LIFE OF lUSllOl' MACHEHEl'F. 401
identified with America since his early years, he will understand
how to deal with the French, the Italian and other European
priests in the coninioii land of their adoption, and he has
the advantage of knowin": Enj^lish, {""rench, German and Ital-
ian, and sufficient Spanish to treat with the Mexicans. My
poor Mexicans will have a father in Father Matz. With all
their defects — or rather their simplicity — they have the ardent
faith that removes mountains. During all my years in Colorado.
New Mexico and Arizona I have felt so much at home amonp
these good people, and were it in my power to select I would
choose my place as bishop among them. The American, the
German and the Irish Catholic is really good, hut give me the
childlike and incomparable faith of the good Mexican. Father
Matz has a good heart, I know him well, and I am sure he will
show himself the friend and father of my faithful Mexicans.
It is tme that Father Matz is young, but a young man is
best for this young diocese, for he will have more energy to push
forward the work for more churches, more schools, and for a
more early realization of the new cathedral.
We must not misunderstand Bishop Machebeuf s
love for the Mexicans, — or rather, we must not mis-
understand the Mexicans. These were not of the
type built up by Ruxton, nor were they such as
Bishop Lamy and Father Machebeuf found them
in 1851. Neither were they such as they have almost
invariably been represented by later tourists, whose
information has been gleaned j)rincipally from
hand-books of Mexico written in New England —
nor as pictured by broken-down, one-horse preach-
ers, whose only chance of a free support is from the
sympathy aroused by their tales of imaginary super-
stitions, ignorance, degradation and barbarism, —
nor even as represented by crafty politicians for
their own personal ends. Neither, again, should we
judge them by the floating specimens met with in the
slums of our border cities and towns. We would
98
402 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
grieve to see the American nation judged by similar
specimens of its citizens; let us be as fair towards
others as we would desire that others should be to-
wards us. The Mexicans of to-day have the benefit
of half a century of Americanizing influences, and
of Christianizing efforts whose effects their childlike
confidence and reverent nature have caused them to
drink in as the atmosphere around them. Bishop
Machebeuf may have found them poor and compara-
tively uneducated, but he found them charitable, lov-
ing, sincerely religious, simple in their lives and
without affectation. Thus he judged them, and his
love for them did him honor.
CHAPTER XXV.
A Coadjutor. — Consecration of Bishop Matz. — Continned
Work. — Death of Archbishop Lamy. — New Reliirious Orders of
Men and WonuMi.— At Washiniiton. — Accidents. — Sudden Wan-
\ng of Vitality. — Death. — Surprise and Ret^ret of Everyone.—
The Funeral.— Touching Incident.— Death of Father Raverdy.
On June 12, 1887, Bisliop Macliebeuf received
the news from Rome that Father Matz had aotually
been named as his coadjutor with tlie rip:lit of suc-
cession. This news was an indication also that the
Vicariate of Colorado was to give way to the Dio-
cese of Denver, and that the title which he had
borne for nineteen years as its Vicar Apostolic
would be changed foi- the newer and more regular
title of Bi.shop of Denver. By Brief of August 16,
1887, the anniversary of his consecration, these
changes were made, and on August 19, the Bulls
were issued constituting the Rev. Nicholas C. Matz
"Bisliop of Telmessa in part. inf. and Coadjutor
with the right of succession to the Right Rev. Joseph
P. Machebeuf, recently proclaimed Bishop of Den-
ver.'*
It was the intention of Bishop-elect Matz to re-
ceive episcopal con.«iecration from Bishop Mache-
beuf, at whose hands he had received the priestly
unction, but owing to the presence of Archbishop
Salpointe of Santa Fe to take part in the ceremony.
Bishop Machebeuf yielded to the etiquette of the
circumstances and acted as first assistant consecra-
404 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
tor to the Metropolitan. The office of second assist-
ant was filled by the Mitred Abbot Frowenus Con-
rad, 0. S. B. of Conception, Missouri.
The appointment of a coadjutor was not the
signal for Bishop Machebeuf to retire from active
life. As he had said, there was work for two, and
his share in it was as yet the responsible and more
active half. The many railroads being built
throughout the state made traveling easier for him,
but he made his trips more frequent on that ac-
count, and it was his custom to send his buggy be-
fore him to the end of a line of railroad to enable
him to continue his trips into the valleys beyond and
over the mountains to the remotest parts of the dio-
cese.
On Feb. 13, 1888, Archbishop Lamy, his life-
long friend and more than brother, was called to re-
ceive his eternal crown. The news of his death
grieved and saddened Bishop Machebeuf, but he
hastened to Santa Fe to pay his last tribute of love
to all that was mortal of him who had been the
sharer in his labors, in his trials, in his joys and in
his affections for fifty years. At the funeral he
spoke, if speaking it could be called, through tears
and sobs, as only he could speak of the dear dead
friend, and he uttered the unconscious prophecy
that, as he had now seen the angel come to announce
the term of that long life, which was even shorter
than his own, his own call would come next, when he
would be aggregated to the ever increasing number
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LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 405
of those wlioiii God was gathering on the shores of
eternity.
If Bishop Machebeuf anticipated an early death
he did not evince any special fear at its coming, and
his preparation for it was like that of St. Aloysius
of Gonzaga, for it consisted in a strict and literal
fulfilment of the obligations imposed upon him by
his position in the Cliurch of God. If possible his
care of those under his charge seemed to increase
and he visited his churches, schools, hospitals and
asylums with greater frequency than ever. He also
multiplied them as fast as his resources and in-
fluence could come to the aid of circumstances. He
called the Benedictine Fathers and the Dominicans
and gave them locations in the diocese, and the
Benedictine and Franciscan Sisters and placed them
in schools and hospitals, and he increased the num-
ber of his clergy and renewed and refreshed them
by retreats, and by encouraging them to a strict and
regularly ordered priestly life as far as the distract-
ing cares and duties of missionary travel would
pennit. He had lived such a life himself under
every possible condition, and he asked no one to do
what he had not already done. The details of his
work, and the establishment of new churches,
schools and other institutions became so numerous
that a recital of them would become monotonous,
and lead us beyond the scope of biography.
Outwardly Bishop Machebeuf appeared to be
in good health, but time was working its inevitable
changes. In 1888 he journeyed to Washington to be
406 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
present at the laying of the corner-stone of the
Catholic University, and he seemed surprised to find
liimself so worn out by the long journey and the long
ceremonies. He was obliged to lean upon something
for support, and to seek assistance to steady his
steps in walking. A dizziness would come over him.
much to his surprise, for the premonitions of old
age were new to him and he was loth to recognize
them. Like most of us, he thought that he could re-
main young as long as his heart was young, and he
never felt that growing old.
It had been jestingly remarked that Bishop
Machebeuf would never die in his bed. How nearly
that came to being true we shall presently see. His
restless activity was such that it would not permit
him to remain in bed unless he was seriously ill.
He had several serious attacks of illness during
his life, and several accidents which might have
been attended with far more serious consequences.
In 1863 his limb was broken; in April, 1876, his
buggy was upset upon the streets of Denver, and for
a week he was perforce an invalid; in October, 1877,
he was thrown upon the rocks and his buggy broken
to pieces near Lake City; in 1886 he fell into the
basement of his own house through a trap-door care-
lessly left open by the hired man, and his ankle was
so badly wrenched that he was confined to his house
for weeks with the injured member in a plaster cast,
and just before Easter, 1889, in turning to avoid a
street-car while driving in Denver with Bishop Bor-
gess of Detroit, the wheel of his buggy caught in
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 407
the rail of the track and was broken, and he was
thrown out with such force that he was picked up
bruised and blee<lin^ profusely' from injuries to \m
head and arm.
Apparently these shocks were but temporary in
their effects, yet they could not fail to loosen in some
degree the compactness of his physical organiza-
tion and weaken the power of its resistance. His
indomitable will fortified his body, which was so ac-
customed to finding its "rest in action" that it
would not be strange if when death came it found
him standing on his feet.
We have heard of
" The wonderful one-hoss shay.
That was built in such a logical way
It ran a hundred years to a day.
And then, of a sudden
it went to pieces all at once.
All at once, and nothing first.
Just as bubbles «1<> when tliey burst."
Bishop Machebeuf had reserved for himself a
little room at St. Vincent's Orphanage, where he
was wont to retire for a few days when overbur-
dened with business and overrun with visitors. Here
he wrote his letters and found time to relieve the
pressure of affairs, and here he enjoyed a few hours
relaxation from all care, in watching the amuse-
ments of innocent childhood. Returning to Denver
from a pastoral trip on July 3, 1889, he went to his
favorite retreat at the Orphanage, and here the
angel of death crept close upon him unawares. A
slight dysentery; a giving way of the system; a
408 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
rapid waning of life, and the angel entered. Be-
queathing all his temporalities to his successor, he
received the last sacraments with piety and resigna-
tion from the hands of Bishop Matz, and calmly ex-
pired on the morning of July 10, 1889, while weep-
ing Sisters knelt and prayed, and his Coadjutor gave
him the final blessing of that Church which he had so
long and so faithfully served.
The news of Bishop Machebeuf 's death was the
first notice that any one except those in immediate
attendance upon him had of his illness, and it came
as a shock paralyzing speech and thought. Men
looked at one another dumbfounded and incredulous,
and when the truth bore in upon them there was a
universal expression of sorrow. No man ever lived
in Colorado whose death caused such general regret,
and public and private interest could have been no
more profoundly stirred by the sudden disappear-
ance of Pike's Peak from the range of mountains
than it was by the unlooked-for passing of Bishop
Machebeuf.
The body was reverently borne to the chapel of
the Sisters of Loretto where he had been accustomed
to saying his morning mass when at home, and there
it rested, while Sisters and priests and people
watched and prayed around it until the evening of
July 15, when it was taken to his humble Cathedral
to lie in state until the funeral the next day.
On the morning of July 16, the Office of the
Dead was chanted by nearly 100 priests, and the
funeral mass was celebrated pontifically by Bishop
IJKK OK HlSllOP MACHEBEUF. 409
Matz. Archbishop Salpointe occupied the throne
and a number of other Bisliops were present in the
sanctuary, while tlirongs of people filled the body of
the church and the street outside. After the absolu-
tions by the different prelates the funeral cortege
formed and wended its way to the Academy of Lor-
etto, and there, under an immense canvas awning,
the sad procession rested while the Rev. Hugh Mag-
evney, S. J. from an elevated platform preached the
funeral sermon to the multitude whom no churcli in
tlie West could hold. The audience was as varied
and as representative as any that ever before had
gatliered in Colorado, for business was almost en-
tirely suspended and the business men of the city,
as well as thousands of others, came to offer their
tribute of respect to their dead friend, and many
of them showed their depth of feeling by the silent
tear which tliej'* let fall upon the bier.
A temporary tomb was prepared beneath the
sanctuary of the humble cliapel of Loretto, and there
the remains were laid until they miglit find a perma-
nent resting-place in the permanent Cathedral of the
diocese of which he was the First Bishop.
A touching incident occurred at the close of the
church services and })efore the body was borne aw.iy.
Bishop ]\rachebeuf 's faithful friend and vicar gen-
eral. Father Raverdj^ had gone to Europe some time
before on business connected with the diocese. Ser-
iously ill himself from a fatal liver trouble, he
stopped at C'liicago upon his return trip to rest for
a few days, and there the news of Bishop Mache-
410 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
beuf's death reached him. Hurrying forward he
reached Denver exhausted and with barely strength
enough to reach his bed. As the services of the fu-
neral were finishing, his wasted form supported by
two assistants, was seen approaching, while the
crowd fell back to give him way. A chair was
placed for him near the coffin, and he sat for some
time silently gazing on the face of the dead, his own
face wet with the falling tears. God alone knows
what his thoughts were, but, in silence still, he rose
and was assisted back to his bed, from which in a
few short weeks he was called by death to join him
with whom he had been so closely associated during
life. Lovely and cofnely in their life, even in death
they were not divided. (II Kings, ch. i, ver. 23.)
CHAPTER XX VJ.
Estimates of Bishop Machebeuf. — First Impressions. —
Activity. — Earnestness. — Simplicity. — Learning. — No Politician.
— Social Qualities. — Financial Operations.— As a Priest.— As a
Bishoj..— His Work. -APOSTLE OF COLORADO.
Tlie liistoiy of Bisliop Machebeuf would not Ik*
complete without a few words of coiimient ujk)d
him as an individual, as a priest, as a bishop, and as
an administrator. This is, perhaps, the hardest part
of tlie work of a ])ioo:rapher, hut twenty-four years
of intimate accjuaintance with Bishop Machebeuf,
and a study of his career, as set forth in the preced-
ing pages, should give the writer sufficient grounds
upon which to base a fair estimate of tlie man and
his motives. His works speak for themselves.
The first time the writer saw Father Machebeuf
was on Sunday, June 18, 1865, while he was saying
mass in the first little church of Denver. The special
impression made then, and which has never been for-
gotten, was that he was a man of a very advance<l
age. In reality he liad not yet completed his fifty
tliird year, but his hair was turning grey, and his
face was as thin and wrinkled as that of a man of
eighty. The twenty-five years of such mission
ary life as he had lived seemed to have left him
a weather-beaten wreck near the limit of its power
to hold longer together. Strange as it may appear,
that impression could never afterwards be felt, and
even when Bishop Nfacliebeuf lay in his <'oniii the
412 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
writer could see nothing of the worn-out, decrepit
features of his first impression, but a strong, rugged
face that might have braved many more years of
storm and sunshine.
In form Bishop Machebeuf was below medium
height and of slight build. In spite of his lameness
his movements were rapid, and he never remained
long in any one place or position. He seemed to be
all energy, activity, and business, and he was not
more earnest in his pontifical ceremonies, or in plan-
ning a church, than he was in directing the smallest
altar boy, or showing his traveling companion how
to fry a beefsteak. He was not handsome, but there
was a kindness in his face which made you forget
all about that, and there was an irresistible attrac-
tion about him when you were sufficiently acquainted
with him to engage in familiar conversation. He
was easy to become acquainted with, but he had a
dread of ''society" and pompous people, and felt
more free and at home among the poor and humble,
with a special liking for the Sisters and their pupils.
He was very sensitive to the sufferings of others,
and the veriest tramp did not appeal to him in vain.
His temper was even, although he knew how to scold
upon occasion, yet, that over, his next word would
be as calm and pleasant as a brother's greeting, and
no harsh or revengeful feelings ever found lodg-
ment in his gentle breast.
Mentally he was naturally bright, but his deli-
cate health prevented him from making very pro-
found studies in his youth, and his constant mission-
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 413
ary labors left liim small ()|)]K)rtnnity for metliodical
study in his after life, lie knew his theology well,
was well versed in Scripture, and could preach a
good sermon or get up a lecture on religious sub
jeets upon very short notice. He cared little for
science, and the iKjpular questions of the day inter
ested him only in so far as they bore upon religion
or his special work. He spoke and wrote English
very well for one who had learned it so late in life,
but he was, probably, more proficient in Spanish,
which bore a closer analogy to his mother tongue.
His pastorals were plain practical sermons, or sen-
sible talks u]>on his subjects with no attempt at
rhetoric or display.
Bishop Machebeuf never allied liimself with
any political party, nor had lie any use for politics
as such. The authors of a sketcli of Bishop Mache-
beuf, written shortly after his death, said:
Many wlio think llioy knew Bishop Machebeuf, yet who
merely knew him as he appeared to them in his later years, a
simple ^rey-haired old man, small of stature, limpinp; painfully,
no plih-ton»!:ued talker uov shifty politician, (alas, that it ever
could be said of one of G»)d's anointed that he ever knew the
devious ways of the politician) will never know the greatness
of the man.
Bishop MaclielR'uf had too imicli honor and
honesty, and too real an appreciation of his own ex-
alted calling ever to become a ])olitician in the or-
dinary sense of the word, but he took an interest in
public questions u]x>n high and moral grounds. In
1870 he spoke from his pulpit against woman's suff-
rage when that question was being agitated by those
414 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
who were called "short-haired women and long-
haired men," basing his arguments on Scripture,
morality, and woman's best place in society, and his
lecture was printed by request in pamphlet form.
Again, in 1876, he appeared before the Consti-
tutional Convention of Colorado and made an ap-
peal for the freedom of education, but, apart from
these occasions, he was never known to mingle in
civic strife.
Socially Bishop Machebeuf was very compan-
ionable with his priests. He never kept them at a
distance, but drew them near to him and was in
their midst like a father, or rather, like an elder
brother. This familiarity was not of the kind that
breeds contempt, but sets one at ease without lessen-
ing the feeling of respect. Occasionally some one
might comment upon his peculiarities or imitate his
manner, but it was always when he was out of sight
and hearing.
Anent his financial operations there was a di-
versity of opinions; — some asserting that he was a
millionaire, and others that he was poorer than a
pauper, for his debts would outweigh his posses-
sions. Both were wrong in this, but all were right
in believing that he was not a skillful financier. We
have seen all along that financial worry was the
bane of his life, yet it was said that few men ever
liad better opportunities for amassing a fortune.
The causes of his failure to become wealthy
can easily be explained if we examine them calmly
and rationally. Some of them lay within himself
LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF. 415
and were therefore unavoidable; others were out-
side and adventitious, but not less active aud ef-
fective.
Bishop Machebeuf was no miser and did not
love money for its own sake. He valued it only for
what it could do, and he was not able to keep it
when he saw a place where he thought it would be
well employed. He was thoroughly devoted to his
work, and willing to make any sacrifice to increase
the influence of the Church and spread religion. He
never spared his own person when religion was in
question, and his goods were less to him than his
life. Knowing by his own experience what hard-
ship was he sympathized strongly with those in
trouble and was disposed to aid them as far as he
was able. He had an unbounded confidence in God,
that He would i)rovide tlie means wlien He was the
end proposed, and he had a firm aud lasting faith
in the future of Colorado. Add to all of these his
apparent inability to keep systematic accounts to
show him his exact standing, and we have the in-
terior and personal reasons why Bishop Machebeuf
could never be a wealthy man. These same disposi-
tions might also make him a spendthrift, but he had
too much prudence to indulge in needless waste, and
too little reckless daring to become a speculator.
The external causes came from the times in
which he lived, and his own peculiar circumstances.
ITe had to build up the Church in Colorado from
nothing, and he was not content to establish it for
the present alone, but he looked far into the future.
416 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Whenever a town or settlement showed signs of be-
ing permanent Bishop Machebeuf was on the spot
to secure locations for churches and schools, and
he did not wait for the people to pay for them ; this
he did himself with his own funds when the people
did not have the money, and he often borrowed for
this purpose, and then again to help in the erection
of the necessary buildings. Interest was as high
as 5 per cent a month in the beginning, and he re-
joiced in later years when he got money at 12 per
cent a year.
Many of his properties naturally turned out
valueless when the towns did not fulfill expectations.
The accounts of his own parish show a deficit in the
annual revenue for current expenses, thus causing
an ever-increasing debt to add to that created by
the cost of the buildings. Many of the parishes, also,
began improvements beyond their resources, and
when hopelessly involved they would appeal to
Bishop Machebeuf. Imprudent pastors could, and
did, leave the parish and the diocese, but the Bishop
was always there to ''hold the bag," and many of
these churches never re-imbursed Bishop Mache-
beuf for the outlay. Taxes also were enormous,
and all combined to force him to greater loans and
increased interest — or failure.
He was often blamed for not selling some of his
property, but at such times prices were low and
he had a firm confidence that times would grow bet-
ter and values rise. But, in fact, he seldom missed
a chance for a good sale. Sometimes he was even
UFE OF BISHOP MACHEBF.UF. 417
blanie<l for selling:, t'spccially in later years when
people remembered tliat he sohl the inafniificent
eourt house blook for $18,000, but these |>eople for-
ijot tliat the growtli of Denver was not in that di-
rection at the time, nor did tliey seem to i<MneinlKT
that tlie count}' oommissioners were bhimed for pay-
ing: $18,000 for a piece of ground which the rigliteous
said was not worth more than $12,000,
Any one can look hack, but few can look for-
ward with anything like certainty and hundreds of
others were as enthusiastic as Bishop Machebenf
over tlie future of Denver and Colorado, and just as
much in the dark as to what wore the best invest-
ments, and few of tliem came out better than he did
in the end. If we had foreknowledge there would be
others as wise, and it would come to the same in the
end. Bisho]> Machebeuf was embarrassed during
his lifetime, and his successor was embarrassed for
some years afterwards, but in the final outcome all
tui-ned out well, and the Church of Colorado has
reason to thank Bishop Machebeuf for his far-
reaching efforts and enthusiastic foresiglit. He die<l
neither a millionaire nor a pau])er, but left euougli
to pay all his obligations with interest, and a sur-
plus which went to help needy cliurches and insti-
tutions to wliicli he liiTiiscif would probably have
applied it.
As a priest Bishop Machebeuf might be taken
as a model of regularity in his private life, and his
daily mass and otTicc were by no means the limit
of his devotions. Even on his trii)8 he carried his
418 LIFE OF BISHOP MACHEBEUF.
Testament, his Imitation and Ms books of spiritual
reading and meditation, and his Rosary, which long
ago he resolved to recite "at least once a day," was
never forgotten.
As a bishop — Well, some malicious one re-
marked, that when Father Machebeuf was made
a bishop the Church lost a good missionary without
gaining a bishop! Surely, the first part of this re-
mark was false, for Bishop Machebeuf never ceased
to be the same untiring missionary as long as he
lived, and of the groundlessness of the second part
we can judge when we look at the work he did in the
years of his episcopacy, and conclude, as we must,
that the grand and imposing structure of the Cath-
olic Church in Colorado to-day is built upon the
foundation that he laid and strengthened with the
labors and sacrifices of such years as none can un-
derstand without having gone through them. He
had his faults, and they worried those who were
close to him. Some of us showed our impatience at
them, and now we accept the humiliation of con-
fessing it, but neither we, nor any one else, denied
his virtues, which grow upon us as we recede from
him, while the small faults are long since forgotten.
There is an honored list of Bishops in the
American Church, such as may be found in any new
country but nowhere else, and those upon the list
might not fit in other places and other times, but
they were great men in their special positions. They
were the pioneer Bishops of America, — men who
kept at the front in our westward-moving civiliza-
I.IFK OF BISHOF" MACHEBKUF. 419
tion — wlio did the work of the pioneer an<l lived
the life of the pioneer — who went into the wilder
iiess and cleared it up to make it inliabitahle for
those who oaine aft<M- them — who ^av^e religion a
form and foundation, and started it successfully
upon its forward movement. At the head of this list
you will find a Flaget, and beneath will be the name
of a Brute, a Rosati, n Fenwiok, a Loras, a Cretin,
a Lamy, and others. The list is now, |>erhaps,
closed, for the necessity has passed for such mis-
sionaries of the old school in the United States, but
it did not close until it had inscribed njMin it the
name of Machebruf.
When Father Machebeuf came to Colorado in
1860 he was alone with Father Raverdy, without a
single church, or roof over his head; wiien he was
made bishop he had but three i)riests within his jur-
isdiction; when he died the Diocese of Denver
counted 64 priests, 102 churches and chapels, 9
academies, 1 college, 1 orphan asylum, 1 house of
refuge, 10 hospitals, and over 3,000 diildrcn in Cath-
olic schools!
This was primarily the work of one man, and
that man was Bishoj) Machebeuf. In contemplating
it we must concede that its author was a great prie^st,
a great bisho]), and merited well the title by which
posterity shall know him— THE APOSTLE OF
COLORADO.
Finis.
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY
Los Angeles
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below.
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